North Rim Dreamin'

 

Back in the early spring of 2020, before all of this madness began, I had registered for a 6 hour mountain biking race. The race would be taking place on the Kaibab plateau, just a few miles from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was the perfect setting for a summer mountain bike race, what with the 8500 feet of elevation, and the endless cool pines. I envisioned turning it into a mini vacation and doing some hiking and sight-seeing sandwiched around the race. It would also be great camping weather. 

Before pitching the idea to Bianca, I made a few changes. I knew that I would want some creature comforts such as a shower, a bed, and maybe a grease soaked restaurant meal after such a long race. I'd probably want a few beers as well. I'd always wanted to stay at Jacob Lake Inn in Jacob Lake, AZ, which is basically the gateway onto the Plateau and into the National Park. The Inn has a hotel, motel, and rustic cabins. I booked us a cabin for 2 nights and presented it to Bianca as a fait accompli. I knew she'd be game, and she was. 

In the meantime, the race was cancelled due to a horrible, devastating wildfire that threatened the Inn and destroyed a lot of the local trails. Thankfully the Inn survived, but without a race to race in, we had a lot more options. We decided that we'd spend the time hiking. We'd hike some of the trails on the rim, and we'd do a long day-hike to Ribbon Falls, a remote destination which Bianca had never been to. It would be an approximately 20 mile round trip, with an approximate 6K feet climb back out of the Canyon. Bianca thought it was a great plan!

As the big day approached I got more and more excited. I hadn't been to the North Rim, save for a few hours last year at the start of my October Rim to Rim, in a few years, when we'd spent a few days mountain biking with our good friends, the Touchstones. It felt great to know that we'd shortly be there again. 

Thursday soon rolled around, and the clock struck 4! We were on the road, Flagstaff bound. We began the nightmarish drive up I-17 only to be greeted with a monsoon. The monsoon was much appreciated, as we've had a dry summer, but I didn't relish driving in the dark, dealing with a monsoon on the highway. Soon enough, the monsoon was in our rear-view mirror. We were none the worse for wear. We pulled into the Country Inn and Suites in Flagstaff, too exhausted to care that the breakfast buffet area was roped off. Dammit!!! Thanks Covid!!

On our way out the next morning, we grabbed a very pedestrian "sack breakfast" for the road. After a quick pit stop at Mickey D's to grab some mud and breakfast sandwiches, we were finally headed out of town. Cameron came and went. Marble Canyon was a quick stop for fuel. Next stop, the National Park!

Boom! Hallelujah! We pulled in about 11:00 or so.

We pulled into the National Park and were greeted by a masked up, seemingly unfriendly Ranger, who kept an arms length away and didn't even really check our pass. Weird. Usually Rangers at the Canyon are super friendly. Oh well.

We'd hope to get a glance of the Bison herd that spends summers in the area. They frequent the giant meadows that frame State Route 67, which is the highway leading into the National Park, from Jacob Lake.

Oh yeah! We were fortunate enough to get a glimpse of these wild, wooly buggers.

We'd planned on doing some hiking on the Transept trail and enjoying a picnic lunch at an awesome spot where I had lunch with my sons in 2005!! We'd then check out Bright Angel Point, and then relocate to Cape Royal and check out Angel's window, and some of the natural features and landmarks of the canyon. We'd then head to Pt. Imperial and Cape Final if we had the time. We didn't want to get in too many miles as we knew we had a big day the next day.

The saltiness of the pringle, plus the durability of the tube, make it a frequent item on my lunch menu when I'm on these trips. Not to mention, they're delicious.

Love this shot and love this chickie!!

The North Rim Lodge, as viewed from the Transept Trail end. The lodge is much bigger than it looks.

Very close to Angel's window. You can see the river, just to the right of center near the top, many miles and thousands of feet away.

Angel's Window. A pretty cool natural feature of the Canyon. This is one of the features available to the masses. It's a short 10 minute walk from your car.

