The Grand Canyon 66K
Grand Canyon (66K), So close… yet so far far away.
My wife once had a conversation with a neighbor and the question was asked “If Patrick was ever in real danger would he be smart enough to stop?” Well we know the answer to this one. This R3 attempt was by far the greatest run, hike, “Death March” That I have ever attempted. I have zero regrets and massive amount of gratitude to be able to make the attempt. I have a new found respect for anyone who has completed R3 and to mother earth who dishes out the hurt at an alarming rate. With that said I continue to write this with an extreme level of pride for what I accomplished.
So maybe this time my lack of preparation (logistically) got the best of me. I arrived in Flagstaff at roughly 5:45 on Monday evening. I did everything I needed to to get my stuff laid out and ready for the next morning. I wasn’t exactly “wake up and go” packed, but pretty close to it. I had some dinner, looked over some notes from @Gabe Peterson R2R2R2 review and was in bed slightly after 21:00. It was a bit tough to finally fall asleep and I am still not over my jetlag. So 6 hours of shitty sleep later and my alarm goes off (3:00am). I had breakfast and got out the door at 4:00. The drive from Flagstaff to Grand Canyon South Rim is an hour plus.
I arrive at Bright Angel Lodge parking lot at 5:30 and it’s already pretty light out. By the time I get all my stuff together, pack on, etc it is 6:00. So I ask someone to snap a quick photo and I am on my way.
So running down Bright Angel is a bit tricky… it is the type or terrain where it’s too slow to walk, but awkward enough where running feels weird as well. I am not sure if I felt a stable foot anywhere and there are long stretches of 1m “stairs”. This made it almost impossible to get any kind of rhythm going. So from BA Trail Head to Indian Garden I just kind of did my thing, making sure I didn’t twist an ankle the first hour into it. From Indian Garden to Phantom Ranch was amazing but uneventful. I could feel my quads but there was no reason to panic. Based on the decent it would have been impossible to not feel them. I caught up with a guy from New Mexico named Richard and we ran together for a bit.
We made it to Phantom Ranch, sat for a bit, had a PB&J sandwich and more water, then started off on my own as he was going to head back.
Now this is where it got interesting. Interesting because it got HOT. And I just look at Phantom Ranch weather for the day and it really wasn’t that hot. It shows 65 degrees. WTF!!! I would have guessed 165 degrees. Anyway, I don’t do well in the heat and the next 7 miles to Cottonwood campground were brutal. And it’s a shame because the terrain was really beautiful… rolling hills and nothing technical. But there are is NO cover at all, you are out in the sun just baking. I had full water and bottles of tailwind, but when I got to Cottonwood I was hurting. I was surprised with all the fluids I was taking in I wasn’t peeing. And the few times I did, my urine was DARK, almost brown. Not a good sign. The water at Cottonwood was off but I mooched a bottle off a couple that was camping. I think they saw that I was in fairly bad shape.
I made the decision to push on to Manzanita and then re-evaluate. Another 1.4 miles in the wide open canyon. At this point I am run/walking, but OK with it. I knew that I wasn’t going to run the entire thing, so still feeling pretty solid with the performance despite feeling like shit. This is the point when I realize that starting at 6:00 vs 4:30 has done me in. To have had another 1.5 hours of running in the dark would have been so money. So I make it Manzanita and it’s deserted. The water is on at the ranger station, but that is the only sign of life. At this point I’ve conceded that I am not going to make it to the north rim. I will not be a Rim2Rim2Rim finisher, and I am OK with it. I fill all my water and mix some more tailwind… 3.5 liters in total.
So I left Manzanita and the strangest thing happened… I am not sure why but my body started to go UP the hill towards the North Rim. As I started to hike I thought to myself, I was sure I just convinced myself to head back. Well about a half mile up, I was done… and this was my rationale. Manzanita to North Kaibab TH is about 5 miles so 10 round trip. All I could think of was, “If I get into trouble I am fucked.” There is NOBODY around and zero support. From the time I left Phantom Ranch the only people I saw were the couple at cottonwood campgrounds. As I write this now I am reminded of David Goggins’ 40% rule… but truth be told, I was scared.
So I am now on my way back with a half walk and half shuffle. Trying to keep up with the rhythm of my poles. At this point I decided to just keep the poles out. One thing that I forgot to mention was that I only had one wrist strap the entire time. I am not sure what happened to the other one, but it was gone. The grips on my Leki Micro Trail Pro’s are not contoured, so no straps mean you are basically holding a pole with zero grip.
I make it back to Phantom Ranch and are dying for something other than tailwind and water. I get some Advil, a lemonade, and a Tecate beer. I force feed myself a cliff bar and rest for about 30 minutes or so. At this point I see some hikers who I saw earlier in the day and they all asked how the trip was. Some of them could just see it in my face. I am amazed how nice and supportive everyone was in the canyon. 30+ minutes later I am on my way. At this point all I am thinking is just gut it out until Indian Garden and then re-evaluate. It was super slow but steady, a combination of walking and running (shuffling). At this point I was sucking down all my liquid, but it didn’t seem to help. I couldn’t seem to get hydrated and hadn’t pee’d in hours.
