None of us slept very well due to the heat. I did eventually drift off for a couple of hours and was able to get a little rest. We got up after 2:00 a.m. and broke camp. We repacked our bags and ate breakfast. Caz had packed a portable cook stove, and he was able to boil water rapidly. I managed to eat a bowl of oatmeal and raisins without too much trouble. It was very dark, and we only had the light from our headlamps to work with, but the sky was filled with stars. I could clearly see the Milky Way. We were ready to begin hiking at 3:00 a.m. and the temperature was about 80 degrees. We left the campsite and the trail followed Bright Angel Creek. We soon arrived at Phantom Ranch where we topped off our water supplies. All of the cabins and buildings were dark except one that looked like a kitchen, and we could smell bacon being cooked. Ashley was a bit disappointed that we didn’t experience any of that area in the daylight, and I was too, but that was how I had it worked out.
We continued on the trail that wound alongside the creek and through a tall canyon. It was too dark to see the creek, but we could hear it rushing beside us, sometimes loudly, and then fading away. The trail crossed the creek by bridges several times. Tyler and Caz were in the lead, then Ashley, and I brought up the rear. It was almost surreal. I could see the three of them ahead of me with their headlamps shining on the trail and off the rock walls of the canyon cliffs. We were spaced about fifty feet apart from each other, and I could only see where the light touched. Now and again I would look directly above me to see the stars shining brightly between the edges of the canyon walls high above us, but I mostly watched the trail to make sure I didn’t trip on anything. It made me think of images from The Lord of the Rings. The trail was rising gradually, and we made good progress. A description of the North Kaibab Trail from the National Park Service describes this section of the trail like this:
“Between Cottonwood Campground and Bright Angel Campground the trail enters the Inner Gorge, a narrow canyon within the canyon where the trail is boxed in on either side by 1.7 billion year old Vishnu Schist. Though the trail here is not challenging from the perspective of elevation profile, be aware that this is a particularly dangerous stretch of trail during summer months. Because the entire 7.2 mile stretch is at low elevation, it becomes extremely hot from early morning to late afternoon. The gorge of black rock through which the trail passes becomes like an oven and can be compared to walking through a parking lot in Phoenix or Las Vegas in summertime.”
After a couple of hours the sky began to brighten with the approaching dawn. We had hiked about four miles already, but we were starting to get a little tired and sore. My knee was bothering me, so I continued to take Ibuprofen as needed to reduce the pain. The others were experiencing soreness as well, and Tyler had painful blisters on the bottom of his feet. By 6:00 a.m. we could turn off our headlamps, and we decided to take a break in the creek. I sat on a rock and dipped my cooling towel in the cold water and squeezed the water over my head. I did that several times until my shirt and pants were completely soaked. It felt really good, and I started to get chills from the cold water. We kept hiking and taking breaks near the creek to cool off until we reached Cottonwood Campground about 7:30 a.m. We had hiked a little more than 7 miles in about four and a half hours. We had been in the shade of the canyon from the start of our morning hike, and we had gained about 2,000 feet in elevation. It was not as hot as it had been, but I was still struggling to eat even though I was drinking plenty of water. We definitely thought Cottonwood Campground would have been a cool place to stay at. Ashley suggested that the next time she hiked the canyon that she would plan an overnight at Havasupai Gardens and an additional overnight at Cottonwood. I think that would make for a less stressful, more casual hiking experience.
For the next two miles the trail continued to follow Bright Angel Creek, but it became steadily steeper. We were now hiking between shade and full sunshine until we reached the Manzanita Rest Area. There were picnic tables, trees, toilets, and cold water to drink and cool off in. I used all of them. The kids walked down to the creek, sat on a large rock and dangled their feet in the cold water for several minutes. Caz said he felt like a new man. I decided to rest at the picnic table. My knee didn’t want to go down anymore, but I could still step up with it. We spoke with other people at the rest area, and I don’t think any of us were too eager to begin the steep trail ahead of us.
