Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim in One Day

or: "Matt and Pierre, seen in the distance."

June 9, 2001

1. Near beginning of North Kaibab trail, looking SE, ~5:15 AM. Matt (left) and Pierre. Temperature is ~45F. This photo required a hand-held 0.25 second exposure.

2. View SE down Roaring Springs Canyon. We leap-frogged the "man in yellow" throughout the morning.

3. View SE; Pierre and Matt skirt the wall of Roaring Springs Canyon.

4. View SE, still in RS Canyon.

5. Looking in back of us (NW) at the man in yellow

6. Past Cottonwood Camp in Bright Angel Canyon; the day heats up rapidly. SW view.

7. SW view along Bright Angel Creek.

8. Edge of Sumner Butte in background (top is much higher).

9. Colorado River, View E. Pierre and Matt peer through Kaibab suspension bridge.

10. Looking W at Colorado River and Bright Angel Trail suspension bridge. From South Kaibab Trail. ~1PM, air temp ~110F.

11. View NW, Colorado peeks out between two ridges. Matt and Pierre trudge on through blistering heat.

12. View NE, toward Somebody's Temples. Shade seemed precious at this point.

13. At halfway mark on S. Kaibab. View NE; a party of eight trudges down the trail near Natural Arch butte.

14. Near Skeleton Point, view NE; Matt is visible on closest switchback.

15. View NW from Skeleton Point; Harlan in foreground.

16. O'Neill Butte; view NNW from just below Cedar Ridge. Temperature is down to 90F at 4:30 PM.

17. Matt, on last set of switchbacks below Cedar Ridge. NE view, over the broad Tonto Platform. The "inner canyon" of the Colorado runs left-right across the image.

18. Geologic map of area. The route is marked in RED on this smaller version.

Pictures with a More Human Touch, by Pierre

A. North Rim Gavotte, Part 1.

B. North Rim Gavotte, Part 2.

C. North Rim Gavotte, Part 3.

D. In Bright Angel Canyon, just N of Phantom Ranch. Left to Right: Matt, Harlan & Pierre.

E. Matt crosses Colorado River.

F. Matt (L) and Pierre at Skeleton Point. View W.

G. Matt at Cedar Ridge. The thin clouds make life more tolerable.

H. View looking north from South Rim, from Bright Angel Lodge area. In the center distance is Bright Angel Canyon, our descent route.

I. Back at the North Rim (Bright Angel Point), after taking Trans-Canyon shuttle back to our car.

J. Panoramic view from North Rim (Bright Angel Point), looking roughly S, about 6:30PM. Humphreys Peak (12,633', north of Flagstaff) is visible in the distance.

 

Trip comments:

There were just three of us -- Matt, Pierre and Harlan (yours truly). We all live in Las Vegas, NV at ~2500 to 3000' above sea level. Matt and Pierre did all the planning, and did a really good job; I played the important role of "passive lump" (though my compatriots were amazed at the stunning variety of miniature emergency equipment in my pack). We had all done "reality check" hikes in the weeks prior to our trip; for example, Matt and Pierre had done a 16-mile, hot trek up Bridge Mountain in Red Rock Canyon.

But it is hard to prepare for random bad luck. Pierre injured his knee in the first hours of the rim-to-rim trip, and had to limp through most of the day. He slogged on without complaint, though at one point he requested euthanasia. Nonetheless, he made good time, and we finished the 20.5-mile hike in 12.5 hours.

The hardest part of the trip was the slog up the South Kaibab, at the hottest time of day. It was about 110F at the "inner canyon" -- 10 to 15 degrees above the normal peak temperature for this time of year. The South Kaibab has no water and precious little shade, and subtleties increase your ability to survive on that trail. The further from noon that you hike, the more likely you are to have intermittent shade (under rock ledges), in which to rest. Slight breezes, or wispy clouds, seem to drop the temperature 10F. The difference in the sun's angle, between 1 PM and 5 PM, makes an enormous difference in comfort, even if it is the same temperature at each time of day. If you can keep your mouth closed, you will feel much less parched, because your mouth will not dry out (obviously, you can't do that unless you are in reasonably good condition). And of course, the higher you ascend, the lower the average temperature.

I run in Las Vegas at ~4 PM, two or three days a week, so I am "used to heat." In reality, I am just psychologically prepared for heat, and know the warning signs of heat exhaustion really well. My running strategy is to exploit every bit of shade for as long as I can; 110F in shade is uncomfortable, but 110F in full sun is deadly.

My running experience served me quite well, so that I needed only 1.5 quarts of fluid on the way up (I carried 1 quart Gatorade and 2 quarts water, gave some away to other folks, and had about a pint left when I reached the top). I would strongly recommend that the "average" person take at least a gallon of fluids for the ascent of South Kaibab. More strongly, I would recommend NOT ascending by South Kaibab at all, at least not when it is above 90F. The Bright Angel Trail has a gentler slope, 400' less elevation gain, and two sources of water -- consider taking that alternate trail for any ascent.