{"id":1273,"date":"2015-10-10T09:53:49","date_gmt":"2015-10-10T15:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/?p=1273"},"modified":"2015-10-10T09:53:49","modified_gmt":"2015-10-10T15:53:49","slug":"my-first-grand-canyon-experience-rim2river2rim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/?p=1273","title":{"rendered":"My First Grand Canyon Experience. Rim2River2Rim"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I was in Flagstaff for a conference this week and had a free morning before the events started. How could I not venture over to the Grand Canyon?!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<!-- iframe plugin v.6.0 wordpress.org\/plugins\/iframe\/ -->\n<iframe height=\"405\" width=\"590\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.strava.com\/activities\/407137246\/embed\/e614f49c1a6aac107ed699db124d7994d82fa888\" class=\"iframe-class\"><\/iframe>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">It was my first time and it did not disappoint. I started at the South Kaibab trailhead right around dawn and bombed on down. I had the trail mostly to myself, only passing a few hikers who must have caught an earlier shuttle to the trailhead.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1274\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1274\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-3.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1274 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-3-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Trail-running bylaws REQUIRE you take pictures by these signs.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-3.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-3.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1274\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trail-running bylaws REQUIRE you take pictures by these signs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The early morning light was just gorgeous. The red rock and green vegetation all seemed to take a deeper hue than was natural. The midday sun later washed the colors out quite a bit more. I had been warned that the trail was not terribly runnable &#8211; and much of it was not. It is hard to get a good rhythm or use a natural gait or stride between all of the wooden log steps, rocky terrain, etc&#8230; I did luck out in that rain from the previous days had left the trail nice and soft. Very little mud going down South Kaibab, just soft, slightly-moist, dirt. Also, a TON of mule dung. I have since been told that when the trail dries out, clouds of mule-dung-dust billow up with every step and you end up inhaling a lot of it. Yuck.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1275\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1275\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1275\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6-1024x325.jpg?resize=640%2C203&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ooh-Ahh Point. This is about a mile down, where you can finally start to see around Yaki Point and into the east\/upstream canyon.\" width=\"640\" height=\"203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6.jpg?resize=1024%2C325&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6.jpg?resize=300%2C95&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1275\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ooh-Ahh Point. This is about a mile down, where you can finally start to see around Yaki Point and into the east\/upstream canyon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">At 3 miles, I hit Skeleton Point and paused to take off some layers. At the trailhead it was chilly and I had a long sleeve shirt and windbreaker on. Those both went into my pack and I continued on in just a tank-top. It was still a BIT chilly (so I left my gloves on) but I was moving enough to be sweating and it felt nice to shed the layers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1276\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1276\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-14.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1276\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-14-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"After Skeleton Point, as I approached some notorious switchbacks, I heard the clatter of mule hooves on rock. They were at the bottom of the switchbacks.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-14.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-14.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-14.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-14.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1276\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">After Skeleton Point, as I approached some notorious switchbacks, I heard the clatter of mule hooves on rock. They were at the bottom of the switchbacks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I continued past Skeleton Point, down the switchbacks and then actually hit some nice runnable trail for a while as it wraps around to the left. I was pushing, hoping to catch up to the mules at The Tipoff, where I knew I would be allowed to pass them quickly. Unfortunately, I got waylaid taking picture of the morning light streaming in from behind some clouds to the east.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-15.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1277\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-15-1024x405.jpg?resize=640%2C253&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Grand Canyon Rim2River2Rim down S. Kaibab (15)\" width=\"640\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-15.jpg?resize=1024%2C405&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-15.jpg?resize=300%2C119&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-15.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-15.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-16.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1278\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-16-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Grand Canyon Rim2River2Rim down S. Kaibab (16)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-16.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-16.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-16.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-16.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I did not catch them at The Tip-Off. There were some early hikers there, Japanese &#8211; I think, and they gave me VERY weird looks as I cruised by. I don&#8217;t know if it was because I was running or because I was wearing a tank-top at 7:30 AM. In any case, I continued on, finally catching the mules a bit later. They had me keep my distance until there was a wide spot in the trail. It only slowed me down for about 10 minutes &#8211; not bad.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1279\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1279\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-mules.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1279\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-mules-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"I like this one in black\/white. The sight of the mule train made me feel like the 19th century.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-mules.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-mules.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-mules.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-mules.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1279\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I like this one in black\/white. The sight of the mule train made me feel like the 19th century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1280\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1280\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-23.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1280\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-23-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ah, the beauty of nature. It is amazing how the deep rich reds of the soil contrast against the bright green of the mule dung. Isn't nature amazing? \" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-23.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-23.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-23.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-23.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1280\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ah, the beauty of nature. It is amazing how the deep rich reds of the soil contrast against the bright green of the mule dung. Isn&#8217;t nature amazing?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">After passing the mules (and another mule train heading UP) I started to notice how hot it was getting as I neared the canyon bottom. And HUMID! I could feel the humidity in the air &#8211; like a mist. Then, I looked up and saw what the sunlight and humidity was creating.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-26.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1284\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-26-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Grand Canyon Rim2River2Rim down S. Kaibab (26)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-26.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-26.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-26.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-26.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-24.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1283\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-24-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Grand Canyon Rim2River2Rim down S. Kaibab (24)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-24.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-24.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-24.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-24.