Visitors to Grand Canyon, especially inner canyon hikers, mule riders, and backpackers, should be prepared for excessively hot days in the coming weeks. In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 120-degrees. Hiking in extreme heat can lead to serious heat related illnesses. Hikers should hike before 10-am and after 4-pm and rest in shade and near water during the hottest times of the day. The public is encouraged to drink plenty of fluids. Last year, heat contributed to 82-search and rescue missions in the Grand Canyon. So far this month, park rangers have responded to multiple heat-related incidents in the inner canyon, including one fatality, 61-year old Douglas Stewart of Alaska.
