HIKE OF THE MONTH

HIKE of the month HERMIT TRAIL The Hermit Trail runs for 9.7 miles to the Colorado River. It can be done as a day hike, but that's ill-advised. A better option is one of the trail's many segments, including the trek to Santa Maria Spring. BY ROBERT STIEVE

Hermits Rest is the most distant stop on the Hermit Road, and it's the place where hikers go when they're looking for some quiet adventure. Ironically, that's not why the Hermit Trail was built. It was built to move people, pork chops and bottles of Porto to Hermit Camp, a luxury campsite for tourists that predated Phantom Ranch by 10 years. In its heyday, the camp featured a tramway and a chef, among other amenities.Park Service strongly advises against going the distance in one shot. If you're determined, know your limitations and touch base with the park's backcountry office before you go. Otherwise, consider one of the trail's segments, including the trek to Santa Maria Spring, as a day hike. It's a relatively short route 4.4 miles round-trip - but distance in the Grand Canyon is exponentially greater than it is in other places. What's more, the Hermit Trail doesn't get as much maintenance as its world-renowned siblings (Bright Angel, North Kaibab and South Kaibab). Overall, it's in pretty good shape, but there are places most of them below Santa Maria Spring where rockslides have covered parts of the trail. Also, because there isn't a lot of foot traffic and rangers don't make regular patrols, the rule about “never hiking alone” is especially important on the Hermit. Be mindful of the disclaimers, and you'll have an incredible experience. From the trailhead, which is a quartermile west of Hermits Rest, the trail imme-