Grand Canyon 100

October 12-13, 2006

Davy Crockett

“33 hours of fun and 6 hours of torture”

The Grand Canyon is truly a wonder of the world. To run through it is a cherished experience. I have run six previous double crossings (rim-to-rim-to-rim) and believed I was ready to attempt a quad crossing or double double (rim-to-rim-to-rim-to-rim-to-rim). Several people (probably fewer than ten) have accomplished this feat before. Jim Nelson broke the speed record on November 6, 1999, with a time of 22:48. Previous to this, Wally Shiel established the quad record on October 4, 1987 with a time of 24:45. A typical quad using the South Kaibab trail is about 88 miles. I didn’t want to do just a typical quad, nor go after any speed records. Instead I wanted to add some variation to the route, cover some trails I hadn’t seen yet, and make sure I covered at least 100 miles. I would probably be the first person to cover 100 miles in a 4-crossing run.

I knew that I should not take such an adventure lightly. Each year several people die in the canyon from falls, exposure, flash floods, or sheer stupidity. I had no desire to be an entry in the “Death in Grand Canyon” book. Most of these chronicled deaths are young males who think they are invincible. Too many people are foolish in the canyon. They underestimate their abilities or go there when it is hot. Those who die of exposure usually take too little water and end up leaving the trail in a desperate attempt to try to shortcut to the river. I have been to the bottom of the canyon twelve times now, so I knew what cautions should be taken to ensure my safety.

For example, in 1996, the National Park Service (NPS) rangers performed 482 searches and rescues involving 377 injured or ill people, 18 of whom died. More than 700 people have died in the canyon. More than 600 of these have been below the rim. Over 75 deaths have been “environmental deaths” including heat exposure. There have been about 100 deaths from falls. Solo hiking increases the tragic odds of death in the canyon. A canyon expert, George Steck puts it, “A solo hiker often has a fool for a companion.”

My Planned Route

I planned to start from the North Kaibab trailhead at the North Rim. The first crossing would include an ascent on the South Kaibab Trail to the South Rim. From there, I wanted to run about six miles along the rim to the Bright Angel Trailhead. For the return crossing, I would descend to Indian Garden and then take the Tonto Trail east to the South Kaibab Trail. From there I would go to Phantom Ranch and ascend back up to the North Rim via the North Kaibab trail. The first double crossing would be about 53 miles. For the second double crossing, I would do my normal route via North Kaibab trail and Bright Angel trails. The total adventure would be about 100.4 miles.

Training

I have had a good injury-free running year. My training regiment during the summer has consisted mostly of long runs or races with resting and walking between the events. I have completed four tough 100-mile races, including two 100-mile races in the past month. I have trained/raced 1,952 miles thus far in 2006. This adventure would put me over the 2,000 mile-mark.

Planning

I would have three major “aid stations” along the way. My car at mile 53, and Bright Angel Lodge (South Rim) at miles 27 and 77. I needed to make sure I arrived at Bright Angel Lodge when it was open so I could buy food. Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the canyon has a store (The Canteen). It is open 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (Arizona time – no daylight saving time). I decided to not depend on this store as an aid station. Instead I would bring down enough food both times for my return ascents. In order to guarantee that I would arrive at the South Rim during the day both times, I needed to start my run during the morning. I planned on a 10:00 a.m. start.

Temperature was also a factor in my planning. I charted the probable temperature to help me plan what clothes I needed along the way. During the first crossing the temperature would be between 50-75 degrees. (North Rim 50, Phantom Ranch 75, South Rim 65. I had no need for warm clothes during that crossing. But for the return crossing, the temperature would get cold as I ascended back to the North Rim, dipping down to about 34 degrees by the time I returned to my car. Therefore, I needed to stash some warm clothes somewhere on the north side during my first crossing. The second double crossing would start cold (about 32 degrees) but would be warm by the time I reached Cottonwood Campground. I probably would not need the warm clothes for the rest of the trip because the temperature would not dip below 40 degrees.

For safety, I would bring down an emergency blanket in case I had trouble and needed to spend the night at the bottom. I also decided to keep my flashlight with me at all times. I knew that with the 100-mile distance, the unexpected can and would happen. I could get injured from a fall or from the stress of the long miles or huge elevation gains and losses. I could get sick and not be able to eat. My plans needed to expect the unexpected. Water would not be a problem except for the South Kaibab Trail. For that ascent during the afternoon, I would need three water bottles. For all other times, two bottles would be sufficient. The faucets would be on along the North Kaibab and Bright Angel trails.

