Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim (R2R2R)

October 2021

Total Miles: 49

North Kaibab to Bright Angel then South Kaibab to North Kaibab

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Why am I hiking The Grand Canyon?

I recently sold my company and wanted to take a moment to pause, celebrate and have a moment for myself to be alone with my thoughts and connect to myself and nature. Over the last few years of hiking this trail has come up many times on my “someday” list. I had planned to hike R2R2R this time last year, but a wildfire came through my neighborhood about one week before I was to start the hike and I needed to cancel it. Luckily our home was spared. This year, I knew this was the hike for me to do and I was happy it all lined up.

GPS and Cell Signal: I hiked largely with my phone in airplane mode and the All Trails maps work great (be sure to download them in advance) with GPS alone, no need for a cellular signal.

Cell signal on the R2R2R trail is pretty much non-existent. I was able to get it out at the top of the North Rim lodge right at the overlook. Other than that, I had no connection, not even on the South Rim. On the South Rim I was able to use the courtesy phone in the lobby of the Yavapai Lodge to call home.

Overall Stats

Blisters: 1

I wore Injinji Toe socks and Altra Lone Peak 4.5 Trail runners. Unlike the JMT, the R2R2R trail is very rocky, and the terrain is not always even. This makes for a lot of irregular non-stop rubbing especially on the up and downhills. Only one blister on my big left toe. I drained the blister the first night and covered the blister with some luko tape and moleskin. That was it. I refreshed the dressing the second day and it healed quickly.

Animals seen:

Squirrels, Ram, Rabbit, Elk.

Day 0: Getting to the North Rim

I flew into Las Vegas, my first flight in over a year-and-a-half since the Pandemic began. Right when I walked out of the plane I noticed slot machines filled every available space in the Vegas airport, and the smell of cigarettes filled the air. Ha ha. Yup, I’m definitely not in California anymore.

I used the Turo app to rent a car which I picked right up at the airport. I get 800 miles on my rental but will only use about 650. I have about 4.5 hours of driving ahead of me today.

I hopped on the highway and headed towards St. George, Utah, about halfway to The Grand Canyon (TGC) from Vegas to get fuel for my camp stove as TSA won’t allow fuel canisters on airplanes.

Once in St. George I first went to Camping World but they didn’t have much of anything. Then I went to Big 5 and they only had really large cans. Finally I went to The Desert Rat and they had them! (FYI, The North Rim Campground General Store has them). I grabbed a burrito at Chipotle and then headed back on the road. No one is wearing masks here at all. It’s as if the Pandemic isn’t happening at all. I’m getting a lot of strange looks from people as I’m the only one wearing a mask. Such a contrast to back in California.

The landscape driving to TGC is absolutely stunning. Giant red rock formations line the view in every direction like ancient cathedrals painted by Mother nature effortlessly. Several times I laughed in amazement. I feel like I’m getting a glimpse of what’s to come and I’m so grateful to actually be on this big adventure that I’ve been looking forward to for so long.

Once in Kaibab National Forest I was surprised to see dense forest for about the last 50 minutes of the drive. I guess I thought it was just going to be desert all the way so this was a real treat. Since I’m here in October, the fall colors have really kicked into gear. Mixed in with all the greenery are massive patches of yellow and when the sun hits them it creates a halo effect that quickly flashes a moment of brilliant blinding light. Driving through here I am filled with the feeling that I’m somewhere very special.

Once at the North Rim I went directly to the North Rim lodge. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the canyon, but I didn’t want to look just yet, not until I walked out to the edge. So I did. I walked out to the edge and slowly lifted my head to look up and out over the massive canyon landscape and it took my breath away. It’s so massive in scale, it’s hard to imagine how the hell this came to be. And I’m going to be down in there tomorrow!!! Yes!

I checked into the North Rim Campground and set up my tent. Then I headed back to the North Rim Lodge to watch the sun say goodbye over the south west rim for the day. The sun left a trail of gorgeous red, orange and pinks that slowly faded into darkness. A man played his ukulele adding a really nice vibe to the end of a great day.

The Lodge is the only place that has cell reception on the North Rim, so I took advantage of it to call home and say goodnight to my wife and daughter. They are so supportive. I’m one lucky guy.

I went back to my camp, cooked my food and tucked in for the night around 9pm. The stars here are incredible. It’s as if you can see every star that ever was. And, there’s no bugs, so I sat for a long while and enjoyed the vast display.

I’ll be up at 4:45am tomorrow. My goal is to head out on the trail at 5:45am. Good night.

Day 1: Rim to Rim - North Kaibab to Bright Angel (South Rim)

Miles: 24.5

Mantra of the day: Yield to others. Not just hikers, but in life, too.

