Below the Rim
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona; September 2024
Let’s hang out a little longer in the desert southwest of the United States, and go for a hike. We are starting even earlier today, because we have a lot of miles to cover, and many amazing things to see.
When you visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, there are signs everywhere with warnings about the risks associated with hiking into the canyon. They remind you that people die in the canyon (about 15 each year). They have images of people vomiting from heat stroke and quotes such as “down is optional, up is mandatory.” Oh yeah, and the risk is higher if you are over 60.
I don’t know when I first heard of “rim to rim” hiking, where you start from the South or North Rim of the Grand Canyon and hike the 20-plus miles to the other rim. But about five years ago it started to appear on my mental list of day hikes I wanted to do, despite the warnings.
I mean, look at the views - how could you not want to do this?
Opportunity presented itself this year when Karen planned a trip to the South and North rims with her sister, who had never been to the Grand Canyon before.
Logistics are a challenge for this hike, and having someone to drop me off at the start and pick me up at the end was going to make it much easier. So although the early September date was not optimal - it could still be “too hot” in the canyon - this was my chance.
With all the warnings in mind, I took the preparation seriously. South Rim to North Rim via the South and North Kaibab trails is a 21 mile hike, with a 5000 foot descent followed by a 6000 foot ascent. Temperatures at the bottom of the canyon would likely be above 100 degrees. I prepped for the climbs and descents, did several long-distance hikes, and hiked both in the dark and in the afternoon heat. And as I prepared for the challenge I reminded myself that I may need to abandon the hike at the last minute if the temperatures were too high.
But everything fell into place on the planned day of the hike: beautiful weather and “reasonable” temperatures (102 degrees). And I was physically and mentally ready to do it.
Karen dropped me off at the South Kaibab trailhead at 3:00am. The first few hours were a little bizarre, as there was a new moon and it was pitch black outside. I could only see what my headlamp illuminated. Eventually, dawn approached, then the sunrise, and I got to my first view of the Colorado river just after passing the waypoint called the “Tip-Off”.
For the rest of the day, each turn in the trail brought a new perspective on the canyon. It was one of those hikes where you feel the need to pull your camera out all the time, but you know it won’t do it justice. So you just stand in awe, and soak it in.
Crossing the Colorado River was a special moment. You arrive at the bridge through a tunnel and, crossing the river and looking all around, you realize you really have hit bottom.
Crossing the Colorado meant that I got to take a break at the Phantom Ranch - a lodge, cafe, and campground at the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River. Fortunately, the ranch cafe was open earlier than usual, having to do with the closure of lodging due to water line break. So, I got to sit with a cup of their famous lemonade and enjoy the early morning views.
This was a solo hike, but it was not a solitary one. After daybreak I began to encounter a few other hikers, and at the ranch I ran into about 15 backpackers and rim-to-rim day hikers. It was nice to chat, and hear about what everyone was doing. No matter where we were all headed, or where we planned to sleep that night, we were all going up from here.
I had a long climb ahead of me, as the hike down from the South Rim is about half the length of the hike up to the North Rim. This is due in part to the more rapid rate of erosion on the North Side. Erosion is just one aspect of the geology that makes this canyon such a wonder. During my climb down I passed ever changing strata of rock that have been formed over millions of years. At the bottom, the exposed rocks are about 1.5 billion years old. And as I left the Colorado River and followed the North Kaibab trail along Bright Angel Creek, the terrain continued to change, sometimes dramatically.
First up was “The Box”, a narrow canyon within the larger canyon, with steep walls, bridges traversing the creek, and lots of green vegetation. This was one of my favorite sections. It can also be one of the hottest sections, but I arrived early enough to do it in the shade of the canyon walls.
As you leave the Box, the valley opens up, and now I was fully exposed to the sun and the heat. The hike became a series of shorter walks between shady spots, where I stopped to cool down. It stayed this way until I was past the Cottonwood Campground, and the elevation gains brought cooler temperatures. Although lovely in its own way, I was not able to fully enjoy this section because of the heat.
Eventually, I came to another favorite portion of the hike, as the trail turned to go up Roaring Springs Canyon and I began traversing the steep cliffs of the North Rim.
Now, with each mile, the trail got steeper and my pace slowed. But when I started to see day hikers from the North Rim, I could sense I was getting close. At about 5:15pm I approached the trailhead, to cheers from my wife and my sister-in-law, and a few others gathered there. Their energy gave me an extra boost for that last uphill.
It is hard to describe my feelings upon reaching the end. I did not collapse in exhaustion as I saw others do. I felt pretty good. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do next, but I felt a need to keep moving.
So we drove to the lodge as I talked about my day, and then we took a walk along the rim. At one of the viewpoints, we again marveled at the awesomeness of the canyon. Here, I could finally look down and trace my route across the canyon. I began to realize how far I had come that day, and how much I had seen. And it felt wonderful. Just look at that smile.
Time for a shower, a beer, and a good meal.
You truly feel alive and deserving of that beer and bed after such an adventure! Cheers! Wonderful write-up.
The endorphins at the end had you wanting to keep hiking!!