The Westward Adventure: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim

While planning the westward road trip, I knew I wanted to spend some time running in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness and visiting friends in SoCal. A week or two before defending, it occurred to me that I would also be passing close to Grand Canyon National Park. What do trail runners do in the Grand Canyon? Well, they like to run from one rim to the other. Or, if one is feeling especially adventurous and energetic, one might then return back the way he or she came and return to the other rim. This nifty trek is aptly named the "Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim." Many many ultra runners do this run every year and I figured this was as good a time as any to add my effort to the thousands and thousands of miles logged by my running brethren. After all, how often will I be passing through northern Arizona?

Before I recount the details of this particular adventure, I should also note that I did a couple runs on the way, while passing through Utah. I did a short jaunt in Arches National Park (this was a crowded, crowded place) followed by a 13 mile run in Canyonlands in the Needles District. Canyonlands was AWESOME. Very few people and the desert was spectacular. Running through canyons and washes amid beautiful spires and other stunning geological relics was something else entirely. I will certainly go back to this place and explore it more. There are a lot of trails and plenty of cacti to stub my toe on (yes, I did this and it was pretty hilarious in hindsight). But back to the Grand Canyon.

I brought my cell along and took a lot of pictures and video while running in the Canyon so I will post some of those here and try not to drown you, my dear friend, in details that even I don't care a whole lot about. I'll end the post with some data that might interest someone who is interested in doing this awesome, fun, and eminently doable running adventure.

I arrived in Grand Canyon Village the night before the run and stayed with Joelle, a ranger in the canyon and good friend from the glory days of Hoofer Outing Club adventures at UW, and her three splendid housemates. They made so much pizza and I ate so much of it. Fuel was not going to be a problem on this run. Joelle and her colleague Emily also spent a few minutes PSAR-ing me. Preventative Search And Rescue. If you see someone doing something dumb, you can prevent a future search and rescue operation by convincing them not to do it. I was not convinced but I think they had some faith that I wasn't completely full of sh*t and more or less capable of finishing this run. So 4am the next morning rolls around and I found myself walking from their house to the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here the adventure begins.

Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trailhead: The Beginning

After leaving in the dark, I ran at a very relaxed pace down into the canyon. On the way I used a privy near Indian Garden Campground... while leaving the privy, I was distracted by a sign. While reading it, I walked backwards and tripped on a rock. And fell on my ass. This was my only fall of the day. Down to the river in 1:50.

Sunrise on the Colorado River

OK, 9.5 miles and about 4500 feet of elevation loss from Bright Angel Trailhead down to the Colorado River. 14.5 miles and 5500 feet of elevation gain up to the North Rim. Get some food inside me and time to go. The first 7 or 8 miles past Phantom Ranch towards Cottonwood Campground only rise about 1500 feet or so meaning the entire distance is super runable. Up through the Box in the rising sun I went. Through Cottonwood and on towards Roaring Springs.

Heading towards the North Rim along N. Kaibob

Roaring Springs is cool. As I learned from many signs in the Canyon, the water supply for the park, its many visitors and its several hundred full-time residents comes not from the Colorado River but from Roaring Springs. They pipe the water down underneath the N. Kaibob Trail and up to Indian Gardens under gravity and then actively pump it the rest of the way to the South Rim. Super cool! About this time the sun is up and I can finally start seeing where I am running. And let me tell you, the Grand Canyon will steal your breath away. Unreal. The colors are just stunning. Millions of years of geological history uncovered in the mile deep canyon make for some scenes that are a challenge to wrap one's mind around. So I didn't bother. Rather, I just loved every second of it. So much so that I hardly noticed the uphill slog to the North Rim. While the first 7 miles of the N. Kaibob trail ascend 1500 feet or so, the last 7 miles ascend about 4000 feet. Not so bad for the most part but the last few miles are particularly steep. All hiking here. But, after about six hours even, I made the North Rim! Halfway there!

The North Rim!