I arrive at Indian Garden and again completely refill my bottles. By this point the canyon is empty. I hadn’t seen a soul since Phantom. At Indian Garden there is a sign that reads Bright Angel Trail Head 4.5 miles. So mentally you know you are almost home… but then again not really at all. This was one of many “oh Fuck me” moments in the next 4.5 miles. And I could not believe how close I was getting to the sheer rock wall in front of me without getting to the top. I keep saying to myself “its right fucking there, how am I going to make it to the top? There is no staircase!! Where the Fuck is the trail” So here is where the “Death March” starts. Probably the most appropriately named activity ever.
From that point to 3 mile station was an eternity. From 3 mile station to 1.5 miles it was a double eternity. And from 1.5 miles to the top was a lifetime.
Once at the top, I spent little time “celebrating” and found my way to the front desk of the Bright Angel Lodge. I checked in and went to my room. I dumped all my stuff and went right to the restaurant. I had soup, a veggie burger with super salty fries and a giant beer.
I struggled to take a shower and climb into bed. I was fried… mentally and physically I was done. I set my alarm for 12 hours in the future and proceeded to get another shitty night of sleep.
In the morning I could barely get out of bed… oooh the pain!!! Somehow I managed to get up, get all my shit packed In the car, head to get breakfast. Before going into the restaurant I swung by the front desk to ask if there was “anything special that I needed to do to checkout”.
Before I could even finish getting the entire sentence out of my mouth, I broke down and the tears were streaming down my face. At that moment I knew that it was all worth it!
Comments
If it were easy what fun would it be. No doubt a very long puzzle with so many moving parts , and in a very unforgivable location. That canyon has killed so many people there is a book about the death's (highly recommend it, a bit of a long read but lots of good info) , not to mention this year they been dying left and right . You made some very good decisions that allowed you to live to fight another day and walk away with increased education for the Ultra journey. Nothing but Respect! Thank you for sharing and will continue to watch your Zugspitz adventure.
How are you feeling physically now? No injuries?
While still fresh in your mind, make a list of lessons learned. Something like this.
1.Allow more time for something so epic. Couple days either side of event.
2.Stay closer. Maximize sleep, Minimize admin.
3.Start earlier. You will still get the heat of the day but mostly on the return trip through the bottom, if slow enough like we were (19hrs for our R3) the sun sets again and its cool again, if you can make it to this point you will come back to life, specially if you have minimized caffeine through the day and can get a caffeinated pop.
4.One-Three on the list allow you to wrap your head around a really long day, with no time limits, it will take as long as it takes.
5.Go with a buddy and stay together. NO solo, have a back up with back up gear.
6.There will be highs and lows , learn how to recognize them , and how to deal with them . They do come and go, and these are easier to work through when you have back up.
Congrats on a truly epic experience and the smarts to head back instead of dying out there alone. No failure at all, just doing great things with your fitness.
But I have to agree with @tim cronk about not going solo. I once solo hiked a small mountain in Colorado in winter and was very lucky to make it back ... pre cell phone days and nobody even knew where I had gone.
Still ... huge kudos for the R3!!
Thanks for sharing! and congratulations 👍
Thanks for sharing. Tough day with warm weather and being solo. Here's to your next R3R3R3 attempt!
Thanks @Tony Puckett I will definitely do it again. If I had been with someone I would have been able to gut it out I am sure. I just 'want to get into trouble. The "oops, guess I was wrong" consequence was pretty high.
I will 100% attempt it again. Maybe later in the year when the north rim is open and temps are cooler... early October maybe? And definitely with a running mate.
Maybe it needs to be an EN event :)
Getting dehydrated out on the trail is a serious issue. Check this article out from last weekend. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/02/hiking-death-teen-dies-during-outing-boy-scout-group/3658119002/
@Paul Hough man that is nuts- I lived in Scottsdale (just outside Phoenix) for 6 years so I understand what the real heat there is like. And unfortunately this happens a lot. Most don't end up like this, but yes it is no joke.
Congratulations for having the sense to turn around when you did. I've hiked to Phantom and back but had 2 nights in between. Cannot even what you accomplished. Glad you made it back safe and sound.
@Patrick Large - unbeknownst to me until yesterday; my youngest son attempted the R2R2R today. He had much cooler weather than you, but I also knew he was sick. Anyway, he said he made it to the other rim in six hours and bailed because he was feeling too achy. He had to catch a shuttle that goes 210 miles to get back to the other side. Ugh!
@Jennifer Eckert thanks for the kind words. Yes the R3 is the real F*cking deal. I am not sure if you've done it, but if you know anyone who has... they are a complete badass.