Vishnu Temple, another natural feature of the Canyon. There are some folks that have summited this feature. It is reputed to be quite the trek.

Wotan's Throne

After our hikes and some sightseeing, it was getting later in the day. I was developing a strong thirst, and we'd nearly burned through lunch. It was time to head back to Jacob Lake and check in to our cabin. The drive back was thankfully uneventful.

Our cabin was a wonderful oasis in the middle of the forest. We had a shower, full bathroom and a queen size bed. There was a small closet, but no cooking area or kitchenette. The porch was nice. Thoughtfully, there was even a handrail that surely must have initially seen service in a bathroom in a long term care facility. We joked about it, but the next day, Bianca would be grateful for it's presence.

We went easy on the suds. We were at high elevation, over 8K feet, and thus already battling dehydration. Furthermore we had a huge day the next day, with the potential for high temps. We had a beer and enjoyed a delicious dinner in the Jacob Lake Inn restaurant. Shortly thereafter, the cabin was calling. We turned in and were asleep shortly thereafter.

The symphony was very soothing. It enveloped me, much as a warm blanket on a cold winter's night would. There were pleasant sounds of cymbals clashing, the strings of what must have been harps, cellos, violas, being strummed. I imagined the maestro with his wrists, elbows, and an unruly mop of white hair flinging to and fro as he led the orchestra. Perhaps a bead of sweat, glistening on his brow. I chuckled to myself, as the pace quickened and became just a tad more urgent. I thought, wow, this guy is really feeling his oats. As the seconds ticked by, the sounds became less soothing and more of a cacophony of unpleasant noise. This guy has surely lost his mind, I thought. TH?

I gradually became aware of myself, emerging from an ibuprofen and benadryl induced fog, and with a sigh, and a groan, I realized that the maestro was in all likelihood possessed of his faculties. What I was hearing was the unfortunate wake-up tones of my phone. Well, crud. As David Byrne once sang, "How did I get here"?

Mercifully the alarm stopped alarming. I needn't have looked at the clock to see the time. It was 3:30. I was the fool who'd set the alarm for that time. Knowing what needed to be done, I swung my legs onto the floor, a task requiring way more effort than it should have. I fumbled and shuffled around the unfamiliar confines of our rental cabin until I reached what I thought was the place where I had carefully stashed my headlamp the night before. Thankfully it was there, and I quickly donned it. As I switched the power on, the scene in front of me unfolded.

I'd had the foresight to carefully arrange a sack of coffee, my french press, mugs, my stove, water, and a few other accoutrements necessary to make coffee. I grabbed it all up and headed out onto the porch as I didn't want to disturb Bianca. I fired up the Windpro and began the process of getting a pot of water boiling. Within 20 minutes, we'd be drinking coffee. In the interim 20 minutes, faces were washed, bladders were voided, bags were packed and cars were loaded. Hiking togs were applied. A bowl of granola with fresh strawberries was hastily consumed. 

We got on the road about 4:15. It was dark and cool. The air smelled like wet pine, a delightful smell. The drive would be nearly an hour. I'd have to take it easy, as we'd be passing hundreds of deer along the way. The coffee was just thin enough not to need a fork and knife to drink it. Just the way I like it when I'm heading out on one of these trips.

The gate to the National Park was deserted as we entered. We drove right on thru and 15 miles later we were at the North Kaibab trailhead. We quickly got ready and decided not to wear our headlamps as the inky night sky had started to give way to an almost lavender colored dawn. The headlamps were safely tucked into our packs. I never enter the Canyon without a headlamp and a spare. Shit happens. When you need it, you need it. If you don't have it when you need it, you're going to be in trouble. I try to avoid trouble, or at least mitigate it when I can't avoid it.

Bianca, looking as fresh as a daisy. That look wouldn't last long.

