On our usual weekend workout hike to Skeleton Point and back, as we were climbing back out, three separate parties asked us if it is really harder to hike uphill.

What exactly does one  say? 

"This is a trick question, right?"

"Why no: the Park Service hires me to pant noisily and sweat profusely as a cautionary tale."

"Don't believe all that propaganda: hiking up is a piece of cake.  In fact, I recommend you do a rim to rim to rim this morning."

I suppose one response would be to stop, regard them in an attitude of disbelief, and ask, "Have you ever in your life hiked uphill before?  In which case, why are you heading down 4800 feet to the River?  Which precludes hiking 4800 feet BACK OUT?"

Ranger call the Grand Canyon the world's biggest Venus Fly Trap.  It is SO easy to wander down.  Not so easy to wander out.  Well, there are those persons who arrive at the bottom totally exhausted, which does make one wonder why they kept going.

Pam Cox, who was Phantom Ranger for many years, used to ask hikers how far they intending to hike down.  Often the response was: "We'll walk until we get tired, and then start out."  What is wrong with this plan?

My BFF, Dan, likes to hike rim to river to rim every time he is in the neighborhood, and usually he cons me into going along with this mad plan.  Last time  I told him I would accompany him to  the Tipoff, and then turn around, because I had to work the following day. 

So down we sauntered, talking and gossiping and catching  up, and, lo and behold, I was at the River.  The Colorado River.  I looked at the Black Bridge and muttered, "Darn.  (I didn't say darn).  I didn't really want to do that.  And there is only one way out now."

If I can get to the bottom without fully thinking about it, what hope is there for someone who has never been to the bottom and out?  Who doesn't even understand that,  yes, hiking out is harder than hiking down.  That's one of the reasons I do it: to keep in shape.  It is one of the reasons people pay through the nose to ride a mule.  It is the reason so many visitors ask why there isn't a gondola, or a cog railway or  an  escalator back out.

Hiking uphill is harder than hiking downhill.  You heard it here first.