July 9, 2025 • 26 mins
Margaret Bradley was young, brilliant, and unstoppable—an All-American runner and Boston Marathon finisher who thought she could handle anything, even the Grand Canyon in July. She was wrong. In this powerful and cautionary episode, we revisit the tragic story of Margaret’s final run, exploring what went wrong, how it could have been prevented, and why the Canyon doesn’t care about your resume. With insights from Dr. Tom Myers, co-author of Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon, this episode is a sobering reminder that the Canyon demands respect, no matter who you are.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Zeena (00:05):
This is the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show presented by
Hiken. Hiking plus kinship.That's Hiken. Together, we roam.
Here's your host, my hubby, andcofounder of Hiken, Brian
Special.
Brian (00:19):
Well, there's a lull in the air, which I kinda like
because I think it means most inour group are playing it smart
and staying off the trails herein the most dangerous time of
the year. And since we're stillin summer, I wanted to revisit a
story from our first season thatyou might have missed. It's an
important one and an extremelypowerful one that I think about
(00:40):
myself often, about how thecanyon doesn't care who you are
or what you've accomplished orwhat kind of shape you think you
might be in. If you overestimateyour abilities, even if you just
ran the Boston Marathon, andunderestimate or underprepare
for the canyon, it can kill you.And it's why we spend so much
(01:04):
time discouraging folks fromhiking in the heat and, well,
knowing some, we'll do itanyway, helping them with
strategies that we hope can belife saving.
This is the Grand Canyon HikerDude show powered by hiking.
Hiking plus kinship, that'shiking. Together, we roam. April
(01:28):
2004. The US is at war inAfghanistan.
Saddam Hussein is about to go ontrial in Iraq. But for Margaret
Bradley, those are just eventsin faraway places. At 24,
Margaret is on top of the world.A first year medical student in
Chicago, already with degrees inbiology and earth science, a
(01:50):
violinist, and passionate aboveall else about running. She was
an All American at theUniversity of Chicago and has
just run the prestigious BostonMarathon in just over three
hours on a sweltering 85 degreeday that saw more than 1,100
runners treated for heat relatedissues.
(02:10):
When asked afterwards how she'dperformed so well in such tough
conditions, Margaret told alocal magazine that she'd
focused on keeping herselfhydrated and not letting the
adrenaline from the crowd makeher do something stupid. Fast
forward two and a half months.It's 07/08/2004, summer at Grand
(02:32):
Canyon, the most inhospitabletime of year, a time when most
experienced canyon hikers orrunners will either stay off the
trails or at least have a properplan and supplies to make heat
mitigation their number onepriority. This is the time of
year when unprepared hikers andrunners die below the rim. In
(02:53):
spite of the warnings, ithappens every year.
Yet here are Margaret Bradleyand her new running buddy, Ryan,
who she shared a Chicagoconnection with and who had
recently moved to nearbyFlagstaff. Ryan, with at least
some canyon experience, hadplanned their route. Margaret,
(03:13):
heading below the rim for thefirst time, was following his
lead. The two were likelyfeeling the excitement and
adrenaline that most do as theylay eyes on the canyon before
taking it on. At around ninethat morning, the temperature is
rising as the two drop in at theGrand View Trailhead.
Their plan is to descend morethan 3,000 vertical feet on
(03:36):
Grand View the canyon's TontoPlatform, a desolate, desert
like landscape where they'dconnect with the relatively
level Tonto Trail, which they'dthen follow west to the tip-off
on the heavily trafficked SouthKaibab Trail. At that point,
they'd turn uphill and make thefinal four and a half mile climb
with 3,200 feet of elevationgain to their finish at the
(03:58):
South Rim. But there were manyproblems with this plan, all
which could have been preventedwith proper research or even a
basic understanding of theextreme conditions Margaret and
Ryan would no doubt face. Thefirst issue was that Ryan had
somehow estimated the length ofthe run at about 15 miles, when
(04:19):
in reality, it was almost twicethat, 28.7 longer than a full
marathon on a scorching July dayin an environment far more
brutal and unforgiving andunrelenting than any marathon
course on the planet. Doctor TomMyers has practiced at the Grand
(04:40):
Canyon Clinic for more thanthirty years and is the coauthor
of the popular book Over theEdge: Death in Grand Canyon.
Tom Myers (04:48):
Margaret put her faith in her hiking companion,
and, unfortunately, he was notthat experienced and gave her
poor advice.
Brian (05:02):
Making an already dangerous plan far worse was the
duo's start time. 9AM, at leastfive hours too late for such an
itinerary. They also didn't packany of the just in case
essentials, like headlamps or asat phone or even a map. But
worst of all, their paltrysupply of water. Ryan carried
(05:24):
four liters.
Margaret, less than two.
Tom Myers (05:29):
Neither of them brought enough water for what
they were attempting to do. Evenif it was the miles that he had
initially said, they stillshould have had a lot more water
in that just to have a littlebit of a safety net.
Brian (05:40):
But down they went, unknowingly unprepared for what
lie ahead. Margaret Bradley andher friend Ryan, youthfully
exuberant, confident, ready toconquer anything the canyon
could throw at them. But withthe sun getting higher and
higher in the sky and ruthlesslybeating down on them, they
(06:01):
wouldn't even be to theirhalfway point before all of
their water was gone. Howquickly do you think they knew
that they were in trouble?
Tom Myers (06:12):
You know, I'm gonna guess probably within three,
four hours.