Let's get this party started. I always use trekking poles on these Canyon trips as they save a lot of wear and tear on the knees on the steep descents and they allow you to give the legs a little bit of a break on the ascents. They are a must for me.

We hit the trail around 5:40, which was later than I'd hoped. Seems to always work out that way for whatever reason. I hoped that that wouldn't come back to bite us.

The first couple of miles went by fairly quickly, as we arrived at Supai Tunnel. There are no easy miles in the Grand Canyon, a lesson that was painfully brought home to me during my 11th year, some 37 years ago, during my initial foray into the Canyon. Despite that death march, I've been enamored with the Canyon ever since. I digress!

Coconino Overlook, the first glimpse at the delights that await the uninitiated Grand Canyon hiker. It comes after just .7 miles of hiking.

Supai Tunnel. 2 miles into the hike and the first/last water available to you, depending on if you're ascending or descending. There are also bathrooms.

We continued on with the next milestone being the redwall bridge at mile 2.6.

On the Redwall bridge looking downcanyon.

On the Redwall bridge looking upcanyon towards the rim.

Roaring Springs. Doesn't look impressive in this pic, but this is a tremendous spring, pouring out of the canyon walls. This is about 4.5 miles in.

After we departed Roaring Springs, it was about a mile to our next stop, Manzanita. Manzanita has shade, seating, potable water, restrooms, an emergency phone, and the first real access to Bright Angel Creek. It is a veritable oasis to the forlorn Canyon traveler. You get the sense that you're really in the middle of nowhere. Here's a glimpse at the creek.

We pulled in to Manzanita, grabbed a bit of water, used the restrooms, and continued on. I really wanted to get to Ribbon Falls and get back to higher elevations before the heat of the day. That plan was slowly ebbing away.

A little slice of taxpayer funded heaven at Manzanita.

We left Manzanita headed towards the first campground we'd see on this trip. It would also be the only one, Cottonwood Campground. There's a reason why I have resolved NEVER to enter the Canyon from Mid May until October, as it is miserably hot at the lower elevations and I don't like to suffer in the heat or possibly die, as many do each summer in the Canyon. I had made an exception for this trip, as we wouldn't be going to the bottom and I'd planned on getting out early. Well, crud. 

Normally Cottonwood is an absolutely delightful spot. A place that I dearly love to camp and just rest up in on my way through. Not this day. It was hot, dry, and deserted. We literally didn't see a soul. We used the restrooms and soldiered on. We had maybe a mile to a mile and a half left to get to Ribbon Falls and the thermometer at Cottonwood indicated 94 degrees.

I would normally advise most folks to turn around at this point, as it was 94 degrees and not quite 11 AM. It was only going to continue to get hotter. However, I live in the desert. I feel safe travelling in the desert and I'm generally pretty acclimated to it. I knew that we would be able to soak in the cooling waters of Ribbon Falls or Bright Angel Creek all day if needed. I had my filter with me, so we had unlimited water, plenty of calories, and three headlamps for two of us. Worse case scenario, we lounge around in the water all day and then hike out in the dark. . Of course, we wanted to get out of there before the restaurant at the Inn, closed!! Cheeseburgers, fries, and beer are powerful motivators.

After leaving Cottonwood, we hiked for a while before approaching the bridge to Ribbon Falls. This bridge takes you over the creek. During the times of year when the water is pretty turbulent you don't want to try to ford the creek, unless you like living on the edge. Well, crud. The bridge was closed. Had we gone a bridge too far?

Ruh Roh Raggie. The bridge was severely damaged and thus closed. I knew that beforehand, but was hoping that it had been repaired. We'd have to ford the creek.

We continued on for another 3/4 of a mile and eventually found the trail that leads to the creek and many crossing opportunities. It's definitely not as easy as it sounds.

