preparations leading up to our day in the canyon came mostly with ease. hydration packs, nutrition, emergency stuff and all weather gear. a little less easy was the coordination and communication of care for dena and maya. agreeing to an overnight with grandpa and some other family and sitter supports - we were off.
our day of travel was long and relaxing. liz and i had the kind of time we rarely experience with the pace of our everyday lives and caring for the two little ladies. we just sat in one another's presence. sometimes talking and sometimes not saying anything. i love these moments. we landed in the desert and soaked in a long missed dose of sunshine after weeks of rain in denver.
we arrived at the entrance to the canyon and the rain caught up to us. we quickly headed to our room - knowing we needed to organize our gear, spend a few minutes talking with our crew and getting to bed! when my head hit the pillow my thoughts started to race about our upcoming adventure - but holding on tight to liz - i managed to fall asleep.
just before our 3:45am alarm went off, i woke up ready to get moving. we hustled through our usual morning routines and met the taxi and our new friend John and headed to the south kaibab trailhead. yes - a taxi at the grand canyon at 4am. strange.
at 4:18am we turned on our headlamps and dropped into the dark abyss of the grand canyon. layers and layers deep of rock carved out - over millions of years where once the sea cut through the land. the excitement of the journey ahead and the energy of this natural phenomena splitting open the earth provided the momentum that would carry us through the many hours that lay ahead. as the sun rose and started to expose the beauty and enormity of the canyon, the colors radiated and i felt connected to the land. my feet moved swiftly. i love running downhill and moving quickly over rocky terrain. liz, doesn’t prefer running downhill and slowly and cautiously walks to avoid ankle mishaps. i moved ahead and would occasionally wait at different points for her to arrive. this stop start pace created an early mental challenge; slowing myself down and reconnecting with my desire to travel together. many many hours later i would be very thankful that liz held our speed in check and likely saved my quads.
as the sun continued to rise, liz would cheer in excitement at the majestic beauty and each new landmark that came into view; a glimpse of the mighty colorado, the bridge that crosses the river and the cave that leads to the bridge. we crossed the river and started to run!! yes!! my legs moved and enjoyed the momentum.
moving swiftly through phantom ranch and on to my favorite section of the trail - the floor of the canyon. a gradual rolling climb that allowed my thoughts to flow like the river we followed and my body to float above the trail.
the gentle sounds of the river connected liz and me in a new way. we talked about everything and nothing. i felt our deeply connected energy travel with the river and time stood still. in the distance i could see ribbon falls break through the rocks and the sun was now in full force.
our steep ascent began and early signs of fatigue were showing. the north kaibab trail is mostly exposed with sharp edges and steep cliffs. we passed the roaring bright angel springs waterfall bursting through the mountain side and pushed through. the landscape began to change, red rock changing to chalk colored earth. the short shrubs shifted into pine trees and aspens. with little gravitas - we Arrived at the top of the NORTH RIM. 7 hours after we started our journey. as we filled our water we noticed the dark sky looming in the distance and added all the layers of clothing we had - including or ponchos. rumbling sounds of thunder rattled through the canyon. and as we dropped back in, the wind and snow started to pound our bodies. a few feet from the top we took a brief moment we huddled close by a giant pine tree asking one another if we were nuts to attempt the double crossing. we looked out into the canyon and couldn’t see a thing. only white - snow and clouds. but yes - we were nuts. and yes - we were going to do it!
on the descent from the north rim the exposed rock was slippery. when the wind blew fiercely, we reminded ourselves to hug the canyon walls and avoid getting close to the edge. i felt the power of this place; sacred land for the Hualapai, Havasupai Tribe and the Navajo.
when we reached the floor of the canyon again, i was excited to let my legs float freely but my body remembered that we were 10 hours into a very difficult adventure. we had already descended 10,000 ft, ascended 5,500 ft and had another 5,500 ft to ahead. we had covered many many miles and we still had a long way to go. the miles and time moved slowly now.liz lead us through headwind and a long and dedicated slog through the floor of the canyon. rounding each curve i thought surely we would see phantom ranch - the point at which we had the 9 mile, 5,500 ft ascent remaining. after what felt like forever - it came into view.
we restocked, shook off our rain drenched clothes and began our race against the sun.
after crossing the mighty colorado again - we pushed through a sandy trail for a few miles. slowly the excitement of accomplishing my lifelong goal of a double crossing was getting closer and closer. liz and i found another few hours of easy flow, movement and enjoyment of nothing and everything. our body’s were done but this energy of near accomplishment and a small run in with an angry big horn sheep propelled us forward. we passed a legend, a man nicknamed “the beast” heading down the trail a few feet from the top and saw our future flash in front of us.
after 16 hours we arrived at the top of the south rim, bright angel trailhead. legs smashed. body exhausted and in shock. we made it. my overall feeling was overwhelming gratitude for my wife and partner in life - liz. as each step passed this feeling grew. i am quite possibly the luckiest person on earth to share life with her. together we did this and that was the most important element of the journey