Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim Day 1

What is Rim to Rim to Rim, you ask?  Let me tell you.

The Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim hike (“R2R2R”) is a jaw-droppingly beautiful 50ish mile trek, with an elevation change of 20,000 feet and potential temperature swings of 70 plus degrees.   I love this straight forward warning online which sums it up perfectly:  "Warning – regular hiking tips don’t cut it in the Grand Canyon.  You need to do special training and take exactly the right gear or you might die."  Here's a little visual that I found interesting: 17 miles into the first day of the South Rim to North Rim hike you will climb up the Empire State Building 3.46 times at an average grade of 30%.  You must prepare for the following on any single day in the Grand Canyon:  high altitude, heat, low humidity, dehydration, 10,000 feet elevation change, 70 degree temperature swings, unstable trail conditions, filtering creek water, prolonged endurance activity, exhaustion AND no quitting.

Nancy, Carolen, Ingrid, Carrie and I made our way out to Williams, AZ to stay the first night and then drive the remaining hour to the South Rim the next day.  The little town of Williams on Route 66 was a hoot and we had fun looking at all the quirky shops.





Just a week before, we had been looking at really scary pictures of people sliding down the trail on ice so we all had our spikes.  When we checked into the ranger station, we were overjoyed to learn that the recent warm temperatures had melted the ice.  Less dangerous and less to carry!

We began our walk at the South Kaibab Trailhead.  We were all in awe of what we were about to attempt.  Looking out across the canyon to the North Rim seemed to be an impossible feat.  We all looked at each other and said " We're gonna walk all the way over there.....AND BACK!???"














The temperature quickly heated up and we were pouring sweat in no time at all.  The downward grade was tough on the quads and my illiotibial band started acting up immediately.  We were just in awe of the scenery though.  Words are not adequate to describe the enormity or the grandiose beauty of this canyon.  Pictures don't do it justice.

There were quite a few day hikers out but once we got past the day hiker cut-off point, we only saw a few people.  When people would ask if we were going all the way to the bottom, it was cool to say "No, Rim to Rim to Rim!"

One guy said with all us girls there must be a mall at the bottom.  WHATEVER!  We saw him again when we were eating lunch and Carolen set him straight, regaling him with stories of all our badass adventures.  The look on his face indicated that he was appropriately impressed and ashamed of his mall comment.  Or at least I'd like to think so.





















The Grand Canyon has these composting toilets every few miles and it was nice to be able to poop in a civilized manner!



Heating up!





We passed a couple of kids who were way beyond the day hiker cut-off point, it was near 80 degrees, and they only had one little bottle of water between them to make it back up.  Seriously.  It's a long way back up!  Carolen was kind and gave them some water.  I thought they were pretty stupid.









Colorado River



We talked to one guy who was so darn excited we were doing R2R2R that he left me smiling for quite a while.  His energy and positive attitude were so refreshing.  He was carrying a little ukelele and I was hoping he was going all the way to the bottom so he could entertain us that evening but he had to turn around.  I hope he's able to do a rim hike one day.









We made down to Bright Angel campground at long last- legs toasted and hot.  As we walked into the area, there were a crap ton of people already camped down there.  In fact, we got one of the last available sites.  We were shocked at how many people were down there.  This is a popular place for hikers who are just spending one night and then hiking back out.  The sites were teeny tiny and we crammed in all our tents. You have to camp in the designated areas in the Grand Canyon. 

The creek flowed right through the campground so we were able to soak our feet.







There was a bathroom with soap at this campground as well as a picnic table for every site.  Quite a luxury compared to what we're used to.  We were able to clean up a bit and wash our faces and hands.  It was a super warm night and the star gazing was excellent. 

Awesome first day!

Meager Update

I have been remiss in updating my blog.  A couple of backpacking trips have occurred since my last update but I haven't been able to get my thoughts together enough to write about them. 

Nancy, Carolen, Ingrid and I did the first 43 miles of PCT Section B.  We had warm weather, long days of walking, camping amongst boulders and in a wash, scary water rationing that I don't wish to repeat, and a cougar growled at us.  Yes, it was quite an adventure!

Nancy, Ingrid and I also did a backpack up Villager Peak in the desert.  It ranks on the top of my list as least favorite.  No real discernible trail, unending uphill, 9 liter water carry, and hotter than the hinges of Hades.  That was one stupid hike.

We leave next week for Grand Canyon and will be walking from the South Rim to North Rim and back again - about 50ish miles.

Motivational Corner
It does not matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop.
-Confucious

Completion of Section A

I have finished Section A of the PCT!  That's 110 miles from the Mexican border to Warner Springs.  The last piece for me was a 28ish mile segment  from Mt. Laguna to Scissors Crossing.

