Rim-to-rim...what goes down must come up!

We did it...and it was easier this time, but still not easy.  A few years ago Paul and I hiked down the North Kaibab Trail and then on to the Colorado River and back up.  It was about 29 miles, and it was hard.  This time we hiked down the Bright Angel Trail to the river and then up the North Kaibab Trail.  That shortens it to about 24 miles.  A friend and co-worker if mine, Lynne Godfrey, did it with us this time.  With stops for lunch, foot soaking in the river and a creek, pit stops and breathing breaks we did the deed in about 13 hours starting at about 7 am with the sun just coming up.  The last mile my tail was dragging and when we saw a guy who said we only had 150 yards to go, I was very glad to hear it. I  felt great for all the rest of the hike. We did about the last mile and a half by headlamp.  The temperature varied from an early morning cool of around 29 to 90 out in the hottest area and then to around the low 40's when we got out.  We did most of the hike in shade which was really nice. I can only remember one sad faced person I saw on the hike - a teen aged girl hiking with her family.  The best line I heard was from an older guy who said, "When I started this morning I was only twenty years old."  Everyone, except that girl, seemed excited about the chance to be enjoying such a beautiful place even when they were tired and hiking up a steep hill, some of them with very big packs. "Happy Trails" was a nice send off from another guy. I found this perfect description of the canyon in a National Geographic article I read about the Grand Canyon.

"Above us castellated bluffs and terraces of rainbow-hued soils rose to the sky like a geological cathedral."    It is a truly magnificent place and I am thankful to have been able to experience it from top to bottom.  A few more details: We stopped in at Jacob Lake for hot chocolate, cookies and some dinner (in that order) on the way home.  We had also stopped there to buy lunch (and cookies) on the way over. We ate our lunch at a picnic spot along the road to Cape Royal Overlook.  After that we dropped the car at the North Kaibab Trailhead and caught a shuttle over to the South Rim. We were the only passengers. We stopped for a little break at Rainbow Bridge and at Cameron for a Navajo Taco dinner.  All the food was great!  We spent the night at the Maswick Lodge at the South Rim. It was a good price for very nice rooms. Paul and I took in a ranger talk that evening about the program for saving the Condors.  It was very interesting.    In the morning after eating breakfast in our rooms we just walked over to the trail head.

Angel's Window, lunch and river view at Marble Canyon.

Getting started, tunnel, sun coming up, Mile-and-a-half rest area, Paul.

Some scenery and greenery on the way out of Indian Garden Campground, reaching the river and the Silver Bridge.

Cooling off our feet in the Colorado, mule humor and coral and cabin at Phantom Ranch.

Scenery, more foot cooling and ranger house at Cottonwood Campground.

Up the trail, Supai Tunnel (last picture before dark with 1.7 miles to go), cool rock formations, autumn leaves and Roaring Springs

Would I do it again? Not that route.  I've seen the North Kaibab Trail all the way now three times and several more times just part way down and back up.  If there is another time, I would like to go down the South Kaibab and back up Bright Angel or the other way around.  Another thing that I might consider is to hike down on one of the South Rim trails and do some camping at Indian Garden or Bright Angel Campground or at the Phantom Ranch and then do some day hikes.  I'm not too keen on the Cottonwood Campground.  It's a little too hot and dry for my taste.  What do I wish I would have done differently on this hike?  I think the last mile would have been a little easier if I had done some more electrolyte replacement.  I drank some Powerade at Phantom Ranch when we stopped for lunch, but probably should have had some more before starting up that last 4 miles.