Since this is supposed to be a run report I will leave out all of the stuff about the epic plane rides and our delicious lunch in Las Vegas. I'll also leave out all the stuff about the blackjack table and how in the first twenty minutes of sitting down everyone won enough money to pay for their trips... Everyone except me. Having said none of that, we then got back on the plane and headed to Flagstaff.
We flew into Flagstaff, AZ on a Thursday and stayed overnight there. Our plan was to run on Saturday, so after we arrived in Flagstaff, we all went hit a local trail for a shakeout run. Our run was at sunset and was just about perfect. No aches or pains- it was all systems go for Saturday. The next day we headed for the South Rim of Grand Canyon, about a 90 minute drive from Flagstaff. When we all arrived in Grand Canyon Village, there was quite an anticipation among us. I was unprepared of the immensity of Grand Canyon. As we looked across the Canyon at where we were going to run the next day, trying to determine our exact route by sight, we just kept shaking our heads in partial excitement and disbelief.
Grand Canyon
We started at the South Rim at Bright Angel trailhead and would pick up the North Kaibab trail to make it to the North Rim-basically one long out and back. We started at 5am, headlamps glowing. Really glowing. We all have the same headlamps and between us we had about 10,000 lumens of light shining and bouncing down the trail! We were anticipating near freezing temperatures at the South Rim, but that never really materialized. About a half mile into our Canyon descent we stopped to shed some layers. This was also the first of many water stations along our journey. This is important to note- many of the water stations are shut off in mid-October, fortunately they were still on for our trip. Without these water stops, the trip would be incredibly risky.
Our Group
Getting to see the sunrise in Grand Canyon is an experience that cannot be missed. The way the light constantly changes and plays against the Canyon walls is just beautiful. We ran at a comfortable pace, being mindful to preserve our quads, after all, we had roughly 4 miles of steep descent followed by a few more miles of gradual descent to get to the Colorado River. I found the trail very runnable and because I wasn't going too fast, my legs felt really good. We stopped frequently and at every water station to regroup and chit chat about where we were and how awesome it was. This wasn't a race and we all were trying to really enjoy the experience and the awesomeness of where we were. It seemed at every turn there was another beautiful geologic feature to behold. The weather for us was mild all day- even as the sun came up it never really got too hot. Because of the Canyon's steep walls, we were never in the direct sun for too long. The longest stretch of direct sun was our climb and descent towards and from the North Rim.
Sunrise From Inside Grand Canyon
Once we made it down to the bottom of the Canyon, there is a great stretch of really runnable trail along the Colorado River. It is just a few miles of fun running. Phantom Ranch is a campground at the bottom of Grand Canyon and our last water stop before we made the 14 mile ascent up towards the North Rim along the North Kaibab trail. The push up North Kaibab is a steep, long stretch with dramatic views of the Canyon and steep drops right off the trail. The trail is so steep, basically etched into the cliff, that you can look up or down almost directly and see people on the trail directly above or below.
The Devil's Corkscrew
Upon reaching the North Rim there was a real sense of accomplishment at the fact that everyone in our group made it. All of group made it to the North Rim within 10 or 20 minutes of each other. After a nice water and snack break we headed back down the North Rim. Now that the mental challenge of having made it to the North Rim and the worst was (technically) over, were giddy heading back down the Canyon. It is really fun running back down North Kaibab trail. This is where it got downright wacky. There was a group of hikers dressed in 80's garb called the "We Go Both Ways" group who were hiking to each rim of the canyon over a couple days. We decided that we should be singing A-Ha's "Take On Me" to show our approval of their efforts as we passed them on the trail. Larry came upon a fellow gazing across the Canyon and decided it would be a good idea to serenade him to the likes of A-ha. The guy looked at him like he was experiencing severe dehydration hallucinations (he was not one of the 80's guys). So we continued down the Canyon. The A-Ha video. At Cottonwood, we finally caught up with the 80's group and had a nice chat with them. They make this trek every year with different themed costumes.
Rattlesnake!
