HUBBARD — Don’t tell Robin Takash that she’s 70 years old.

During the second week of March, Takash, along with her daughter, son and daughter-in-law, took a trip to Arizona to embark on a hiking trip down the Grand Canyon and then back up. The excursion took five and a half hours to go down and another seven hours to ascend.

While at the bottom of the canyon, the group spent two days at the historic Phantom Ranch, during which they spent about another 25 hours doing — you guessed it — hiking.

“Those two days were especially memorable,” remembered Takash. “There was no internet, no television, no streetlights and food was served only at specific times. If you went outside at night you needed to wear a ski cap with a headlamp. The temperature dropped significantly at night, but going outside was worth it. The stars were majestic.”

All of it was on foot, but it was not supposed to be that way.

About a year ago Takash purchased airline and lodging tickets for the trip as Christmas presents. The event was planned as a hiking trip down and up Bright Angel Trail at the Canyon, on mules, but Takash was informed a few months before the journey that the trail needed renovation.

The group could switch plans and hike the Kaibab Trail at the south rim of the Canyon, but that trail, 7 1/2 miles long, did not permit riding on mules.

“At that point the airfare and lodging were paid for, so we decided to do it all on foot at the Kaibab Trail, the only other trail available. It didn’t help my confidence to learn that the Kaibab Trail was considered the most difficult trail at the canyon,” Takash said.

Making the journey with her were daughter Tina Seidelson, son Jason and daughter-in-law SuszAnn.

Takash, a 1971 graduate of Hubbard High School, was born in Sharon, Pa., and moved to Ohio when she was in the fifth grade. She decided she better start training for the hike.

“I hit the gym pretty hard,” Takash said with a laugh. “It’s one thing to ride a mule but it’s a whole different ballgame to hike on foot. I spent a lot of time on the stair-stepper and treadmill.”

As it turned out, Takash and her family were glad they journeyed on foot.

“The trails were really narrow considering the height,” Takash said.

“Looking back, I would have been a nervous wreck riding a mule for 12 hours so close to the edge. Plus, you can’t really train your body to ride a mule,” she laughed. “Our bodies would have been uniquely sore.”

They were sore anyway. It normally takes twice as long to hike back up the Canyon as it does to go down. Making matters more difficult, rain and snow at the beginning of the hike made for a slower, slippery descent.

Then there’s the weather change.

The temperature was around 30 degrees at the top of the hike and 50 degrees at the bottom.

“We had to layer our clothing,” Takash said. “We started in freezing weather, but it became warmer as the trip went down. We took off layers as the temperature rose. Then coming back up we did the opposite. In addition, there was no food or water along the way. We needed to pack whatever was necessary.”

So what was the genesis of Takash’s passion to hike the Grand Canyon?

“When I was young my dad used to take the family out West on camping trips,” Takash reminisced. “The mountains and scenery were breathtaking. I fell in love with the West as a kid. When I turned 60 I decided to put the Grand Canyon on my bucket list — not just to see it, but to hike it.”

The Grand Canyon welcomes about five million visitors each year. According to Takash, maybe 1% of those visitors make the effort to hike one of America’s crown jewels of nature. It is hard to imagine many in that 1% who are septuagenarians.

“I was tired at the end,” Takash said. “With 2 miles to go I wasn’t sure I could make it, but now it is a badge of honor and the best part is that I experienced the memory of a lifetime with members of my family.”