8:10 p.m. on June 15, 2012 (EDT)
The corridor trails are spectacular and a great way to visit the Canyon for the first time. IMO Plateau Point is not to be missed while at Indian Gardens. There is so much to see in the Grand Canyon you don't have to do lots of miles to be rewarded. If one was in less shape than more, I would be tempted to leave out Cottonwood Camp(as beautiful as it is) and see things closure but equally as beautiful. IMO people try and hit all the corridor camps without having much time to actually appreciate their surroundings just to say they "did it". The Canyon has hundreds of trail miles with-in it... Because your traveling in November you will also be dealing with less day light hours.
PACK WEIGHT:
I second that poles are a must in the Canyon. Walmart sells cheap pairs if your looking for something simple but useful. Lowering pack weight is a great leg saver up & down. Don't under estimate the down. You will need decent calf muscles for this. Food has always been tricky for me. If you can carry as much as you need and not an ounce more you will save yourselves tons of unnecessary slogging = more enjoyment. Careful how much water you take too(Rangers will be able to give you a realistic estimate for time of year). Food(box lunch even)/snacks(bars & beer) can be bought at the Canteen in Phantom Ranch. Canteen hours in summer where 10am-4pm, 8pm-12am They may be different in November. The bagel, cream cheese and sausage where yummy and affordable. A steak dinner is about $65each or more.. that was too ouch for my budget. Breakfast can also be done as well. Good to book ahead at Xanterra Parks but it can be done from the bottom if you arrange it the day before and have luck. Bring a lighter tent if $$ allows. Tarptents rock IMO. I have the double rainbow(2.5lbs) and freestand it in the Canyon with my trekking poles cuz the ground is well... rockhard :P Forget the tent pegs use the rocks that are everywhere and buy the pole extensions that come with the tent. Aim for a tent less than 5lbs if you can.
ALTITUDE:
I'm from sea level and about 2500km's away. The elevation always hit's me. A good training idea is to do HIIT(high intensity interval training) - It can be done in 5mins: 30secs/skipping, 30secs/rest or walking, repeat. Or Run 30sec walk 30sec. etc etc.. It trains the heart to recover faster. This will help with your V02max(oxygen intake) and get you used to working at a higher intensity(hi elevations & heart pumping faster). Don't worry too much about altitude since you will be going downhill. It's normal for me to get winded walking to Mather Point upon arrival. Just remember to take your time.
PERMITS:
I don't believe November is HI season so your chances of getting a permit should be decent. If you haven't called the backcountry office yet, I would encourage you to do so. In my experience, they are super friendly and can give you more ideas on what to expect during your hike for that time of year. I advise you to put in a "couple" different permit-ing options.. You can even fax a second page with different permutations(ie more than 3) along with a simple paragraph outlining what your trying to do. I've heard the word is they like to see someone with a plan or at least trying. Ask for input.. If you have any flexibility in your dates at all, I would put those in. How many nights are you aiming for in the canyon? Start with your preferred choice and work backwards. 3 or 2 nights in the canyon is better than no nights IMHO and it could also work well in conjunction with Rim touring/hiking. If you have a chance to go 5 nights, I would.
Possibly snow/ice on the South Rim? Maybe some kind of extra traction for the way down/up near the tops?
There is also a bunch of info on the NPS site for grand canyon. The trip planner is great if you haven't found it yet.
TRAINING:
Stairs, Lunges, Squats, Skipping Rope(calves for the downhill)... & any kind of cardio.
Going for day hikes with full or partial pack weight to prep your back/shoulder & feet muscles:) One could go heavier as well to compensate for lack of hills to train on.
4 NIGHT VARIATIONS:
Bright Angel, Cottonwood, Bright Angel, Indian Gardens
Indian Gardens, Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Indian Gardens
Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Indian Gardens, Indian Gardens
Cremation Creek, Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Indian Gardens
Indian Gardens, Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Cremation Creek*
Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Horn Creek*, Indian Gardens
Cremation Creek, Bright Angel, Horn Creek, Indian Gardens
Bright Angel, Cottonwood, Cottonwood, Bright Angel
Indian Gardens, Bright Angel, Cottonwood, Bright Angel
-You could then continue on with 3 night variations in the same way...
Cremation & Horn Creek would be like adding a bit of spice to your trip.
Cremation Creek would need water and a cathole for.... The use area starts at ~1.5-2mi off of South Kaibab/Tonto junction making a nice halfway point elevation wise between the top and bottom. It's not something other people would typically see. Setup camp and if extra time allows wander further into Cremation Use Area.
Horn Creek is on the Tonto off of Indian Gardens headed West. It's not far but it's great if you want to feel like it's just you two and the Canyon. There is a site allocated for tenting. It may or may not be a small 3 sided pit toilet there at that time. Check Backcountry. No water but it's not a long haul from Indian Gardens.
BASECAMP:
After November 15 you can camp up to 4 consecutive nights in corridor campgrounds(length of stay):
planyourvisit - backcountry-permit
So you could sort of Base Camp it:
Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Bright Angel, Indian Gardens
Indian Gardens, Indian Gardens, Bright Angel, Indian Gardens
Why do this? A rest day after your hike down(or any time during the trip) is spectacular. From Bright Angel you could day hike Ribbon Falls(yes, it would be a long day) and/or you could day hike Clear Creek Trail. It is beautiful walking there. This gives flexibility if your more sore than expected. Nice to come back to a camp already set up too. Phantom Ranch overlook is a great perspective not everyone gets to see.
From Indian Gardens there is Plateau Point. Also the Tonto goes East and West here. Can day hike either as much or as little as you like.
WEATHER:
This is great for current/recent weather prior to trip:
noaa site KGCN(Grand Canyon Airport), AT688(Indian Gardens), AT680(Phantom Ranch)
Historical data can be found at Weather Underground.
SOURCES & EXTRA's:
Hike Arizona has a plethora of trail reports on the Grand Canyon corridors if you are wanting to know more about what to expect.
If your looking to lighten your pack any further a book that helped me out immensely is The Ultimate Hikers Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail by Andrew Skurka. Great recommendations for all hiking levels and pack weights. Ebook can be found on Amazon. The book itself is a pretty handy tool to have kicking around. I was able to exit the Canyon with a pack under 20lbs. For 4 nights in the Canyon you shouldn't need more than 40lbs of total weight on your back. Go for less if you can.
WARNING:
Be sure to find and follow the rules at Bright Angel Campground. They are located in the washrooms there. Have a nice sit & read before you accidentally do something wrong. :) Food & plastic in ammo cans at all times.
DON'T FORGET:
Headlamp & extra extra batteries.
-Happy Hiking!
ps I love the Grand Canyon