Brian (06:17):
Should they have turned around at that point?
Tom Myers (06:20):
Yeah. I think so.
Brian (06:22):
But remember, Margaret and Ryan were planning for a 15
mile day. At the very least,they had to figure they would be
coming up on South Kaibab at anymoment. Even there, they would
find no water. But they could atleast call for help and probably
access an emergency supply atthe tip-off. But Ryan was
already in bad shape.
(06:44):
At the 15 mile point, he felt onthe verge of heat stroke, so
Ryan curled up in a patch ofshade. He and Margaret would
rest here for two and a halfhours. Margaret, perhaps even
more dehydrated than Ryan, faceda decision.
Tom Myers (07:01):
The hours ticked away and the miles ticked away, and
then she realized they're notany closer. It was dawning on
her that, oh, crap. You know?Now I'm in a fight for my life.
I can't even imagine what wentthrough her mind.
Absolute sheer terror. Like, Igot to get out of here. You
know, I'm gonna die. Know, like,this is legit. This is it.
My life's in the balance.
Brian (07:21):
That tunnel platform is no place to be in the
summertime. People aren't aware,it's very, very, very exposed.
They were in the worst placejust about that they could be in
the canyon, weren't they?
Tom Myers (07:33):
They were. Yeah. It was it was just unrelenting, you
know, the solar load, you know,no shade. But it had her
companion done his homework, youknow, they they definitely
wouldn't have been thatpredicament to begin with.
Brian (07:46):
So they know they're in trouble. They hunker down. They
try to get a little piece ofshade. Ryan's the one who's
really struggling the most. Sowhat do you think is going
through both of their minds atat this point?
Tom Myers (08:00):
I I think Ryan at that point was betting on
Margaret and her level offitness, her, you know,
stoicism, her ability to pushthrough pain and and fatigue as
a runner to to rescue them both.And and then Margaret, I think,
(08:20):
was I'm gonna bet she was angryand and very concerned and, you
know, obviously super stressed.You know, pegging the stress
meter, like, gotta get out ofhere and not knowing exactly how
to do it and where to where thenext water would be found.
Brian (08:39):
At this point, it's not just dehydration that's setting
in. So too is desperation.Margaret decides to leave Ryan.
Her plan is to reach SouthKaibab, which she's expecting at
any moment. And instead of turnuphill toward the rim, turn
downhill and make a two and ahalf mile run to the river and
(09:00):
Phantom Ranch for help.
Was it a huge mistake for themto to split up? Should they have
stayed together?
Tom Myers (09:11):
That's a good question, Brian. I I think the
question would be the level ofdehydration that Margaret had.
So I think Margaret probablyfelt a sense of urgency and
thirst that, you know, may haveexceeded his in in a sense of
panic. I think the the levelwhat happens with thirst I I
liken it to having your headheld underwater and that that
(09:33):
panic to get air. It's the samesort of panic, but it's it
slowly builds up.
It's like, you know, thatdesperation, you know, to get
water, and it gets to where it'spure torture. You know, I gotta
get to water. I get to water.And, you know, so it's it's it
ramps up, and Margaret may havebeen at a point where she said,
no. I I can't even stay here.
(09:53):
I I need water now. My body'stelling me I need water now. And
then, unfortunately, being asphysically fit as she was and
used to pushing herself, she mayhave just said, I'm gonna chose
to just get out of here, and Iand and and just take my
chances. And and if Ryan wascorrect, I should be finding the
(10:14):
South Trail soon, you know, getto help.
Brian (10:17):
So off she went. Imagine the frustration of thinking your
destination, the South KaibabTrail, is just around the next
bend over and over. Fear, panic,desperation, on top of
dehydration, that can be alethal cocktail. And Margaret,
(10:38):
perhaps wondering at this pointif South Kaibab even exists,
makes the decision to veer offtrail. You see this time and
again, it seems like, with withsituations like this where, and
and this is pointed out in yourbook numerous times, where
someone is presenting heatrelated, heat stroke related
(10:59):
symptoms, and next thing youknow, they're dropping their
pack, they're going off trail,and they're trying to make a
beeline for water.
In this case, on the Tonoplatform, you might think if
you're not experienced in thecanyon, well, must be a shorter
way to get to the river, becausethat's I think what everyone
wants to do. I wanna get to theriver. I need to get to water.
(11:19):
And so they make what ultimatelybecomes a fatal mistake by going
off trail and trying to take ashortcut to the river.
Tom Myers (11:26):
Yeah. I a lot of those decisions like that, when
they're in the throes of ofsheer panic, like, have to get
to water now, that people willdo things that, you know, risk
serious injury, you know, fatalinjury because they're so
desperate, like these impossibledown climbs or trying to tear a
(11:49):
cactus open with their barehands or maybe drinking their
own urine. Just things that tojust alleviate the thirst. It's
you know, there's stories where,you know, historically, people
drink blood. You name it.
Antifreeze, anything to try toseawater, you know, things to
try to quench thirst. It's justit's that powerful of a symptom
(12:10):
or stimulus for people. And thenthe further they get into the
heat stroke, then, you know,especially if they're getting
becoming altered, then they thejudgment just tanks.
Brian (12:19):
There's no doubt that's what she was doing. Right?
Tom Myers (12:22):
No doubt. You know? Yeah. She was in the thick of it
and, you know, desperate and inpanic, and she knows her life is
is is now extremely high risk,you know, her life is in the
balance.