When we felt ready we left the Manzanita Rest Area and began hiking the trail up the canyon. The trail began to switch back and forth and there were large steps to get up. I used my trekking poles and my arms to help lift myself up as I encountered each step. We were now in full sun and the heat was intense. We no longer had the creek next to us. We did come across the shade of a tree or rock overhang, and we frequently stopped in the shade to cool down and rest our legs. Ascending the canyon was hard work. We did enjoy the view of the Roaring Springs waterfall, and we were amazed by the flight of a helicopter as it came into view below us. The pilot did a 180 degree turn and swooped down to a landing pad that was located near the rest area we had just left. We thought that it was probably picking up one or two of the hikers we had seen at the rest area. There are about 300 people who are airlifted out of the canyon every year which probably averages out to about two helicopter rescues each day between May and October.
I began to feel extremely tired. I was not dizzy or nauseous, and I was still drinking a lot of water and electrolytes, but I didn’t have enough food in me to keep my energy up. We stopped to rest in the shade of a rock overhang, and there was a large log to sit on. I lay down between the log and the cliff, and I could feel myself wanting to fall asleep immediately. I sat up and remained still, but I had hit a wall, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep going without resting for a long time. The high temperatures, my sore knee, my lack of sleep, and my lack of food were all combining to bring me to a complete stop. Ashley shared some energy snacks with me that I tried to nibble on and swallow. Then the kids offered me an energy drink that had about 300 mg of caffeine. I was a little concerned about taking it, because I don’t normally drink that much caffeine at one time, but I knew I just couldn’t sit there while the kids waited for me to rest. It took me about 10 minutes to drink all of it, but I started to feel strong enough to stand and continue hiking again.
Shortly after we began ascending the trail again, the weather changed. Clouds covered the sun until the sky was completely overcast. A cool breeze began to blow through the canyon, and the temperature dropped noticeably. It even started to rain a little, but the drops we saw hitting the trail and rocks quickly evaporated. This change in the weather was exactly what I needed. I could see the different layers of rock in the walls of the canyon, and I would make the top of each layer my new goal. We eventually made it to the next rest stop at Supai Tunnel. The elevation at this point is about 6,800 feet. It was still overcast and cool, but I didn’t hesitate to use my cooling towel to get my shirt completely wet again. We continued hiking up the trail until we reached the Coconino Overlook. Caz and Ashley had reached this point long before Tyler and I got there, so they were ready to go when we removed our backpacks and sat down. Caz and Ashley took the car key and headed up the trail.
Tyler and I sat on the large rock overlooking the canyon we had just hiked up. The temperature was probably less than 80 degrees at this point, and the cool breeze felt great. We were soon joined by an older couple who had hiked down from the North Rim, and they sat to talk with us. They were from Manitoba, Canada, and they were on the trip of a lifetime visiting many of America’s National Parks. They described their journey, and they were amazed to find out that we had hiked from the South Rim. We visited with them for about half an hour before we resumed our final stretch. Tyler and I talked as we hiked this last section, and somehow the time and trail passed quickly. Suddenly, Tyler pointed ahead and told me we were at the top. I had to look twice before I was convinced, but then I saw the trailhead too, and I got a little emotional. I was just so glad and relieved to finish. We took a long drink of water at the North Kaibab Trailhead, and sat down in the parking lot to wait for Caz and Ashley who had left to change clothes and purchase drinks for us. It was 3:45 p.m. which was more than 12 hours from the time we had left Bright Angel Campground, and almost 3 hours longer than I had anticipated.
We left the North Rim shortly after 4:00 p.m. and drove to Kanab, Utah. We stopped at Subway to eat sandwiches, but I could only take one bite. I still found it too difficult to eat. Tyler drove us from Kanab to American Fork where his vehicle was parked. It was about 11:00 p.m. when we dropped him off. Caz drove us to their home. Ashley made up a bed downstairs, and I climbed in.
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