Grand Canyon Lodge, at the North Rim

This is the third of a three-day Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim hike. The itinerary looked like this:

9/15 Day 1: South Kaibab Trailhead to Bright Angel Campground – 6.7 miles
9/16 Day 2: Bright Angel Campground to the North Rim via North Kaibab Trail – 14.3 miles
9/17 Day 3: North Rim to South Rim via N. Kaibab and Bright Angel Trail – 23.5 miles

Hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim in a single day is an increasingly popular activity that draws people from around the world. Teams of runners with long-anticipated plans flock to park to do this, often with custom t-shirts and similar fanfare. It has become a respected goal and accomplishment like running a marathon, though I see little more merit in this than traveling over 20 miles on foot in any other terrain. Now, rim to rim to rim in a single day, on the other hand, my hat’s off to you.

Anyway, this day’s hike was moreso a product of schedule limitations than a specific goal, but I’d be lying if I said the above “mystique” wasn’t in the back of my mind.

This was my first visit to the north rim, so I was sure to check out the lodge before heading down the trail.

Aspens among Ponderosa Pine on the North Rim

I was stuck behind a mule train almost immediately. So much for making good time in the early morning.

The pulled aside here in the shade and let me pass.

It wasn’t long before I was stuck behind a second mule train.

Roaring Springs

below Cottonwood Campground

the bridge at Bright Angel Campground

I took a nice rest here at the foot of the Bright Angel Trail, enjoying views of the Colorado River, Zoroaster Temple, and Pipe Creek Rapids.

Pipe Creek

the Devil’s Corkscrew

This old foundation near the top of the corkscrew piqued my interest.

This is the last photo of the day, at the day-use area at Indian Gardens. All of this terrain had been covered before on previous trips (Particularly yesterday!), so I was more focused on covering distance than taking photos. The rim to rim hike was a success, and I must admit that it was satisfying to stand at the south rim, look to the other side of the canyon, and think that I had been there this morning.