After a night of minimal sleep (totally normal) 3:30 showed up and the time had come to do the thing. With our bags packed from the night before we all donned our running gear and double checked our gear. Hat, check, sunglasses, check, headlamp, check, pack, check, poles, check, all the things, check, check, check!
So we left our hotel room and headed to the Lodge where we met up with all of our group.
I won't lie, I felt all the nerves. With the way my body recovered from the 50k training race I knew that this day was going to demand everything I had and a touch more. It was so much fun to have the whole group together because we all knew that this might just be the only time. Its a big ballpark out there and seperation was inevitable.
Thankfully Bob and I had communicated over and over again about sticking together come hell or high water. We were committed to seeing each other down, across, up, down, across, and up. Team Longmire all the way.
We took this picture at the start of the trail and then single file crossed that threshold from pavement to dirt. I remember taking that first step on the trail feeling the weight of the hours ahead of me and thinking about how it was going to feel to cross that line again.....a long time from then.
We ran the first 4 and the last 6 miles of this day in complete dark, so we missed experiencing the South Rim in the daylight. Its a wild experience running with a headlamp down into the canyon. Its steep, rocky with hurdles and logs across the trail to mitigate erosion. You can't look beyond your light because you risk falling, and its a long ways down!
A few people of our group got to experience Bright Angel in the day time because they didn't go quite as far so I was able to snag some of their awesome pictures to give you an idea of what we ran in the dark.
I am so thankful that I have done the Bright Angel trail before because it truly is spectacular!
By the time we made it to Indian Garden, a mere 4.6 miles into our day, the first light of the day was beginning to illuminate the South Rim and we were able to look back and see where we had come from. Its amazing. Every step you take in the Grand Canyon gives you something new to be awed and inspired at. I couldn't help with every stop we took think about crossing it again that night. Oh how I hoped we would be successful!
We left the lush area of Indian Garden to continue on our journey. The Canyon has been carved by several small rivers that ultimately feed the Colorado. Indian Garden is a plateau area where the river begins its journey and you go from rocky desert to lush tall trees and green plant life. Its so much fun to experience. Once you leave Indian Garden you head through a rock quarry type of area as you make your way to the epic Devil's Corkscrew.
At this point in the day the sun is cresting the mountains illuminating every inch of the canyon and it just affirms you in every way possible. Which is a good thing because much to my chagrin, I was already feeling a hot spot on my left big toe. I kept my head in check and made a plan for taking care of it when we got to Phantom.
The Grand Canyon is a monster feat, but it is one of the most constantly rewarded efforts. Every section gives you something to OOOO and AHHHH over. We all stopped up top of Devil's corkscrew to take a moment and celebrate the beauty it is.
The Bad Ass ladies of the bunch right here. Chelsie, Bridgit, Me, Jill, and Katie. I digress for just a moment to remind you to always surround yourself with greatness. Always find yourself queens who wear their crown and help you fix yours. I am grateful for the place each one of them has in my life and will forever remember this day with them.........
Okay back to the trail.
So this here is the Devil's Corkscrew. How amazing is this trail. From the top you can literally see all the way to the bottom and the view is just spectacular.
Yes, the journey is that rugged, the turns that sharp, and the trail that steep. Its amazing, and brutal, and breathtaking.
This spot, with the sun rising to my left and the enormity of my surroundings will never leave me. It was humbling and exciting. To believe that God has made me so able to sit in the midst of giants. What a place.
While all of us were tackling the DC Joe and Stephen were admiring the sunrise over on South Kaibab Trail. I think these guys have life figured out because they slept in a bit, saw the sunrise, hiked to the river, swam in the river, then hiked back out, and still had time to party!
Once you reach the bottom of the switchbacks of DC its a little less than a mile to the river. You can hear the rush of the water for a long time before you come around a corner to see the beautiful Colorado and the bottom of the canyon.
The trail doesn't take you directly down to the water, but turns you right up the hill a bit and you get this gorgeous sunrise view of the river just over the edge. Oh it was everything.
Guys I have been asked multiple times "Bethany, what was your favorite part of the trail?" My answer. THIS SECTION. This beautiful 2 miles of trail etched on the side of the mountain running with the river, running into the sunrise.
Even just writing about it makes me feel teary. It was so beautiful and life giving and just so incredible. There is not one picture here that can adequately convey the experience of these moments. I wish I had the words. I will never, ever, not love this section of the trail.
Now, there are a lot of things that I was excited to see on this trip, but seeing and experiencing all of the bridges in the canyon was high on my list, especially this moment below. This is the image I found online that gave Heidi Garner inspiration for our hats, this is the image I couldn't wait to see, and it was everything I had dreamed and more.
We crossed the Silver Bridge and I felt a boost of energy. What an experience!!!! Right across the bridge lies Phantom Ranch. It's about another half mile from the river but really close.
We all pulled over to fill water, eat, drop some layers, and check in on the group. I sat down, took off my shoes and wrapped my toe that was blistering. I won't lie, I was nervous considering the fact that we weren't even halfway there when my feet started talking. I took a deep breath, added some bandaids and nut butter (anti-chafing stuff) and sent up a prayer. Come on feet.....we still have a long way to go! 10 miles in, now comes the Box!
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