There was a storm here but we thought it would clear out as the day progressed. As we started down (about 5am) and reached more exposed parts of the trail, we got slammed with sideways blowing frozen rain, in the dark. I and a couple others chose to walk the first 2 miles or so until we got some better light and less snow on the trail, after about 30 min down a couple of our guys stared running and were past and gone again like ghosts. Visibility was not good!
About a mile farther down, where the first bathroom on Kaibab is (I always forget the name of that lookout place...its right down from Ooh_Ahh point) I started my running and left the guy ide been walking with way behind...never saw him again the rest of the day, a little ways down I passed another of our guys, And in another mile I caught up to Craig (NOMAN on here) I didnt pass him though cause i was hungry n stopped to eat my turkey n cheese sammich!
Another guy from this forum was there too somewhere, Longcut/adan, I think he had knee trouble and only did part of it, not sure. Then I moved on down to the Colorado at an easy pace, happy to be out of the wind n snow.
At Phantom Ranch I didnt even think of stopping, i had enough food n juice with me, They had nothing I needed, and I was cruzing along nicely, I got past there in about 90 minutes...
About a mile or so on i caught up to 2 other guys in our group, Eugene's father in law...I forget his name, and his friend, I stuck with him a bit then finally moved on ahead. The going was good here all along the bottom of the canyon.
At some point in here Craig, who'd stopped at Phantom for water, passed me. I criused along happy n alone for a few miles to past Ribbon Falls (14miles out) and on towards Cottonwood Camp, when Eugene caught up to me, I had thought he was in front of me, but he'd had a minor detour back at the Colorado when he missed seeing a trail sign. But now he was back on track and moving along well. Right befor Cottonwood, the 3 of us (Craig, me n Eugene) kept together for a bit off n on. We FINALLY got to Roaring Springs about 9am i think..?? We ate there, topped off our bottles, and under grey skys, started our long ascent to the north rim.
The first couple miles went well, Eugene moved off ahead, leaving Craig and I just trying to keep a steady pace up, and up and up...holy crap the north rim seems so far from Roaring Springs! but its not really, maybe 7 miles?
The views were fukn AWESOME! big falls, amazing Lord of the Rings type soaring cliff walls! , more dramatic than the south rim, and absolutely beautiful in the snow! Looked like Mother Natures fortress. Totally breathtaking.
After a bit it started snowing. There was 4-5 inches on the ground, then 7 , then 8...then we moved pretty damn slow the rest of the way til the top of the North rim, I got there in 7hrs 14min,(it was about noon) said hey to another of the guys up there,(eugene again) then he bailed and was gone. . It was freakin cold!! up there, i snapped a couple pics n bailed too, so happy to be going DOWNhill finally!
I left Craig behind, as he was having knee problems, but a couple miles down, I was suprised to see him right behind me, he said his knee felt better n he moved on ahead while I stopped at the only bathroom out there. When I got back on the trail he was outa site.
I though at first that the trip back would be uneventful...then the skys opened up and it started hailing, then got windy, then was hailing sideways...this was, uh, entertaining? It let up a lot by the time i hit Roaring Springs again. I topped off on water, ate n bailed, hoping to catch someone.....i didnt. Along the bottom again was ok, no hail or rain really...just miles.
Got more water at Cottonwood Camp, and kept runnin, at this point Ive run more than a marathon, and still had more than 15 miles to go.
Past Ribbon Falls still alone, after a few more miles (3?) I caught a runner from Utah, stuck with him a bit and chatted...was nice to have company. Then suprisingly, we turned a corner, and there was Craig, again, his knee was bad again so he was walking, I stuck with him and we walked into Phantom Ranch about 430pm for water n to sit down for 3 or 4 minutes. then we were off, crossed the bridge to south Kaiba at 451pm.
The first 3 miles the weather held n we were dry and not cold at all.
Then everything changed. It got cold, and windy. Craig had a spare nano puff and beenie, so i put those on, thankfully, and on we went, then it was muddy, and started getting dark, at 7pm we were 2 miles from the top, but moving so slow it took us 90min to cover that distance.
after another hour it was full dark, we had our headlamps on, and were exhausted, we were past our 41st mile. Then the wind got VERY bad! On the exposed knife-edge of a ridge, it was moving at a good 60mph, Craig weighs 215lbs and even he had difficulty standing in it, We both had to drop down on our hands and knees to crawl up the trail to keep from getting blown over the edge, That was pretty intense!
we got to a more sheltered part finally, but still clung to the rocks and cliff walls for fear of the winds knocking us over. It was a lil scary.
It woke us up though! We'de been sorta zoning out befor that and were feeling pretty beat, but that scare gave us a good adrenalin rush n got us movin along. Then, finally , we saw the first finnishers guys headlamps at the top! they were waithing for us! Yay
-They were very concerned bacause of how terrible the storm had gotten, But we finally made it! Its was 840pm. Ide done it in snow, wind, hail and generally awful weather, in 15 hrs 29 mins! --There were 3 people still missing , somewhere behind us. Theyre safe now, they made it up on there own just fine.
-And thats it i think! It was crazy fun!! Im soooo happy I didnt have to come up in that storm alone! Thanx NOMAN! Im pretty tough, but I know I woulda started crying if ide been alone in that.
anyway, here the very few pics i did get when i wasnt getting pounded by wind n hail!
Roaring Springs
NOMAN/craig
ME
On the way up the North rim trail
Into the snow
Lookin back down the trail
A good place to rest
random backpacker
its started snowing a lil, that's the top of the north rim up there on that wall
bathroom near top
NOMAN--were so close to the top! almost halfway done
I brought some SGMDF stickers with me! Here ya go guys...btw, i did NOT leave the stickers on the sign, i took em down after i took the pic
and one pic back at the river, with no idea what we were in for a couple miles up!
