Epic Epic Grand Canyons - 3

June 14th, 2010


Rim to Rim Day 1: Roaring Springs, Cottonwood Campground


Day 1 of our trek! We woke at 4:30am and went into a little frenzy in getting ready (I was anyway) so we can leave as soon as possible. I've read all about no hiking during hours of 10am - 4pm due to heat in the Grand Canyons, so I was keen on hiking during those off hours. But getting ready took longer than I expected, we had to cook breakfast, take down tents, repack, put on sunscreen....etc etc. We officially set out at 6:30.

On our way to the North Kaibab trailhead, I felt happy and optimstic about our grand trek across the Canyons, whatever doubt I had about making it across was kept well at bay. When we reached the trailhead of North Kaibab Trail, I felt the need to take a "before" photo, thinking it would be sweet victory when we emerge from the Canyons 4 days later and have our "after" photo.

The hiking went very well for the first 2 hours, we were making good time while snapping lots of pictures. Everywhere you look is amazing scenery from the Canyons, it's hard not to take out your camera and capture it. We did some alphabet games too - from health issues, fruit names to song verses. It was good times.

Sometimes after the 2 hour mark, my big toes started hurting. My hiking shoes were still new so they were hard as rock. On the down-canyon trek, my big toes would hit on the front of the shoes with every step. When the pain got to be too much, I took off my shoes to have a look during one of our breaks. Cathy then helped me put on some moleskin on the toes and bandaged them up. Jennie offered some painkillers, which I gladly took. The combo of the two treatments made me feel loads better and ready to walk again.

When we started walking after the toe wrap break, I had one thing in my mind - relaxing by the creek with my feet soaking in it. It was something that the mule driver had said when we talked to him by the Supai Tunnel. "Your hike is as good as [the condition of] your feet" he said, and he suggested to stop by the creek and relax. I can't agree more.

It felt like a long trek to the Roaring Springs. For about 30 mins after we first spotted the spring, I couldn't see the trail heading down for the spring. When we finally arrived at the crossroads, we had another 20 mins to go before reaching the water. At that point I felt tired, sweat-soaked and in pain. Every step was an effort and I couldn't wait to take off my pack when we reach the creek.

It felt good when I got to take off the pack and even better when I took my feet out of the boots. I was in absolute bliss when I put my feet into the cold stream - hmm hmm heaven! It was all worth the effort.

It took another 1.5 to 2 hours to get to the Cottonwood Campground, I was absolutely ready to drop when we got there. While I sat exhausted on a bench, Hnin and Cathy went to find an empty lot. Turns out that lots of people had arrived before us and naturally took up the campgrounds lots with shade. We eventually took up a spot close to a nearby stream. Cathy and Jennie made their own shade with their tent footprint and trekking poles. We then all sat and enjoyed the fruits of their labor and creativity! A trip to the creek revived me after I wiped all the sweat away. I still smelled awful, but no longer covered in a layer of sweat salt.

Dinner followed and Jennie whipped out her hot chocolate packets and kindly offered them to us. We all laughed at the image of drinking hot chocolate at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in June heat. Good times, good times.

We went to bed early in anticipation of an early hike tomorrow - at the middle of the night I woke to Hnin's effort to bring her sleeping bag inside the tent. When we went to sleep, the ground was still warm from the sun but it grew chilly throughout the night. She was fiddling for a little while so that kept me up, but it was all good -- the night sky I saw from my tent was the most beautiful I've seen in a long time.