“Just one foot in front of the other”: 94-year-old becomes oldest to hike Grand Canyon

An American retiree has become the oldest person to cross the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim on foot (male), after making the 21 mi (33 km) trek at the incredible age of 94 years and 75 days old.

Ernest Scheuer (b. 28 July 1930) traversed the famous, rust-coloured terrain of the largest land gorge on Earth last October, passing through rocky pathways and the swirling currents of the Colorado River amidst the brutal Arizona, USA heat. 

Accompanied by a small group of companions – his grandson Eric Arlington, Lanny Deremer, Patricia "Patsy" and Richard Hughes, Tim Powell, and Jeri Segal – the septet battled over 10,000 ft (3,038 m) of combined elevation change to finish the trail after 33 hours and 45 minutes.

They hiked down the North Kaibab Trail to the canyon floor, before pausing at Bright Angel Campground and climbing out via the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim – arriving at the homebase amongst treasured friends and the brand new world record holder.

Born in Bad Nauheim, Germany in 1930, Ernest has lived in the US since he was six years old, making a successful life for himself as a mathematician/statistician in Los Angeles, California. 

In 1960, he earned a PhD in mathematics from UCLA, and his professional career was divided between the Los Angeles aerospace/defense industry and work as a professor – teaching students Management Science and also Mathematics at California State University, Northridge.

After retiring in the fall of 1993, Ernest says he became a “serious hiker”, and he often filled his free time with long walks alongside other active folks in the Los Angeles area.

“I'm in pretty good health for a man of my age,” he said to GWR. “I hike in our local mountains at least once, and often twice, a week – albeit slowly. 

“I read a lot – newspapers, magazines, and books – and I attend a lot of concerts, symphonic and chamber music performances. I meet regularly for lunch and dinner with friends. I do not have idle time on my hands.”

Nevertheless, before his Grand Canyon adventure, he had never attempted a hike this ambitious.

Read more stories about sporty seniors in our dedicated Human Body section!

One fateful day, one of Ernest’s hiking companions noticed that Alfredo Ariaga Burdio (Spain, b. 28 August 1931) had become the oldest person to cross the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim on foot (male) at the age of 93 years and 60 days. 

He encouraged Ernest to try and beat the title – so the retiree started building a team of “world-class” hikers to help him on his journey. 

Patsy and Richard Hughes would lead the squad, and they invited their friend Lanny Deremer, who in turn brought photographer and cinematographer Tim Powell. Ernest’s friend Jeri Segal and his grandson Eric Arlington also joined the pack, and with their goal in mind, they started planning routes.

“I don't think I did any special physical preparation, as I was doing a lot of hiking already,” Ernest said. “I watched a number of YouTube videos of people hiking in the Grand Canyon, which made me somewhat familiar with many of its landmarks – though of course, that's nothing like seeing them for real.”

Finally, the group set out on their 2-day trek – starting at the North Rim and heading down the North Kaibab trail, before resting overnight at the Bright Angel Campground, and traversing back up the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim. 

Ernest said the hike would be easily doable for a younger hiker in good condition – adding that the group saw a number of people running the trails – yet the Arizona heat was a battle that slowed them down. He also remarked that you do need a hiking permit for multiple-day stays, so plan ahead if you want to make a similar walk.

“The hike is straight-forward,” he explained. “There are some steep segments both going down and coming up. 

“The trail is a bit rocky, not entirely smooth – it's important to watch one's step. I moved slowly much of the time, but I followed my motto ‘one foot in front of the other’ and completed the hike.”

He also mentioned that on their way up the canyon, they encountered an Elder of the Havasupai Tribe – Jeva Uqualla – who was doing a 'spiritual journey' of the Canyon. The Havasupai Tribe has lived in the Grand Canyon for centuries and have a close connection to the land, so Ernest was pleased to have a chance to have a long, meaningful conversation with Jeva (“well, mostly I listened to him!”) while on the hike. 

Yet eventually, the group reached the end of their journey after 33 hours and 45 minutes on the trails. In total, their walking time was 15 hours, but in these conditions they were happy to take some breaks along the way. Ernest also gained a new appreciation for the previous record holder, Alfredo, who completed the same journey in 2023 – so he reached out to him, and the pair discussed their adventures, planning to meet in Berlin this December.

“I was perfectly fine when we reached the end of the hike,” said Ernest. “I think that I was energized doing the last few uphill miles, knowing that I was going to accomplish my goal.”

And that he did.

Congratulations, Ernest – you are Officially Amazing!