Resting Canyon Face (RCF)

Resting Canyon Face (RCF)

Dan Pawlak

Have you ever been hiking and felt irritable, tired, dehydrated? Are the trails, wildlife, and plants not as pretty as they seemed on the way down into the canyon? Do your friends want to hike 20 ft (6.1 m) in front of you and not by your side? You may be experiencing symptoms of RCF.

Resting Canyon Face is a common condition brought on by poor planning and overexerting yourself in the outdoors. An easy way to catch Resting Canyon Face is to not research where you want to go or what you want to do, not bringing enough snacks or water, not listening to your body, and hiking during the hottest times of the day. These easy to avoid causes are seen by Grand Canyon Rangers all too often on the rim and in the canyon.

How can you avoid catching Resting Canyon Face?

To avoid RCF Grand Canyon National Park prescribes:

• Researching what you want to do before coming to the park.

• Talking to rangers before hiking on the rim or trails into the canyon.

• Listening to your body when you get tired, thirsty, or hungry.

• Bringing plenty of water and salty snacks.

• Consider the elevation you live at because the South Rim is above 7,000 ft (2,134 m) and the North Rim is above 8,000 ft (2,438 m).

What to do if you fall victim to RCF?

• Find a shady place and relax.

• Eat some snacks that make you happy and drink water.

• Smell a flower to remind you why you started the hike.

• Avoid injuring yourself further by not sitting on a cactus. If in a group, have one of your companions tell a few dad jokes to perk you up.

CAUTION: If RCF is not treated, it can lead to illness and spread to the rest of your group. Happiness levels for the entire group are drastically lowered and there is a risk of not being invited on future hikes.

RCF affects about 45% of all visitors at Grand Canyon National Park. Don’t let Resting Canyon Face bring you down.

Grand Canyon Hiking FAQ