This is one of the most beautiful trail runs I have ever been on, bar none.

Kelly and I started early in the morning, at 3 am, with our headlamps and started descending Bright Angel Trail from the south rim of the GC. We were completely alone and navigating the rocks, roots, and endless steps. It was quite a magical experience feeling the canyon walls rise above you as we dropped 1000 feet per mile.

We had our first hiccup of the day as, my headlamp was on the fritz despite new batteries and eventually deemed fairly useless. I followed close behind Kelly for 20 minutes, trying to memorize her steps and the light I saw. However, this was less than ideal, so I pulled out my phone and used the light. It was manageable. This first mistake quickly lead to our first hurdle, 4 miles in.

We were getting into a solid groove, and after a quick water stop at Indian Gardens, I did not see a rock and rolled my ankle pretty severely. Enough where I had to stop, let out some big exhales, and got sick to my stomach with pain. I have a fairly high pain tolerance so when things really hurt physically, I know it's usually something serious. This pain was teetering on the border.

It was a deciding moment as we just dropped 3000+ feet, but it was still early in the morning. My ankle was throbbing, and I tried to walk it off so we could keep moving forward. Minimal success but enough to keep going, and I told Kelly we could evaluate at Phantom Ranch (the large campsite at the bottom of the canyon).

It was still dark when we got to Phantom Ranch, and my consensus was to keep moving forward. We have wanted to do this run for a while now, and the pain of turning around felt greater than the pain of continuing by a small margin. I kept that walk/jog theme going strong, trying to find a position where I could strike the ground where it was less painful.

The following 7 miles are magnificent on a gradual uphill next to the Colorado River. The sunrise came and brought me new energy, but I can’t lie, I was hurting and quiet for the next few hours.

Eventually, we passed Cottonwood Campground and Manzanita Water Station, only to learn the water was turned off. Fortunately, we had a filter, and I could filter us 4 liters for our steepest climb up to the North Rim.

This climb was exceptionally breathtaking due to the moisture and sun, creating a magical fog that felt otherworldly.

We reached the North Rim and stopped for 15 minutes to use the bathroom, refill water, and eat our sandwiches. (Reminder to myself: 7+ hours into a run, savory food is glorious. The bacon on our sandwiches felt like finding little chunks of gold.)

We had high spirits as we headed out of the North Rim, knowing there was a 14-mile descent ahead of us. I love downhills. I love the technical, fast footwork required and the ability to let my body fall in a controlled motion with just the right amount of tension to stay safe.

When it was go time, Kelly and I felt the slight discomfort of starting again, but it quickly subsided, and we were enjoying the flow of downhill running … for about 30 seconds.

Kelly took a step and felt her knee buckle.

It was scary. She had never had this happen before and was hobbling. We decided to walk, and take it easy, and I remembered I had a neoprene knee sleeve in my backpack. It was a little big for her, but it helped stabilize her knee, and we could hike down.

Kelly was/is an absolute champ. After a few miles going downhill, her quads and knee tightened up, and she could barely bend her leg. This resulted in having to do an uncomfortable side hurdle over the thousands of rocks and logs used to block and help drain the trail.

We made it down to the river, and the rain started. It was pouring.

There must have been something magically healing in that rain because Kelly suddenly started to move into a slow trot. After .5 mile of this trot we saw a group of guys that passed us earlier. Her competitive spirit kicked in, and she started taking off on a run to try and catch and pass them. My ankle was up for the chase, and we started clocking off our fastest miles of the day, 29 miles in.

We eventually passed them and continued to run in the pouring rain on a trail as wide as a small sidewalk next to the raging Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon for 5 miles.

I will never forget those 5 miles, we ran effortlessly in unison, and it felt so dang good to open it up and run!

As we approached Phantom Ranch campsite, I looked back and saw the group of guys making a last-minute push for us. (the mental games you play in your head after 10 plus hours into a run are fun. No one knows if they were or not, but in our minds, it was ON. We took it up a notch and held them off until we reached the fabled Lemonade Cantina at Phantom Ranch.

This Cantina did NOT disappoint. Lemonade, M&M’s, beef sticks, we chowed down. It was a welcome stop before the 9 miles and over 4,000 foot climb back out of the canyon.

We ate quickly and started the climb, gradual at first, and then it started to pick up. The switchbacks were endless, but we kept focusing on one step in front of the other.

Over 3 hours later, we made it out!

There was no finish line, medal, or crowd, just her and I and our shared experience. We shared a brief hug and celebration. It was beautiful.

We walked to my truck, quickly changed clothes, and headed to a Mexican restaurant for some fajitas.

If you're looking for an adventure of a lifetime, look no further! You can, of course, do the R2R2R, but there are many various adventures to be had down in the canyon. We saw many people hiking from Rim to Rim.

*You do not need a permit to run or hike Rim to Rim, only a good friend or family member to drop you off at one rim and pick you up at the other.

Tips:

Plan for shoulder seasons. Late April-Mid May or Late Sept - Mid Oct. It can get well over 100 degrees at the bottom of the canyon during the summer. I prefer the fall because you will avoid any possible leftover snow on the North Rim.

Water filter (obvious reasons)
Make sure you stop at Phantom Ranch Cantina
Triple check headlamps ;)
Pack sweet AND savory foods
Hiking poles

Feel free to respond with any more questions, I am happy to help out!

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Grand Canyon 48 Mile Rim2Rim2Rim

Mike Aidala