How fast did I plan to travel? I knew that I wouldn’t really try to race this adventure. I wanted to take time to enjoy the scenery, take plenty of pictures, and talk to other hikers. But I also didn’t want to be out there too long. The longer it took, the more pain I would feel in my feet. I planned for a 34-hour adventure. I wanted to try to do the first crossing fast, but would back off for the rest of the adventure. Below is my planning chart.

Location	Miles	Split	Clock	Elapsed	store	Temperature	Light	Plans
North Kaibab TH	0	0.0	10:00 AM	0:00:00		50		10:00
Cottonwood CG	6.9	6.9	11:30 AM	1:30:00		73		stash warm stuff
Phantom Ranch	14.0	7.1	12:45 PM	2:45:00	open	80
Tonto Trail	16.7	2.7	1:45 PM	3:45:00		80
S Kaibab TH	21.1	4.4	3:00 PM	5:00:00		65
B. Angel TH	26.9	5.8	4:30 PM	6:30:00	open	65		eat dinner
Indian Garden CG	31.5	4.6	6:30 PM	8:30:00		65	dark
S. Kaibab Jct	36.1	4.6	8:00 PM	10:00:00		65	dark
Phantom Ranch	38.8	2.7	8:45 PM	10:45:00	open	65	dark
Cottonwood CG	45.9	7.1	10:30 PM	12:30:00		55	dark	get warm stuff
North Kaibab TH	52.8	6.9	1:30 AM	15:30:00		34	dark	eat pleny
Cottonwood CG	59.7	6.9	4:00 AM	18:00:00		47	dark	stash warm stuff
Phantom Ranch	66.8	7.1	6:00 AM	20:00:00	closed	55	dawn
Indian Garden CG	72.0	5.2	8:30 AM	22:30:00		60
B. Angel TH	76.6	4.6	10:30 AM	24:30:00	open	50		eat brunch
Indian Garden CG	81.2	4.6	12:00 PM	26:00:00		65
Phantom Ranch	86.4	5.2	1:30 PM	27:30:00	open	75
Cottonwood CG	93.5	7.1	5:00 PM	31:00:00		75		get warm stuff
North Kaibab TH	100.4	6.9	8:00 PM	34:00:00		40	dark

What to take? During daylight, I would carry two hand-held bottles. In my waistpack I would carry a third bottle during the first double crossing, and carry my flashlight in my other bottle slot. In my two pouches on the waistpack I would carry food (Hammer Gel flask, Instant Breakfast, Powdered Gatorade, Nutterbutters, Twists, and beef jerky.) I also would bring a camera. In my racing shorts pockets I would carry my pills (S-caps, Advil, Tums, etc.), MP3 player, minirecorder, and toilet paper. To haul down some warm clothes (long-sleeve biking shirt, gloves, hat, and emergency blanket), I took a small camelback and stuffed the clothes into the pocket that normally would hold the bladder.

Why do this?

This question is always asked by someone I come across during one of my long adventures. I have several reasons.

To face and accomplish a challenge with myself. In this case the challenge is not a race against competitors, or even a race against the clock. The challenge is mine alone. I must endure pain and adjust along the way to find comfort. My knowledge, skill, and training will help me find comfort rather than just endure torture. I need to analyze the physical signals along the way and make the proper adjustments. If I didn’t, I will fail the challenge.
To observe the creations of God and the effects of nature. In the Grand Canyon the two come together in a spectacular way. There are so many sights and sounds to see.
To clear my mind from worldly stresses.
To experience an amazing adventure. Despite careful planning, the canyon will dictate my experience.

First Crossing, North Kaibab to South Kaibab (7:30 a.m – 2:00 p.m.)

In order to avoid a long seven-hour drive before running, I drove halfway the night before and attempted to get some sleep at a motel. I awoke at 3:30 a.m and decided to forgo attempts for more sleep and instead “get this show on the road.” I arrived at the North Kaibab Trailhead at about 7 a.m. and made my final preparations.

North Kaibab Trailhead

The morning was beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky to obstruct the sun as it made its appearance. It was nippy outside. The cars at the trailhead all had frost on their windshields. I shivered in my shorts and short-sleeves as I made final preparations. I knew I would become warm very soon once I started to descend into the canyon. A few yards away, some mules stirred in their pen as they observed my presence. As I gathered my things, a couple of muleskinners arrived to outfit the mules for a morning trip into the canyon.

