September 14, 2012 - North Kaibab Trailhead
Our very close friends Rilus Graham and Roy Mosel (the guy with the funny hat and sunglasses) join Terry and I as we pose for a picture prior to our Rim-to-rim Trek across the Grand Canyon! Ten minutes prior to descending into the canyon, Terry scored a Hiker's Cabin at Phantom Ranch for all of us which brought about loud squeals of delight!
(Click on pictures for larger view of image)
7:10 am - Descending down the North Kaibab Trail
The first 5 miles of our trek into the Canyon is extremely steep with several switchbacks. We descended 1441 feet in the first 1.7 miles and another 1580 feet by the time we reached Roaring Springs. Our destination today - Phantom Ranch which sits over 5700 feet below the North Rim.
A Chilly Morning on the North Rim
The temperature at the start of our trek hovered around 43°. It soon warmed up but much to our delight, it never got over 90°. A couple days prior to our arrival, the Canyon experienced several days of thunderstorms which cooled off the sweltering summer heat.
One mile down...14.8 to go!
Red walls of the N. Kaibab Trail
Silhouetted Self Portrait
Rock Pushers!
The Threesome moving a chunks of Coconino sandstone out of the path!
Mile 4.7 - Roaring Springs
At Mile 4.7 we reached the Roaring Springs offshoot trail. It's about a three quarter mile round trip down to the Springs and back. The Trekkers chose to carry on another .7 miles to the Pump House Ranger Station for a snack and hydration.
Roaring Springs
Beneath this massive monolith lies an underground lake which houses the source of Roaring Springs which exits about half way down the face of the canyon. The N. Kaibab trail head is now far in the distance.
Our Final Destination in Sight
After our brief stop at the Pump House to snack up and shed clothing, we spotted the South Rim. Only 20 miles to go!
Ribbon Falls
After passing Cottonwood Campground, we soon came to the trail leading to Ribbon Falls. This is a "must see" side trip about three quarters of a mile off the Main Trail. By the time we reached the Falls, the trail was heating up so the cool waters of Ribbon Falls proved to be most refreshing!
Shower Time!
Rilus peeking thru the Shower Curtain
Roy loving the cool spray
Refreshed and ready to continue on to Phantom!
Top of the Falls
Ribbon Falls Wild Life
Entering the Box
The last 7 miles of the of the hike to Phantom Ranch is relatively flat not nearly as scenic as the first half of the descent. At this point you enter a Box Canyon that during the summer can become a deadly oven. This was definitely cause for concern prior to our arrival as Terry is very susceptible to hyponatremia. The Weather Gods looked down upon us favorably and we escaped the extreme heat that often plagues this stretch of the trail.
Roy celebrating his Bunk at Cabin #10
After 15.8 miles of hiking, we made it to Phantom Ranch at 3:55pm - 5 minutes before the canteen closed down to prepare for the 5pm dinner crowd. We asked the Barkeep for beer! At first he refused our request stating that they were closing in a few minutes. We squealed. He asked if we could finish the beer in 5 minutes. Are you kidding? We were parched from our hike! We finished them with 2 minutes to spare!
With a beer in his belly, Roy couldn't help but celebrate when he laid eyes on his bunk in our Hiker's Cabin! Along with the Cabin came the keys to the Shower House! Life is Grand here at the bottom of the Canyon!
Hiker Cabin #10
Prior to scoring the Hiker's Cabin at the last minute, Terry and I were scheduled to stay in Phantom's male and female dorms. Rilus and Roy had a permit to camp at the Bright Angel Campground. Due to Terry's persistent calling, all four of us were treated to our own Cabin for the night.
Happy Campers!
Phantom Ranch Canteen
Since 1922, Phantom Ranch has served as an oasis for hikers trekking down from the North and South Rims and for rafters riding the rapids of the Colorado River. Reservations at Phantom are extrememly difficult to procure so the fact that Terry was able to score us a Cabin at the last minute borderlined on miraculous! to say the least, our overnight stay was delightful!
Our dinner was served at 6:30. We wolfed down our stew, swilled a couple of beers and the weary foursome was in the sack by 7:30! Breakfast at 5 am and then off we go to the South Rim!
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