Grand Canyon R2R2R

Three rims, 46-ish miles, more than 11,000 feet elevation gain, in something like 18 hours

I conquered this bucket list beast with a buddy on September 30, 2023.

We camped at Mather Campground and checked in on Friday, September 29, in the afternoon with plenty of time and daylight to set up camp and get situated.

After getting things relatively organized at our campsite, we drove over to the Backcountry Information Center to see if they had any alerts or updated information about water sources on the trail. Speaking with the Backcountry office folks in person is always worth it if you have the time. In this case, they had some useful water updates that were not posted on the website.

We brought a bunch of food in the car, but also swung by a market near our campsite that was convenient for snacks and incidentals (e.g. avocado and tortillas, perhaps a coffee or a chicken sandwich).

Back at the campsite we ate a light dinner, prepped our packs, spoke on the phone with our loved ones, relaxed, and tried to get some sleep before our early departure.

The Run-Hike

We mapped out a route that (1) started at South Kaibab Trailhead because there is no water on that trail until you get down into the canyon; (2) crossed the Canyon and climbed up to North Kaibab Trailhead, at the North Rim, which has plenty of water along the way; (3) descended back down the North Rim and across the canyon the same way; (4) and finally climbed up to Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim, which has plenty of water, to finish the fun.

We got moving around midnight, loaded into the car, and drove over to park on the side of the road near Pipe Creek Vista. From there, a 15-minute nice warm-up walk – in which a big horn sheep ran right by us going the opposite direction along the path – to South Kaibab Trailhead where we began our journey at about 1am.

The sky was clear and the moon was extremely bright. We used headlamps, but if the terrain were less sketchy we probably wouldn’t have needed them. The moon lit up the canyon vistas in a cool monochrome that was an awesome way to experience the trail on our first cruise down and across.

The sun started coming up on our ascent up to the North Rim. I was feeling great, but the climb up – with lots of soft sand on the trail – was a beast. We got to the North Rim around 8am, and hung out for a bit, had a snack, chatted with some folks, and then set back out for our triumphant return.

We were cruising down the steep North Rim for probably 15 minutes until we hit a road block: a big group of park rangers and working burros had stopped to pick up equipment at a point along the trail. We could not get around them, and had to wait until they finished loading up the burros with equipment that needed to be carried back up to the North Rim.

So we waited on the trail for about 45 minutes. I tried to stay loose and keep moving, but ended up putting on some sun protection layers and then taking the opportunity to lie down and recharge the batteries.

This didn’t really work.

Once they were done and the burros were clear, we took off downhill, excited to be moving again. For me, this excitement lasted about 15 minutes before my right IT band flared up creating tendonitis pain in my right knee with every step.

This tendonitis flare up happens from time to time on long runs for me, usually when (1) my body expects to be done running after a break, or (2) I take on a long distance I haven’t trained for. In this case, both scenarios applied, and I knew what was going on immediately. So I swallowed my pride and accepted the fact that I’d be walking the remaining 20-something miles back.

It was fine, I told myself, because the slower pace allowed me to take in more of the canyon. I don’t really believe this to be true, but it was a useful narrative.

I told my buddy to run ahead, and we met up at Phantom Ranch for a lemonade, snacks, and a rest, before we crossed the river. Then he took off up Bright Angel for the final climb back to the South Rim.

I trudged my way back up, one foot in front of the other, getting exhausted and more delirious with each step. The lack of sleep wore on me pretty hard, and that usually takes me to some dark places. But I kept going without getting to down. I stopped to take breaks, and reminded myself that being miserable is what these adventures are all about. You have to convince yourself that misery make you stronger.

After hours of long, slow climbing, I arrived at the finish line, Bright Angel Trailhead at the South Rim, at about 7pm. I felt pretty destroyed, but also pretty good, all things considered. I was exhausted, but lucid and functioning, and thankfully not injured or in any health danger.

My buddy finished earlier and went to pick up the car, which he then drove back to pick me up shortly after I finished. We stopped at a cafeteria, ate tacos, and then drove back to the campsite for some much needed sleep. Around this time a thunder storm erupted over the canyon. It rained thunder and lightning while I slept for most of the night. In the morning, it was clear. We packed everything up and drove back to Colorado.

Lessons Learned

No profound lessons learned on this adventure, other than the evergreen: (1) consider training a bit more, and rolling out your IT band more, to avoid tendonitis; (2) check in with the Backcountry office in person; and (3) misery makes you stronger.

Gear List

  • Long sleeve light running shirt
  • Fleece
  • Puffer Jacket
  • Running shorts
  • Warm toe socks
  • Warm Phoenix Suns beanie
  • Garmin watch
  • Running vest
  • 2 full soft flasks water
  • 2 empty soft flasks
  • Buff
  • Hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Sun Gloves
  • Rain shell
  • Spare ziploc bag
  • Headlamp
  • Light orange trail pants
  • Food: jerky, tortillas with peanut butter, many bars, maybe some fruit? I forget.

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