North Rim Grand Canyon to South Rim Grand Canyon
October 12th
North Rim to South Rim - Into and out of The Big Ditch.Brian:
For those that have never been to the Grand Canyon, it is pretty much a really colorful ditch. The main trails are graded incredibly well so as long as the temps are reasonable, the canyon is manageable. Starting at the North Rim was beneficial as we had ~14 miles of downhill hiking before starting our climb up the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim. We had a good conversation with Bruce who takes care of the pumping station that provides water for all the facilities on both rims. He and his wife have lived in the Grand Canyon (near Roaring Springs) for more than 20 years. He was still genuinely excited about waking up each morning in the canyon.We stopped at Phantom Ranch for a quick break and then pushed off and crossed the Silver Bridge which spans the Colorado River. From that point it was all business as we climbed steadily for the next 7.5 miles. Enroute we passed pack trains, backpackers, dayhikers, and tourists. Many of the folks I spoke with were foreign -- Japanese, Israeli, French Canadian, Germans, French, Australian, and Spaniards. All the overweight, complaining people seemed to be American. Anyway, onward and upward until I reached the rim of the canyon and the associated chaos of one of the most commercialized National Parks in the Nation. I was disappointed that I had just walked 23 miles through the Grand Canyon when I discovered I could have just bought a Grand Canyon DVD to see the same views, or listen to a tour bus operator tell me of the beauties below the rim.
Anyway I did take advantage of the free shuttle bus to the PO to make sure we got our re-supply before they closed. Amity showed up about 15 minutes later. She of course walked the mile or two instead of catching the shuttle. After we filled our packs with our supplies for the next stretch of the AZT to Flagstaff, we had another (!) shower and got a campsite for the evening. Currently we are sitting in the cafeteria polishing off a few meals and looking over the route for the next 4 days.
Before closing, I should mention that the cafeteria has the widest range of packaged condiments I ever laid eyes on. Besides the standards of mustard, ketchup, relish, and mayo, they also have lemon juice, honey, peanut butter, liquid butter, and assorted jams. This may seem ridiculous to even mention, but all of these items have flavor enhancing value to my otherwise drab meals. Thanks for reading.
Amity:
I'm currently in the midst of a fried chicken dinner induced stupor. Today was very satisfying. It's great to finally know what folks are talking about when they refer to a "Rim to Rim" hike. 214 miles by vehicle or 23 miles walking from the North to South Rim. That's a rare example of walking actually being a lot more direct. Beautiful weather, the bluest skies. A good day, only minor shock upon reaching the madness that is the South Rim - trains coming and going, shuttles zipping and everything that isn't an enormous lodge is a parking lot.