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1285\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1285\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-29.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1285 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-29-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Black Bridge \" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-29.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-29.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-29.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-29.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1285\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1286\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1286\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1286 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-1-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Silver Bridge\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-1.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-1.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-1.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1286\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Silver Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I crossed over the Colorado River on the black suspension bridge, and then ran up to Phantom Ranch for a VERY refreshing lemonade. I think it upset my stomach a bit, but it sure was tasty. I crossed back over the river on the Silver Bridge and started up the Bright Angel Trail.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">After the bridge, you run along the River Trail, downstream. It felt great to actually open up my stride and RUN, albeit slowly.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-8.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1290\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-8-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Grand Canyon Rim2River2Rim up Bright Angel (8)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-8.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-8.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-8.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">By the time I hit the canyon where the Bright Angel Trail starts to climb, I was feeling the effects of the heat and humidity. For the next 3 miles, as I climbed up to Indian Garden I was sweating more profusely than I have in my entire life. It was, literally, a constant stream of drips off my brow and down my face. I refilled my waters, mixed a new bottle of perpetuem and soldiered on. At this point, 5+ miles and a few thousand feet of climbing left, I hit the mental state where you just want to get the thing done.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1291\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1291\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-12.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1291\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-12-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Feeling the heat.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-12.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-12.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-12.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feeling the heat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The psychology of this run was unique. I am used to running UP mountains, and then coming back down. Even if you are tired and wasted from the climb, the descent is always easier. Doing it in reverse was a mind-trip. Within a mile after leaving Indian Garden you get a view of the remainder of the climb ahead and it really sinks in what you&#8217;re going to have to do.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1292\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1292\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-13.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1292\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-13-768x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C853&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Here is the view of the canyon you are about to climb. Switchbacks take you straight up to the green strip at the top, and beyond!\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-13.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-13.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-13.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-13.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1292\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here is the view of the canyon you are about to climb. Switchbacks take you straight up to the green strip at the top, and beyond!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">With about 3 miles of climbing left, the clouds that had been threatening to rain all day settled in and started to drizzle. It actually felt GREAT! I was overheating as I tried to make a strong steady power hike up. The cooling drizzle, however, quickly turned into a torrential downpour. This continued on and off for most of the remaining climb. I considered putting my windbreaker on, but just kept pushing. At this point, I was seeing a LOT of people. Going up, coming down, lots of day-hikers and back-packers. All of them giving me weird looks as I hiked past in my tank top, soaked to the bone. The rain made the hiking more difficult as the trail turned into a stream. Trying to keep along the edges of the trail to avoid the water slowed me down a bit. Worse, however, were the muscle cramps that started up. First, both of my calves started to cramp and spasm. Then, both of my quads. I thought I had kept up on my electrolytes, but perhaps I had fallen behind with all of the sweating. Or, perhaps it was just fatigue. In any case, I soldiered on.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1293\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1293\" style=\"width: 714px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-15.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1293\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-15-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Near the top, the rain stopped for a minute so I could get my phone out of its ziplock bag and snap a quick picture before it started raining again. Wow. Now THAT is a canyon!\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-15.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-15.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-15.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/darkgoldenrod-hedgehog-874350.hostingersite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-up-Bright-Angel-15.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Near the top, the rain stopped for a minute so I could get my phone out of its ziplock bag and snap a quick picture before it started raining again. Wow. Now THAT is a canyon!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Right at the top (1\/4 mile left) I caught up to the only other runner I had seen all day &#8211; and the only person to pass me all day. In the days preceding the run, I had posted on a R2R2R facebook group for some advice and one other runner, Sierra, commented that she might do it too that day. Down at the river, I had seen her coming out of the restroom as I was going in, but didn&#8217;t make the connection that it might be Sierra. Then, part way up to Indian Garden, I passed her as she was sitting on the side of the trail taking some salt capsules. Later, she RAN past me and I finally realized who it might be. I called out and asked if she was from the FB group, and sure enough it was. &#8220;Oh yeah,&#8221; she said, &#8220;You said you&#8217;d be in a red bandana! See you at the top.&#8221; At that point, she was actually running, and I was just power hiking, so I doubted I would &#8220;see her at the top.&#8221; However, in that last 1\/4 mile I did catch up to her. Her legs were cramping too. We hiked it out and shared the shuttle back to our cars. I wish I would have caught her earlier, as having a hiking companion up those last 3 miles in the rain would have been nice!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">What a day! With the stop and rest at Phantom Ranch, the whole thing took me about 5.5 hours, which was faster than I had estimated it would take me. The Grand Canyon is a MUST-SEE \/ MUST-DO location for trail runners. However, it is actually not very good terrain\/trails for trail running. I&#8217;m sure I&#8217;ll do it again though!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was in Flagstaff for a conference this week and had a free morning before the events started. How could I not venture over to the Grand Canyon?! It was my first time and it did not disappoint. I started at the South Kaibab trailhead right around dawn and bombed on down. I had the trail mostly to myself, only passing a few hikers who must have caught an earlier shuttle to the trailhead. The early morning light was just&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/?p=1273\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"My First Grand Canyon Experience. #Rim2River2Rim","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,131],"tags":[11,158,31,156,157],"class_list":["post-1273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pretty-places","category-race-reports-and-big-adventure-runs","tag-arizona","tag-bright-angel-trail","tag-colorado-river","tag-grand-canyon","tag-south-kaibab-trail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/professorontherun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Grand-Canyon-Rim2River2Rim-down-S.-Kaibab-6.jpg?fit=7872%2C2498&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5qjMD-kx","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1273"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1294,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1273\/revisions\/1294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professorontherun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}