I know I don't post over here too often but I thought I'd cross post here since it's a pretty epic trail adventure that some may enjoy.

Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim 10/5/2014

Cliff Notes:   42.6 miles at the Grand Canyon, South Rim to North Rim and back to South Rim.  20,000 feet of elevation change.  Time: 13:45

After completing my first Rim 2 River canyon hike in spring of 2013 with my son, I started getting this idea for a Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim adventure (R3).  While I thought I knew what I was getting in to all I can really say in retrospect is HAHAHALOLOLOL!  So during the early summer of 2014 I spoke with my running coach about it (he had just completed his first R3 in the spring.  He decided that he wanted to join me to see if he could better his time.  I knew there was no way I could keep up with him.  He was shooting for a 10 hour time and I was thinking a realistic goal for me would be 13.5 hours.  Another ultra runner friend had expressed interest so he decided to join too but he had never been inside the GC before.  So 2 weeks before hand I had organized a group from my running club to do rim to river and back so that everyone would be familiar with a good chunk of the trails.

Training: I tried to train like a beast and incorporate as much trail hill work as I could.  This is challenging considering the Phoenix summer heat.  I found some old unused dirt roads in the local mountain range where I’d start 2 hours before daylight to get 20+ mile runs on that climbed several thousand feet.  I feel good about it but I've read too many R3 reports to know that its a slugfest with you against the canyon and one hopes only to not be knocked out (death which happens a couple dozen times a year).

We drive up the night before so we can start early.  We decided on a staggered start with me and the one guy starting at 4AM and coach starting at 7AM.  The idea was that we’d all finish close to the same time therefore no one would have to wait a long time on others.  HAHAHAHALOLOLOL!  The moon was near full and it lit up the canyon beautifully.  For those hiking it was so bright they would probably not need a headlamp.  A comedy of errors occurs during the night and I end up with less than 3 hours of sleep.  A great start to tackle the beast.

We head out at 4AM down South Kaibab (SK) trail.  SK is the quickest route to the bottom.  Seven miles of relentless pounding on the quads due to accentuated “stairs” made by logs buried in the trail to help prevent erosion and rutted trail from the mule trains.  The best thing I did was bring a handheld light to help with night vision.  It worked so well that I turned off the headlamp and used the handheld alone.  We make it to the river about 20 minutes behind schedule.  I could tell within the first mile that the buddy running with me was really not prepared for this, not that anyone could ever be fully prepared mind you.  At each refill stop he’s taking an extra 5 minutes just chillaxing and we haven’t hit any of the significant ups that are coming.  Nothing wrong with that but I know there’s no way in hell I’m going to come close to my time goal if I stay with him.  I really didn’t want this to be a 16-17 hour drudgefest.

We cross the river and we set a decent pace going up the box canyon on the North Kaibab trail (NK).  What a cool place at night with the lights shining off these 1000 foot walls of the canyon on both sides and the roar of the feeder river.  It was surreal.  My buddy picks up the pace and we reach Cottonwood Campgroup (half way to the trailhead).  We haven’t gained any time but neither have we lost any more.  We break to refill water and eat a little something.  My buddy is looking like burnt toast and he knows it.  He convinces me to forge on and he’ll slow down.  I know my running coach will be catching up in 1-2 hours who can check on him.  Worst case scenario he’ll turn around before the North trailhead to conserve energy.

Even with the climb starting to get steep about 1 mile past Cottonwood Campground I’m making decent time speed walking the ups.  The trail was in a lot better shape than SK and I’m enjoying it.  The weather is cool with a slight breeze and staying cool due to the rise in elevation.  The north rim at 8,000 foot elevation is 1,000 feet higher than the south’.  A little under 2 miles below the trailhead is Supai Tunnel.  I stop to refill water and I notice the mule train taking a break.  I try and hurry to refill to get on my way before they start but I don’t make it.  The mule wrangler was kind enough to let me by about a ½ mile later.  I make it to the top of the North Rim and see that I’ve made up all of my lost time.  6:15 to go from south to north.  I rest for 15, refuel and I’m feeling pretty damn good for having just completed 21 miles with 11,000 feet of elevation change.

proof that I made the North Rim trailhead

I head back down NK pounding away.  My goal was to make it the 14 miles down to the river in 3:00 factoring in a couple water/food refill stops.  I feel great until the stop to refill at Cottonwood Campground.  It’s getting warm and the direct sun is taking its toll. On top of that there are a couple of points where a creek runs through the trail and I accidentally step in a deep puddle.  Now I have 2 soak socks and shoes and no spare socks (ROOKIE MISTAKE!)   I still make it to the river at 2:00PM but I already know the climb out SK is going to kick my azz like it’s never been kicked before.  I refill at the river and I brought 2 collapsible .5 liter water bottles with me to fill up so I’d have 3 liters of water.  Once you leave the river there is no water on SK until you reach the top, 7 miles and almost 5,000 feet of climbing.  This explains why virtually everyone takes Bright Angel trail back to the top as there are 3 water refill stations.

