We are home safe after our last and final Grand Canyon Adventure. My girlfriend Shauna Gibson and I undertook this Rim2Rim2Rim hike on June 4 strictly as a physical challenge which it certainly was.
We left Fallon at 7:00 p.m. Thursday night with Shauna's husband, Guy, as our driver. Ten hours later, at 5:00 a.m. Friday morning we arrived at the North Rim of the Canyon and set out on our adventure in high spirits. All was going well until we reached the bottom of the Canyon where temperatures had soared to 130+ degrees. We took a short break and continued on to the South Rim - definitely a mistake, we should have waited it out until the heat had subsided. About 2 miles from Phantom Ranch, we hit the part of the trail called Devil's Corkscrew which is a 3-mile stretch of steep switchbacks with no shade whatsoever. According to one Park Ranger we spoke to, we encountered temperatures along this part of the trail that had reached over 138 degrees.
Fortunately for us, Shauna had the foresight to put ice in her drinking water bladder at Phantom Ranch. The water in my bladder was so hot you could hardly drink it, but I was able to share hers which undoubtedly enabled me to continue. We continued on to the next rest stop at Indian Gardens where we were able to rehydrate and take a much-needed break in the shade under the trees along the creek. By then, Shauna was feeling the effects of heatstroke, had badly twisted her knee, and was having breathing and sinus troubles. Nonetheless, she forged on through the last four and a half miles, being the tough character that she is. Her husband had driven the three and a half hours to the South Rim to meet us where he made us the most incredible burritos, and where we were able to rest for a bit before heading back to the North Rim.
Unfortunately, Shauna was not in any shape to continue on the last 24 miles of our adventure. This was the hardest part of the trip for me, seeing the disappointment on her face, knowing she couldn't join me for the rest of the trip. She had trained so hard for this - you can only imagine. At this point, I called my husband to apprise him of the situation and asked him what he thought of my continuing the trip by myself in the dark. He reluctantly encouraged me to continue and felt better knowing I had a SPOT tracking device and a means to signal for help if needed. At 9:00 p.m., with headlamp on I descended back into the Canyon by myself.
I encountered quite a few people on the trail coming up from Indian Gardens, having waited out the heat. After about six miles in, I didn't see another soul, not until 5:00 a.m. Hiking in the Canyon at night was surreal with bright stars filling the sky and all the sounds of nature all around me. By this time I had several hot spots on my feet that needed attention. I stopped to take care of them and then realized I had given all but one to Shauna for her blisters earlier in the day. My feet continued to get worse but I kept thinking about what Shauna had said, "Hiking into the Canyon was optional, hiking out was mandatory". I had no choice to continue on, with the last seven miles taking it's toll on me physically and emotionally. Guy and Shauna were waiting for me at the trailhead on the North Rim, crying and encouraging me to finish the last bit. At 9:30 a.m. I crossed their makeshift finish line exhausted but with a sense of accomplishment that made it all worthwhile.
The Grand Canyon is an amazing and spectacular place unlike any I have ever seen. Shauna feels the same about the Canyon, even though she was personally disappointed in herself for not being able to finish with me. She said it was the first time in her life that she did not finish something she started. We've been friends for over 20 years and know each other very well. The Canyon certainly provided me with the physical challenge I had sought. However, some others were not as fortunate, as five hikers were medically transported out of the Canyon Trails that day. I would never have made it without the support and encouragement from Guy and Shauna, my husband, and oh - lots and lots of Advil. Fortunately, our bodies are resilient and will recover from the abuse we put them through in due time. Last night I posted a brief summary of our trip on Facebook's group, the Grand Canyon Rim2Rim, and this morning I was amazed at the comments from fellow hikers, many of whom Shauna and I encountered along the trail. They were so thankful for our encouraging support that helped them to complete their hike. The people we met on the trail were amazing too and added so much to our experience. I can't wait for the next adventure, but one thing is for sure, I will be doing it with my wonderful friend Shauna - just not anytime soon. Shauna and I hope we can inspire someone else to reach out and chase their dreams too. This was a dream of mine on my bucket list, and it's now checked off.
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