Shrinking Into the Earth

 My Rim to Rim to Rim run, May 7, 2011

The Grand Canyon, AZ

The Grand Canyon, May 7, 2011

“You cannot see the Grand Canyon in one view, as if it were a changeless spectacle from which a curtain might be lifted,
but to see it you have to toil from month to month through its labyrinths.”

- John Wesley Powell


Peering across the Grand Canyon from atop one of its rims is too vast for the human senses. It seems as if the earth is larger than the sky, and the two agree to exchange positions. Your feet leave the ground and you begin to float over this surreal chasm of misty grey and red. Thus, descending into the Grand Canyon is an exercise in the abstract, requiring both shrewdness and denial; without either, one risks literally being consumed by this geology like a grain of sand. But, this canyon is also a bountiful imagination spring; for an extra helping, one need only climb down there and get a scoop... while in denial of the inevitable price; climbing back up.

For my birthday this year, I decided to follow the footsteps of friends before me and complete a single-day 'double-crossing,' Rim to Rim to Rim, ~ 48 miles, and get me a scoop.

Getting There and Disclaimer

I started getting interested in running The Grand Canyon after a few of my Austin trail running friends ran it in 2010 and reported on their adventures; Mike Wilen, Joe and Joyce Prusaitis, and Josue Stephens. But, I didn't really consider it a "family" vacation due to the logistics of such a long run; more of a fly-in, git-r-done, only worry about yourself, fly-out type of event. And I felt a little guilty just taking a trip for myself. But, Susannah convinced me to do it for my birthday, and reminded me that we'd be taking a family vacation in August. It didn't take much arm-twisting (she's awesome). Then my running buddy from the 2010 Guads trip, Lino Mendiola, called me and said he was in... and then most of the usual suspects started chiming in. Woo hoo! But, Joe P. was quick to point out that this was an unofficial, not-sanctioned-by-the-park event. Everyone was responsible for themselves; we were just a group of friends who happened to meet at the canyon for a pleasant run. :-)

Margaret Bradley poster

Suffice it to say, however, you do not attempt R2R2R without a plan. Several of us shared a very entertaining book titled Death in the Canyon during the trip, which chronicles the majority of deaths that have occurred in the park, from people committing suicide by stepping out of the tour helicopter, to people falling to their deaths by backing up to take photos, etc. But, it does give you an appreciation of the deadly mistakes hikers make. That combined with the numerous warnings like the following poster at all of the trail heads. We could not help but speculate on the specifics of what that runner did wrong. A hiker / runner must respect this place, wear their big boy / big girl pants, and be responsible for them self. I also think that having the regular experience of dealing with issues on the trail, fixing them for yourself, and getting moving again; a skill that many experienced trail runners and hikers hone during hot summers and cold winters... immensely helps in this place (as will be pointed out). As Joe mentioned, you can not blame the park rangers for frowning upon R2R2R runs at all. But, they rescue far more hikers who simply stroll down to the river, without water!?!

Making Hay While The Sun is Down

David, Lino - Morning on
South Kaibab

The entire group plans on starting early, at around 3:30 AM Saturday morning. But, most are staying at lodges right outside of the Bright Angel trail head, so, it makes sense for them to take that route down. On the other hand, Lino and I are staying at Yavapai, equidistant between Bright Angel and South Kaibab trail heads. So, we decide to park the rental car at South Kaibab, run that different route down, and come back up on Bright Angel. Lino had decided earlier that he would not be going up to the North Rim but, instead, turning back at Cottonwood (~ 18 miles), enjoying a swim at Ribbon Falls, and then returning. Part of me was very jealous over his relaxing sight-seeing, but, make no mistake, he had a big 31 miler ahead of him, and he'd be climbing out on Bright Angel in the hot sun. We wake up, get our gear on, park, turn on our head lamps, and sleepily get started running down in the dark. The trail does not reveal itself to us until 3/4 of the way down. The view of the canyon, river, and Black Bridge is breath-taking.

Black Bridge

Lino in "The Box"

After our 2 hour descent, and topping our water off at Bright Angel camp ground just over the bridge, we agree that the morning is beautiful, cool, we are running good, no need to stop at Phantom Ranch, let's proceed on to Cottonwood before the sun starts heating up the canyon. Lino says "Let's make hay while the sun is down." He would also describe our run to Cottonwood that morning, through the narrowing canyon of Bright Angel Creek, named "The Box," as one of the most enjoyable runs he's ever had. I could not disagree.

The North Rim is some where
around and up there...

A sign of what flood
waters can do...

Rim of the Flies

Cottonwood is exactly as it sounds; an oasis of cottonwood trees alongside the roaring Bright Angel Creek. This is where we refuel for our North Rim ascent. Most of the rest of the group catch Lino and I here, having run ~ 2 miles longer than us down Bright Angel. I have late breakfast / early lunch consisting of a turkey and cheese sandwich and an avocado, I get some much needed "business" done, tell Lino goodbye, and head out for the North Rim; knowing full well many of these fast runners / walkers will soon be passing me up.

