Day 3 –
North Kaibab Trail
September 5, 2008
Stats
Miles: 16
Time: 6:00 am – 5:00 pm
Elevation Gain: 5,760
After the wake up call, we scramble into our clothes along with most of the other inhabitants of our dorm – two women stay in bed trying to sleep. We brush teeth and hair and head to the lodge for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, coffee and orange juice. Lousy coffee. Then back to get our packs, fill up on water, repack, and start out. There’s enough light when we start to hike without headlamps. The air temp is in the low 70s as we begin our trek to the north rim. Almost immediately, we find ourselves in The Box, a slot canyon carved out by Bright Angel Creek into the deepest of the geological formations in the canyon – Vishnu schist – a hard black, granite like rock that is 1,700 million years old.
Walking through The Box in the early morning is pleasant – with four suspension bridges guiding us back and forth across the trail. The time, effort, and money invested in making this trail amazes me. The drop off is sometimes a few feet and sometimes 50 or 60 feet. We walk steadily until Nancy is forced to stop to check her feet and redress her blisters. She has three on her heel and more growing between her toes. Thankfully, my feet are fine, toes just a little tender. We make a couple of stops for blister aid and walk out of The Box and into the open desert section of Bright Angel Canyon. We pass the turn off to Ribbon Falls, deciding to visit that spot on the way back.
As we leave the intersection of the Ribbon Falls trail, with Nancy walking in front of me, I hear a rattle sound. In a split second I register the rattlesnake and Nancy is maybe 5 feet from where it has been sunning. I say, “Nancy, stop. Stop. Stop. Back up to me.” She finally stops and sees/hears the snake and slowly backs up behind me. I step closer when I see it has turned around and is slowly making its way off the trail. I take out my camera and take three pictures before it disappears. Wow! A rattlesnake – and so close! That kicks in some adrenaline, let me tell you.
We make it to Cottonwood Campground at 10:00 am. There we use the facilities, take off boots and socks, eat, rest, and fill our water containers. Back on the trail, the steepness of the trail gradually increases. We’re still in open desert without much in the way of shade. Finally we reach a bridge and once across it can hear the Roaring Springs Creek rushing by the house there – last summer we had access to a bathroom – this time it’s locked. We don’t take on any water and don’t linger. It’s 11:30 am.
Then the real climbing begins. I am sore from the descent the day before. Now I’m ascending and blasting away at quads, hips and calves as the climb becomes steeper and the switchbacks more intimidating. We have to go all the way up there? Oh my. Most of our elevation gain is between Roaring Springs and the rim – 5,200 feet. Up and up and up and up and back and forth and forth and back. Huffing and puffing and sweating and drinking, we slowly climb. Every 100 yards or so we rest. We reach the Supai Tunnel at 2:30 pm where we take on water and food and use the facilities. The map shows us that we have maybe a mile and a half to the rim – we can do this – and we start off with hope that this mile and a half will be the shortest we have ever known.
After twenty minutes or so we are faced with the fact that it’s going to be one of the longest mile and a half we have ever known. Both of us are tired, foot worn, our hips screaming to take off the backpack, as we drag our sorry selves up to the rim – the last 100 yards, when I finally see the end of the trail, I reach out for her hand and we walk the rest of the way up together, hand in hand. Unfortunately, we are so tired and out of it that we don’t take a picture of our rim arrival. We know we have two more miles to walk to get to the lodge so we start off immediately – getting started again after stopping is harder than continuing.
We walk off the trail, up the road, into the parking area and into the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge and register, asking for the cabin closest to where we are standing at that moment. Walking into the cabin, taking off our packs, and sitting down on the beds facing each other is a moment never to be forgotten. We’d done it – climbed down and back up again – and we’re okay. Nancy’s blistered feet are sore and my muscles hurt more than I think possible. I thought I was in better shape – I never know when my muscles are going to crash and burn or when they will carry me for miles. I am so relieved to know that we have a “rest” day tomorrow. If I can heal a little, I will be fine. 75% of this is mental anyway.
We have 7:30 pm reservations for dinner, but decide to go put our names in early. The terraces overlooking the Canyon are full so we sit inside and wait. Finally we’re seated at our table – two sore, tired girls who need food fast. Mark is our waiter and he is excellent, although he never really makes eye contact with us – he talks above or below or to the side, but no eye contact. We tell him we’re starving and order our meal immediately. He brings warm bread and I open a roll, slather it with butter, and the explosion of taste nearly knocks me off my chair. It’s delicious. We haven’t even finished with the bread when he brings our dinner – neither of us can believe it – how could he have gotten the cooks to move our order through in less than ten minutes. We feel very fortunate and our meal is delicious – not too much and not too little.
Walking back to our cabin we start laughing about something and of course Nancy has to pee so she spends half the walk bending over trying to control her bladder while I keep feeding fuel to the laughter fire. I love these moments of pure joy and laughter. Nancy is one of the best people to absolutely let loose with. I feel so happy in that moment.
It feels like heaven to slide my tired legs between the sheets and finally lie down and close my eyes and let go of the need to walk or talk or do anything except sleep. Huge sigh. Bliss.