FALL 2024 - GRAND CANYON R2R2R (ROUND 2)
Traversing the Grand Canyon, from Rim to Rim to Rim
I returned home from my Spring '24 trip to Arizona unaccomplished, but further determined. April 22 was supposed to be the day I completed my double crossing of the Grand Canyon. But what could go wrong did go wrong, and I had to bail out. You can read more about that here. Despite my frustratingly poor performance, I felt optimistic about how close I actually was to realizing my goal, and after some research, I was confident that I knew what needed to be done for a second attempt six months later.
A MODIFIED PLAN
I blamed the drastic altitude difference of the Grand Canyon (North Rim, 8,000'), compared to my training at just 50 feet, for my failure in the April, but I am not dismissing how much heat and nutrition beat me down. After returning home, one of the first things I began reading into was training for altitude at sea level. I was interested to know what goes on in the body at higher elevations, and if there were ways to reap similar benefits during training in New Jersey. My initial takeaway was that I needed to prioritize effort over endurance, stressing myself more in my workouts to lessen distress at altitude. I altered my training plan to focus more on shorter distance, higher intensity workouts for improved VO2mox. I worked in Yasso 800 workouts and continued with shorter distance, more strenuous hill repeats. I took advantage of the high Summer heat and humidity to boost plasma and red blood cell production, as well as incorporated sauna and steam room sessions into my routine.
While reading around, I came across information on how and when carbs and fats are converted to energy. This connected with what I had been reading about MCT oil, which I then began adding to my morning protein shakes to help prioritize fat burning. The idea was to train my body to prefer the longer-lasting, more efficient energy source for improved endurance, while preserving carbs. My use of MCT oil was more experimental. While there is some evidence for improved energy levels and endurance, conflicting studies do not find much benefit at all. But based on all of the other information I was taking in, and connecting its benefits with that of my Zone 2 training, it seemed like something worth trying.
During my first R2R2R attempt, not much went as expected. One of the biggest challenges then was the lack of potable water along the route, due to water pipe damage and seasonal shut off. Trying to preserve my water for the long distance I needed it to last led to quicker dehydration. Surveying along the North Kaibab trail forced me and my friend Derek to begin our run at the hottest part of the day, on a day when temperatures rose above average for the time of year, expediting exhaustion. This time around, weather and water availability along the route up to North Kaibab went as planned. The only change we knew we'd have to make was to our return up to the South Rim. In July, the Grand Canyon announced a trail closure from the Silver Bridge to Havasupai Gardens, which meant we would not be returning to the Bright Angel trailhead, and we would instead be returning back up South Kaibab where we started. Phantom Ranch would be our last source of water before our final 7-mile, 5,000 foot climb up to the trailhead.
In April, I chose to run this route one day after arriving to Flagstaff. I believed this to be the main reason that I found myself struggling to control my breathing, and what caused my rapid depletion of energy. This time, I made it a point to wait until the end of the week after giving myself time to adjust to the higher elevation. After arriving in Arizona, I spent my first 2 nights at Grand Canyon West, an elevation of about 4,000 feet, before staying in Flagstaff (~7000’) for the 3 days leading up to run day. On the day of the run, my Garmin was reporting my altitude acclimation at 4,000 feet.
As I mentally prepared and ran the course in my head, my plan was to remain slow and relaxed down to the river, preserving energy and preventing muscle fatigue by reducing the stress on my quads from running down 4,500 feet of stairs. I knew if I could just make it up North Kaibab, it wasn't a matter of "if", but "when" I would be celebrating on the South Rim.
THE RUN
October 24, 5:30am: Derek and I began our descent into the canyon from the South Kaibab Trailhead. Conditions throughout the day couldn’t have been more perfect. Night faded into blue hour, the sun rising above the rim and the morning light spilling down the canyon walls. The further down you go, the more the canyon expands around you. 5 miles in and I am looking up, down and 360° around at the incredible views surrounding me.
I made it to Phantom Ranch feeling good. My legs felt great, my energy levels were high, but most importantly for me, my breathing felt comfortable and easy. There was a hint of nervousness from the thought of my previous attempt in mind, as I was just hoping I wasn't about to suddenly hit a wall with the first bit of incline.