I was up at 4:30am. I couldn’t sleep any more, I was too excited, and parked and ready to go out on the North Kaibab trailhead at 5:30am.

I really didn’t want to hike in the dark with my headlamp as I wanted to see every moment in the daylight. However, most everyone who hikes this trail in a day starts very early. Since I didn’t want to underestimate the trail, I decided to only hike for the shortest bit in the dark. Luckily I only needed my headlamp for the first 20 minutes then there was enough light that I could turn it off.

It was SUPER cold for the first 30 minutes of the hike. Even though I had gloves my fingers went numb. Luckily it didn’t last too long and I was able to pair down to my regular hiking wear pretty fast.

Going into the canyon on the North Rim is so spectacular. Even if you took a video the entire hike, it wouldn’t capture the majestic scale and awe that this place holds. In every direction it is perfection.

Before the trip, I downloaded a playlist full of Native American flute music and had one headphone in for much of the first day of the hike playing these great tunes. It kept me present and grateful of my surroundings, and feeling small in this massive place. That’s what I was looking for, to feel like a simple human being and to step away from everything and to go back to the basics.

I knew there would be a lot of people on this hike as I decided to go in early October when the weather is fantastic for the hike. However, I found that much of the hike was very intimate. I hiked much of it alone in my direction. I passed many people going the other direction, but it was spaced out enough that I had big chunks fully to myself and the sense of privacy was well above my expectation.

The Box, is a part of the hike that goes from about a mile past Ribbon Falls (which I decided not to go to today and would visit tomorrow) all the way to Phantom Ranch was one of my favorite parts on this day. River runs along the entire box so you have the sound of rushing water, mini waterfalls and a semi-slot canyon feel through this section with the massive walls of the canyon hugging you.

I had read about the Phantom Ranch lemonade and was looking forward to getting a glass when I arrived. It’s a great halfway stop and there was a fair amount of people there. Hiking solo it allowed me some time to catch up with other hikers and hear about their adventure and motivations for hiking through TGC. Oh, and the lemonade definitely lived up to the hype. It’s sweet, and it’s exactly what I needed at that moment.

I bought and filled out a Postcard for my wife and daughter and one for my mom and dad. They will be carried out by mule and who knows when they will actually get there, but it’s cool to know this will most likely arrive after I’m home. Like a little gift and reminder of this very moment. My hand trembled as I wrote and I have no idea even what I put down. Ha ha.

After Phantom Ranch I knew it was going to be uphill the rest of the day and I was prepared. It was starting to get hot and now was the time to focus, enjoy and do the work that makes this hike so deserving. For day one I decided to take the Bright Angel trail to the South Rim. As it was the hottest time of the day I knew BA had a lot of water stops and I wouldn’t be strapped for water… or so I thought. Actually there are only a few spots along the way to get water and, at one point I was very low and really thirsty. I used my filter on a run off stream and that worked great. 2L should do the trick for the entire hike so long as you keep refilling them along the way.

Up and up the trail goes. Lots and lots of steps, some made for giants as they were so big.

As I got closer to the top I started to see more and more people coming down the trail. I knew they weren’t going to be going down too far as they didn’t have water and were more casually dressed.

The last 3 miles were pretty tough as I was getting tired from all the hiking but I just kept telling myself, “one step at a time”.

Once I got to the top of Bright Angel Trail I was elated. I was flying high. I felt like I had achieved something so massive, so great. I took a picture at the trailhead and looked over the right from where I had come from. I was proud, humbled and exhausted. I was surprised to see it was only 3pm. I was planning to be on this side by 6 - 6:30pm. I was happy I had hiked it so quickly, I didn’t think I was going super fast, I just kept going at my natural pace. Having the extra time was nice, but it also meant I needed to stay up until sun down otherwise I’d be up much too early tomorrow and I plan to sleep in and start much later tomorrow for sure.

The shuttles at TGC are great and easy to understand the routes. Much easier to understand being here than trying to understand them with the online info I was trying to do before I set out on the hike some weeks earlier.

I took the shuttle to Mather Campground and set up camp. There I met Dawn, an older woman who is hiking the AZT (Arizona Trail 800 miles). We talked for a long time and then I was getting hungry so I decided to walk to the General Store. This place is great and has everything you could think of. I ordered a mini Veggie pizza, a blackberry Bubbly and had a Twix bar for dessert, yum.

It was still early and I needed to find a way to kill some time as I’m so tired but I can’t go to sleep this early. It’s only 5pm.

I decided to jump on the shuttle and take it around. I was looking for cell service but there was none to be had. Finally I walked into Yavapai Lodge, close to the General Store and they had a courtesy phone in the lobby. They were kind enough to let me use it and I was so happy to call home. It was the perfect end to such an outstanding day.