Lunch with Jonathan, Dawn,
Joe & Joyce

Joyce and Joe - I'd end up climbing the
North Rim these two good friends...

Bright Angel Creek
near Cottonwood

North Rim waterfall

By the way, there's no water on the North Rim. The last water stop is Pump House (aka Art House), just 1 mile up the trail from Cottonwood. You need to carry enough water with you for a 7 mile climb / descent. I had enjoyed running with a back pack of empty water bottles and just two hand-helds the entire morning. Now my back already ached from the additional ~ 16 lbs of water. Fascinating how much of that water would be gone by the time I returned to Cottonwood. A quarter of the way up, I get passed by good friend and incredible trail runner Steven Moore... he takes my pic by this beautiful waterfall shooting out of a hole in the cliff.

North Rim bridge

The North Rim trail is a beautiful red hue and is amazingly carved out of the cliff in spots. It artistically weaves its way up this greener side of the canyon to the forest above.

North Kaibab Trail,
North Rim

This climb was long, relentless, and hot... although there was ample rock and tree shade to duck under. I actually decided to take an Alieve at this point, mainly for the pain in my shoulders from carrying the extra pack weight. But, what was even more relentless was the flies; black flies, horse flies that would swarm around you, bite, and would not be removed by simple shaking or blowing. I had to literally rub them off of my skin. I confirmed with with my new friend Les and fellow North Rim climber that I wasn't the only one being slowly consumed. They were worse the higher we ascended. I actually decided to copy Joe and Joyce, and eat lunch after the summit, further down where it was windier and more likely to stave off some of the flies. But, I didn't leave the summit until I got myself some water... Oh, did I say there wasn't any water on the North Rim? Well, maybe not in liquid form. The snow was delicious, tasted great in my water bottles, regardless of the jokes I heard from friends about it looking yellow (thanks for mentioning it Rob Clark, fellow snow-eater).

Water stop, North Rim style

North Kaibab trail head,
North Rim summit

The Return Trip Begins

Going down hill is more fun...

At the North Rim summit, I do not actually think of this point as only halfway. Why? Because I'm running down hill! It is absolute heaven, I feel like a new man. The friends that are still climbing can see the look of elation on my face, no matter how hard I try to suppress it. By the way, it was a treat seeing so many friends up and down this climb. Never-the-less, pictures from this point on start to become a little more sparse because we have now started the serious business of getting the hell out of this canyon. A group of us, including JoAnna and Wade, fall in behind Joe and Joyce and we chat all the way back down to the Pump House, with a couple of breaks in the shade. Joe and I continue to speculate over the puzzling differences in our GPS's (Note: most of our GPS's lost satellite reception repeatedly on the switch-backs of the North Rim and, what some GPS devices are programmed to interpolate during those blackouts until reception is regained can be quite bizarre at times. If you're a geek and curious about this kind of stuff, zoom-in on the North Rim / North Kaibab trail on the Garmin Connect link at the end of this article. It's freaky the triangulation and guessing it tried to do without satellite reception.). It's hot now outside of the shade, but, there's a breeze. Outside of Cottonwood, we stop to feel the wind spray the water of Bright Angel Creek across the trail and collectively sigh "ahhhh".

Hello Prickly Pear

As we break at Cottonwood, ~ mile 31, I am quite pleased with my performance on the North Rim; able to stay with Joe and Joyce that long, two excellent runners, something I have not been able to do before. However, everyone knows that the upcoming 7 mile stretch in The Box, from Cottonwood back to Phantom Ranch, albeit flat, is halfway exposed and infamous for its heat during this time of day; everyone "knows" it but, probably, doesn't quite appreciate it. I've filled up 3 water bottles and finished half a sandwich, when Joe looks at me and says "ready to go David?" It seems to me that they are in a bit of a hurry, but, Joe does not like to dilly-dally at aid stations, prefers to get back moving down the trail, which is a wise thing of course... and I don't want to miss this train. Little did I know about the difficulty about to descend upon me. Joyce starts to pick up the pace and, for some odd reason, I can not stay with them. What's wrong with me? The problem with the heat at the bottom of the canyon is that it is a high desert, dry heat, even sporting a slight breeze. It deceives you into thinking that it is not really 108 to 110 degrees. Little do you know that heat exhaustion is setting in until the symptoms jump on you; dizziness, nausea, etc. It doesn't matter how many gallons of water you have with you, it's about core temperature, and mines been sneaking up. My running stretches get shorter as I finally approach the alternating shadows of The Box cliffs. I then come to the realization that I better park my butt in the shade and fix this (keep it from getting any worse). I see a steel structure to lean on right before a sunny stretch; don't breach the shadow! I don't know how much time I spend there; 10, 15, 20 minutes? It feels like an hour. A couple of friends pass me. JoAnna and Wade come around the corner and ask if I'm alright. I understate it a little and say I let the heat get to me and am taking a little break. They tell me they've been purposely walking in the shadows (to prolong shade time). Sounds good to me, and I'm inspired enough to follow them into Phantom Ranch. Even though it was probably only 3.something more miles, it felt like 6 to me. One turn in the box after another. The miles would get even longer later. It was ~ 5 PM when I followed JoAnna and Wade into Phantom Ranch; too late to mail a mule post card home :-(. Joe and Joyce were about to leave and had similar problems with the heat, along with many others. I feel a lot better after a break and run out of there with Charlene, Pam, Guy, and Murali on our 6 mile climb up Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens; "only" a 4 mile climb out of the canyon from there. We knew it would be in the dark. But, here's the thing about heat exhaustion; it doesn't quite completely go away in a short time period. If you haven't completely gotten your core temp down for a good while, its affects will almost certainly come back to haunt you.