Trail through forest of pines and aspens

At about 7:30 a.m., I started my now familiar run through the pine and aspen forest at the top of the North Rim. The trail quickly headed downward and I began to prance down the steep switchbacks into the canyon, losing hundreds of feet of elevation in just a matter of a few minutes. I quickly came upon day hikers and backpackers who had started their journey before me. Some heard me coming, others were startled as I came near. I greeted each of them as I passed. At Supai Tunnel, I observed hikers taking a rest, filling their drinking containers. I was pleased to see that the water faucet was still turned on. That would mean that I could refill there on my return trip. The lighting on the trail was challenging. There was a mixture of bright sunshine at a low angle and dark shade. Because of this, I was having some difficulty navigating through the rocks.

After only 30 minutes into my adventure, the unexpected happened. I knew that I should expect something unexpected, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. It was taking me awhile to warm up my legs, so my initial pace was relatively slow. I decided that it was time to push the pace faster. As I did, I passed an older couple who gave me that look which could only mean, “Is this guy crazy or what? He’s running down the trail!” After I passed them, I reached the next sharp switchback corner and put my foot on a rock in attempt to cut the corner a little bit. My foot slid right off the rock and down I went! I immediately knew I was injured, but I was more concerned about how foolish I looked falling in full view of this couple. The fall was a bad one, hard enough to pop off the top of my water bottle.

I quickly picked myself up, put on the top of my water bottle, and again continued running down the trail. After I was out of view from the couple, I slowed and took an injury inventory. I first noticed a huge bump the size of golf ball coming out of the side of my arm. I checked the rotation and extension of my arm and determined that no bones were broken nor key muscles injured. It looked like a bad contusion to a fleshy part of my arm. Second, I noticed a bad gash near my left knee. The blood was flowing and making a mess. Third, I felt pain in my upper right chest. I probably bruised a rib and noticed blood oozing through my shirt. I was thankful that I had been carrying a bottle in each hand. The bottles took most of the force and I only had a few minor scrapes on my knuckles.

Ok, so the unexpected already happened. I determined that I was still feeling well and could continue on. I did question whether or not this would cause me to stop short of my goal. I backed off the pace, vowed to be more careful, and took it easy as I recovered from the shock of the fall. In an attempt to bring down the swelling in my arm, at times I held my arm above my head as I ran down the trail. After about a half hour the pain set in and I determined that my biggest concern would be the chest injury. The jarring from running fast down the trail increased the pain. I hoped that things would calm down and they did.

Loud waterfall in Bright Angel Creek

After crossing the first bridge over Bright Angel Creek, near the Aiken house (mile 6), I stashed my small pack with warm clothes behind a bush. It was nice to be free of the excess weight. As I was approaching Cottonwood Campground, I pulled out my minirecorder and dictated my adventure thus far. I mentioned: “The temperature has warmed up, probably in the 50’s, it feels OK. The trail is somewhat rough because of recent runoff and all the mules. It is rougher than I have seen it before.”

Trail crossing wash

As I ran below Cottonwood Campground, I noticed the effects of recent flooding from the past week of heavy rain. In some locations I could see that the water had run down the trail about a foot deep. When I crossed Wall Creek, I could see wet evidence that the creek had been thigh-deep earlier in the week. Bright Angel Creek was running high enough requiring a detour through a marshy beaver pond area. I did my best to keep my feet dry, but didn’t succeed. Soon I descended into The Box, a narrow four-mile winding canyon. I recorded, “The sun is peaking through the deep canyon that I’m in. I’m seeing plenty of day hikers and backpackers going up or down. I’m in a narrow gorge. The trail is just above the fast running creek. This is my favorite section of the crossing because of the gentle slope. At this time of the morning it is nice and cool, you can run through here pretty fast.” I reached the next bridge over the creek and took the next picture.

Bridge in The Box over Bright Angel Creek

Trail carved into cliff, creek below

I reached Phantom Ranch (mile 7.1) at 12:07 p.m. As I refilled my bottles, a lady there was very concerned about my bloody knee. She kindly offered me any help, but I tried to assure her that I was fine, that these things happen.

Phantom Ranch

For fueling, instead of hauling down cans of Ensure, I decided to use Instant Breakfast mixed in water. It was working great and tasted great. I mixed my drinks, and made sure I had three bottles full for the warm trip up South Kaibab Trail.

