rim to rim

14 Oct 06
Saturday
Grand Canyon, Kaibab trail

06:40am
Started at South rim South Kaibab trail head. It's gray and was raining now and then.

"150 hiker have been down to the canyon this morning", told by the bus driver.

"Now it's 156 hikers" said KK, as a couple passed the four of us (KK, Vlad, nan and me), the couple too were heading for the north rim too.

Shower, water was pouring down from sky, running from the mountain, when we half way down to the bottom of the valley

Shoes wet, pants wet, hats wet, jackets wet.

Met two group of travelers by mules, close to the first restroom stop (wanted to go back)

10:10am Reached the black bridge over the Colorado river

First sandwich stop at Phantom Ranch (we don't have a Sandwich, BTW, we lived on by nuts, energy bars and beef jerks). 14 miles to go.

KK asked for ALLEVEL, the pain killer for his aching feet. He and Vlad had hiked from the south to the north the day before.

Nan and I parted with KK and Vlad due to our little bit faster pace

Sun shine. Rain finally stopped.

Caught up by KK and Vlad before the Ribbon Fall

Ribbon Fall was in the color of red due to the rain. The color of Grand Canyon.

Passed an old couple again.

"Ribbon Fall via bridge" says the sign: "who on the earth in the right mind would like to visit Ribbon Fall?" we asked. Rule for a view: location matterrs, we suggested in our mind.

Second sandwich stop at CottonWood. KK and Vlad arrived 15 or 20 minutes later. A nice hiker gave nan Bandit for his first blister in the feet. 7 miles to go.

Last drinking water stop before the final 6 miles. Caught two same hikers resting in Cottonwood. Filled one bottle of water. (1 bottle of water, 1.5 bottles of Galade left)

The two hikers passed us one by one. The one in red jacket showed in upper trails now and then, reminding us where the trail was.

An american girl in white sweater shirt passed us too. "It is brutal" she commented. "She has strong legs", I didn't mind Nan looking at other women's legs right now.

16:30pm Somewhere in North Kaibab trail.

Was told by an old gentleman there was 4 miles left, both of us hated him. "he must be wrong, should be only 3 or 2 miles left" we agreed with each other.

Reached the bridge (last bridge North Kaibab trail), KK said 3 miles left , the old man was correct on the previous 4 mile remark. :o(

KK called, he waved from the bridge. We were in slow pace, KK's wave rekindled some of our energy, we started to pick up our pace again.

Discoverd energy bars were quite useful.

Reached the tunnel. "1.8 miles" a woman told us. A blow! "should be 18 feet" Nan pleaed.

Night starts to fall. Clouds gathered. It rained again (how long did it start to rain again? we failed to notice)

A group of cheerful women, "half miles" left. They were laughing.

Learned from nan a mile equals to 1600 meters. Started to count 100 meters. Reached 4 x 800meters and counting (why we hasn't arrived yet?)

"How far is it from the top?" we still hasn't learned our lessons, asking a hiker who traveled from the top (why he was doing that at that hour was beyond us). "half mile, 30 minutes, it took me 15 minutes from the top".

Met another two hikers who standing in the turn of the trail, with headlight. We stopped too besides them. "this is the last turn". As soon as the voice finished, we jumped like two startled rabits, and rushed into the trail with renewed hope. HOPE. "we guys are my gods". Nan shouted back (he must startle the two guys with this comment).

The last turn was long. I was counting and it reached 700 meters ...

18:39pm Reached top of North rim

Photo time and kisses, in the total dark. Yeah!

18:50pm North rim parking lot, inside car, Haha....

7:10pm KK and Vlad arrived

8:00pm hot shower, turned heater in hotel room to maxiumn

Nan borrowed KK's spare pair of dry socks

Heater busy with drying our socks, pants, underwears and etc.

8:40pm dinner in lodge cafe (the worst buffalo wings ever tasted, we ate all 6)

9:30pm in bed, with aching body, half-full stomach, and question why and how we did this?

15 Oct 06

5:30am The icy morning.

6:10am delightful found lodge was open already

6:30am breakfast in lodge cafe

7:00am watching the son of the lodge hostess started the fire for the lodge's fire place (to start a fire from the logs is not an easy job). Snowing outside

7:35am the promised rim-rim shuttle didn't arrive, really late. Nan made the lodge hostess to call the shuttle drivers

7:50am inside shuttle, heading back to the north rim

this is the t-shirt I should have bought but did not. It says "Survivor of rim to rim hike". Here are two.