Force of Nature, Power of Experience: Running Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” 

~Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

I gingerly peered over the side of the North Kaibab trail, which runs from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon down (about 5,600 feet down) to the Colorado River.

As I looked down, I saw the Grand Canyon jig and jag from millions of years of evolutionary change. I looked up and saw the cliffs reach upward to the sky, as if praising the sun and the clouds. And, there I was somewhere in the middle of this expanse, nothing but a molecular speck, clinging to the side of the rock wall, hundreds and probably thousands of feet from the craggy bottom.

Rim to Rim to Rim
A view from the North Kaibob Trail. If you look closely, you can see the trail as it snakes around the canyon, heading down, down, down (or up, up, up depending on your direction). This was taken as we descending back down from the North Rim.

In that moment, I contemplated the incredible force of nature, the unavoidable force of change, and the beauty that can come from opening oneself to evolution.

John, our friends Vince and Tom, and I found ourselves in this moment as we ran from the South Rim to the North Rim and back to the South Rim of the Grand Mother-Nature-Loving Canyon.

rim to rim to rim
The crew taking a quick photo before we start. From left: Tom, Vince, me, John (in the front).

You know, that really big ditch in Arizona? Yup. That one.

In case you’ve never heard of this particular adventure, the rim to rim to rim (R2R2R) is a 46-48ish-mile, 11,000 feet of elevation adventure. It’s an experience that stretches the body, mind and spirit.

We started the adventure from the South Rim, taking the Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River, which is approximately 10 miles. Once we crossed the river, we picked up the North Kaibab Trail, which goes for about 14 miles to the top of the North Rim.

We’ve seen varying estimates for how long this route is and most of them fall between 46-48 miles. Our menagerie of Garmins registered between 48 to 54 miles. Regardless of the exact distance, it was farther than anyone you tell about this excursion would want to drive.

Counting all stops for wondrous amazement, photo taking, and breath-catching, we took 16 hours total time from start to finish. Moving time was about 13 hours. Yeah, we took our time, making sure to stop as much as was feasible to enjoy the moment.

We wanted to be in the Canyon. Feel the flow of the Canyon. Be the Ditch. Love the Ditch. Don’t fall in the Ditch.

“Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe it. A flower is beautiful. But this is beautiful the way that a person is beautiful – terrifying with its jagged edges, yet seductive with its crevices that hide so many secrets.”

~ Jeri Smith-Ready, Requiem for the Devil

The Grand Canyon is a shapeshifter; even the same exact spot changes as the shadows and sun play with it. Every turn created a new view, a new wonder, a new perspective.  As we ran along the trail, I could feel the sun on my face and the pleasant twinges of insignificance as the depth of the Canyon swallowed us.

It occurred to me more than once: THIS. This-right-now is what living feels like.

The terrain was mostly challenging, with only few miles of easier, gently rolling terrain along the bottom of the Canyon, between the Colorado River and the point when the “real” climbing begins on the North Kaibab trail.

rim to rim to rim elevation profile
How’s this for an elevation profile? #Ouch. Photo credit: http://solarweasel.com/2012-grand-canyon-r2r2r-2/

Beyond that one small section, there was only steep climbing and descending – even with all of the switchbacks. To increase the difficulty level, a good portion of the trail is rocky. While the Bright Angel Trail is relatively wide, the North Kaibab trail is mostly just a thin line between you and the seductive crevices below.

Several times throughout the day, I thought of the hike John and I did along the Na Pali coast of Kauai last summer. That too was a steep hike, but there was a difference. On that Na Pali hike, I had moments of paralyzing fear, moments when John had to not-so-gently coax me to take the next step. He literally grabbed my foot at some points to make me move.

This time – that fear was gone. I was cautious, to be sure, but I was not paralyzed with fear. My mind had been stretched to what was possible and what I was capable of doing. I knew I was I was in control of my movements, as long as I took them steadily and firmly.

I was with the Canyon. I loved the Canyon. I would NOT fall into the Canyon.

That’s not to say that I didn’t have some tough moments – I did, quite a few more than the guys seemed to be having. Of special note, I ran out of water at one point. Coming back from the North Rim, I ran for about 30-45 minutes before we came to an open water pump at Phantom Ranch, which is this super cool camping spot in the middle of the Grand Canyon. By the time I got there, I could feel my core temperature cooking.

rim to rim to rim
Molecular specks. Heading down the Bright Angel Trail in the first few miles of our adventure. While we started in cold temps, it only took a few miles for the air to warm up. Next time, I might skip the jacket (seen here tied around my waist). Arm warmers were perfect. Thanks, SOAS!

I fought the voices that tried to convince me I was in over my head.

I greedily took in a full bottle of water. Within minutes, I could tell something wasn’t right. I looked at John, and I could tell by the look on his face I didn’t look good.

