Story:
This nearly 23 hour hike in the Grand Canyon follows the three most popular trails, the South Kaibab, North Kaibab, and Bright Angel Trails. Commonly referred to as a Rim to Rim to Rim hike, we prefer this route as it provides the most trail diversity of the three trails encountered. If you're going to make this hike in under 24 hours, or in a continuous (non-stop) manner, you'll have to train. Both my wife and I ran two full Marathons (Surf City Marathon and OC Marathons, the latter having been run two weekends before. The Sunday before this hike (one week after the OC Marathon) we hiked the Los Pinos Trail (also posted in my trips). The LP hike is much more brutal, with lots of rocks, more rugged trails, exposure to the sun, equal heat during this time of the year to what you will experience in the Grand Canyon, and fewer chances for water. I've always said if you can hike the Los Pinos loop, you'll have no problems on a rim to rim hike (but you'll need a little more training to do it rim to rim to rim). In fact, you'll appreciate the quality of the Grand Canyon trails much more!!!
Our rim to rim to rim Grand Canyon hike began by descending via the South Kaibab trail. Visitors are not permitted to drive to the trailhead, so allocate about 45 minutes to get there via the various buses, which are free, and run frequently. Our actual hike began right around 5:00 p.m. with the plan to arrive on the North Rim somewhere around 3:00 a.m. where we planned to meetup with friends and hike bike. The 6.5 mile descent down the SK (South Kaibab) trail is quick, although the numerous erosion logs meant to prevent the trail from washing away can slow you down quite a bit. Outside these logs, the trail is extremely nice with few rocks and the most beautiful vistas you'll have on any hike. Traveling at a steady pace, we crossed the river in about 2.5 hours and made it to our first stop, Phantom Ranch, a short time later.
The middle section of the hike between the two rims occurs between Phantom Ranch and Cottonwood campground. It's about 7.5 miles ( a little over 15 miles from the SK trailhead on the South Rim). During our first trek across this section it was night and our headlamps drew moths and other flying nighttime insects into the beams of our lights, which brought the bats, feeding on the insects. It took a little while to get accustomed to the constant volley of bats flying at our heads (chasing the insects) and we found that keeping our lights on low and pointing only a short distance in front of us minimized this annoyance. Regardless, the bats were something to contend with until we reached Cottonwood, where the wind was blowing hard and the colder night air flowing down from the North Rim caused the insects (and bats) to disappear.
We made the North Rim in a little under ten hours and turned around quickly, as the temp was only 35°F. We stopped on the return trip at Cottonwood to fuel up on instant potatoes and coffee. The added weight of having my MSR Pocket Rocket, fuel can, and small pot was made worthwhile in having that warm meal. The hike back to Phantom Ranch having some solid food (no goo's or bars) was made much easier by the meal and the accompaniment of four friends, who met up with us at Cottonwood. At Phantom Ranch, we stopped for about 45 minutes to rest, grab some more food, and weight for a friend who was moving a little slow due to foot issues.
A Little Caution:
We ascended via the Bright Angel trail which is recommended for anyone making this trek because there is water along the way. The SK trail has none, and this part of the trek is during the warmest part of the day. Two of our friends split off at Phantom Ranch, choosing to ascend via the shorter SK, but despite carrying 7L of water, ended up being significantly dehydrated by the time they reached the South Rim. The SK trail is certainly okay to ascend if you have enough fluids, but not in the heat of mid-day. If you plan to ascend this trail, better to start in the late evening, or very early morning. By 9:00, the temperature on the SK trail can easily reach 100 degrees and because virtually the entire trail is exposed to the sun, you'll feel the heat.
Ascending via the Bright Angel Trail is nice. Although the views are not as spectacular as the SK and NK trails, it has its' own micro-climate and is a little greener. There is plenty of water along the way. A little more than halfway is Indian Gardens, a small campground that includes a pool for guests, water, and plenty of benches in the shade. Every year, I am amazed by the number of people hiking down to Indian Gardens who have no experience and come completely unprepared for the hike back up. While it is only 4.5 miles from the top, the hike from Indian Gardens to the South Rim is mostly exposed, and almost always hot this time of year (May 19th). Although both the thermometer on my pack and the one on the post at Indian Gardens read right at 100°F, it felt more like 90° to both my wife and me.
We reached the top, about 22:45 since leaving the South Rim. Total cumulative elevation gain is a over 10,000' with about 11,000' of elevation loss (the SK trailhead is higher than the BA trailhead).
I'm certain we'll do this one again, but next time we'll run the downhills and flatter sections, opting for light trail running gear and shoes. The lighter pack weights and quicker traverse, won't make the trip any less tiring, it's a long day any way you look at it, but it will make for a quicker recovery.
