After a delicious breakfast of Moroccan oatmeal, we got going on the North Kaibab Trail to hike 7 miles down to the Cottonwood Camp Ground. According to the Park Service: The North Kaibab Trail is the least visited but most difficult of the three maintained trails at Grand Canyon National Park. The trailhead is at 8241 ft and the campground is at 4080 ft-yup we have to go straight down over 4000 ft in 7 miles-ouch!
Here you can see some of the trail-all of the trail you see we hiked-then it turns right and you can't see it anymore.
At least it was a pretty day!
More of the trail:
There were a few things on the trail I didn't expect, like pretty fall colors but the most annoying of them were all the trail runners-what is wrong with you people??? You are in the Grand Canyon and you're just running past it-not appreciating it all! I think these people are crazy!
After an exhausting seven miles, we finally made it to camp (not before a super perky teenage trail runner jogged by me and had to say 'Yay! Keep up the good work!' She's lucky I didn't have the energy to throw my boot at her!)
And even though my feet were killing me-my two best friends, Aleve and duct tape made everything a little better!
After one of the most beautiful and warmest nights camping I've ever experienced, it was time to go. What goes down the Grand Canyon must go back up! This is the part I was scared of!
This is what we had to go back up-the little plateau in the center of the picture is where the trailhead is
At least we had the most perfect morning to do the most demanding and painful hikes I have ever done!
After climbing, climbing, climbing, and climbing we finally made it to the top-in only 4 1/2 hours! Keith thought it would take
us me 6 hours! After we got up to the top I started eating and haven't really stopped-pizza, Snickers, Pepsi, ice cream-delicious!
I can't believe it! We hiked down into the Grand Canyon! Even though I can barely walk today, it was totally worth it!!
i like the part about the perky teenage trail runner.... grand canyon is one of aaron and I's favorite places! he reminded me though, we went a month later in the year, when there was snow... clearly there is no snow there now. looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely one of my new favorite places! We are going to go back to the south rim over Thanksgiving-no backpacking then though! It would be so beautiful snow covered!
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