Black Bridge over Colorado River

Tunnel at the end of bridge

Above Black Bridge

Black Bridge far below

Half moon in the sky

Mules resting at Tonto Trail Junction

I had never gone up South Kaibab trail before. It was enjoyable seeing some new scenery. I crossed over the Colorado River on Black Bridge, going through a tunnel on the north side. I stopped there to make a shoe adjustment, cleaning my feet to avoid blister problems. I decided that it was worth the time and effort to carefully take care of my feet during this adventure. The trail quickly turned steeply up (an average 22% grade), winding back and forth over switchbacks. I caught a glimpse of a mule train high above and set a goal to pass it soon. I finally caught up to it before arriving at the Tonto Trail junction. It was evidently a supply mule train. Their saddlebags were empty for the trip up.

Phantom Ranch far below

Skeleton Point

Almost to the top

I was becoming annoyed with the South Kaibab trail. The trail was much rougher and less maintained than Bright Angel Trail. While this trail had better panoramic views, the landscape is desolate compared to the lush green scenery in the drainages along Bright Angel Trail. There was very little shade along the trail. The higher I went, the views of the canyon became more and more amazing. I said into my recorder, “The South Kaibab trail was rancid. It was just like walking up stairs, unrunnable. I couldn’t get a good pace going – hot and exposed. I just took it easy and didn’t push it too hard. I had some problems with my left foot that slowed me down. So it was just grinding uphill. I passed a lot of people and finally got to the top. It took longer than expected. I wasn’t eating right and was running out of food and water.”

South Kaibab Trailhead

I finally reached the top, Yaki Point, at 2:00 p.m. It had been a long 6.5-hour crossing. Despite my slower than planned pace, I was still ahead of schedule because of my early start.

Rim Trail (2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)

Next up, was a flat six-mile run along the rim to Grand Canyon Village. As I approached Mather Point, I was amazed to see the crowds taking in views of the canyon. It almost felt like the canyon had been teleported to Asia. The Asian tourists were everywhere. It was so crowded that it was just impossible to run along the trail. I had to walk with everyone else. I looked out of place. I was dirty head-to-toe. One elderly lady asked if I had been hiking. I explained that I had come from the North Rim. A man chimed into the conversation and asked me many questions. The lady finally understood that I had come up from the bottom of the canyon. I guess she had thought that I had somehow run around the canyon. The man was amazed, and I didn’t try to explain that my journey was actually only a quarter complete.

Amazing canyon view

I would run around cracks below in the evening

Crowds on Mather Point

Two guys out on a dangerous ledge

Foolish candidates for Death book

More candidates on a ledge

I decided to just enjoy my run/walk along the rim and act like a sight-seeing tourist. I took many pictures and enjoyed the stunning views. What an amazing day – not a cloud in the sky and no haze in the canyon. I shook my head several times as I passed by many people who were taking dangerous chances out on high ledges. They were becoming prime candidates for the next edition of “Death in Grand Canyon.” I finally arrived at Bright Angel Lodge at about 3:30 p.m.

Rim Trail

Second Crossing, Bright Angel, Tonto, to North Kaibab (4:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.)

I washed up at the lodge restroom and then tried to find a place to eat. The lines were very long everywhere. Finally I figured out that the line at the snack shop was all for ice cream. I pushed my way past everyone, grabbed a sandwich and bagel and went to the cashier. I received some frowns, either for cutting in line or because of my dirty clothes. I was pleased that I still had a very good appetite. I drank a coke and ate my food without any problem. I bought a chocolate bar and some Poweraid for the road. After a good rest, I was ready for my return trip and was underway at about 4 p.m.

The trail was crowded on the way down to Indian Garden. Most of the traffic was headed up. At 4:30 p.m., near the 3-mile rest stop, I pulled out my recorder and mentioned: “The sun is going down. As far as problems: My chest still hurts but is bearable. My arm is fine. My knee is fine. But my feet. . . With these hills, constant up, constant down, it wears on your feet in a certain way. There is no variation. I’m sure I am developing some blisters – nothing terrible yet.” I came across three women who recognized me from the morning coming down from the North Rim. They stopped me to ask what I was doing. I explained that I was going back to the North Rim. They were impressed. I left them shocked when I explained that after I arrived at the North Rim, I would turn around and repeat the journey, doing four crossings.