Brian (12:36):
So in Grand Canyon, when that when that happens and when
you do go off trail and youthink there's a shorter way to
the water, what what can happento you?
Tom Myers (12:42):
They'll go down these, steep slot, you know,
that most of the Grand Canyoneventually have narrows and big
cliffs and pour overs. It's it'shard rock, and so the what
happens is they'll down andclimb a cliff or even jump, you
know, down a a section that theyknow they they probably couldn't
get back up. And then they keepgoing, and unfortunately, they
(13:05):
counter a cliff that may be evenworse that they can't down
climb. And so they're trappedbetween a cliff that they can't
down climb and the one they wentdown and they can't get back up.
And at that point, you're done.
I mean, unless somebody findsyou.
Brian (13:19):
While all this is happening, Ryan is feeling well
enough to continue his trudgetowards South Kaibab. But after
three miles of hiking and now intotal darkness, he stops and
sleeps on the trail. As dawnbreaks, he continues, and within
an hour, he finally connectswith South Kaibab. Not long
(13:40):
after, a USGS worker on her wayup from Phantom Ranch meets up
with Ryan. She accesses anemergency supply of water, Ryan
drinks two liters, rests for awhile, and then, with the same
worker who hadn't left his side,begins the long climb up South
Kaibab.
It's likely that Margaret isstill alive and in grave danger.
(14:01):
But Ryan, for reasons that mightnever be known, never mentions
her to the USGS worker. A rangerat Phantom who had been
discussing the situation withthat worker by satellite phone
would later say, quote, nowherein that conversation did we get
the information that he was arunner, that he crossed the
(14:22):
tanto, or that there were two ofthem. Ryan had apparently
believed that Margaret had madeit to Phantom. On his way up,
he'd even given a message to aguide headed down.
Quote, ask the ranger to try toget a message to a woman I was
hiking with. Tell the ranger totell her I'm moving her car from
Grand View to the South KaibabTrailhead area. Her name is
(14:45):
Margaret Bradley. Aftersurfacing at South Kaibab twelve
hours after being found, Ryanchanged plans and instead of
moving Margaret's car, he askedthe USGS worker to drive him
home to Flagstaff, about an hourand a half's drive, which she
did. At around eleven thatnight, sixteen hours after Ryan
(15:07):
had been found, MargaretBradley's family called police
to report her missing.
Early the next morning, twentyfour hours now after he'd been
found and forty since he andMargaret had separated on Tonto,
Ryan finally told police andpark rangers what had happened
to he and Margaret. As a rangerwould later say, suddenly, all
(15:30):
the dots connected. A search wasimmediately launched, and by
noon, several 100 yards south ofthe Tonto Trail, trapped in a
drainage, a rescue helicopterspotted Margaret Bradley. She
was curled up in the fetalposition with her head resting
on her fanny pack. But there wasno movement.
(15:53):
Margaret was gone. The medicalexaminer would determine that
Margaret had died of dehydrationroughly twelve to twenty four
hours prior. Ryan had met upwith the USGS worker at the
tip-off thirty hours beforeMargaret was found. She had
likely been alive for betweenseven and nineteen hours after
(16:17):
Ryan had found help. When I'mreading this part of the book, I
can almost read between thelines of what you and Michael
are writing and you can almostfeel the, like, seething anger
at what you're writing.
Tom Myers (16:38):
You know, it was one of those situations where you
think it was so easilypreventable. And here, Margaret
was trusted her friend and puther faith in that he was
advising her correctly and thatthis was gonna be a great hike
and fun and all that stuff. Andthen she risks her life. She
(17:00):
goes off to try to save him. Andthen the irony is that she's
probably still alive, and itdoesn't dawn on him that the
first thing he should have donewas say, hey.
Where's Margaret? You know, I Igot my friend. I don't wanna
find out if she's you know, howshe's doing. Is she is she safe?
Is she in in distress herself?
And so that irony, you know, wewere struck by the incredible
(17:22):
irony there that Margaret wentlost her life pushing herself,
pushing pushing pushing. A womanwho is a phenomenal athlete, you
know, to push herself to herdeath, basically, to try to save
them both, and and he didn'thave the same regard, I guess. I
mean, it's it the fact that hedidn't have the same regard for
(17:43):
her life that she seemed to havefor his is just incredibly sad
and incredibly ironic and andanger provoking. It's like, you
know, you just if you wereMargaret's parents, you're like,
oh my god. You know?
I I how could you not? You know,how could you not? The first
thing that popped in your mindis my friend who you know, her
(18:03):
well-being. You know? I think Imostly How
Brian (18:05):
does that happen? How does that happen?
Tom Myers (18:07):
I don't know. I I know. And I maybe, you know, he
was not completely in his, youknow, in his defense. I mean,
he'd come through this horriblething. Maybe he's still kinda
out of it because of his ownexperience, dehydration, and who
knows?
But it just seems like there'ssomething wrong with the thought
(18:28):
process there for sure that hedidn't consider her well-being
right out right at the verybeginning when he got to the
Kaibab.
Brian (18:36):
Then for hours after.
Tom Myers (18:37):
And hours afterward. Hours afterward. It's like, it
just goes on and on, you know,and so as as it as that yeah. As
Michael and I worked on thatstory and and learned more about
it and learned what how therangers felt and what was going
on, it's like all of us,everybody, you know, that was
even remotely familiar with itwere like, you gotta be kidding
me. This is so horribly tragicand and could end it
(19:01):
differently.
Just and the torture she wentthrough those last few hours
must have just been absolutelybrutal.