This nearly 23 hour hike in the Grand Canyon follows the three most popular trails, the South Kaibab, North Kaibab, and Bright Angel Trails. Commonly referred to as a Rim to Rim to Rim hike, we prefer this route as it provides the most trail diversity of the three trails encountered. If you're going to make this hike in under 24 hours, or in a continuous (non-stop) manner, you'll have to train. Both my wife and I ran two full Marathons (Surf City Marathon and OC Marathons, the latter having been run two weekends before. The Sunday before this hike (one week after the OC Marathon) we hiked the Los Pinos Trail (also posted in my trips). The LP hike is much more brutal, with lots of rocks, more rugged trails, exposure to the sun, equal heat during this time of the year to what you will experience in the Grand Canyon, and fewer chances for water. I've always said if you can hike the Los Pinos loop, you'll have no problems on a rim to rim hike (but you'll need a little more training to do it rim to rim to rim). In fact, you'll appreciate the quality of the Grand Canyon trails much more!!!
Our rim to rim to rim Grand Canyon hike began by descending via the South Kaibab trail. Visitors are not permitted to drive to the trailhead, so allocate about 45 minutes to get there via the various buses, which are free, and run frequently. Our actual hike began right around 5:00 p.m. with the plan to arrive on the North Rim somewhere around 3:00 a.m. where we planned to meetup with friends and hike bike. The 6.5 mile descent down the SK (South Kaibab) trail is quick, although the numerous erosion logs meant to prevent the trail from washing away can slow you down quite a bit. Outside these logs, the trail is extremely nice with few rocks and the most beautiful vistas you'll have on any hike. Traveling at a steady pace, we crossed the river in about 2.5 hours and made it to our first stop, Phantom Ranch, a short time later.
The middle section of the hike between the two rims occurs between Phantom Ranch and Cottonwood campground. It's about 7.5 miles ( a little over 15 miles from the SK trailhead on the South Rim). During our first trek across this section it was night and our headlamps drew moths and other flying nighttime insects into the beams of our lights, which brought the bats, feeding on the insects. It took a little while to get accustomed to the constant volley of bats flying at our heads (chasing the insects) and we found that keeping our lights on low and pointing only a short distance in front of us minimized this annoyance. Regardless, the bats were something to contend with until we reached Cottonwood, where the wind was blowing hard and the colder night air flowing down from the North Rim caused the insects (and bats) to disappear.
We made the North Rim in a little under ten hours and turned around quickly, as the temp was only 35°F. We stopped on the return trip at Cottonwood to fuel up on instant potatoes and coffee. The added weight of having my MSR Pocket Rocket, fuel can, and small pot was made worthwhile in having that warm meal. The hike back to Phantom Ranch having some solid food (no goo's or bars) was made much easier by the meal and the accompaniment of four friends, who met up with us at Cottonwood. At Phantom Ranch, we stopped for about 45 minutes to rest, grab some more food, and weight for a friend who was moving a little slow due to foot issues.
A Little Caution:
We ascended via the Bright Angel trail which is recommended for anyone making this trek because there is water along the way. The SK trail has none, and this part of the trek is during the warmest part of the day. Two of our friends split off at Phantom Ranch, choosing to ascend via the shorter SK, but despite carrying 7L of water, ended up being significantly dehydrated by the time they reached the South Rim. The SK trail is certainly okay to ascend if you have enough fluids, but not in the heat of mid-day. If you plan to ascend this trail, better to start in the late evening, or very early morning. By 9:00, the temperature on the SK trail can easily reach 100 degrees and because virtually the entire trail is exposed to the sun, you'll feel the heat.
Ascending via the Bright Angel Trail is nice. Although the views are not as spectacular as the SK and NK trails, it has its' own micro-climate and is a little greener. There is plenty of water along the way. A little more than halfway is Indian Gardens, a small campground that includes a pool for guests, water, and plenty of benches in the shade. Every year, I am amazed by the number of people hiking down to Indian Gardens who have no experience and come completely unprepared for the hike back up. While it is only 4.5 miles from the top, the hike from Indian Gardens to the South Rim is mostly exposed, and almost always hot this time of year (May 19th). Although both the thermometer on my pack and the one on the post at Indian Gardens read right at 100°F, it felt more like 90° to both my wife and me.
We reached the top, about 22:45 since leaving the South Rim. Total cumulative elevation gain is a over 10,000' with about 11,000' of elevation loss (the SK trailhead is higher than the BA trailhead).
I'm certain we'll do this one again, but next time we'll run the downhills and flatter sections, opting for light trail running gear and shoes. The lighter pack weights and quicker traverse, won't make the trip any less tiring, it's a long day any way you look at it, but it will make for a quicker recovery.
Tips:
- Go light - Opt for an utlra-running pack
- Check out Hoka OneOne shoes. All the ultra runners wear these. The trail conditions on any of these three trails (North Kaibab, South Kaibab, and Bright Angel) don't warrant having to wear hiking shoes (unless you are carrying a heavier pack). BUT, you still need plenty of cushion due to the distance and some protection in the toe from kicking rocks when you get tired.
- Start in the late afternoon
- Plan for big temperature and wind speed changes. We experienced a high of 102°F and low of 35°F, with winds ranging from 0 to +30 mph
- Bring a cheap emergency rain poncho and mylar blanket (less than $5 for both). They'll keep you plenty warm and dry if you encounter rain, or at night when it gets colder.
- Absolutely stay at the Maswik lodge on the South Rim. Accommodations and food are better there.
Tags:
Rim to Rim to Rim, R2R2R, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, grand canyon
Rim to Rim to Rim, R2R2R, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, grand canyon
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