I was just a few weeks behind you. Completed my 3rd R2R backpacking trip on September 30th at the age of 68. Temps were above average on the Rim and in the Canyon. We took 5 days camping at Cottonwoods, Bright Angel and Havasupai Gardens with a Zero day (day off) at Phantom Ranch. It was spectacular! Perfect weather and a sky full of stars through the mosquito netting every night. To those of you considering the "R2R in a Day" hike, PLEASE be prepared! I saw lots of you hurrying along, and most of you looked great, but a few were clearly in over your heads. The GC will straight up KILL you if you aren't ready, and by the nature of a fast crossing you aren't carrying much food or shelter or backup in order to maintain the pace required. Do it right, or don't do it. I'm not done, and I'm already planning my next hike for 2025. If the Permit God's are kind to me, I may be able to manage an R3R Backpack trip. Fingers crossed. In any case, no matter what, remember what Sgt. Esterhaus said on Hill Street Blues, "Hey, Hey, HEY! Let's be careful out there!"
Glad you guys got in an R2R. I'm 61 and started running R2R with my daughter as a cross-country style run (no poles, no walking) in 2015, mid-Aug, on her 16th bday, and a day after my 53rd. That was exactly a year after walking out of a chemo lab for the final time. We ran it together 5 years in a row to celebrate our bdays and flip the bird to cancer. After that I continued running them solo, and sometimes coming back in early Oct. to run them as a speed run. In May of '20 I started running the Rim2River route (down the trail you descended on, in, to Phantom, and then back to the top via Silver Bridge and the Bright Angel Trail). Had a blast this year, running both as speed runs. Vids on the channel.
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Got a NK->BA scheduled next month! Can't wait. Great video
Hell yeah!
I was just a few weeks behind you. Completed my 3rd R2R backpacking trip on September 30th at the age of 68. Temps were above average on the Rim and in the Canyon. We took 5 days camping at Cottonwoods, Bright Angel and Havasupai Gardens with a Zero day (day off) at Phantom Ranch. It was spectacular! Perfect weather and a sky full of stars through the mosquito netting every night.
To those of you considering the "R2R in a Day" hike, PLEASE be prepared! I saw lots of you hurrying along, and most of you looked great, but a few were clearly in over your heads. The GC will straight up KILL you if you aren't ready, and by the nature of a fast crossing you aren't carrying much food or shelter or backup in order to maintain the pace required. Do it right, or don't do it.
I'm not done, and I'm already planning my next hike for 2025. If the Permit God's are kind to me, I may be able to manage an R3R Backpack trip. Fingers crossed. In any case, no matter what, remember what Sgt. Esterhaus said on Hill Street Blues, "Hey, Hey, HEY! Let's be careful out there!"
Glad you guys got in an R2R. I'm 61 and started running R2R with my daughter as a cross-country style run (no poles, no walking) in 2015, mid-Aug, on her 16th bday, and a day after my 53rd. That was exactly a year after walking out of a chemo lab for the final time. We ran it together 5 years in a row to celebrate our bdays and flip the bird to cancer. After that I continued running them solo, and sometimes coming back in early Oct. to run them as a speed run. In May of '20 I started running the Rim2River route (down the trail you descended on, in, to Phantom, and then back to the top via Silver Bridge and the Bright Angel Trail). Had a blast this year, running both as speed runs. Vids on the channel.