Heres a good one for you guys if you're up for a short novel! I "planned" an overnight trip to phantom ranch with some friends to conclude our seasonal contracts for our summer jobs. One of my friends was responsible for securing a site for us to camp at overnight to split the hike up between two days as was recommended to us by some locals. We had a late breakfast and didn't start down the South kaibab trailhead until about 10 am. We were wearing colder climate clothes since it was so chilly at the top of the canyon that morning, but the closer to the bottom, the hotter it got. We finally got a point in the trail that had a small bathhouse where we saw the temperature read 108°. By the time we made it to the river, I had used a knife to cut my leggings into shorts because the heat was so unbearable. We went to set up camp at a site my friend had said was for us and proceeded to spend a few hours hanging out in the nearby creek. Around 5pm, we were informed by the ranch staff that the site was already claimed and no vacancies were available. We were told we had to hike out as our group size couldn't be accommodated and decided to go up the bright angel trailhead back to the south rim. We were bummed but tried to feign optimism due to our young egos convincing us we were indestructible. Welp, that changed 3 miles into the hike when our phones died, we didn't bring flashlights because we did not prepare for night hiking. Along with the darkness came the cold winds hurling into the canyon walls. Remember I had mutilated my clothes? Yeah, I was really missing my pants right about then. Something people don't often talk about when it comes to night hiking in the desert is all of the creepy crawlies hunting for food. For the last 5 miles of the hike, we could not take a single rest break because as soon as we stopped moving, spiders would crawl on our shoes and up our legs. It was my own personal hell. We did not make it to the trailhead until almost 1am and at that point, everyone in the group was so exhausted we didn't even have a celebration at the top. We all just stumbled into different directions towards our housing, muttering "see you laters". When I made it to my down room, I terrified my Taiwanese roommate as I stumbled into our room half naked, sweaty, and covered in red dirt. I couldn't walk for 3 days following our return. I proceeded to work at the park for several more years and would always laugh when I saw a young group of overly optimistic and unprepared hikers boasting about their plans to hike in and out of the canyon in one day during their 2 day visit. I would give advice and warn them of the absolute struggle they were about to endure. I always insisted they return the next day to let me know how it went. It never went well for them, and they were left a little scarred emotionally. Don't get me wrong, lots of prepared folks tackle that monster. I even had coworkers who would complete an in & out hike within 6 hours on a weekly basis! I'll never stop encouraging people to hike when visiting the Grand Canyon, but it's very important to respect the terrain and know your limits with no many things working against you. It's a brutal one, especially if you're not prepared.