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Grand Canyon 2day rim2rim2rim July 10-11 (looking for partner to run/hike)

kapribadi
Joined: 07 Jul 2010
Posts: 6
Alabama, United States
Posted: Wed 07 Jul 2010 10:34 pm GMT   topTop
Hello all,

I'm staying in Lake Havasu for a month. I'm from Anniston, AL and run with the Anniston Runners, an RRCA club. The Pinhoti trail is my backyard. Anyways, I'm really into trail running, especially ultra running. This weekend I want to run/hike the grand canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim in 2 days. So that would be running/hiking from the South rim to the north rim on Saturday, and returning on sunday. I run the flat and most downhill stuff but walk/hike the uphill stuff.

Last year in November I did the South Kaibab to the river and back up the Bright Angle trail in 5 hours. Weather was much nicer then… I'm not a desert runner, but I am prepared and do have desert gear.

I'm wondering if anyone is dumb enough like me to join me in this adventure this weekend July 10th/11th. Actually leave and drive up there this friday july 9th. The plan is to stay at the lodge on the South rim on friday night and also stay at the lodge on the north rim on saturday night.

LMK, 412-401-1477.
Thanks,
sonyaj
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 6
Connecticut, United States
Posted: Wed 07 Jul 2010 11:00 pm GMT   topTop
Hi there,

I've done 4 r2r trips as you've described, but in mid-Oct, both BA-NK and SK-NK, and ran/hiked it in 8 hrs. Doing it in the middle of the summer will be highly unpleasant at best, and dangerous at worst, and you couldn't pay me to do it then (a few dayhikes to the river and back were enough for me to learn that lesson!). Please be careful. I would recommend you get a really early start when it's coolest (2-3 a.m.), but be advised: things heat up as soon as the sun hits the canyon walls, and stays hot. Temps in the bottom will be about 105-115 degrees...

When doing the north-south leg, I would strongly advise against going out SK. It's about 2 miles shorter, but there is *no water*. BA has 3 water stops.

Bring lots of salty foods, because you will be sweating out electrolytes like nobody's business. And hyponatremia is a bigger concern (along with heatstroke) than dehydration many times. Dehydration is easily fixed; hyponatrimia...not so much. It could make you very sick and require you to be air-vac'ed out of the Canyon.

The good news is that there is water along the way, although I would still plan on bringing a minimum of 4 liters.

Listen to your body, take breaks, and find shade whenever you can. The worst part will be the NK section and after you hit Roaring Springs, it's literally an uphill grind. I would recommend bringing trekking poles to use on this section, because you probably won't e running much of it.

The last water and toilet are just past Supai Tunnel, and then you're in the shaded section of the trail and temps will drop off nicely. I'd make dinner reservations at the NK Lodge restaurant for later, because if you aren't totally nauseated from exertion and just a complete a$$-kicking, Canyon -style, it will be one of the best dinners you ever eat ;).

Hopefully, it won't feel like the Bataan Death March. If you're really lucky, monsoon season will hit and you'll have some cooling storms. Lighting is probably not a huge concern, but be careful of crossing washes, which often flash, and are deadly if you get caught in one.

Good luck.

-Sonya