Hiking the North Kaibab Trail to Redwall Bridge
Natalie and I tackled the North Kaibab trail (8,241 ft.) today. Down to the Redwall Bridge. Dad dropped us off at the trail head around 9:30am. We took about 2 liters of water with us and figured to refill at a point below the rim. A ranger met us at the trail head. She explained that today was a rim to rim to rim run and most began the previous night at around 10pm, but that about 300 folks had started on the trail between 3 and 6 am. Can you imagine? 48 miles total, running and walking from rim to rim then back again? All I can say is "Wow!" Of course, many of them passed us coming and going up and down the trail. They all looked in great shape. It was fairly busy, but still gave us plenty of space and time to be alone.
Twenty minutes down the trail, at Coconino Overlook, we met another ranger who explained that the Supai Tunnel (6,800ft.) would be 1 mile further down the trail and we had gone maybe .7 miles thus far. She pointed out that it would be 10 degrees hotter as we descended below the rim and to keep ourselves hydrated and also to eat salty snacks.
We had come prepared and of course brought more than we needed.
But, better safe than sorry.
The ranger then took our picture for us.
Looking to the left at the same place.
This trail is not on an exposed ridge and you really can't get the full view of the canyon. We were descending down a smaller side canyon that would join up with the larger canyon further down, much further than we would go today.
There were trees and shrubbery to give partial shade on the way down.
The Supai Tunnel, where the ranger said would be a good stopping point for a short 4 hour day hike. Of course, we went further. We had set our sights on the Redwall Bridge, which we could see far below.
Looking closely, you can see the Redwall Bridge far below and then the trail snakes up across the other side of the cliff.
We hit this section of redwall limestone and the trail turned to red sand. Thankfully, the mules stopped here at Supai Tunnel and turned around and went back up during their trail rides, so we didn't have to contend with their dust and poop while hiking.
Here you can look back up the canyon where we came from, but can't see the switch back trail we followed to get there. Also the Supai Tunnel is barely visible.
At the Redwall bridge, we sat and ate our lunch in the shade. There were several parties crossing the bridge going in either direction and everyone we met was extremely friendly and courteous. People stepped aside to let you pass or said thanks so much when you stepped aside to let them pass. Folks were even telling each other silly jokes on the steep climb back up to pass the time.
Once we reached Coconino Overlook the mules overtook us going back up the trail so we pulled aside to let them pass, covering our noses and mouths so as to not breath in the dust they were kicking up.
Then onward to the top. All in all, I'd say we hiked about 8.5 miles that day. Once we reached the trailhead, we stopped to talk to other folks just completing their climbs and to congratulate the rim runners too who were finishing their runs. But we still had to walk back to our campsite another mile away. I didn't know when we'd be finished, so I'd told my dad not to pick us up, but to expect us home between 4 and 6pm. We returned around 3 and stopped to treat ourselves with an ice cream at the grocery store back at the campground. Great day!
I love hiking with Natalie. She's a great companion.
Meanwhile, Mom, Dad, and Adam were still trying to recover from either allergies or illness or high altitude sickness. They really didn't have much endurance or energy, and so stayed near the campground til the afternoon. They did drive over to the lodge for a ranger talk in the afternoon and to sit looking over the views of the canyon for a while. Natalie and I sat on the front porch of the grocery store and watched them drive off.
It was a beautiful and successful hike for us and we enjoyed it immensely.
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