“I feel nauseous,” I said.

“Puke. Get it out.”

Eventually, I burped, and then out it gushed – an entire bottle of water in 6 distinct puking episodes. I would take a few steps. Puke. Walk. Puke. Eventually I worked up to an impressive walk-and-puke maneuver in an attempt to keep up with the guys, who were walking ahead and had no idea what was happening in the depths of my belly.

rim to rim to rim
Canyon surprises.

I like to think I did my part to water the desert flora in that area. Of course, the people camping on the other side of the trail might not have been so open minded about this display.

After about 15 minutes, I started to feel better. I was able to take in little sips of water and even take in a gel. More proof that if you don’t like how you feel, then eat a little, drink a little, wait 15 minutes.

I also learned that asthma and altitude are not good friends – at least not for me. While descending down the Bright Angel Trail in the morning, I was fine as we took it easy, and I didn’t have to exert much at all. We joked about our heart rates not hitting 3 digits.

However, while climbing past a certain elevation level, probably in the neighborhood of 5,000 feet, I was having some trouble breathing on first the North side and then later the South side. At first, I didn’t realize what was happening, but as my breathing became audible wheezing, I realized my lungs were closing in.

Rescue inhaler to the, well…rescue.

The last few miles to the end of the trail were pretty challenging as a consequence. I found myself taking little baby steps, for what seemed like much too much effort. My last mile took me 32 minutes to finish (holy embarrassing!), yet I was breathing–more like wheezing–as if I were running a 5 minute mile.

Most of the experiences that hold meaning for me have been hard fought, and this one is no exception. Along the way, I found my edges, deepened friendships, shared more incredible moments with my best friend of all, and felt beauty that is unrivaled.

If a little puking and trouble breathing is the price I must pay to have these experiences, I will pay it again, and again, and again.

The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail.
~ John Wesley Powell

John and I have been blessed – repeatedly – with several “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences over the past few years. Running rim-to-rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon is surely near the top of that list. You know what? Let’s just go with thee top.

I feel frustrated as I write this post because I cannot find the right combination of words to fully explain this experience, and how it made me feel. The pictures are but a weak representation, and cannot give you the feeling as your breath catches in your throat, as the tears well in your eyes upon your first glimpse of this expanse. Words are positively inadequate. Pictures are a shadow.

Rim to Rim to Rim
One of the impressive wall faces within the Canyon. This picture doesn’t even come close to how wondrous it is when you are down in the depths.

What I can say as clearly as possible: You should go. Right now, figure out your schedule; plan your trip. I mean RIGHT. NOW. 

You don’t have to run R2R2R, but you DO need to get into the canyon. Plan a day hike to the River, or camp at Indian Garden or Phantom Ranch. The people who simply glimpse the Canyon from the various vantage points along the rim have but a limited understanding of the delicious secrets that lie within the rocks.

Every layer tells an evolutionary story, revealing yet another lesson about the physics of nature, and the strength of your soul to descend and climb those layers. The Grand Canyon is geological evolution writ large, but in your hiking of its expanse, you will reflect on your own evolution as well.

Among the things you won’t see if you only stand at the rim are:

For those of you who are thinking about some sort of Grand Canyon adventure, here are my tips as they relate to day hikes:

Lodging

We stayed at the Bright Angel Lodge, which is just steps from the South Rim and the Bright Angel Trail. The accommodations feature cabins, with refrigerators and a coffee pot. There are several restaurants on the property grounds, and we ate mostly at the Bright Angel Restaurant. There is also a place to eat about 15-20 minutes out of the Canyon called We Cook Pizza and Pasta. Guess what they serve? They also have an awesome salad bar – fresh with plenty of choices.

rim to rim to rim
Bright Angel trailhead, just steps from where we stayed.

Route

We opted to do the longer of the two possible routes for Rim to Rim (to Rim), by taking the Bright Angel Trail to the North Kaibab trail. You can take the South Kaibab trail instead of the Bright Angel Trail; it is shorter, but steeper.

For those of you who only want to to do Rim to Rim, there is a shuttle that begins in Mid-May that will take you from the North Rim back to the South Rim. I’ve also read reports of people who did Rim to Rim to Rim in two days, staying at the North Rim after the first day of hiking.

Make sure to bring a headlamp. You’ll need it because you’ll likely start in the dark and possibly end in the dark depending on how far and how fast you go.

Timing

The Grand Canyon, at the base, can get hot as hellaciousness in the summer, so most people recommend the best times to go being mid-April to mid-May and then again in the Fall. On the day we did the run (April 18th), we started in about 40-degree temps at the South Rim. The base of the Canyon was probably in the high 70s-80s by mid-day, and the North Rim was chilly after all the sweating it took to climb it – maybe in the low 50s.