Me about 2 miles down from the rim

The late afternoon canyon

Mule rails at Indian Garden

View along Tonto Trail

After Indian Garden, I left the Bright Angel Trail and started traveling on the Tonto Trail east to South Kaibab Trail. The Tonto trail doesn’t receive mule traffic so it is not chewed up and less defined. I quickly started to enjoy the rolling hills up and down across the plateau. My only complaint was that the trail was so narrow that the prickly bushes kept brushing against my bare legs.

The last rays of the sun started to disappear from the high ridges. I reflected that I had only traveled 33 miles during the daylight. It was somewhat discouraging to think that despite all of my running during the day, my journey was only one-third complete. I looked up above me and could see the location of the various viewpoints along the south rim. Occasionally I could see the flash of a camera. I let out some loud whoops, wondering if anyone could hear me. I recall reading accounts how people on the rim could hear cries for help from people down on this plateau. I next took out my flashlight and started a game of shining my bright light up to the tourists on the rim. I wondered if they could see my fast movement along the trail. As it got darker, I pulled out my headlamp, put it on the rear of my head, and turned on the bright red light. Now as I ran toward the north, the tourists could still see my red light shining up to them. I was feeling wonderful. During 100-milers, I always start feeling so strong and alive as the temperature cools down at dusk. I really enjoyed running up and down, in and out of all the drainages along the plateau including across some running water at Burro Springs. I arrived at the South Kaibab Trail junction at 6:45 p.m.

In tunnel exiting to Black Bridge

Crossing Black Bridge

As I was descending down South Kaibab, I could see the lights of Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the canyon. Someone noticed me and kept flashing a light up to me. I joined in the game and returned the flashes. It was fun to run at night along the trail. It was quiet and peaceful without anyone around. I ran strongly into Phantom Ranch (mile 38.8) at 7:30 p.m., the 12-hour mark in my journey. There was a large group of hikers outside of the Canteen, apparently waiting for the store to open at 8:00. I called my wife Linda from a pay phone to let her know that I was at the bottom for the second time, doing fine. I only stayed long enough to fill up my bottles and then was on my way again. Bright Angel Campground and Phantom Ranch was still full of activity as everyone was preparing for their night’s rest. .

Crossing a bridge in The Box

For me, there would be no rest. I continued north, back into The Box and enjoyed the run along the creek in the dark canyon. As I was running, I pulled out my recorder and said, “I’m feeling OK. Things are holding together as far as I can tell. We’ll see as it gets steep. As I shine my light into Bright Angel Creek I can see the reflection of eyes shining back at me from some kind of animals watching me go by. Kind of eerie. Phantom Ranch was alive with activity. But once I got away from it, it was quiet and dark. There is no moon out. The stars are beautiful up there in a clear sky. I’m trying to make some progress and time. I’ll push up to the top of this thing and then we’ll see what happens. I can hear the sounds of night – the crickets and the roar of Bright Angel Creek. With my slower pace, I’m paying attention more to eating and drinking. Since I’m not pushing it that hard, my appetite is staying with me and I can really eat anything I want.”

Grand Canyon Beaver

As I was going through the marshy wet area before Cottonwood Campground, I was startled when I almost stepped on a big animal. I pointed my light down and greeted a large beaver in the middle of the trail. He wasn’t in any hurry and didn’t move much. I didn’t want him to start chewing on my filthy legs thinking they were trees, so I told him to move aside and let me pass. He waddled slowly along the trail for awhile and finally moved to the side.

I didn’t see anyone stirring at Cottonwood Campground. I filled up and continued on. I went on further and retrieved my stash of warm clothes. A mouse had eaten some of my Nutterbutters, so I tossed them out. At 11:20 p.m., at about mile 50 above Roaring Spring, I pulled out my recorder. My voice was tired and sounded a little discouraged. I said, “I’m getting drowsy. I stopped and am taking a little rest. I certainly don’t want to fall off of one of these cliffs. I’m starting to wake up. . . . I’m still feeling relatively OK, just a little bit drowsy. I’ll turn my music back on and see if I can get some life going. Whew! I put my warm stuff on. I’m sweating in it, but the breeze is coming up and it is getting cooler the higher I get. Sitting here I’m cooling off. So, I’ll push on.”

The wind kicked up starting at the bridge over Roaring Spring Canyon until the top. I just grinded it up the trail at a steady pace. I wasn’t eating enough, running out of food, but knew I could eat plenty back at my car. Finally at about 1:30-1:45, I arrived back at North Kaibab trailhead. I had accomplished my 7^th double-crossing of the Grand Canyon.