Day 2: South Kaibab Trail to Cottonwood Campground

Miles: 16.5

I got on the south Kaibab trail at 8am. Since I hiked the trail so quickly I wanted to start later today, take my time and stop any place that I wanted.

Going down the South Kaibab trail is AWESOME!!! I really liked this part of the hike. Definitely one of my favorite sections. The views from this trail are very different from Bright Angel. Truly outstanding.

Today I caught myself thinking about Disneyland. How awesome it is. How well crafted it is. TGC, in contrast, just IS and is pure magic. I can’t imagine the work Disney puts into their parks to make them have such a special, magical feeling. It takes work and effort to get down here in the canyon, not everyone can or will put in that effort. It’s much easier to go to a place like Disneyland. You just show up and experience their magic. Here it is work and the gift is well received and felt by everyone who experiences it.

One more quick thing about Disneyland, you know that warm, musty feeling when you walk into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland? And that very distinct smell once inside? Well, there are several times along The Box on day 2 that I got that same musty feeling and that same distinct aroma in the air. It was nostalgic. Maybe that’s why I was thinking of Disneyland so much today. Damn it, did they find a way to engineer this feeling! Ha ha, Okay, back to the trail.

Hiking the opposite direction you see things completely differently. Today I’m not listening to music at all. I’m just taking in the sounds and stopping to talk to folks who are interested in doing so. There are massive holes in the canyon walls like caves that would be so fun to explore. I wonder what’s up there, I wonder if anyone has ever been up there?

Today I stopped at Ribbon Falls and it was definitely a highlight of the trip. Waterfalls are one of my favorite things on this planet. I make it a point to seek them out and enjoy their beauty. Ribbon Falls is an awesome bit of magic in the middle of TGC. When I arrived I went to the top of the falls and stood underneath the waterfall, letting it fall over my head.

The view from here is awe inspiring. I then went back down to the bottom and decided to take a dip in the frigid water. I met a group of girls hiking the trail together, Kristy Robin and Drucella. Kristy had been here before and pointed out a small opening at the bottom of the fall. She said it was a cave and that you can go in there and pop out on the other side of the falls. There’s no was I was going to miss that! I went right in and checked it out. I took a video of it as well and it was SOOO cool!

I hung out at the falls and had a snack in privacy and enjoyed nature’s splendor some more before heading to Cottonwood Campground. There I stayed at campsite #7. With the permit, Cottonwood’s sites are first come first serve and since I was there a bit early I took my time to pick out the best site for me. One that was private and had a great view.

Because I had time today to relax, I was able to do some introspective work. To think about what I’m grateful for in my life, what I want this next chapter of my life to feel like. I meditated for a long while and then did so again later. It just felt so right to have some time to not be hiking and to just BE here. This is the time I cherished the most on this hike.

Day 3: Cottonwood Campground to North Kaibab Trailhead - North Rim

Miles: 8

When I woke I had this amazing feeling of freshness. I realized I wasn’t sore at all and was super well rested. In fact, I wasn’t sore at all on this trip. I had done some really long hikes leading up to the trail so I think my body and mind were really ready for it. That realization was fantastic as I knew I had a BIG day ahead as hiking out of the North Rim is pretty much 8 miles up, up and UP!

One other thing I learned from JMT was that it is important to sleep with my mouth closed and breath out of my nose. I was stuffed up on the JMT and even on this hike, but I propped my head up when I slept and this opened up my nose so I could breathe. I didn’t have any problems at all like I did on the JMT and I had zero condensation in my tent every day. Awesome!

I was up and out at 6:35am. It was actually warm. In fact, the only cold day I had was that very first day. The highest temperature on the entire hike was 88 degrees. Not bad at all. I did see two days after I finished the hike that nature dumped several feet of snow on and in the canyon. I think my timing was perfect. Whew!

Today, as much as I hate to say it, is focus time. Slow and steady up and out of the canyon. Talking to people along the way, sharing my thoughts, stops I recommended and general encouragement to them as we passed each other. I pulled up my hood to keep the sun off my back and pushed forward.

Once at the top of the North Rim I paced back-and-forth. I did it! I was done, it was a wild feeling! I jumped in my car and drove back to the North Rim where I had cell coverage and called home at 10am! My body was kind to me, nature was accommodating and I had the adventure I had set out on and then some. This one will live in my heart and memory forever and I look forward to what adventures are to come!

Afterthoughts:

Yes, this hike is hard. It pushed me. As far as a hike to do in a single day, I’d say Rim 2 Rim was the hardest single day hike I’ve done. I do feel like I had some energy afterward, but not much. The feeling of completion is tremendous.