Water

During our run, not all of the taps were turned on; however, there were enough taps turned on that we were able to refill our packs and bottles about every 2-3 hours or so. However, be forewarned: the status of these taps is not guaranteed as this is a natural wilderness and not a theme park. Plan to be as self-sufficient as much as possible. Do your homework before starting to figure out what taps are working, and where you should start to look for them. Not all of them are in plain sight or clearly marked.

rim to rim to rim
In this image of Vince and I, you can see my set up for water. Another option, which Vince used, hydration vest with 70 ounce bladder and two handheld bottles.

In addition to water, you definitely want electrolytes. We were all pretty salty by the time we finished. John and I used tabs of Nuun in both our CamelBak bladders and in our bottles. We usually put 4-5 tabs of Nuun in the bladder, and then 1 tab in each 20-24 ounce bottle. This amount varies depending on how hot it is, and how quickly we are consuming fluid. But, this was the amount we went for with this run, and it felt right.

I ran with a CamelBak that held a 70-ounce bladder, and two 24 ounce bottles (held by pockets in the front of the vest). Even with this much water, I ran out as we came back down from the North Rim between Cottonwood and Phantom Ranch, as the heat of the day was at its height.

I had (mistakenly) thought that having a half-full pack with two full bottles would be enough for that section, hoping to cut some weight. I was wrong. Always top off. The extra weight beats dehydration. And puking.

Calories

I wish I had kept better track of exactly what I ate, but I didn’t. Generally, I ate a variety of Clif Shot Bloks, Hammer Gels, Hammer Bars, and nuts. I also ate some caffeinated products as the day went on, so you’ll likely want a mix of non-caffeinated and caffeinated products to give you a boost as the run gets long.

I would have liked something a bit more “real” food-ish, but that would mean more to carry. The advantage of these sport products is they pack a lot of calories in a small pouch.

I would say I was in the vicinity of about 100-150 calories per hour, which is my typical for running. This calorie count felt fine to me, as I never felt bonkish. At the time of this run, I was 130 pounds (heavier–GRRRRRRR–than my usual race weight of 125 pounds).

Lube and Sundries

In addition to the life necessities of water and calories, there are some nice-to-have items that I strongly suggest. First, sunscreen. We screened up before we started out, and in hindsight, I would have re-screened before we came back down from the North Rim. I didn’t get sunburned, but I did have some spots that were threatening.

Chafe – it will happen if you don’t lube up. Vince gave us some samples of Ruby’s Lube, and both John and I used that on our various hot spot areas. The product worked great, and we’ll be using this brand more regularly. I forgot, however, to use it in one area (that shall remain nameless) and boy, did I regret that. Let’s just say I resembled a baboon for a day or two.

We brought some emergency supplies with us as well, which we thankfully did not need to use. These included: waterproof matches and a lighter, emergency blanket, and a blister kit.

Training

rim to rim to rim
Taking a breather at the top of the North Rim.

So, training seems pretty obvious, right? Well, if I were to do this again, I would have trained better–or more specifically for the terrain.

Granted, this run was tricky timing for me, as I spent all of the winter training for the long distances of the Double Anvil, with significantly different (flatter) terrain than the Grand Canyon. Let’s face it, almost everything is flatter compared to the inverted mountain that is the Grand Canyon.

Thanks to the Double, I was certainly trained well (more than well) for the duration and that’s probably what got me to the end of this adventure. Well, that plus the incredible stubborn streak that is part of my nature.

However, I was far from well-trained for the vertical elements of this run, and the altitude wrecked havoc with my breathing. I’m not sure what the fix is for the altitude, but you can be sure that I will work that out. (If you have suggestions or experience with that, please be sure to comment below or send me an email.)

If you are going to attempt Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim, you need to do a lot of uphill and even more downhill training. I think the downhill is what causes the most pain on this (or any) course, so you need to have your quads and hips prepared for that impact.

rim to rim to rim
If you do not train for the downhills, this is what you will look like the day after the adventure.

The downhill also requires nimble footwork to handle the more technical elements of the trail – especially on the North Kaibab trail. I think some weight-based strength work would be beneficial preparation, and don’t even think about skipping your core work (hips, glutes, lower back, abs). You’ll be sorry!

Whatever adventure we decide for next year (yes, the plans are in the works!), you can be sure I will be prepared for the terrain–whatever it takes. If you are thinking about an adventure of your own, and would like someone to coordinate the details for you, check out Vince’s guided endurance runs by clicking here.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Running from rim to rim and back to rim in the Grand Canyon pushed my limits in a way that would not have been possible even just one short year ago.

The forces of nature have shaped the Canyon such that it will never be the same experience twice. Similarly, the power of human experience allows us to evolve so we can accept what is beautiful in ourselves, acknowledge our craggy crevices, and learn to navigate the trail as best we can.

“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is. I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

 

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