Day 6, Grand Canyon North Rim to Bright Angel Campground

After refilling my water bottles, I set off for the trail at 8:45 a.m. Walking back to rejoin the Arizona Trail took about 20 minutes. This was where the North Kaibab Trail started, which I would follow for the remainder of the day.

The rim was full of Engelmann spruce, Ponderosa pine, and various firs, with small pockets of aspens. The shade and the cool morning air made this a pleasant place to start a hike.

Tourists wandered about. If they hoped to see the canyon here, they would be disappointed. They had to walk down the trail.

The footpath was wide and well-maintained, immediately starting with a steady descent. A maintenance crew was working on the trail, and as I usually do when I see trail maintainers, I thanked them for their work as I passed by.

A series of short switchbacks took me 500 feet down from the rim to a rock ledge called Coconino Overlook. In that elevation drop, I had already passed through the first three layers of the earth's crust.

Starting at the rim, I was on a layer of Kaibab limestone, the remnants of an ancient shallow sea. Just below that was the Toroweap Formation, a jumble of limestone, sandstone, gypsum, and shale. It formed as the sea's shoreline shifted and mixed during the early to middle part of the Permian period, likely more than 270 million years ago.

The overlook where I stood was on Coconino sandstone. I could see the sheer cliff of white rock, all made from a vast area of inland dunes, much like the Sahara.

Another notable feature of the landscape that caught my eye was Humphreys Peak, a 12,637-foot mountain standing more than 60 miles away. I knew the trail would take me in that direction, though it would be many more than 60 miles to reach the foot of the mountain.

Below the cliffs of the Coconino Sandstone layer, the trail entered the Hermit Formation. Here, the rock is notoriously unstable. Trail switchbacks and drainage features have had to be rebuilt many times because they are prone to crumbling.

The trail was sandy, rocky, and dusty, with less vegetation than in higher elevations. The temperature was rising quickly because the trail was on the side of the canyon that was exposed to the sun in the morning.

I walked slowly and purposefully to pace myself, but not just because of the heat. I felt no urgency to reach my destination early. I was going to Bright Angel Campground, and because of park regulations, I couldn't stay anywhere else. If I pushed hard and arrived there early, I'd have nothing to do but sit around during the hottest time of the day.

Besides, I was walking in one of the most sensational landscapes in the world. Why wouldn't I want to take my time and enjoy it?

After more than an hour of hiking, I had only gone a mile. It was about that time when I met Hush. I knew her and her husband, Sideview, from when we thru-hiked the CDT in 2021. It wasn't a surprise to see her today because they reached out to me weeks ago after learning I planned to thru-hike the AZT.

Hush and Sideview were in Arizona to support their daughter's AZT thru-hike. Hush told me Sideview wasn't with her. Instead, he rode a shuttle around to the North Rim. She started hiking from the South Rim at 11:30 last night to complete the trail rim-to-rim in one go.

Understandably, we didn't chat for long because Hush was anxious to finish her hike and get some rest. We agreed we'd probably see each other again in the next couple of days.

There wasn't much farther to go before I arrived at a water spigot. I had only walked about two miles so far, but I still topped off my water bottles. Today, more than ever, I needed to stay hydrated.

The spigot was at an elevation of 6,826 feet. I had already descended 1,400 feet since leaving the North Rim.

The rock layer here is called the Supai Group, consisting of thick limestone stained red by runoff from above. Sandstone, siltstone, and shale also form this stratum.

I stopped for a break after walking three miles, but not because I was tired. I spotted some shade and couldn't pass that up.

Despite the intense sunshine, I didn't want to open my sun umbrella. The trail had become narrow, often directly adjoining a rock wall. It seemed like the umbrella would constantly be in the way of rocks or other hikers, and I decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

As it turned out, the trail entered a narrow part of the canyon. The walls on both sides funneled a cooling breeze, bringing more relief from the heat.

I passed another trail maintenance crew, then crossed Redwall Bridge. The steel footbridge spanned Bright Angel Creek, but the water was too far below to access. This wasn't a concern because I knew another water source wasn't far ahead.

Like the previous landmarks, the bridge's name comes from the surrounding layer of rock. Redwall Limestone is particularly erosion-resistant, which is why the canyon walls are nearly vertical.

Soon after crossing the bridge, I turned around to look back at the surrounding wall of red rock. That's when I noticed dark clouds forming above the North Rim. I wondered, what were the chances of getting some rain to cool off the blazing heat? If not that, how about clouds to block the sun?

