Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Rim to Rim or Rim to River to Rim

I did the full R2R2R hike/jog about a month ago and it was awesome!!
Mid-Oct is a really nice time in the Grand Canyon; not too hot and after the t-storms have passed-thru
Here the link to my grand canyon photos
http://grahamcracker.smugmug.com/2014/Grand-Canyon-Rim2rim2Rim-Oct/

Also, new regulations - if you’re considering doing the R2R or R2R2R, avoid go as an organized group or it will cost you $175 for a special use permit (SUP) + some other stuff
http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/sup.htm

Cheers,
RickG

Nice work! (You opted for beer, right?) I'm doing the slacker version next time: S2N, sack out at the Lodge, then N2S the next day. Just got my reservation...

What does the "N" stand for??????

North?

Kurt

When are you going?

This seems to be a more reasonable option.Wife likes this option better too!


Brian

Ok here we go.

I just got a reservation for October 8th 2015 at the Grand Canyon Lodge North. Plan on hiking South to North on the 8th and returning on the 9th.

We'll head down earlier around the 5th or so and hang out and prep.

Anyone interested?
This will be informal.Organize your own party and show up.We'll see about a big bonfire on the 9th!

Kurt you in?

Brian and Judy.

P.S we are not super fast hikers................but,we have done the standard Whitney route twice,and did the JMT this summer.Which by the way was totally freaking awesome!

OK got it. I was thinking the "S" stood for "sack out" so it made it difficult to figure out what "N" stood for .

Jeff, are you gonna come with us next October???

LOL, after drinking warm camel bladder water all day (wait, that doesn't sound right ), anything cool & refreshing was all I was looking for and the lemonade hit the spot. Also, remember that the Phantom Ranch canteen closes at 4pm

OCTOBER?! That's, like, almost a year away! I can't even figure out where I'm going for lunch today...

Actually, I had already booked for the first week of June---there's room for four in the cabin if a warmer weather hike appeals to anyone. (I may be persuaded to go back again in October, though. But we can chat more on the Heroes hike if not sooner.)

From time to time I have thought about this topic which was started nearly seven years ago. Many interesting points of view were expressed and valuable experiences and information were shared.

When the topic started in October 2014, it had been over fifty years since my first and only hike in the Grand Canyon (August 1964, Rim to River to Rim: down the South Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel Trail).

In 2014 I had little recollection of the specifics of the 1964 hike, except that it was really warm and completely unplanned. My Dad and I were driving in his 1950 Plymouth Deluxe (no air conditioning, of course) from Los Angeles to New York City. In the Arizona Desert we picked up a young hitchhiker, Gerhard from Germany. Gerhard said he was heading to the Grand Canyon to hike. So, of course, we joined him! The three of us survived and had a memorable outing.

In April 2021 my daughters (Laura and Katherine) and I decided to do the Rim to Rim as a day hike on May 23 (down the North Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel Trail). This was soon after the North Rim opened on May 15. Unfortunately, ten days before the hike, Laura underwent an emergency appendectomy. So she adopted Plan B and provided us with invaluable shuttle service ( from the South to the North Rim on May 22 and from the North Rim Lodge to the North Kaibab Trailhead in the early morning darkness on May 23).

At the start of our hike at the North Rim (el 8250') it was very windy, 28F, with a clear starry sky. The trail was dry and in superb condition for the entire 24 miles. All the water stations were open except for the one near Roaring Springs. We were prepared to drink from the creeks, if necessary.

After the initial steep descent for about five miles, the North Kaibab Trail continued downhill more gradually for the next 9.5 miles to the Colorado River (el 2400'). During this 9.5 mile stretch, the miles passed quickly as the surrounding canyon walls (somewhat monotonously) closed in on us. We held back on the downhill pace in anticipation of the 9.5 mile uphill in the sun on the other side of the river.

At 8 AM we ate breakfast (including hot coffee and lemonade) at the Phantom Ranch and then took a 45 minute nap. Later in the day the temperature at the Phantom Ranch reached a high of 85F (quite survivable). After crossing the Silver Bridge, Katherine and I kept a steady and quicker than expected pace up to the South Rim (el 6860') where Laura was waiting for us.

Our biggest concern on the hike never materialized, that is, experiencing triple digit temperatures for many hours. We took this possibility very seriously. Nevertheless, due to the dry air, I still consumed eight liters of fluids, including four liters of Vitalyte (Gookinade).

So finally I have done each of the three hikes. My take is that as day hikes, Mt Whitney (by the Main Trail), Rim to River to Rim, and Rim to Rim are essentially equally intense. Each has its own personality. In favorable conditions, with careful planning and training things are likely to go well. With extreme heat, cold, snow, lack of appropriate altitude acclimatization, etc even the logistically well-planned trip perhaps should be put on hold until conditions settle down. Otherwise, there is a real chance of encountering (potentially serious) problems.

These three day hikes are all American Treasures and we look forward to enjoying them again
.
Jim

Nice report as usual. Sorry to hear about your daughter's appendectomy. Mine had the same all-of-a-sudden rupture a few years back. Not too pleasant for her (or me). Great that Laura was well enough for the shuttling.

We did hike south to north that June and experienced the dramatic shift in temps---low 30s, icy and windy at the start at 6:30 and then low 90s at Phantom Ranch when we got there. Thankfully, all the water sources were running through the long, hot, valley trek. Two of us reached the north rim around 4:00pm, fatigued but in good spirits. The two others were not in the best of shape, one fairly delirious having stopped eating and drinking five hours prior, unbeknownst to me.

Given the circumstances and health of half of our party, I didn't feel comfortable leaving them to their own devices while hiking back the next day, so I opted for the shuttle back. (Last I checked, the Grand Canyon was still there, so finishing the out-and-back is still on the list.)

Having done Whitney once or twice, I honestly felt that South-to-North hike took a bit more effort. Granted, the heat played a role, but I remember the last couple of miles to the rim less than fondly. That said, it's very much worth the effort, and the beauty of the North Rim is spectacular, especially compared to the other side. (I'd almost opt for the "Grand Canyon Diorama" at Disneyland over the South Rim since there are fewer people...)

But thanks for popping this topic back to the top, Jim. I completely forgot about it (like most things these days).