This is topic Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike (in a day) in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 10, 2016, 04:29 PM:
Have been wanting to hike the Grand Canyon for quite awhile. Finally did it on Saturday.
The statistics of a rim to rim day hike are a little bit daunting for a whiskey soaked, tobacco stained, soft and weak guy like me. It's 24 miles, from the North Rim, down to the Colorado river then back up to the South Rim. With about 5600 feet of elevation loss going down the first 14 miles and 4400 feet of elevation gain going up the last 10 miles.
Five of us made the trek. Two of our group run marathons. One has done the hike before just last year. One is a 17 year old athlete. Then me. With me being the oldest by anywhere from 35 to 10 years. I was just hoping not to slow the group down. Told them repeatedly not to wait up for me if I fell behind. But, they insisted that we would start together and finish together.
As it turned out, I didn't really hold us up, or if I did, not by much.
The logistics of a rim to rim hike are a little bit of a pain. From our starting point at the North Kaibab trail near the North Rim visitors center, to our ending point at the Bright Angel trail head at the South Rim visitors center, is only a 24 mile hike. But to drive between them, is about 210 miles, about a four hour drive.
So, I headed down Thur. night. Pulled over around midnight near House Rock valley road and caught a few zzz's in the back of my truck. Fri. morning I got up and continued on to the South Rim. Where I got on a shuttle van for an almost five hour ride back to the North Rim, where my hiking companions awaited.
By the time we met and drove back to our campsite outside the park, it was full dark. After I setup my tent, we grilled steaks and potatoes and sat around a nice campfire sipping whiskey and such. By the time we all went to bed at around 10pm, it was already below freezing.
After not getting much sleep the night before, when my alarm went off inside my tent at 3am it seemed like my head had just barely hit the pillow! But, I was up, dressed, had my camp gear all stowed, had got a fire going, had already eaten breakfast and was smoking a cigar and sipping my second cup of coffee before any of the others started to surface. Clearly, we weren't going to make our intended start time of 4am, young folks haven't learned how to handle their whiskey yet ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
.
But, better late than never! At about 5:20am, we finally started down the trail.
My companions at the start.
A few miles in as it started to get light. The lights below are other hikers ahead of us on the trail in the dark.
We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was fairly cool, mostly overcast and for a bonus it started to rain on the last part.
Just a bunch of pics from along the trail.
- DAA
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 10, 2016, 04:35 PM:
In this one, our starting point is that furthest visible rim. The end is still quite a ways to go! It had warmed up quite a bit but not yet started to rain at this point. When the rain did come about two hours later, it was most welcome.
One of the signs warning you not to do what we were doing . Actually, what were doing was a bit more than the sign was talking about...
- DAA
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 10, 2016, 04:38 PM:
Starting to drizzle... It would eventually turn into a decent downpour before reaching the top.
Made it!
We all had rooms in Tusayan for the night. Got showered, ate much Mexican food and drank many beers and margaritas. Next morning, we all piled in my truck for the four hour drive back to our starting point to pick up the other vehicles. From there just the long drive home.
Total of almost 1,200 miles driven and counting the walk to where my truck was parked about 25 miles hiked. Too much fun!
Looking forward to doing it again.
- DAA
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on October 10, 2016, 04:48 PM:
You're tougher than I am !!!.
I've been to both Rims but never had the urge to hike between them.
Pretty awesome to actually do it, though.
Posted by Lone Howl (Member # 29) on October 10, 2016, 04:53 PM:
Stunning!
Posted by Lonny (Member # 19) on October 10, 2016, 06:47 PM:
Hey, congrats on doing the hike! Or should I say completing such a venture. It sure looks like nothing for the weak to undertake anyway...
As always, the pics are great and thanks for taking the time to post'em up.
BTW, was there any drinking water sources along much of the way or did you have to pack what you needed?
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 11, 2016, 04:29 AM:
Lonny, there is a pipeline that runs the whole length, water from spigots at regular intervals. The pipeline does frequently have issues, saw several good sized leaks in it. So I had a steripen along just in case. Lots of spring fed running water along many sections of the trail. Would have been no problem even if the spigots weren't running.
- DAA
Posted by knockemdown (Member # 3588) on October 11, 2016, 06:38 AM:
Lonny, was asking those same questions in my head as I was reading along...
Dave...WOW!!!
Gotta be a great feeling to have completed that marathon journey! Epic stuff...
Thanks for sharing the trip! Bet dinner & drinks that night was outfrigginstanding...
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 11, 2016, 06:59 AM:
Yes, like koko said, have been there actually never had the urge to transverse the whole enchilada.
Okay, water not a problem, where were the porta potties?
Did you meet many going the other way?
Did you have your eye out for critters, evidence of lions and such?
AS I began reading, the first thing I thought of, how do you intend to cross the river? Little did I know, somebody erected a convenient bridge!
You sure have some cool adventures! Thanks for sharing!