So now the real run begins. For me anyway. After the first 24 miles or so I was pretty tired but not too bad as I had been taking it pretty slow. The first 14.5 miles of the return trip are all downhill back to the Colorado so I was looking forward to the gravity assist. And very excited to be running into the Canyon rather than away from it. Running uphill requires one turn around every now and then for the epic views. Running downhill means its all in front of you all the time. This was gonna be good :)

Heading back down into the Canyon along N. Kaibob

Running downhill has its issues. Sure, gravity is now helping you along but the toll on your body can be great. The impact on your legs is somewhat greater and stability muscles do a lot of work to keep you upright as you cruise along, especially on trail. And your quads... those big muscles take a beating from the loading they experience when running downhill. So, a 5500 foot descent over 14.5 miles ends up being less fun than it sounded at the top. But, still fun nonetheless :)

Running downhill in the Canyon! Sorry the picture sucks... my phone doesn't do action terribly well I guess.

As one approaches the bottom of the Canyon, you arrive in the Box. This is a box canyon with nearly vertical walls and is famous for its challenging conditions. Runners fear this area on sunny days as it can routinely be 15 degrees warmer here than in the rest of the Canyon. On this day, the forecast was 100 F so it was entirely possible that, at this stage of the afternoon, the Box might be well over 110 F. But Lady Luck smiled upon me. Clouds obscured the sun and, of all things, a cool breeze started blowing up the Canyon. The Box was, for me, a pleasant 80-something degrees. Some people get all the luck and, right now, that's me!

Running the Box. This place is seriously cool. I mean this in the various ways one can mean it.

So the Box behind me, I reached the Colorado for the second time. About 38 miles or so down, just under ten to go. 4500 feet of climbing to go with it. Now, at this point I was very tired. The energy I felt near the North Rim was used up almost in its entirety with the long downhill. I will always respect downhills from now on as they can exact a toll that I was not entirely prepared for. So, after a long break at Bright Angel campground, I began to make my way up the Canyon. I hiked every step of the way. For three reasons. 1) I was tired. 2) I had a race in less than a week and a half and I saw no reason to kill myself on this fun, awesome run and put that race in jeopardy. 3) Oh My God the Grand Canyon is beautiful and this is especially apparent from the trails heading up the South Rim. I spent so much time just turning around and looking at the Canyon. These were views that I missed in the darkness of the initial descent that morning. And they took my breath away. I'd normally wax poetic about some profound thought that passed through my mind at this point. But I had no thoughts. That place wiped my mind clean and, for that, I will be eternally grateful. It is rare that such a sense of peace and smallness can put one at complete ease, satisfied with the inconsequential space we occupy in a place so vast and beautiful as the Grand Canyon. I will let some images supply the description.

Approaching the South Rim.

Arriving at the South Rim.

No clue how to sum this up. Running the Grand Canyon was possibly the most epic run I have ever done. And you should do it too. 13 hours 20-something minutes was how long it took and eventually I will go back and run it for time as it is a really intense and awesome challenge.

I'd like to thank Joelle and her house for their hospitality and kindness. You guys are the proverbial bomb :)

Ran from Bright Angel Trailhead at South Rim to N. Kaibob Trailhead at North Rim and back the same way. Water was running everywhere in the canyon so no issues there and no need to filter. Ate a number of gels and two nutella, peanut butter, and granola wraps. Also ate some shotblocs. No electrolyte drink but did have some endurolyte tabs. Ran in shorts and shirt sleeves all day. Hat and bandanna kept the sun at bay. Weather was cool and cloudy for most of the afternoon. Morning was warm and sunny. Never got above 90 as far as I could tell.  Shoes were Inov8 flite 195s. The sole on these was a little thin and rockier sections of trail were sub-optimal. But these popular trails are not technical for the most part so I'd use these shoes again over something heavier. Carried all food and a few emergency things like a map in a Nathan Hydration pack (from which I removed the bladder after the messy water incident in CO. Hydration was taken care of by Ultimate Direction bottles (the kind everyone uses). 48 miles total, some solid breaks added in for good measure... this was vacation, after all!

OK, I hope this gives at least ONE person the bug to go run in the Grand Canyon. Its a special place (understatement). It will touch you were you have never been touched before (profound and oh so creepy).

Peace, world.