Brian (19:11):
It's been twenty years now since Margaret's passing.
She'd be 44 this year in theprime of life. Instead, her
story is a tragic but importantreminder of the many entirely
preventable dangers one can facein the Grand Canyon. What
(19:31):
ultimately can be learned fromthe the Margaret Bradley story?
Tom Myers (19:36):
Well, you know, Margaret, again, you know, a
great runner, you know, probablyrun you and I into the dirt. I
mean, she was a a serious kickbutt athlete, and I think part
of the thing with that, it canbe a blessing and a curse that
you can overestimate yourability, and there may have been
(19:57):
some of that. It's like, oh, youknow, it's only that far. That's
a training run for me. You know?
And then so may and I I don'tknow what Margaret Margaret's
mindset was, but maybe she, likemost of us, you know, especially
an athlete, they canoverestimate their ability and
underestimate the Grand Canyon,and they underestimate that
heat. And then she also put herfaith in somebody who, you know,
(20:22):
rather than maybe doing her ownhomework and researching it, she
put her faith in a guy who lether down in that the ultimate
way, you know, cost her herlife. And so lessons learned
would be, you know, do your ownhomework. Don't put the burden
on all this to yourself. GetHowe Dots and Not to Die maybe,
(20:42):
read it, and understand therisks.
And and and then maybe if you dohave a companion who has this
itinerary that might be a littlebit over the top, you can, you
know, challenge him and say, Idon't know. Maybe this is not
such a good idea this time ofyear. It's like a and and if we
run out of water, where are wegonna find more? Or what are our
options, you know, depending onif we have some unforeseen thing
(21:05):
happen? So do your your it'sfront end loaded in so many
ways.
Do your homework. Be prepared,and and definitely don't
underestimate the Grand Canyon.
Brian (21:22):
The tragic tale of Margaret Bradley. It was
actually emotional to write thatone. It'll really make you think
about a lot of things, butespecially how preventable it
was from beginning to end. For atime after Margaret's death, the
park service actually usedphotos of her on signs around
the rim, touting her BostonMarathon experience and warning
(21:44):
hikers that if it can happen tosomeone like Margaret, it can
surely happen to them. Thanks asalways to Doctor.
Tom Myers, the Canyon doc, forhis help in telling Margaret's
story. Okay. Training tip timefrom coach Arnie. This time, we
revisit something coach talkedabout in a previous episode that
(22:04):
I know a lot of you are doing,walking backwards.
Coach Arnie (22:07):
Hey, everybody. This is coach Arnie with the
Grand Canyon training tip of theweek, and thank you again,
Brian, for allowing me to sharesome wisdom and knowledge of the
canyon with your wonderfulaudience. Today's tip, I wanna
share something that I hadalready talked about on an
episode of Grand Canyon HikerDude walking backwards. Why?
(22:32):
Because walking backwards is asecret weapon.
Another one, it is thecornerstone of what my Canyon
training program is all about. Ifirst came across it many years
ago because as an exercisephysiologist, I'm in the rehab
business, and we would usewalking backwards as a rehab
(22:54):
exercise for improving ACL orhamstring injuries, and it just
worked. And I thought, well,wait a minute. I who was just
getting into ultra running,wanted to get better at running
downhill. And I thought tomyself, well, wait a minute.
Walking backwards works thehamstrings, works the hips,
(23:16):
which would protect my knees. Ithought, well, here we go.
Because I was dealing with my myown knee issues, my own
hamstring issues. And could Ishorten up the learning curve to
get better at downhills besidesjust running a bunch of
downhills as I was being told bywalking backwards? And you know
(23:37):
what?
I thought about it. I broke itdown. The exercise the muscles
were the same. I thought, well,why not? So by just starting off
by walking flat, literally flaton the ground for ten minutes,
you could get going.
And then if you had a treadmill,you could literally turn the
power off on the treadmill, whatI call a dead mill, and walk on
(23:59):
it with no power pushing along.You could change the angle if
you wanted to. If you had accessto a weighted sled, you could
add weight and resistance. Youcould add time. You can add
distance.
Whatever you wanted to do, youhad all these variables that
allowed you to work the samemuscles that you would be doing
(24:19):
on a downhill, and you could doit at your convenience at your
facility where you're at. Itworked, and it will work for
you. I promise you. Just give ita try. Just start with ten
minutes.
You'll be surprised. I love youguys. And remember, if you have
any questions, you can alwaysmessage me from Pain Free Arnie
(24:39):
on Instagram, or you can call ortext me at (602) 390-9144. Love
you. Talk to you later.
Brian (24:47):
Coach Arnie, Arnie Foncica Junior, our group's
exercise physiologist and Canyoncoach. If you missed it, his
contact information is in theshow notes. Be safe out there
folks. The summer heat is not tobe messed with. If you're hiking
in it, make sure heat mitigationis your top priority.
This is not the time of year tobe chasing personal bests. It is
(25:09):
the time of year that you needto have a plan, have a strategy,
and have the discipline to stickto it. Alright. That's it for
now. My name is Brian Special,encouraging you as always to go
hike the canyon.
Take Take that first step.Embrace the journey. And when
you get there, whether it's fortime goals or taking your time,
just hike your own hike andsavor every step in the
(25:32):
magnificent Grand Canyon. We'llsee you next time on the Grand
Canyon Hiker Dude show poweredby hiking. Hiking plus kinship,
that's hiking.
Together, we roam.
