Rim to Rim

Doug C, my number one blog fan, told me to get off my butt and write a new blog post; "It's been 10 days, Mike!"  Okay, Brick-Man, here you go.

Rim to Rim
My brother, Pat, came up with the idea.  When he presented it to me, and asked if I was interested, it was quite a surprise because I wasn't even aware that it could be done.  The idea: hike the Grand Canyon, north rim to south rim, with an overnight stay at the bottom.  The year: 1987.

He gave me the details over the phone (I lived in Beaverton, OR; he in the Twin Cities).  It didn't take me long to make up my mind to do it, sounded like a great adventure.  Pat would drive from MN, I would fly into St George, UT, where we'd meet up.  Pat's son, Bill, would join us on the hike while Mary and Marge, my sisters, would shuttle the car to to the South Rim to pick us up.

North Rim Lodge dining room.

Having breakfast here as the sun gradually illuminates the Canyon is sublime!
The Lodge and log cabins were built 1927/28.

We spent the night in one of the rustic log cabins, had a great breakfast at the lodge restaurant, and hit the trail at 8:30 AM.  It was late September, below freezing when we left, not surprising at an altitude of 8241'.  We had reserved space in the men's barracks at Phantom Ranch so we needed only day packs, which were well stocked with gorp, water and personal items.

One of several lovely waterfalls along the trail.

We arrived at Phantom Ranch in late afternoon, altitude 2460', temperature 90 F, 60 degrees warmer than when we started.  Pat wasn't feeling well, didn't think he'd be able to hike out the next day: dehydrated, too much coffee, not enough water.  We discussed the situation with a ranger, who gave him electrolytes, told him to drink as much water as he could.

Mike, Pat, Bill at Phantom Ranch.

Pat is dutifully chugging down his water and electrolytes.

Delicious dinners and breakfasts were served up by the Phantom Ranch staff, and, after a good night's sleep, Pat felt well enough to start out with the Bill and I the next morning.  We took it slow, and the first few miles were relatively flat and easy.  Pat hung right in there and made it to the South Rim, no problem.  We headed for the nearest watering hole and toasted our achievement with a cold brew.

The R/R hike is 21 miles in length.  North Rim to Phantom is 14 miles, with an elevation drop of 5800'.  Phantom to South Rim is 7 miles, with an elevation gain of 4800'.  I highly recommend the hike - but only if you're in good shape and do several conditioning hikes beforehand.  And, drink lots of water!