It wasn't long before I got my answer: The chances were zero. The clouds never moved over the canyon.

The trail passed along a narrow ledge cut into the canyon wall. Trail crews had to use dynamite to carve into the sheer cliff when the North Kaibab Trail was constructed in the 1920s.

I often become annoyed with myself when I think I'm hiking too slowly. This was not one of those times. I was walking at an intentional pace because of the heat and the terrain.

I arrived at Manzanita Rest Area at 12:40 p.m. So far, I had walked only 5.3 miles.

There was a water faucet, restrooms, and shade at the rest area. I took a long break to cool down, reapply sunscreen, and eat lunch. I also talked to three men who were running from the South Rim to the North Rim and back to the South Rim.

"You guys are crazy," I said.

They laughed and agreed. Then I told them I was hiking to Mexico, and they said I was crazy, too.

Before leaving, I opened my sun umbrella and finally used it. I knew the trail would soon become easier because the rate of descent would be less, but the temperature would get hotter. There wouldn't be much shade for the next five miles.

The trail crossed Bright Angel Creek soon after the rest area, and from there, descended into the Muav Limestone layer of the canyon. When I started, the trail passed through a layer that was about 200 million years old. The rocks here were about 505 million years old, and I was still far from the oldest rocks of the canyon.

For the next five miles, the temperature would be extremely hot. The sun was directly overhead, and there were no trees or canyon walls to provide shade.

I began to notice wires strung between tall pipes. These were part of the Trans-Canyon Telephone Line, built in 1935.

Galvanized pipes were used for poles because they were easier to haul into the canyon than wood. Mules carried sections of pipe to where crews screwed them together to erect as poles. A total of 592 metal poles were needed to string the wires between the two rims.

Except for a couple of small sections, all of the telephone poles are still standing. The line has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a landmark of canyon engineering.

By 3:30 p.m., the excessive heat was making me question my decision to start late and walk slowly. Perhaps it wasn't wise to spend the hottest time of day in the most exposed part of the canyon.

The heat was brutal, but my umbrella made it slightly less brutal. If you have ever opened an oven to pull out a cake or pizza you've baked, you have a sense of what it felt like.

My umbrella became unnecessary when I started walking again. The canyon walls provided enough shade to keep me cool without it. Unfortunately, the air was stifling because there was no breeze.

As soon as I arrived at Phantom Ranch, I walked to the Canteen, a window where drinks and snacks could be bought. When I couldn't decide which cold beverage I wanted most, lemonade or beer, I bought both. No beverages were ever so needed.

When I arrived, I was nearly in a zombie state, functioning yet not fully aware of my surroundings. The drinks helped return me closer to a human condition.

It would have been nice to stay in a cabin, but those get booked months in advance. I had an opportunity to stay in one last January. A friend of mine comes here every year, and when a bunk became available, he offered it to me. Phantom Ranch served as our basecamp for day hiking.

The campground was much closer to the Colorado River than Phantom Ranch, which may be why there was a slight hint of a breeze when I got there. Still, it wasn't enough to provide much cooling.

A couple of sites in the campground were set aside for AZT thru-hikers. Only one other hiker was there. He told me his trail name was Arizona, and he was section-hiking.

After setting up my bed, I walked a short distance to the creek and soaked my feet in the cold water for several minutes. I also tried to wash off the dust from my legs.

Even after sunset, the temperature remained hot. It felt wrong to cook dinner when it was so warm, but my meal included freeze-dried chicken that had to be reconstituted in hot water. The campground's water was potable, so I didn't bother to boil it. I just got it hot enough to make the chicken edible.

It didn't matter to me that it was a little chewy. I was hungry and tired.

The overnight low temperature was expected to be around 70°F. I tried to sleep on top of my quilt, hoping it would get there soon. It was finally cool enough to pull the quilt over me at 10:30 p.m.

Crickets chirping nearby kept me awake until I remembered something I discovered on the PCT. I can no longer hear high frequencies in my left ear, like cricket chirps. Shortly after I rolled over to put my right ear into my pillow, I fell asleep.

It's hard to imagine how one day could be more glorious or more hellish. The thing is, tomorrow was probably going to be the same. A high temperature of 107ºF was in the forecast.

I set my alarm for 4 a.m. Maybe I can make the day a little less hellish if I can get up to the South Rim before midday.