Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim – Part 1

A flash of light above us, and I instinctively started counting under my breath, “One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four-” BOOM! Thunder reverberated off the canyon walls. I dug in with my poles and tried to hike faster up the trail that had become a river of water. Who would have thought the first day of our Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim would be bookended by rain and a thunderstorm?

We had planned this trip ten months ago, and we were all so excited for this adventure to finally come to fruition in October 2021. Two of our group sadly had to bail last minute due to family and work challenges, but we had brought a picture of them to take with us on our trip since we knew they would be with us in spirit (and following us on our inReach.)

There are many ways of completing the Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon, but here was our chosen route:

Day 1: Start from the North Rim and run down the North Kaibab Trail, and take the Bright Angel Trail up to the South Rim (24 miles and 5,200 feet elevation gain). We stayed the night in a hotel in the Grand Canyon Village.

Day 2: Take a taxi to the South Kaibab trail, run down it, and back up the North Kaibab Trail to the North Rim (21 miles and 6,000 feet elevation gain).

Typically baggage transfer is an option, but due to COVID restrictions it wasn’t possible for us. So we all used our bigger fastpacks (instead of regular running packs) to carry our gear. A packing list will be at the end of the part 2 post, if you’re curious what we carried in our ~15 pound packs.

Day 1: North Kaibab to Bright Angel Trail (24 miles and 5,200 feet elevation gain)

We started just after 5:00 a.m., with our lightweight jackets on because of the drizzle. With the predawn darkness concealing the canyon in front of us, we started our descent with lots of excited chatter. The sun rose shortly after, and despite the flat, gray skies and mist, we began to see glimpses of the red rock around us.

This part of the canyon is relatively narrow, so it sort of eases you into the grandeur of the Grand Canyon with peek-a-boo vistas that hint at what’s to come. As the drizzle eased, we stripped off our jackets and headlamps and tried to take in the scenery around us. It was so cool to see the rock layers change color as we descended in elevation. We were traveling back in time.

With the exception of our friend Rachel, we mostly hiked the swooping downhill sections, to preserve our legs for the miles ahead. She giddily ran ahead, with a huge smile lighting her face.

At Manzanita (mile 5.4), we paused to use the incredibly nice vault toilet and spotted a bench featuring a sign warning  “DO NOT SIT! Snake beneath!” Of course we looked and saw a coiled rattlesnake, clearly unhappy with the chilly weather.

The terrain flattened out and we were able to run on the undulating trail. The canyon had widened, and prickly pear lined the trail. We could see patches of blue sky above us and we were enjoying this wide open section, grateful it wasn’t a searingly hot day. We saw one person getting water at a campground, but the trail was remarkably empty.

Then the canyon closed in again, and the rain came back with a vengeance. Rain poured down the canyon walls, soaking our jackets and shorts, and I said, “Well, if there’s one thing Seattleites know how to do, it’s run in the rain.” The rain kept us moving, but we were laughing since people had advised us to get through The Box section by midday to avoid the heat. Not our issue today! We arrived at Phantom Ranch (mile 13.6) needing a snack and water refill, but with the rain, we weren’t inclined to linger. Although I enjoyed my favorite snack of the day here: cheese and salted avocado in a tortilla. 10 out of 10, would recommend to a friend.

Then we crossed the mighty Colorado river. It was the color of chocolate milk and impressive in its size and swiftness. As we crossed the bridge, several guided raft boats passed below our feet. We hollered and waved, and the rafters cheerfully waved back.

And just like that, the sun came out as we began the climb up Bright Angel Trail’s many switchbacks. While none of the climbs on this trail are especially steep, they are sustained. I particularly liked that we could often look back at what we had climbed and see the broad expanse we had crossed—it made us feel accomplished.

When we stopped at Indian Gardens (mile 18.7), it began to feel hot. I imagine it wasn’t actually above 75 degrees, but after a rainy and chilly morning, it was quite the striking contrast. We wetted our hats and arm sleeves to cool off, and expected the remainder of the day to be about heat management. We also began to see dramatic WARNING signs that graphically cautioned against strenuous hiking in extreme heat.

Around this point we saw our first mule train, which was hauling supplies and not people. We stepped aside and watched them go by (wishing we had our own mule to carry our packs).

The final leg up Bright Angel Trail is a series of seemingly endless switchbacks up a U-shaped canyon. At the 3-Mile Resthouse (vault toilets), we saw another sign that warned about heat exhaustion and read “Down Is Optional. Up Is Mandatory.” “Up Is Mandatory” became our mantra.

As we began the final 3 mile ascent, we looked up to see dark and ominous clouds. The temperature dropped and the rain began in earnest . . . followed closely by bright flashes of lightning and ominous booms of thunder. 

We briefly discussed our options. While we all were experienced enough to know what to do during a thunderstorm, Rachel lives in Colorado and has a bit more formal training with mountain rescue (and thunderstorms in Colorado). She advised that we keep moving, but keep counting to see how close the lightning was. She explained how water is a conductor, so huddling under an overhang while standing in a puddle of water was more dangerous than being on a trail. Our goal was to get to the 1.5 Mile Resthouse where we could take shelter. Even though we already had 21 miles on our feet, we hustled up the trail. That certainly was the fastest 1.5 mile ascent I’ve ever hiked. 

During our speedy ascent, we encountered two park rangers. While we always take responsibility for our own safety on our adventures, we thought it prudent to ask if they had any specific instructions for us. The first said, “Hike far enough apart that if one of you gets struck, the others can help.” The second shrugged and said, “Lightning is a luck game.” Well, they’re not wrong.

Thankfully, we made it to the resthouse without incident. The shelter was packed with other trail travelers hiding from the elements, but we found cover in the toilets. Soaked and starting to shiver, we put on all of our layers and ate some snacks since we had pushed hard and hadn’t been fueling during the climb. This was the first (and hopefully only) time I’ve eaten trail snacks in a vault toilet. Eventually the lightning stopped, and it was, again, just a rainstorm that was safe for us to hike through.

We ascended through layers of fog, steadily making our way to the Bright Angel trailhead. I’m sure the view from that last 1.5 miles is amazing, but our view was obscured by the rain and fog. Alas, we’ll have to return for it someday!

When we reached the top, we whooped with joy. Our phones started blowing up with messages from friends and family. Day 1 was complete!

We had reserved rooms in Grand Canyon Village, and our priority shifted from up-up-up to getting to the hotel, getting warm and dry, and finding food. We also spent a significant amount of time attempting to dry off our gear in the hotel room with a hair dryer. Spoiler: it didn’t really work but it made for an entertaining, if fragrant, evening.

The landscape and the weather has a way of giving perspective on the world, and I’d say our the first day of our adventure achieved that. Stay tuned for part 2 – the return trip to the North Rim!