Zeena (25:43):
This is the hiking podcast network. Look for new
episodes of the Grand CanyonHiker Dude show on Wednesdays,
Tales From Below on Fridays, andhiking meditations in my
separate show, Sacred Steps onSundays. Hiken. Together, we
roll.
This is the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show presented by
Hiken. Hiking plus kinship.That's Hiken. Together, we roam.
Here's your host, my hubby, andcofounder of Hiken, Brian
Special.
Brian (00:19):
Well, there's a lull in the air, which I kinda like
because I think it means most inour group are playing it smart
and staying off the trails herein the most dangerous time of
the year. And since we're stillin summer, I wanted to revisit a
story from our first season thatyou might have missed. It's an
important one and an extremelypowerful one that I think about
(00:40):
myself often, about how thecanyon doesn't care who you are
or what you've accomplished orwhat kind of shape you think you
might be in. If you overestimateyour abilities, even if you just
ran the Boston Marathon, andunderestimate or underprepare
for the canyon, it can kill you.And it's why we spend so much
(01:04):
time discouraging folks fromhiking in the heat and, well,
knowing some, we'll do itanyway, helping them with
strategies that we hope can belife saving.
This is the Grand Canyon HikerDude show powered by hiking.
Hiking plus kinship, that'shiking. Together, we roam. April
(01:28):
2004. The US is at war inAfghanistan.
Saddam Hussein is about to go ontrial in Iraq. But for Margaret
Bradley, those are just eventsin faraway places. At 24,
Margaret is on top of the world.A first year medical student in
Chicago, already with degrees inbiology and earth science, a
(01:50):
violinist, and passionate aboveall else about running. She was
an All American at theUniversity of Chicago and has
just run the prestigious BostonMarathon in just over three
hours on a sweltering 85 degreeday that saw more than 1,100
runners treated for heat relatedissues.
(02:10):
When asked afterwards how she'dperformed so well in such tough
conditions, Margaret told alocal magazine that she'd
focused on keeping herselfhydrated and not letting the
adrenaline from the crowd makeher do something stupid. Fast
forward two and a half months.It's 07/08/2004, summer at Grand
(02:32):
Canyon, the most inhospitabletime of year, a time when most
experienced canyon hikers orrunners will either stay off the
trails or at least have a properplan and supplies to make heat
mitigation their number onepriority. This is the time of
year when unprepared hikers andrunners die below the rim. In
(02:53):
spite of the warnings, ithappens every year.
Yet here are Margaret Bradleyand her new running buddy, Ryan,
who she shared a Chicagoconnection with and who had
recently moved to nearbyFlagstaff. Ryan, with at least
some canyon experience, hadplanned their route. Margaret,
(03:13):
heading below the rim for thefirst time, was following his
lead. The two were likelyfeeling the excitement and
adrenaline that most do as theylay eyes on the canyon before
taking it on. At around ninethat morning, the temperature is
rising as the two drop in at theGrand View Trailhead.
Their plan is to descend morethan 3,000 vertical feet on
(03:36):
Grand View the canyon's TontoPlatform, a desolate, desert
like landscape where they'dconnect with the relatively
level Tonto Trail, which they'dthen follow west to the tip-off
on the heavily trafficked SouthKaibab Trail. At that point,
they'd turn uphill and make thefinal four and a half mile climb
with 3,200 feet of elevationgain to their finish at the
(03:58):
South Rim. But there were manyproblems with this plan, all
which could have been preventedwith proper research or even a
basic understanding of theextreme conditions Margaret and
Ryan would no doubt face. Thefirst issue was that Ryan had
somehow estimated the length ofthe run at about 15 miles, when
(04:19):
in reality, it was almost twicethat, 28.7 longer than a full
marathon on a scorching July dayin an environment far more
brutal and unforgiving andunrelenting than any marathon
course on the planet. Doctor TomMyers has practiced at the Grand
(04:40):
Canyon Clinic for more thanthirty years and is the coauthor
of the popular book Over theEdge: Death in Grand Canyon.
Tom Myers (04:48):
Margaret put her faith in her hiking companion,
and, unfortunately, he was notthat experienced and gave her
poor advice.
Brian (05:02):
Making an already dangerous plan far worse was the
duo's start time. 9AM, at leastfive hours too late for such an
itinerary. They also didn't packany of the just in case
essentials, like headlamps or asat phone or even a map. But
worst of all, their paltrysupply of water. Ryan carried
(05:24):
four liters.
Margaret, less than two.
Tom Myers (05:29):
Neither of them brought enough water for what
they were attempting to do. Evenif it was the miles that he had
initially said, they stillshould have had a lot more water
in that just to have a littlebit of a safety net.
Brian (05:40):
But down they went, unknowingly unprepared for what
lie ahead. Margaret Bradley andher friend Ryan, youthfully
exuberant, confident, ready toconquer anything the canyon
could throw at them. But withthe sun getting higher and
higher in the sky and ruthlesslybeating down on them, they
(06:01):
wouldn't even be to theirhalfway point before all of
their water was gone. Howquickly do you think they knew
that they were in trouble?
Tom Myers (06:12):
You know, I'm gonna guess probably within three,
four hours.
Brian (06:17):
Should they have turned around at that point?
Tom Myers (06:20):
Yeah. I think so.
Brian (06:22):
But remember, Margaret and Ryan were planning for a 15
mile day. At the very least,they had to figure they would be
coming up on South Kaibab at anymoment. Even there, they would
find no water. But they could atleast call for help and probably
access an emergency supply atthe tip-off. But Ryan was
already in bad shape.