My car was covered with frost. I got in the car and immediately started to shiver terribly. I turned on the heater and for the first fifteen minutes just rested and tried to bring my body heat up. I changed into a dry shirt and filled up my stomach with food and drink. After a half hour, I finally felt well again and made preparations to head back out into the cold dark night to continue my amazing journey. I never had any thoughts about quitting. I was determined to continue on and complete a quad crossing.

Third Crossing, North Kaibab to Bright Angel (2:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

My muscles started to cramp, so I quickly pushed myself out of the car. I had reloaded my pouches with food. I decided to leave behind my camera and use its space for food. I knew that eating plenty would be critical for the remaining 47 miles. At about 2:30 a.m. I was again heading down into the Grand Canyon. It felt so good to be heading downhill again. My muscles quickly adjusted and I was able to get into a rhythm and move at a decent pace. As I shined my light across a chasm, it was funny to see sets of eyes reflecting back at me on the cliffs.

At 3:30 a.m. (mile 56) I said into my recorder, “I’m about a mile above Roaring Spring. There is a half moon out, almost directly overhead. My legs are OK. My quads are a little tight and sore from the downhill but they are still working. I’m going pretty slow, but doing OK.”

Near Roaring Spring I ran into a large group of hikers. I think they were the same group I saw at Phantom Ranch. Evidently they had waited for the store to open and then started their long slow hike back up. They still were several hours from the top and probably wouldn’t arrive before dawn.

At 6:15 a.m. (mile 63) I said into my recorder: “I’m at about mile 63 heading into The Box for the third time. I had a long delay at Cottonwood Campground to fix a foot, change a sock, clean it up, and take off my warm clothes. . . . I’m almost to the bottom for the third time. I’m generally feeling OK. I’m getting pooped. It seems like after that rest at Cottonwood, I felt a lot better. So if I do start struggling, I’ll just have to take more rests. The dawn is appearing. I just turned off my flashlight.”

As I was nearing Phantom Ranch, I ran into another ultra runner doing a double crossing who I later learned was Mark? Shepherd. He asked me if I was on my way back to the South Rim. I sheepishly explained that I was actually on my third trip across, that I was attempting a quad. He understood quickly what I was attempting and gave me good words of encouragement.

I arrived at Phantom Ranch (mile 67) at about 7:30 a.m. I had been at this adventure for 24 hours now. I reflected that I had covered about 33 miles during the night. When I had last been at the ranch, people were getting ready for bed, now they were up and getting ready for the day ahead.

After a quick rest at the ranch, I again felt revived and ran well along the River Trail and pushed it hard up to Indian Garden. Despite all the miles I had covered, it was strange to consider that I was only half way accomplishing the climbs. I still had two rims to summit. I ran into more runners on the way down. Some were only doing a rim-to-river-and-back, but others looked like they were at least doing a rim-to-rim. We greeted each other with respect and I always said, “good job” as they ran by.

After Indian Garden I again had to make a long stop, this time to fix my other foot. I changed the sock, cleaned up the foot, and felt much better afterwards. I pushed a strong pace up the steep trail. With about four miles to go, at 10:00 a.m., sounding very tired, I made my last recording on the trail and mentioned: “I’m at mile 74. It is about 50 degrees in the shade. It feels really nice…. Boy, I still have another crossing that will take me at least 9 hours. I probably won’t finish before 9 p.m.” Right after that, a group of hikers traveling quite fast caught up to me. I did my best to hang with them. With two miles to go, I ran out of gas and struggled slowly the rest of the way to top. I reached the South Rim at about 12:00 p.m. It seemed like I had just been there, but that was 20 hours ago. I bought bagels, a sandwich, and a coke. It all went down great. I had a nice rest on top but I was anxious to start the final leg of my adventure.

Fourth Crossing, Bright Angel to North Kaibab (1:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.)

At 1:00 p.m., I started my journey across the Grand Canyon for the fourth time. I was very surprised that I was able to kick it into gear and run at a good pace down the trail for the first three miles. I recognized many of the hikers going up who I had greeted as they went down earlier. As I was trying to push it pretty hard, I over-extended my right calf muscle and it started to cramp. I knew that I had to back off somewhat. As ran down Devil’s Corkscrew, I was surprised to feel some raindrops falling. I looked up. Sure enough, clouds were rolling in. I thought that the rainstorms were going to stay away until Saturday, but they were coming in earlier. I knew that most of the rain would evaporate before it reached the Grand Canyon floor, but I worried about getting soaked going up the North Rim. I chuckled when I rounded a corner and saw a hiking group all decked out in rain ponchos. This part of the canyon only gets four inches of rain per year. The drops were evaporating after just seconds on the canyon floor. The cloud cover was much appreciated and helped keep down the temperature.