As soon as I start up SK I start hating life immensely.  The “stairs” are huge and its about 92 degrees coupled with direct sun.  I am reduced to 5 minutes of baby steps and 1 minute breaks.  I do this the whole 2.6 miles to the “Tip Off” point which takes me 2 hours.  I am seriously thinking I won’t get to the top until 7PM or later.  Just after the Tip Off I catch some shade and I decide to take a 5 minute break sitting/laying down on the side of the trail.  I catch myself starting to fall asleep and I immediately startle awake.  I know if I fall asleep my muscles will lock up and then I’m done.

Sidebar: In races road or trail variety there is most always a “weasel option”.  Where if you get in over your head you can weasel out at an aide station or call someone to come pick you up.  A GC run is completely self-supported and there is no “weasel option.”  The runner is “all in”; there is no way out except up; there are no aide stations to rely on; the toughest part of the “run” is the last 7 or 9 miles depending upon the route out.  These points cannot be stressed enough to anyone even remotely consider doing this.

After my 5 minute break I’m feeling much better.  I’m catching more and more shade and the higher elevation means cooler weather.  I make Skeleton Point (a popular day hike from the top) and I’m still using a walk 10 rest 2 ratio.  It’s working and I’m not making up time but I’m not losing any time either.  I’m happy with that.  There are some large condors soaring over the edge of the canyon and a day hiker tries to point them out to me.  I tell her, “No offense but I’m 39 miles into my ‘run’ and unless that’s a Lord of the Rings Eagle that can fly me out, I couldn’t give 2 shits about them.” She laughs and understands.  Onward and upward and suffice to say I’m still hating life like there’s no tomorrow but now I’m starting to realize that I’ll come close to my original time goal.  It lifts my spirits.  Another rookie mistake was not writing down the mileage distances from certain key points.  I wrote time goals but not mileage so I’m reduced to asking the day hikers how much further.  Let’s just say at this point my mental capacity was at about 1st grade level.  I probably couldn’t have spelled “cat” if you had spotted me the “c” and the “a”.

Finally the last switchbacks and I was really dreading them.  Surprisingly they weren’t too bad.  Wait, is that it?   Yes, it’s the TRAILHEAD.  HOLY FRICKING COW!  I look at the watch 5:45 PM, 13:45 total time so only 15 minutes off of my original goal.  I’m elated.

The whole way up SK I was expecting my running coach to catch me.  He’s a fantastic runner who has done Western States, 3 Ironmans in 5 days and is great on the trails.  He never catches me so I’m thinking he decided to stay with my other buddy who was struggling.  So I’m the first finisher which has the added bonus of going an additional .6 miles along the rim to get the car.  YAY ME!

I bring the car back to the trailhead; change shoes, clothes, starting hydrating and took what ibuprofen I had left.  From the TMI department: I hadn’t peed since 5:30 AM after consuming about 3 gallons of water on my trek.  That’s how much the canyon sucks your very existence out of you.  I walk over to the trail head and there’s my coach finishing at 6:30 PM.  One look on his face says it all; pain, sheer pain.  He tells me later that he has never felt this blitzed after any event he’s ever done.  Unfortunately my other buddy wasn’t with him but the coach assures me he’s about 1.5 miles behind.  This doesn’t sound like much but I realize that means probably another hour.  Sure enough at 7:30 PM he makes the trail head.

Surprisingly out of the 3 of us I am feeling the best so I get another added bonus of being the designated driver the 3.5 hours back to Phoenix.  Fan-phuckingtastic.  At 12:00AM I pull into my house having just been awake for 25 hours.  Dead to the world is an understatement.

Great report, FSocks - sounds painful but you muscled through it and experienced some great moments.  I'm going this weekend and have a mixture of excitement and nervousness.  Still debating between SK and BA for the return - may depend on how hot it is.

You had me at "The moon was near full and it lit up the canyon beautifully. "  Sounds amazing.

 

Did you see any other runners? I would have thought this time of year brings out lots of Rim to Rimers.

 

 

Thanks for sharing.

I saw 2 other R3ers.  But both of them were taking the "easy" route up BA when I chatted with them.

Absolutely this is prime time for canyon treks.

Thanks for posting, and nice run.  Now that you teased us, you need to add more pictures. Glad you were able to recover fro the heat.  92 degrees and sun sounds like no fun to me.

Congrats!  We did it in the spring (12) and we had a rather freakish snowstorm the night before- about 4" of fresh snow at SK when we started and still snowing and about 6" at NK, but in hindsight, I think it was a godsend as I don't think I would have made it up the last climb in 90 degree heat- it was still snowing when we got to the top 14 hours later

 

Can you park on Desert View Drive?

 

Yes, yes you can.

 

And that's all I'll say about that.

So, how much was the parking ticket? 

Wow. That sounds like a blast!

Great job..good read.