We followed a likely looking trail, slashing through overgrown vegetation, before we finally came to the creek. We hopped in the creek, and used our poles to steady us against the strong current. A few seconds later we were across. What a maze. We struggled to find our way up onto the bench and out of the creekbed. I knew we were so close to the Falls, but just couldn't seem to find our way. Bianca's balky, surgically repaired knee was really bothering her, so I wanted to be able to get to the Falls and take an extended break. Finally, after another 20 minutes or so, we made it to the approach to the Falls. Wow...

First glimpse of Ribbon Falls.

We spent some time cooling off in the lower pool. The water was unbelievably refreshing. It felt like heaven on earth. After a bit, we made the climb to the top and enjoyed the shade provided, as well as basked in the water. We prepared our lunch and filtered some water.

The Sawyer Mini Squeeze makes quick work of filtering water for a couple of people. For more folks, or greater quantities of water, I prefer my Katadyn ProHiker.

Reluctantly, we packed up and left after a nice break. We hated to leave, who wouldn't, but the Canyon wasn't going to climb itself. I knew that the next hour or two was going to be a shadeless slog back to Cottonwood, and I wasn't eager to start, but you can't finish until you start. It was at this point that I just saw another example of one of Bianca's greatest attributes. I knew that her knee was hurting. She simply put her head down and hiked. We both did. It was all we could do. We forded our way across the creek and got to it.

I was sucking down water like a man possessed. We were also taking plenty of electrolytes. We each took 2 caplets of S caps every hour for the entire day. Neither one of us had a single cramp in 14 hot hours. After what seemed an eternity, we finally pulled into Cottonwood, which was 102 degrees. We were both nearly out of water. I went to the spigot and the water was hot. Like literally, fresh out of the tea kettle hot. Well, crud. Hot water sucks, but it beats death, I'd imagine. We found some shade and enjoyed a snack with our hot water.

We didn't dilly dally as I wanted to get to Manzanita and I knew that that would be less than an hour away. We both continued to grind out a solid pace, but we were both feeling it. Within an hour we saw the familiar bridge over the creek, to Manzanita. I told Bianca to prepare for an extended stay as I knew that the heat was really getting to me and I didn't want to get into trouble. We took a pic on the bridge.

We looked a bit better than we were feeling!

Pulling into Manzanita was such a feeling of relief. I knew that an afternoon monsoon was going to hit which would provide us with some much needed shade, cooler temps, and a nice breeze. I planned on staying put until the storm hit or it got dark!!

Oh yeah, life is good!! One of the most refreshing soaks I've ever enjoyed!

We sat in the creek for a while. We ate a good snack, drank a bunch of water, and took some electrolytes. After a half hour or so, I felt like a new man. In the meantime a nice storm had moved in. A breeze had picked up and the hot sun had disappeared behind a wall of cloud cover. Thunder and lightning were going off seemingly every few seconds. I was stoked to finish off this last 5 miles. I could have jogged it. Bianca's knee, however, thought otherwise. 

What ensued was a three hour grind. Bianca never stopped. She just kept going and keeping a positive attitude. A bit selfishly, perhaps, I was hoping we'd get to the top in time to make it to dinner. I didn't want to eat a PBJ for dinner, but I sure as heck wasn't going to gripe about that to Bianca. Lol, I'm not that dumb!!

You can see the storm clouds moving in. This helped us out tremendously, though some rain would have been nice!

We finally crossed the finish line around 6:50 PM. It would be an hour drive to the restaurant and their grill closed at 8:00 PM, so we should be ok!! We didn't waste time. We threw our gear in the rig and got on the road. A sketchy ride ensued. There were hundreds of deer along the road for the entire trip. It was a bit nerve racking, but we finally made it with 20 minutes to spare. Ironically, we were only able to get down a single beer apiece and only ate half of our burgers. 

We were soon tucked back into our cabin, eager to fall asleep. We enjoyed rehashing the day and talked about doing it again! We awoke the next morning, and after some coffee and breakfast, began the long odyssey back to Phoenix. It was an outstanding trip and we can't wait for the next one!