Grand Canyon

Shelley, Stephanie and I, along with a group of family members, have been prepping and training for a hike in the Grand Canyon.  Our hike to Timp was one of the training hikes that we've done and I think it was a good one to get us ready for Rim to Rim Grand Canyon hike we were about to embark on.  It has been a bit of a mess trying to get it planned and details figured out, but we did actually make it there!  Because of covid and all the regulations that are going on right now, the shuttles back and forth through the canyon are not running.  We waited throughout the summer kind of hoping that they would eventually open back up by October and we would be able to use the shuttle.  But a few weeks before our hike, they called and said that they will officially not be opening for any shuttle service for the rest of the year.  So we went to work finding another service that would shuttle us from the north rim (where we were planning to park our cars) to the south rim (where we would stay overnight and then start our hike back to the north rim).  We did finally find a river rafting shuttle service that would do it for us and since there were 19 in our group we ended up with 2 big vans to take us to the south rim which was about a 6 hour drive.  We made it though and got settled in at our hotel for a quick sleep before we got up early to start our hike.  We figured the hike would take about 12-15 hours so we wanted to get on the trail before it was too late that we would be hiking in the dark the next evening.  We got up at 2:45 and were at the trailhead by 3:30 ready to roll!  

It was fun hiking in the dark for a while and it seemed like the miles were going pretty quickly.  As the sun was coming up, it was amazing to see how far down we had come and the incredible views around us.  

I hiked with Bryson for most of the morning and we chatted back and forth keeping each other company.  I loved seeing the different foliage around and could not get enough of the views of the canyon all around us.  

About 9 miles in we got to the Colorado River and it was so cool to see that big river cutting right through the canyon.  It was big and deep and so pretty to see!  We walked across the river and got to Phantom Ranch which was a good place to stop and rest and refill our water.  We took a bit of time at the ranch hanging out and renewing our energy, but we knew we had to get going before too long so we didn't get stuck in the middle of the canyon in the hottest part of the day.

After Phantom Ranch the next stretch is known as "The Box" because it's basically walls straight up on either side of the trail.  We wanted to be out of the box before the sun was straight overhead and the heat would get pretty intense.  We made great time and didn't have hardly any sun on us, even towards the end of that part of the trail.  It was a warm day, but in the shade it was totally comfortable.  We were logging lots of miles and getting tired, but we kept on!

The last stop that had fresh water to fill up our packs was Manzanita and we rested there for a bit as well.  By this time, I was tired and my ankle was getting pretty sore (I had just sprained it that week and it was still pretty tender).  So I didn't stop too many more times after that, just because it hurt more to stop and start again.  I kept a slow steady pace and the others would catch me and then we'd walk together again.  Overall, our group stayed together the whole way which was pretty amazing!

As we started our ascent up the north rim, the trail was so fun and cool to be on!  We traversed along the side of the mountains and crossed bridges, climbed switchbacks and went through tunnels.  It was sooo cool to be there and see all the different stages of the trail and how the plants and geography changed depending on the elevation we were at.  

And the view....Breathtaking.  Really.  It was incredible.

We were tired and sore and hot and sweaty by the time we finished the 24 miles from one rim to the other.  But what an amazing journey and so fun to see the canyon from top to bottom to top again!  We had the best group and such a fun time and I would do it again in a heartbeat!  I mean...after a few weeks of recovery that is...