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on October 11, 2016, 10:14 AM:
Do they still have the mule rides ????
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 11, 2016, 01:06 PM:
I'm pretty sure they do, from the south rim but just down to the village and back. Somebody must know?
I think you can go down at the Hulapai further west?
But, what Dave did is whole hog, major effort. But, if a girl did it? (just kidding)
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 11, 2016, 01:14 PM:
Saw mule turds on both sides, but only saw one string of mules, they were coming down the south side as we were going up it.
Toilets wherever there was water .
Lot of people were on the trail, going in both directions. What really surprised me is how many people were RUNNING it. The cute couple in my pics want to run it next time. I courteously told them, "fuck that".
- DAA
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 11, 2016, 01:45 PM:
A cute couple? Could'a fooled me, I thought they might be father and daughter?
So, recovery? Sore, at all? Big appetite?
Can you camp along the way, if the mood strikes you?
Were there Rangers everywhere.... monitoring?
Good hunting.El Bee
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 11, 2016, 02:04 PM:
Feet pretty sore, but no blisters. Legs, just a little bit, but not bad. Could do it again tomorrow easy enough if I had to.
Might be worth mentioning, I did a significantly harder hike the Saturday before. Same distance but a lot steeper, almost 14,000' of elevation change on that one. And have been doing some pretty rough, steep shit on a pretty regular basis for a lot of years now. Didn't just hit this cold and hoping for the best. Knew I'd have no trouble, but did think I'd slow the rest of my group down - but they put me out in front to set the pace most of the time and everyone seemed pretty happy with it.
Big appetite that night, next morning. But nothing beyond that.
You can camp along the way, but it's not according to Hoyle. There isn't anywhere you are allowed to camp, ever, except the designated sites. And they are reserved in advance. So... there's no room at the inn! You can't just show up and get a site. And you can't just camp anywhere else along the way. But! If you can't make it, need sustenance, they'll take you in, give you a tent, sleeping bag and a spot in back of their shack to crash for the night. No thanks...
Supposed to be crawling with rangers. And might be. But I didn't actually see a single one on the trail. I had no idea it was a holiday weekend? Still don't even know what holiday it was.... But, it WAS a holiday. Pretty crowded, really. Worst part of it, by far, the people. Might be why I saw no rangers, might have been just plain busy?
- DAA
Posted by TRnCO (Member # 690) on October 12, 2016, 01:37 PM:
pretty cool, but knowing you Dave, and the fact that you seem to gravitate to wide open un-crowded spaces, I'm surprised you did it. Places like that I avoid. Neat to see, but no interest in going, just because it's a place that too many people go to. Kind of like climbing any of the fourteeners here in Colo. The trails can almost be crowded at times, and only getting worse.
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on October 12, 2016, 02:05 PM:
You're spot on TR.
Glad I did it. It was fun. Would do it again, even.
But... All said and done, it ain't my style. Once every two years though, I could hit it again, just for the not my ordinary of it.
Over all though, yeah, you are right on the money. Other places I'd rather spend most weekends.
Big part of the fun of it, for me, was the friends I did it with, too. I work with these guys. They bust my balls almost daily about my advanced age, fragile state, etc. We have an online tool we use to communicate between offices, I don't know how it works, but they changed my official title on that communication tool to BAMF after this past weekend. Can't help myself but get a smile out of that ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
.
- DAA
Posted by 4949shooter (Member # 3530) on October 12, 2016, 02:38 PM:
We stopped at Phantom Ranch on our rafting trip down the Colorado.
My uncle and I walked across that same foot bridge. If I recall, there were mule turds on the bridge.
After 6 days on the river they choppered us out. That looked like the Bright Angel Trail in the first pics.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 12, 2016, 03:56 PM:
About doing neat stuff. Not me, my old partner called California Park Service to get a reservation to climb Mount Whitney.
Conversation went something like: "When do you want to go?"
"How about mid July?"
Pause, pause. Back on the phone, "Nope, that's all filled up."
"Okay, how about the last week?"
"Let me check." Pause pause. "No sorry, last week all filled up."
This went on all through August; pause pause. "Nope, nope, nope, nope."
Finally, tired of the game, he said; "Well, what IS available?"
Answer: "After the kids are back in school, we have a couple dates in late September."
So, he made reservations for him and his elderly father. I guess Allen was in his mid seventies at the time?
Pat had to quit at a little less than 9,000 feet due to altitude sickness! His dad made it all the way to the top along with a lot of others. It's something close to 14,000' give or take a hundred or so.
But, Rangers everywhere. It's a very easy trail, if you can tolerate the altitude, just about anybody in good shape can make it. This is the tallest mountain in the lower 48.
That's what he told me, I wasn't there, I hope it's fairly accurate information? But, it's one of those things that people want to check off the Bucket List, ya know?
Main thing is, don't expect to just give 'em a call the week before and expect to get a ticket. Like a lot of things, civilization is encroaching the wilderness.
Good hunting. El Bee
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