The birds had not even begun to sing when the ray of a flashlight shone into my snug little tent.  After a year of planning, days of travel, a few minor mishaps, and some apprehension about what I was getting myself into, the day was finally here: the first day of our Rim to Rim hike across the Grand Canyon.  We began from the North Rim on the North Kaibab Trail just after 5:00 am on June 5th.  My dad and three nieces were there to see myself, my sister, Dawn, and her boyfriend, Ron, off on our “Grand Adventure”.   Backpacks loaded, hiking poles in hand, it was time to go.  One step at a time, we began our descent into one of the Natural Wonders of the World.

 The trail was uneven and rocky so you quickly learned to watch every step you took.  Paying too much attention to the scenery could be a deadly mistake at some points.  Physically stopping and taking in the breathtaking views was a good way to revive your body and soul.  The descent took us from forests of towering pine through many different layers of rock strata to the lush greenery of Roaring Springs, where Bright Angel Creek begins its journey through the canyon to the Colorado River.  After spending a few hours literally cooling our heels in the creek, we continued on through what had now became a desert landscape with sand whipping 50 mph wind gusts to our first campsite at Cottonwood Campground, 7 miles into the canyon.

Setting up camp in the windy and desert conditions proved to be quite a comical experience.  The tent would be ready to be staked out but as you reached for a hammering rock, the wind would pick up and relocate your carefully laid out tent.  Then, when you did manage to have stake, tent, and rock at the ready, you would end up trying to pound a stake into what felt like concrete.  A couple hours later and camp finally set up, it was time to find that cool creek again.  At just over 100 degrees, that first day proved to be the hottest we had to deal with.  The creek was wonderfully refreshing and revived our spirits.  After an hour of so of play and reflection, it was time to head back to the campsite, start dinner, and get some rest for the next day.

Following a hot and somewhat restless night, it was time to begin the second day of our journey.   As the moon slowly faded from the early morning sky, we started out towards the bottom of the canyon, the Colorado River, and Phantom Ranch.  After a few unexpected short uphill climbs, the second day proved to be a lot less rigorous than the first.  We mainly followed Bright Angel Creek, passed by Ribbon Falls, but elected not to take the detour.  Better to leave a reason to come back someday.  Nearing the bottom of the canyon, we lost the trail in a marsh.  Each of us took a separate path that others had tried before us.  Dawn’s path ended at the creek, mine in a formidable stone wall that headed straight up, but Ron hit the jackpot.  It was time to test the true waterproofness of our boots.  The only way across was through about six inches of black gooey muck.  Thankfully, or not, we crossed without incident and headed for our next campground.

Our arrival at Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel campground meant we had finally reached the bottom of the canyon.  The only way out now was up.  It was only ten o’clock in the morning, so we had a whole day ahead of us for exploring.  After selecting a prime camp sight next to the creek and setting up camp, it was time to reward ourselves with a beer from the cantina at Phantom Ranch.  It was kind of amazing how good that beverage tasted after a couple days of Gatorade and water.  As we headed back to the campground, the view of the canyon walls that surrounded us was quite daunting, but spectacular.  After a quick lunch, Dawn and Ron headed off on a short hike, and I headed off to explore on my own.  My first order of business was to baptize my feet in the muddy Colorado River.  That personal item checked off my list, I wandered across the black suspension bridge that spans the Colorado and up the South Kaibab Trail a short way.  Turning around, I encountered yet another perspective of the bottom of the canyon.  Having traveled as far as I dared to go with little water, I headed back to camp.  Dawn and Ron were already back, so we decided on what to have dinner and started winding down for the evening.

The morning of the third day dawned slightly overcast and windy.  Not too bad though, as we began our trek out of the canyon.  As we wound our way up the Bright Angel Trail, the Colorado River began to shrink and not look quite as daunting as it does from the bottom of the canyon.  After a nice short stop at a rest house, we started our ascent up the first of many switchbacks.  Little did we know how many of these wonderful creations we would be walking up for the next two days.  Finally reaching a magnificent vantage point, we were able to take in all that we had climbed and other breathtaking views of the canyon below.  Following a short break, it was onto our next campsite at Indian Garden campground.

We arrived quite early at out final campground, so we had our pick of good campsites.  This campground proved to be my favorite.  Nice spacious sites with a minimal amount of people.  After lunch it was time to explore Indian Gardens.  There is quite a lot of history to the place, so it was nice to have plenty of time to take in the available information.  Heading back to camp, we had the first of three helicopters fly pretty low overhead.  Later, after a conversation with a park volunteer, we came to find out that they were all rescues for people unable to make it back out on foot.  After dinner, it was time to head out to Plateau Point to catch the sunset.  I had seen this trail many of times from the South Rim of the canyon, now I was finally going to experience it first hand.  As we reached the literal end of the trail and copped a seat made out of rock on the canyon’s edge, we settled in to watch the show.  The play of the shadows across the canyon walls was quite a glorious sight as the sun dipped further and further into the western horizon.  With the sun set, it was time to head for camp and prepare for our final day.  I had been warned that this was the worst day, so I wanted to be ready.

 Knowing what lay before us, we left before dawn for our final day on the trail.  The trail immediately started its ascent towards the top, with no level climbs to be seen.  Shortly thereafter, the switchbacks began again.  This section of the Bright Angel Trail is the most traveled by backpackers and day hikers alike, so there are two well used rest houses along the way.  We stopped at the first rest house for a quick bite then started out again.  As we neared the second rest house, the trail became busier with other hikers out for a nice day hike.  The second rest house was a godsend as you realize you are two-thirds of the way up and you should have worked on your cardio a little more before you started on this adventure.  After a nice long break, it was time to tackle the last mile and a half of the canyon.  As anticipated, the trail continued up switchback after switchback.  As we neared the rim of the canyon, we could hear people talking above us, but it was rather frustrating since it was still quite a climb to reach the top.  The trail finally leveled off a short distance from the rim giving our legs and feet a welcome relief from the continuous uphill they had endured. 

Passing by the trail head marker, we were overcome with a sense of immense accomplishment and personal gratification.  After a round of hugs between each other and congratulations from other sight-seers, it was time to take in the view that thousands of people come to see every year.  Gazing across the great abyss of the Grand Canyon, we found our starting point, traced our path through the canyon, and finally, completely appreciated the journey we had completed.

I would like to give the National Park Service Rangers, Staff, and Volunteers a special thank you for all their knowledgeable advice, helpful information, and special tips.  They made our adventure easier and more enjoyable.  Again, thank you.