(06:44):
At the 15 mile point, he felt onthe verge of heat stroke, so
Ryan curled up in a patch ofshade. He and Margaret would
rest here for two and a halfhours. Margaret, perhaps even
more dehydrated than Ryan, faceda decision.
Tom Myers (07:01):
The hours ticked away and the miles ticked away, and
then she realized they're notany closer. It was dawning on
her that, oh, crap. You know?Now I'm in a fight for my life.
I can't even imagine what wentthrough her mind.
Absolute sheer terror. Like, Igot to get out of here. You
know, I'm gonna die. Know, like,this is legit. This is it.
My life's in the balance.
Brian (07:21):
That tunnel platform is no place to be in the
summertime. People aren't aware,it's very, very, very exposed.
They were in the worst placejust about that they could be in
the canyon, weren't they?
Tom Myers (07:33):
They were. Yeah. It was it was just unrelenting, you
know, the solar load, you know,no shade. But it had her
companion done his homework, youknow, they they definitely
wouldn't have been thatpredicament to begin with.
Brian (07:46):
So they know they're in trouble. They hunker down. They
try to get a little piece ofshade. Ryan's the one who's
really struggling the most. Sowhat do you think is going
through both of their minds atat this point?
Tom Myers (08:00):
I I think Ryan at that point was betting on
Margaret and her level offitness, her, you know,
stoicism, her ability to pushthrough pain and and fatigue as
a runner to to rescue them both.And and then Margaret, I think,
(08:20):
was I'm gonna bet she was angryand and very concerned and, you
know, obviously super stressed.You know, pegging the stress
meter, like, gotta get out ofhere and not knowing exactly how
to do it and where to where thenext water would be found.
Brian (08:39):
At this point, it's not just dehydration that's setting
in. So too is desperation.Margaret decides to leave Ryan.
Her plan is to reach SouthKaibab, which she's expecting at
any moment. And instead of turnuphill toward the rim, turn
downhill and make a two and ahalf mile run to the river and
(09:00):
Phantom Ranch for help.
Was it a huge mistake for themto to split up? Should they have
stayed together?
Tom Myers (09:11):
That's a good question, Brian. I I think the
question would be the level ofdehydration that Margaret had.
So I think Margaret probablyfelt a sense of urgency and
thirst that, you know, may haveexceeded his in in a sense of
panic. I think the the levelwhat happens with thirst I I
liken it to having your headheld underwater and that that
(09:33):
panic to get air. It's the samesort of panic, but it's it
slowly builds up.
It's like, you know, thatdesperation, you know, to get
water, and it gets to where it'spure torture. You know, I gotta
get to water. I get to water.And, you know, so it's it's it
ramps up, and Margaret may havebeen at a point where she said,
no. I I can't even stay here.
(09:53):
I I need water now. My body'stelling me I need water now. And
then, unfortunately, being asphysically fit as she was and
used to pushing herself, she mayhave just said, I'm gonna chose
to just get out of here, and Iand and and just take my
chances. And and if Ryan wascorrect, I should be finding the
(10:14):
South Trail soon, you know, getto help.
Brian (10:17):
So off she went. Imagine the frustration of thinking your
destination, the South KaibabTrail, is just around the next
bend over and over. Fear, panic,desperation, on top of
dehydration, that can be alethal cocktail. And Margaret,
(10:38):
perhaps wondering at this pointif South Kaibab even exists,
makes the decision to veer offtrail. You see this time and
again, it seems like, with withsituations like this where, and
and this is pointed out in yourbook numerous times, where
someone is presenting heatrelated, heat stroke related
(10:59):
symptoms, and next thing youknow, they're dropping their
pack, they're going off trail,and they're trying to make a
beeline for water.
In this case, on the Tonoplatform, you might think if
you're not experienced in thecanyon, well, must be a shorter
way to get to the river, becausethat's I think what everyone
wants to do. I wanna get to theriver. I need to get to water.
(11:19):
And so they make what ultimatelybecomes a fatal mistake by going
off trail and trying to take ashortcut to the river.
Tom Myers (11:26):
Yeah. I a lot of those decisions like that, when
they're in the throes of ofsheer panic, like, have to get
to water now, that people willdo things that, you know, risk
serious injury, you know, fatalinjury because they're so
desperate, like these impossibledown climbs or trying to tear a
(11:49):
cactus open with their barehands or maybe drinking their
own urine. Just things that tojust alleviate the thirst. It's
you know, there's stories where,you know, historically, people
drink blood. You name it.
Antifreeze, anything to try toseawater, you know, things to
try to quench thirst. It's justit's that powerful of a symptom
(12:10):
or stimulus for people. And thenthe further they get into the
heat stroke, then, you know,especially if they're getting
becoming altered, then they thejudgment just tanks.
Brian (12:19):
There's no doubt that's what she was doing. Right?
Tom Myers (12:22):
No doubt. You know? Yeah. She was in the thick of it
and, you know, desperate and inpanic, and she knows her life is
is is now extremely high risk,you know, her life is in the
balance.
Brian (12:36):
So in Grand Canyon, when that when that happens and when
you do go off trail and youthink there's a shorter way to
the water, what what can happento you?