Cottonwood Campground was my first main milestone. Just short of there at Wall Creek was where the decision was made in April to turn around. I remember laying face down in the dirt, unable to hold down any food or water, and uncertain of how I was going to get back up off the ground, let alone hike another 16 miles back up to the rim. Crossing over and splashing my face with that cold creek water felt amazing. I was still feeling strong, and anticipating the second half of the climb up North Kaibab did not feel worrying. We were 6 miles and a 4,000 foot climb away from our mid-way point.
A good portion of the trail up North Kaibab was in shadow, but a short section left me exposed to the direct mid-day sun which wore me down a bit. The low humidity was one of the main challenges to prepare for. The dry, desert heat causes sweat to evaporate quickly, accelerating dehydration. When I first started researching this route, I came across many accounts of people who only considered the distance and elevation, but not respecting the dangers of heat stroke, hyponatremia and hyperthermia. It doesn’t matter how fit you are if you’re not eating and hydrating properly.
The canyon walls trap in heat, resulting in a 5.5°F temperature increase for every 1000 feet you go down. The day’s high at the South Rim hit 72°F, heating up the canyon floor to just shy of 100°F. Hiking up in the dry heat became more strenuous which slowed me down. My breathing started to get heavier around 6,000' elevation, but I knew after reaching the top, I would enjoy a steady 13-mile downhill cruise back down to the river.
Clouds rolled through in the afternoon, hanging around long enough for the sky to light up orange, before clearing out for a starry night. Exhaustion was starting to kick in, but I was more focused on reaching Phantom than pacing myself. Back at the ranch, we took time to rest, refill our water, and prepare for our final challenge: a 7-mile, 5,000 foot climb up to the South Rim.
It wasn't long after the initial ascent that I started struggling hard. My stomach suddenly felt weak and sipping my water made me nauseous. Every stair I had to step up took so much out of me. I knew this exact feeling, and I told myself going in that if I could just prolong this moment until my final climb, I had this.
I knew I'd be able to eventually make it out of the canyon, but my eagerness to finish made the pain feel much more frustrating. I slowly dragged on, stopping frequently to rest and settle my stomach. As I continued hiking up, I started to see runners beginning their early morning descents. It was encouraging seeing others pass by, helping to lift me up during my final 3 miles, and being able to cheer them on on their way down.
At 3:30am on October 25, I stepped foot on the South Rim. 12 months and 1 failed attempt since I began my training, I completed my journey back and forth across the Grand Canyon - a total of 45 miles with 11,621 feet of elevation gain in 22 hours. I knew in April that this moment would feel much more meaningful when I finally completed the route, and it absolutely does knowing how much effort I put in and what I had to do to overcome the setbacks I faced.
LESSONS
I am very appreciative of this accomplishment, and proud for taking on and completing this challenge. I'm going through the photos and video and thinking about how epic this moment was. Looking back on this run, I’ve thought about where I struggled and how I could have prepared better:
Leg day. I wish I continued with the stair-stepper and step-up workouts. One of my key points of focus when modifying my training plan was to incorporate leg strength training into my routine, and that's an area where I slacked. I feel that would have had a big impact on my stamina, and helped me from crashing on my final climb.
Overpacking. I need to get better at only packing what I know I'll need when trying to save weight in my pack. I packed a variety of extra gels/snacks because I expected to lose my appetite, and I wasn't sure what I'd be able to take down easiest when I had to force myself to eat. That weight begins feeling much heavier the more tired you get. I definitely packed the right stuff, just too many extras. That said,
I didn't eat/drink enough. One of my points of focus for the run was to ensure I ate a gel every 45-60 minutes. I stayed on track with this until sometime in the last 6 miles up North Kaibab. I wasn't as strict about taking them so routinely and caught myself more focused on reaching the rim than eating. The North Kaibab trailhead may have been the last time I ate for four hours before reaching Phantom Ranch. I also didn't drink enough on my way down, and wish I packed more electrolyte tabs. I should have swapped some gels for those instead.
Stay relaxed. I found myself rushing from Cottonwood down to Phantom. Sunset turned to blue hour, turned to night. The views around us disappeared into complete darkness, and I was mostly concerned with getting back to the ranch. I felt myself getting tired and exhausted, but I didn't want to stop. The thought to pace myself wasn't that concerning to me in the moment, but I definitely cared during my final climb.
In the end, I made enough positive changes to complete my out-and-back. I have a better understanding of what is necessary and possible, as well as clear direction for improvement. What an amazing experience to look back on and an epic way to explore the Grand Canyon, from rim to rim to rim.