In Pipe Creek Canyon, I ran into Mark? Shepherd again (couldn’t remember his first name for sure.) We stopped and talked for awhile. He was doing his first double crossing. He asked if I was on my fourth trip and checked to see if I had everything I needed. I did, but I told him that I was pooped. We wished each other well and I continued on.

On the River trail, I was startled when two runners blasted by me on the trail. They were running about twice as fast as me. Perhaps they were trying to reach Phantom Ranch before the store closed. I did my best to pick up the pace and keep them in sight. I reached Phantom Ranch at 4:00 p.m. I again called my wife to let her know that I was alive and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon for the fourth time. This felt like a major milestone. I now only had one more hill to go. Unfortunately it was 5,000 feet high and 14 miles. I set a goal to reach Cottonwood Campground before dark. I found a great running gear for the first two miles in The Box, but soon my bruised knee complained loudly and I had to back off to a power walk. It started to rain harder and I wondered if I would start to get chilled. My long-sleeved jacket was still over an hour away. I worried that someone may have stolen my stuff. Also I considered that I left it in a wash area. A terrible downpour could wash it away.

The rain decreased and the skies cleared somewhat as dusk approached. When the light was decreasing, my eyes were doing funny things. Perhaps my sleep deprivation contributed. I started seeing all sorts of objects in the canyon. First I swore I saw a water tank ahead near the trail. I never remembered seeing that before. When I got closer, it was just a big rock. Next, I saw a large building with windows. It looked like a pumping station. Again as I got closer, it turned out to be a massive rock with some water stains on it the shape of windows. Then I would see hikers ahead. These turned out to be rocks too. It was driving me crazy. I knew I was really getting tired. Finally it got dark enough that I stopped seeing crazy things. I reached Cottonwood Campground after dusk, at about 6:30 p.m. I retrieved my stash of clothes and food. It was still quiet warm so I didn’t put on any additional clothing.

The last seven miles and 4,200 feet climb was a death march. I concentrated on just keeping up a steady pace. It wasn’t very fast, but it kept going. To me it seemed like the trail was twice as long as any time I had climbed it. Never in an ultra run had I seen two days and a second night. I was very anxious to get this over with. I ran into a few hikers going down into the canyon. I wondered why they were starting at such an odd hour especially with plenty of rain in the forecast.

After Supai Tunnel, with two miles to go, a cold and steady rain fell. I was so focused to keep moving, that I didn’t stop to put on anything warm. I noticed that I was starting to lean to the left over and over again. I stayed to the right of the trail so I wouldn’t fall over into the canyon. As the rain fell, I noticed several times little mice that would run ahead of me on the trail. I was so tired that it fascinated me to chase them. My mind was turning into mush.

Finally, I reached the last switchback. I let out a cheer. I was almost there. I plodded on, up and up. And then, I stumbled out into the parking lot and made my way to my car at about 10:30 p.m. I had finished! I had accomplished four consecutive crossings of the Grand Canyon -- 100 miles and about 22,000 feet gain and loss. 39 hours. 33 hours of fun and 6 hours of torture.

I quickly opened my car door, dove in, turned on the heat, and went into a shivering fit for the next ten minutes. I wanted to get to a motel and take a warm shower, but I knew that I was in not any shape to drive an hour to the next town. I only had four hours of sleep during the past 65 hours. I strived to eat but the stress on my system for the past six hours had taken a toll. Within an hour I started to feel somewhat better and decided that I didn’t want to spend the night at the trailhead. I drove about a half hour but soon had to stop. I experienced an electrolyte imbalance but felt much better after taking a couple S-caps. I snoozed for the next few hours on the side of the road until I finally regained the strength and alertness to make the six-hour drive home.

Two days later, I was still drained. My major areas of soreness were from the fall I had taken at mile 3. My ribs were indeed badly bruised and my left kneecap was also bruised pretty bad. How did I keep it going for another 38.5 hours and 97 miles? Amazing.

It was good to be home, but I have very fond memories of those two incredible days and nights in the most wonderful canyon in the world.