Tom Myers (12:42):
They'll go down these, steep slot, you know,
that most of the Grand Canyoneventually have narrows and big
cliffs and pour overs. It's it'shard rock, and so the what
happens is they'll down andclimb a cliff or even jump, you
know, down a a section that theyknow they they probably couldn't
get back up. And then they keepgoing, and unfortunately, they
(13:05):
counter a cliff that may be evenworse that they can't down
climb. And so they're trappedbetween a cliff that they can't
down climb and the one they wentdown and they can't get back up.
And at that point, you're done.
I mean, unless somebody findsyou.
Brian (13:19):
While all this is happening, Ryan is feeling well
enough to continue his trudgetowards South Kaibab. But after
three miles of hiking and now intotal darkness, he stops and
sleeps on the trail. As dawnbreaks, he continues, and within
an hour, he finally connectswith South Kaibab. Not long
(13:40):
after, a USGS worker on her wayup from Phantom Ranch meets up
with Ryan. She accesses anemergency supply of water, Ryan
drinks two liters, rests for awhile, and then, with the same
worker who hadn't left his side,begins the long climb up South
Kaibab.
It's likely that Margaret isstill alive and in grave danger.
(14:01):
But Ryan, for reasons that mightnever be known, never mentions
her to the USGS worker. A rangerat Phantom who had been
discussing the situation withthat worker by satellite phone
would later say, quote, nowherein that conversation did we get
the information that he was arunner, that he crossed the
(14:22):
tanto, or that there were two ofthem. Ryan had apparently
believed that Margaret had madeit to Phantom. On his way up,
he'd even given a message to aguide headed down.
Quote, ask the ranger to try toget a message to a woman I was
hiking with. Tell the ranger totell her I'm moving her car from
Grand View to the South KaibabTrailhead area. Her name is
(14:45):
Margaret Bradley. Aftersurfacing at South Kaibab twelve
hours after being found, Ryanchanged plans and instead of
moving Margaret's car, he askedthe USGS worker to drive him
home to Flagstaff, about an hourand a half's drive, which she
did. At around eleven thatnight, sixteen hours after Ryan
(15:07):
had been found, MargaretBradley's family called police
to report her missing.
Early the next morning, twentyfour hours now after he'd been
found and forty since he andMargaret had separated on Tonto,
Ryan finally told police andpark rangers what had happened
to he and Margaret. As a rangerwould later say, suddenly, all
(15:30):
the dots connected. A search wasimmediately launched, and by
noon, several 100 yards south ofthe Tonto Trail, trapped in a
drainage, a rescue helicopterspotted Margaret Bradley. She
was curled up in the fetalposition with her head resting
on her fanny pack. But there wasno movement.
(15:53):
Margaret was gone. The medicalexaminer would determine that
Margaret had died of dehydrationroughly twelve to twenty four
hours prior. Ryan had met upwith the USGS worker at the
tip-off thirty hours beforeMargaret was found. She had
likely been alive for betweenseven and nineteen hours after
(16:17):
Ryan had found help. When I'mreading this part of the book, I
can almost read between thelines of what you and Michael
are writing and you can almostfeel the, like, seething anger
at what you're writing.
Tom Myers (16:38):
You know, it was one of those situations where you
think it was so easilypreventable. And here, Margaret
was trusted her friend and puther faith in that he was
advising her correctly and thatthis was gonna be a great hike
and fun and all that stuff. Andthen she risks her life. She
(17:00):
goes off to try to save him. Andthen the irony is that she's
probably still alive, and itdoesn't dawn on him that the
first thing he should have donewas say, hey.
Where's Margaret? You know, I Igot my friend. I don't wanna
find out if she's you know, howshe's doing. Is she is she safe?
Is she in in distress herself?
And so that irony, you know, wewere struck by the incredible
(17:22):
irony there that Margaret wentlost her life pushing herself,
pushing pushing pushing. A womanwho is a phenomenal athlete, you
know, to push herself to herdeath, basically, to try to save
them both, and and he didn'thave the same regard, I guess. I
mean, it's it the fact that hedidn't have the same regard for
(17:43):
her life that she seemed to havefor his is just incredibly sad
and incredibly ironic and andanger provoking. It's like, you
know, you just if you wereMargaret's parents, you're like,
oh my god. You know?
I I how could you not? You know,how could you not? The first
thing that popped in your mindis my friend who you know, her
(18:03):
well-being. You know? I think Imostly How
Brian (18:05):
does that happen? How does that happen?
Tom Myers (18:07):
I don't know. I I know. And I maybe, you know, he
was not completely in his, youknow, in his defense. I mean,
he'd come through this horriblething. Maybe he's still kinda
out of it because of his ownexperience, dehydration, and who
knows?
But it just seems like there'ssomething wrong with the thought
(18:28):
process there for sure that hedidn't consider her well-being
right out right at the verybeginning when he got to the
Kaibab.
Brian (18:36):
Then for hours after.
Tom Myers (18:37):
And hours afterward. Hours afterward. It's like, it
just goes on and on, you know,and so as as it as that yeah. As
Michael and I worked on thatstory and and learned more about
it and learned what how therangers felt and what was going
on, it's like all of us,everybody, you know, that was
even remotely familiar with itwere like, you gotta be kidding
me. This is so horribly tragicand and could end it
(19:01):
differently.
Just and the torture she wentthrough those last few hours
must have just been absolutelybrutal.
Brian (19:11):
It's been twenty years now since Margaret's passing.
She'd be 44 this year in theprime of life. Instead, her
story is a tragic but importantreminder of the many entirely
preventable dangers one can facein the Grand Canyon. What
(19:31):
ultimately can be learned fromthe the Margaret Bradley story?