This Can Not Be Four Miles!

Our small group has a blast running back over the river, chatting, ignoring the flat sandy part of Bright Angel Trail; before it starts zig-zagging up that is. The sun is getting lower and will probably be setting right when we get to Indian Gardens. The late day light shimmers across the river making it appear smooth and calm.

Bright Angel Suspension
Bridge

Charlene

Guy and Pam

The Colorado River at Sunset

Ravens near Indian Gardens,
harbingers of things to come...

As we start climbing, I start falling behind again. I notice that I haven't been eating, and then my stomach starts to turn sour. I then start negotiating with myself; "C'mon David, just get to Indian Gardens and we'll fix all this up." So, I keep climbing, without taking in any calories. I catch up up with Joe and Joyce, JoAnna and Wade, and Joe tortures us by talking about his cravings for an ice cold coke, a Slurpee, etc. The miles get longer as we weave through the quiet trees of Indian Gardens. We see two very large ravens in a tree and we all suspect them as a harbinger of things to come. We finally get into a dimming Indian Gardens and JoAnna and I immediately lay down, both suffering from stomach issues. It is really difficult to eat anything, and demoralizing to know that we have the second hardest climb of the day awaiting us, in the dark. "C'mon David, it's just 4 miles!"

This part of the long day gets a little hazy. It's kind of like drunken driving, stumbling through a death-march up those endless switch-backs after 40+ miles. As Wade pointed out in his report, "It's only 11,000 ft of elevation, but, all of that comes in two climbs." But, the stomach nausea and inability to consume calories is what makes it ridiculously slow for me. I stop, sit on a rock, and get realistic with myself and acknowledge the vicious cycle I'm in. "Look, I better find a way to get some calories down because I'm starting to get cold even with a jacket on (hypothermia); I can only get warmer if I get moving; I need some caloric energy to get moving." I force myself to eat a gel, and then throw it up. I never throw up! Strangely, throwing up actually gives me a surge of energy. :-) But, not for very long, good for maybe 3 minutes. It felt kind of good, so, I decide to do it again... easy, all I have to do is think about that gel. But, there's nothing left. I have got to figure something out or I am going to die sitting on this rock (the mind can get a little melodramatic in these circumstances). I decide to try some left over Perpetuem powder in one of my water bottles and, woo-hoo!, it stays down! That would be my ticket out of this "hell hole." During the dark climb up, I could see head lamps of other runners above and below me. Of course you can't help but be jealous of the ones above, and a little demoralized by the perceived distance yet to travel, and worried about the friends below, knowing how long it took you to traverse from where they are at... but, it is a comforting feeling knowing I was not alone out there, in a community of fellow sufferers.

I see two hikers' head lamps ahead of me, one with walking poles, and I mention that I sure hope we are close to the end. One says a confident "yes," puzzling me. I then see that I am approaching the second tunnel, which means I am very close to the South Rim summit. When you exit the tunnel, you see all of the South Rim building lights almost level with you, looking like a quaint village perched on some mountain in the Alps. It is an emotional experience for me, knowing that I will make it out. There is no one at the trail head at 11 PM, no party, everything is quiet. I find my way over to the Arizona Room lobby, which is the only thing that is open, to warm up. I text Lino; "Done. Come get me. Need hot shower!"

I have to agree with Charlene. It still seems surreal, like it didn't quite happen... completing Rim to Rim to Rim.

- David.

The mysterious GPS route:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/84638063

Also, a few friends have asked me to try to sum up my caloric in-take for that 19 hour day. Here's a thumb nail so far:

• 10 gues / gels (at least that was what I counted in my trash pocket the next day)
• Almost two turkey cheese sandwiches
• 1 Avacado
• A couple of small Slim-Jims :-)
• Cliff bar for pre-run breakfast
• 1.5 24oz bottles of vanilla Perpetuem
• almost 1 bottle of orange Succeed Ultra
• 2 to 3 S-Caps per 2 hours
• Lots of water.