Ingrid and I started at the Penny Pines trailhead in Mt. Laguna on a frigid Saturday at around noon.  We were going to do 7 miles the first day, 14 miles the second day, and 7 miles for the final day.  It was 36 degrees when we started walking.  Brrrrrr! 

Immediately blocking the trail was a family of 9 people.  I called out "Excuse Me, Excuse Me" as I tried to navigate around them.  Some got out of the way and some didn't.  I bumped into a couple of them.  Hello, Big Backpack here, make way.

We got going at a nice pace and admired the view.  It's always neat to see the desert floor from Mt. Laguna. 

Suddenly, we heard some whooping and hollering and we stopped in our tracks to see what was going on.  The family behind us was screaming out into the void, I guess trying to get an echo on their voices.  I said, "Geez I'm trying to have a wilderness experience here."  Then Ingrid yelled, "Shut the fuck up!!"  The wind carried her voice away and the family didn't hear her.  I laughed and we continued walking.

It was quite chilly so we kept a brisk pace.  The frost-lined trail sparkled in the sun.  Ahhhhhhhh, back on the PCT, where all is known and comfortable.

We made 7 miles by 4pm.  It was WAY too cold to set up camp and sit around till bedtime so what did we do?  We kept walking!  We walked through the sunset and stars started twinkling about, blinking at us in the frosty air.  Our breath puffed out in great plumes of  steam.  Here and there, we stumbled on a rock as night closed in.  Our pace slowed so we wouldn't fall.  Our headlamps gleamed in the night, cutting a path through the blackness.

At about 7pm, we spocked out a sweet campsite on the far side of a small meadow and behind some bushes.  There we set up tents and ate our dinners then immediately crawled into our tents to get warm.  So very cold.  I lay shivering under Nancy's quilt, which I had borrowed to see if I would like quilts instead of sleeping bags.  I wasn't warming up so I got up and put on every stitch of clothing I had.  I also had hand and feet warmers going.  Still cold.  Not just cold but COLD.  I laid there in the dark thinking about dying of hypothermia.  Then I wondered if Ingrid would mind if I went into her tent and snuggled.  I remembered I had Nancy's silk liner so I busted that out.  That's what did the trick.  Next thing I knew, I woke up and was toasty warm.  My thermometer read 20 degrees.

For breakfast, I had grits and bacon with molly mcbutter.  However, I accidently grabbed regular grits instead of instant grits so when I took a bite, it was like chewing on gravel.  In the cold weather, my stove took so long to heat up that I didn't want to put the grits in the pot to simmer.  Next time I will get instant grits.  I can tell it will be really good if I can get it to cook!  We got our crap together and started walking.  There was a brisk wind blowing which made it feel like -5 degrees.  Thank goodness it wasn't raining or snowing.  The skies were clear and cool.

We moved at a steady, brisk pace and I envisioned I was Ms. Pacman gobbling up the miles.  Coming down into Rodriguez Spur, we heard alot of gunshots.  I was thinking, okay it's probably an outdoor shooting range so it should be somewhat contained and safe.  Wrongo!  As we turned around a bend, I saw there was a lone pick-up truck with a couple of dudes shooting into the side of a small hill that happened to face the PCT.  I picked up my pace a bit.  It sounded like they were shooting a variety of assualt rifles.  I imagined an errant bullet zinging it's way into my shoulder and I cringed at every shot I heard.  It was a tad scary.

We hit Rodriguez Spur at about noon and we thought, what might happen if we finished it all today?  Spending another night in the freezing cold did not appeal to either of us.  So.....we kept walking.

The PCT is very frustrating in the descent into Scissors Crossing.  You can see across the desert floor to exactly where you need to be.  If you could just cut straight across instead....I reached my hand out toward where the car was parked.  But we walked parallel to where we needed to be for a good couple hours.  Finally, the PCT dropped us onto the desert floor.  I could feel my pace wavering, alternating between really really slow and pseudo fast.  Ingrid would be by me and then she would fall way back.  We were both hurting.  The sun set and we walked in the dusk.  I kept thinking, I'm almost done with Section A, I'm almost done with Section A.....

Then there was Ingrid's car and we were coming out of the pipe gate.  I howled like a coyote and did some yipping into the night air.  Ingrid said, "Tina, are you fuckin' nuts or what?"  I said, "If I'm nuts, then so are you!"

We walked just shy of 19 miles to finish at 5:30pm.  Thank goodness we didn't have to sleep in the cold again that night.

Section B starts this weekend.