One of my favorite memories from our run was stopping along the Colorado River as the last bit of sun was setting. I was in the middle of the pack and I stopped to wait for Jason. It was so peaceful and beautiful down there as the last bit of sunlight made its way across the canyon walls. We continued on as night fell and out came the headlamps again. The last climb back up the South Rim was pretty much a power hike for us. My legs felt surprisingly good and I attribute this to proper training and fueling throughout the day. I drank Perpetuem (roughly one serving, or two scoops per hour) and 10 or 15 gels throughout the day. I also had a Clif Builders Bar up on the North Rim. We made it up and back onto the South Rim around 9pm. All in all we were in the Canyon for about 15 hours and according to my Strava data, my moving time was 11:23:07. Our goal in running the Grand Canyon wasn't a race at all, but rather a group run to experience it. The total distance was roughly 48 miles. My Strava data is a bit wonky, and it overestimated my distance by a few miles due the gps signal bouncing around off the Canyon walls.
Here is the link to the Strava data: https://www.strava.com/activities/406135435.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the adventure and the fact that I didn't have to suffer. I attribute this to proper training and fueling throughout the day. Also, the trip was well planned out and accounted for many of the curve balls that Grand Canyon is notorious for throwing at its guests. Overall the trails were in very good condition and a lot of this had to do with the time of year. it hadn't rain much recently and that made for some great trails. It doesn't get much better than that!
GEAR
Hoka One One Stinson 3 ATR
Salomon Advanced Skin Lab Hydro 12 Vest
Injinji Trail Socks
Garmin 920 XT
Here are some more photos:
Jason Capturing The Moment
Hello Down There!!
Upon reaching the North Rim there was a real sense of accomplishment at the fact that everyone in our group made it. All of group made it to the North Rim within 10 or 20 minutes of each other. After a nice water and snack break we headed back down the North Rim. Now that the mental challenge of having made it to the North Rim and the worst was (technically) over, were giddy heading back down the Canyon. It is really fun running back down North Kaibab trail. This is where it got downright wacky. There was a group of hikers dressed in 80's garb called the "We Go Both Ways" group who were hiking to each rim of the canyon over a couple days. We decided that we should be singing A-Ha's "Take On Me" to show our approval of their efforts as we passed them on the trail. Larry came upon a fellow gazing across the Canyon and decided it would be a good idea to serenade him to the likes of A-ha. The guy looked at him like he was experiencing severe dehydration hallucinations (he was not one of the 80's guys). So we continued down the Canyon. The A-Ha video. At Cottonwood, we finally caught up with the 80's group and had a nice chat with them. They make this trek every year with different themed costumes.
One of my favorite memories from our run was stopping along the Colorado River as the last bit of sun was setting. I was in the middle of the pack and I stopped to wait for Jason. It was so peaceful and beautiful down there as the last bit of sunlight made its way across the canyon walls. We continued on as night fell and out came the headlamps again. The last climb back up the South Rim was pretty much a power hike for us. My legs felt surprisingly good and I attribute this to proper training and fueling throughout the day. I drank Perpetuem (roughly one serving, or two scoops per hour) and 10 or 15 gels throughout the day. I also had a Clif Builders Bar up on the North Rim. We made it up and back onto the South Rim around 9pm. All in all we were in the Canyon for about 15 hours and according to my Strava data, my moving time was 11:23:07. Our goal in running the Grand Canyon wasn't a race at all, but rather a group run to experience it. The total distance was roughly 48 miles. My Strava data is a bit wonky, and it overestimated my distance by a few miles due the gps signal bouncing around off the Canyon walls.
Here is the link to the Strava data: https://www.strava.com/activities/406135435.
Overall, I was quite pleased with the adventure and the fact that I didn't have to suffer. I attribute this to proper training and fueling throughout the day. Also, the trip was well planned out and accounted for many of the curve balls that Grand Canyon is notorious for throwing at its guests. Overall the trails were in very good condition and a lot of this had to do with the time of year. it hadn't rain much recently and that made for some great trails. It doesn't get much better than that!
GEAR
Hoka One One Stinson 3 ATR
Salomon Advanced Skin Lab Hydro 12 Vest
Injinji Trail Socks
Here are some more photos:
Bridge Across The Colorado River Leading Into Phantom Ranch
View from North Kaibab Trail Looking South
No comments:
Post a Comment