Tom Myers (19:36):
Well, you know, Margaret, again, you know, a
great runner, you know, probablyrun you and I into the dirt. I
mean, she was a a serious kickbutt athlete, and I think part
of the thing with that, it canbe a blessing and a curse that
you can overestimate yourability, and there may have been
(19:57):
some of that. It's like, oh, youknow, it's only that far. That's
a training run for me. You know?
And then so may and I I don'tknow what Margaret Margaret's
mindset was, but maybe she, likemost of us, you know, especially
an athlete, they canoverestimate their ability and
underestimate the Grand Canyon,and they underestimate that
heat. And then she also put herfaith in somebody who, you know,
(20:22):
rather than maybe doing her ownhomework and researching it, she
put her faith in a guy who lether down in that the ultimate
way, you know, cost her herlife. And so lessons learned
would be, you know, do your ownhomework. Don't put the burden
on all this to yourself. GetHowe Dots and Not to Die maybe,
(20:42):
read it, and understand therisks.
And and and then maybe if you dohave a companion who has this
itinerary that might be a littlebit over the top, you can, you
know, challenge him and say, Idon't know. Maybe this is not
such a good idea this time ofyear. It's like a and and if we
run out of water, where are wegonna find more? Or what are our
options, you know, depending onif we have some unforeseen thing
(21:05):
happen? So do your your it'sfront end loaded in so many
ways.
Do your homework. Be prepared,and and definitely don't
underestimate the Grand Canyon.
Brian (21:22):
The tragic tale of Margaret Bradley. It was
actually emotional to write thatone. It'll really make you think
about a lot of things, butespecially how preventable it
was from beginning to end. For atime after Margaret's death, the
park service actually usedphotos of her on signs around
the rim, touting her BostonMarathon experience and warning
(21:44):
hikers that if it can happen tosomeone like Margaret, it can
surely happen to them. Thanks asalways to Doctor.
Tom Myers, the Canyon doc, forhis help in telling Margaret's
story. Okay. Training tip timefrom coach Arnie. This time, we
revisit something coach talkedabout in a previous episode that
(22:04):
I know a lot of you are doing,walking backwards.
Coach Arnie (22:07):
Hey, everybody. This is coach Arnie with the
Grand Canyon training tip of theweek, and thank you again,
Brian, for allowing me to sharesome wisdom and knowledge of the
canyon with your wonderfulaudience. Today's tip, I wanna
share something that I hadalready talked about on an
episode of Grand Canyon HikerDude walking backwards. Why?
(22:32):
Because walking backwards is asecret weapon.
Another one, it is thecornerstone of what my Canyon
training program is all about. Ifirst came across it many years
ago because as an exercisephysiologist, I'm in the rehab
business, and we would usewalking backwards as a rehab
(22:54):
exercise for improving ACL orhamstring injuries, and it just
worked. And I thought, well,wait a minute. I who was just
getting into ultra running,wanted to get better at running
downhill. And I thought tomyself, well, wait a minute.
Walking backwards works thehamstrings, works the hips,
(23:16):
which would protect my knees. Ithought, well, here we go.
Because I was dealing with my myown knee issues, my own
hamstring issues. And could Ishorten up the learning curve to
get better at downhills besidesjust running a bunch of
downhills as I was being told bywalking backwards? And you know
(23:37):
what?
I thought about it. I broke itdown. The exercise the muscles
were the same. I thought, well,why not? So by just starting off
by walking flat, literally flaton the ground for ten minutes,
you could get going.
And then if you had a treadmill,you could literally turn the
power off on the treadmill, whatI call a dead mill, and walk on
(23:59):
it with no power pushing along.You could change the angle if
you wanted to. If you had accessto a weighted sled, you could
add weight and resistance. Youcould add time. You can add
distance.
Whatever you wanted to do, youhad all these variables that
allowed you to work the samemuscles that you would be doing
(24:19):
on a downhill, and you could doit at your convenience at your
facility where you're at. Itworked, and it will work for
you. I promise you. Just give ita try. Just start with ten
minutes.
You'll be surprised. I love youguys. And remember, if you have
any questions, you can alwaysmessage me from Pain Free Arnie
(24:39):
on Instagram, or you can call ortext me at (602) 390-9144. Love
you. Talk to you later.
Brian (24:47):
Coach Arnie, Arnie Foncica Junior, our group's
exercise physiologist and Canyoncoach. If you missed it, his
contact information is in theshow notes. Be safe out there
folks. The summer heat is not tobe messed with. If you're hiking
in it, make sure heat mitigationis your top priority.
This is not the time of year tobe chasing personal bests. It is
(25:09):
the time of year that you needto have a plan, have a strategy,
and have the discipline to stickto it. Alright. That's it for
now. My name is Brian Special,encouraging you as always to go
hike the canyon.
Take Take that first step.Embrace the journey. And when
you get there, whether it's fortime goals or taking your time,
just hike your own hike andsavor every step in the
(25:32):
magnificent Grand Canyon. We'llsee you next time on the Grand
Canyon Hiker Dude show poweredby hiking. Hiking plus kinship,
that's hiking.
Together, we roam.
Zeena (25:43):
This is the hiking podcast network. Look for new
episodes of the Grand CanyonHiker Dude show on Wednesdays,
Tales From Below on Fridays, andhiking meditations in my
separate show, Sacred Steps onSundays. Hiken. Together, we
roll.
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