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December 1, 2007
Part Two: The First Crossing
(My photo.)
From our dive-off point on the South Rim, the view would have been like this in the daylight. Instead, picture pitch black darkness.
(Meghan's photo.)
Here is a photo of some of the switchbacks along the upper reaches of the Bright Angel Trail. These particular switchbacks cover about 1000 vertical feet, or approximately one fifth of the entire descent from the South Rim to the Colorado River. We descended these switchbacks in the dark, but I took this photo from the South Rim the next day. Won’t you agree that the Grand Canyon trail system is an engineering marvel?
The initial descent down the Bright Angel Trail was pleasant, excepting a God-awful wind. My white LED headlamp light shone red through the trail dirt floating on the wind, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many ounces of dust I was inhaling. Additionally, the trail smelled like mules, one of the more frequent trail travelers. I cringed at the thought of inhaling mule detritus. Fortunately, the wind waned with our increasing depth into the canyon, and the dust storm ceased.
(Photo by mememe.)
As we descended into the canyon, the rising sun bathed the higher ridgelines in long, shadowy, orange light. This photo was taken looking north towards our destination, the North Rim. The North Rim is conspicuously perched as the tallest white ridgeline in the back center of the photo.
(Photo by Mr. T.)
T really likes the Devil’s Corkscrew, the set of switchbacks shown in this photo. He gets all light-footed and giddy down in there. On the descent, he was telling me about a science fiction movie scene that looked just like the terrain. I’m sorry to report that I was so focused on not falling down the Devil’s Corkscrew that I don’t recall anything else from that conversation (Forgive me, T?). From the top of the corkscrew, it’s just 1500 vertical feet down to the mighty Colorado River. You can almost hear the river rapids from here.
After crossing the Colorado River, it’s 14 miles and 6000 vertical feet up to the North Rim. At this particular moment, such a distance and height is so intangible that it almost seems like we’re headed to Kansas, or maybe Georgia. What is acutely tangible at this moment is the fragrant breakfast smells wafting from the denizens of Phantom Ranch, the guest ranch that just so happens to be located in this unlikely place. It smells like sausage and even my vegetarian mouth waters at the aroma. I suck down a vanilla Gu encrusted with trail dirt from the earlier wind and pretend I’m delving into a stack of blueberry pancakes.
The first 7 miles from the river towards the North Rim are like a jolly jog in the park. There is just 1500 vertical feet of gain over 7 miles, and it’s almost exclusively run-able. However, after 7 miles, lest you catch yourself in a hazed, inattentive running stupor, the trail suddenly skyrockets into the air for the big climb to the North Rim.
(Note: There was no treated water along the North Kaibab Trail, presumably due to the big pipeline break that we observed spewing an alarming volume of water onto the trail. As a result, we took 2 long breaks, one on the climb, one on the descent, to purify creek water.)
(Another T photo.)
Once it starts to climb, the North Kaibab Trail doesn’t mess around. Not only does it climb, and climb, and climb some more, but it also climbs along precarious places like huge cliff faces. Some crazy nut job blasted out the cliff in the above photo to build a trail! As you can see, it’s not truly scary because the trail is wide enough for a clumsy, loaded mule train. What’s loony about it is the engineering feat required to create the trail!
Last year, when the trail skyrocketed, I continued running heartily. About 1500 vertical feet and one blood sugar crash later, I was quite close to having a temper tantrum. This year, I contained myself by power hiking the whole thing and consuming the appropriate amounts of liquid, electrolytes, and calories. Not surprisingly, we arrived to the top in the same amount of time.
As soon as we arrived to the North Rim, I turned around and headed down the trail. Poor T, I think he wanted to stop and eat cookies! Mostly, I didn't want to stop my body long enough for my mind to ponder the fact that we had to repeat that whole journey, right now. So, with little delay, we were on our way again.
Posted by Meghan at December 1, 2007 8:08 PM
Comments
thanks for sharing this adventure. i would love to do this some day. great pictures and i hope to see you and your sweetie on the trail soon.
Posted by: tom riley at December 2, 2007 2:26 AM
Wow, I love these installments. And since I was away from my computer, I got to read three all at once. Now I can't wait for the next one, though! I love feeling the wind, tasting the dirt, the whole everything - thanks for sharing all the deets! And I am looking forward to the answer to your stomach problem and am so psyched you have the 100 mile confidence now. Sounds like a perfect T-giving :) event. (ps: I answered your Q on my blog.) pps: I guarantoe ya my toenails are uglier than yours. Yes-huh!
Posted by: K Borguglytoes at December 2, 2007 8:02 AM
Such a good read...how many miles from rim to rim?
Posted by: backofpack at December 2, 2007 2:08 PM
oooh, there is an initial (T) now, i see!!!!
this adventure looks amazing. did you two run into other people while you were there? did you have the trails to yourself?
Posted by: Audrey at December 2, 2007 3:08 PM
Some of your photos look exactly like mine from last year!
Did you consider going down the south kaibab at all this year?
Posted by: chelle at December 2, 2007 3:12 PM
Tom- Thanks, Tom!
Kendra- I feel confident yet humble about the 100 mile thing. It's not hugely frightening anymore, if that makes any sense.
Michelle- Thanks, Michelle! Via the Bright Angel and North Kaibab trails that we ran, it's 48 miles.
Audrey- There were a fair number of day hikers, overnight backpackers, and folks staying at Phantom Ranch. We crossed tracks with one other runner, but he didn't seem too interested in talking, so I don't know what his plans were.
Chelle- I don't think we ever talked about doing South Kaibab. I don't know why, though.
Posted by: Meghan at December 2, 2007 6:18 PM
Won’t you agree that the Grand Canyon trail system is an engineering marvel?
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I think those engineers did too many bong hits!!
Great Re-cap...and dang let T enjoy some freakin cookies after that climb :-)
and way to power walk UP big lesson learned and will do u well for 100's and not tax ur body like running up them will.
Posted by: Bob Gentile at December 2, 2007 9:29 PM
and PS: that pic off you on that Ledge Like trail is awesome!! ...ahhh this is SOOO on my to do list in 09'
Posted by: Bob Gentile at December 2, 2007 9:32 PM
PS: that pic of you on that "Ledge Like trail" is awesome!! ...ahhh this is SOOO on my to do list in 09'
Posted by: Bob Gentile at December 2, 2007 9:33 PM
Great photos!
But you know me - I'm not going to be satisfied until I get a hi-res photo of a gross, disgusting, exploded toe!
So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to plaster one humongous toe-grody pic at the end to punctuate how much fun you had.
Posted by: JeffO at December 3, 2007 10:51 AM
Bob- Don't feel bad for T, he was eating cookies all day long! You are right, there's a time to run and a time to powerwalk. On a 4500 foot climb, there's only so much running to be done.
JeffO- I'm not into posting gore. You people will become disgusted by me!. But, whenever I meet you in person, I'll show you my toenails. All's fair then! Hah!
Posted by: Meghan at December 3, 2007 6:37 PM