@Paul Hough Like I said to Jennifer above, I have a new found respect for anyone who has finished it. It is so tough and depending on the circumstances you are constantly walking the line between, "just pushing forward" and "this is dangerous". I also think that since it is not an "official race" it adds a little bit of danger to it. There are no aid station, medical, neutral support, etc. on the course. It's you and mother earth. Anyway, if your son is anything like me, he loved the experience and knows that there is unfinished business. Maybe he and I will run it together in 2020 and finish what we both started :) Make sure he knows he made the right decision... always better to pull the plug and live to fight another day!
@Patrick Large just now catching up on your adventure -- been AWOL from EN for a while with the move to San Diego. Hats off for taking your shot. R2R2R is fucking legit. I was back in Utah this weekend and went for a run with my buddy Justin who did R2R2R with me. We both agreed it was one of the most epic runs we've ever done, including four 100s between the two of us. We both said we find ourselves day dreaming about that run. It was such as tough but magical day.
@tim cronk dropped some wisdom above. The only thing I would add is I think that descent out of Bright Angel gets a lot of runners. I was lucky that I just happened to be at the Grand Canyon with my family about five weeks before my R2R2R attempt. I stole out before dawn one morning and ran down to the Colorado River and back. My quads were sore for several days. It's pretty hard to simulate since there are not many 5,000ft runnable descents. I'd maybe suggest anyone attempting this find the longest descent near you and run it hard, over and over. Then do it more.
Anyway, congrats on spending a great day in the Canyon! Makes you want to go back, doesn't it? :)
@Gabe Peterson thanks for the words. I will come back as I have some unfinished business. Maybe next year and maybe in October/November or the last weekend that the north rim is open. And definitely with a mate.
@Patrick Large I been meaning to circle back for a couple quick stories about the weekend in Arizona where the boyscout died in the article @Paul Hough posted.
The same day the boyscout died on Picacho Peak, Heather and I ventured out for a planned 3hr day on a very familiar Wasson Peak. We knew it was gonna be a hot one and we did everything right, we left early, we carried 4-5hrs water for a 3hr excursion, carried phones, had a plan (we travel different speeds so have a plan for each of us) etc. Both of us took longer than planned stretching it out to 3.5hrs, then I took a wrong turn making that 4hrs, when I noticed I was off course, I had 2 known ways back, but I needed to check a map to see which was quicker, of course my phone wouldnt get a signal and my app was the spinning wheel of death trying to update , so I just went the way I came rather than risk a longer alternative, ending up arriving back at the car having just finished up the remainder of my water.
The next day, similar plan, different location. I passed a friend of ours at 2 miles who is actually training for the GC next year, her goal is PR in a day, then overnight and back out the next day, I went 5 miles and flipped it as was my plan, on my return I caught Heather who was with our friend and who was clearly in trouble, I watched them a few minutes before I made myself known and she was stumbling pretty good, Heather was leading her to a tiny spot in the shade, I took one look at her, made her sit down, asked if she was eating/drinking (of course Heather had already done this) She had a 2 liter pack , I made her drink, she said she couldnt eat but was trying, I gave her a piece of a maple waffle, then a 20 mg caffeinated gel which she sipped over the next hr, Heather was giving me really concerned looks, she was really bad, they rested some more in the shade, I left them and finished my run/hike with a friend that was with me, I left him at the car and went back to Heather, they were just coming out of the technical section, she was looking and sounding much better, the gel had done its magic, she had drank the remainder of her water, they had already decided Heather would drive her home and I would go home with my buddy and then go get Heather. That womans husband was very upset, she was only supposed to be gone 3hrs and was gone over 6hrs and only covered 5 miles. Its a busy trail and someone would have helped her or called 911 but I wonder how it would have turned out if we didnt happen along and Heather baby sit her for hours. We were supposed to have dinner with them that night and it was cancelled as she was still a bit sick. She did lots right like leaving really early and carrying lots of water, but she did not eat anything for breakfast (was nibbling almonds during hike) was not fit enough for the trail and heat. Hopefully some lessons learned.
@Patrick Large Finally reading this now. What a great read. It's crazy how that weather can just suck all of the fluids and life out of you. Very Very smart decision to turn when you did. You still had an Epic day and that Canyon will be there for you to tackle any time you want.
Tons of good advice already above. The most relevant ones I will echo here: 1) get the admin right to setup better start conditions. 2) pick an optimal day on the calendar (we did it on Halloween and had optimal weather conditions, but that may be as much luck as anything). 3) bring a friend (or 3), it increases the safety factor, allows you to be pulled along by someone else's high while you're in a low and vice-versa, sometimes two heads are better than one for things like reminders to eat/drink and decision making and just sharing different nutrition, etc.
Serious thanks for sharing this experience with the EN community. It's reports like this that make us all smarter/stronger/more motivated/etc.
@John Withrow thanks for the comment. Yes there will be a rematch and this time on MY (and better) terms. The canyon is amazing and R3 is something that should be done over and over again!!