The R2R2R begins on the South Rim
(elevation 7,000+ feet) of the Grand Canyon.
Andon Briggs and I began by descending 4,400 feet on the South Kaibab
Trail 7 miles to the Colorado River at the base of the Grand Canyon. We crossed a bridge over the river and even met
a mule train leading travelers out of the canyon floor.
From there, the North Kaibab
Trail snaked through and up the canyon floor for roughly 8 miles before
climbing over 5,400 in 6 miles up and out of the canyon floor to the North Rim
(elevation 8,000+). We then turned
around and went back the other way back to the South Rim via the Bright Angel
Trail. The total distance was 46 miles
with a ton of climbing and descent. A
perfect training run for the upcoming Pinhoti 100.
The run itself was an amazing,
tough and beautiful experience. Our pace
was slow due slightly to the tough terrain, but mainly because we were in awe
of our surroundings. Picture
opportunities were everywhere, so we indulged.
The high temperature at the south
rim was 74 degrees…perfect weather. The
high at the north rim was even a bit cooler.
At the start the temperature was around 50 degrees. However, the high on the canyon floor was in
the upper 90’s, and the heat index was well over 100. With very little cloud cover, the canyon
floor felt like an oven.
Running downhill was easy, but, not
surprisingly, the toughest parts of the run were the climb to the North Rim at
the halfway point of the run and the climb to the South Rim to end the
journey. The climbs began in the heat of
the sun exposed canyon floor and proceeded relentlessly up several thousand
feet in a short time span. These climbs
were also quite exposed, with one edge of the trail hugging a canyon wall and
the other edge falling hundreds/thousands of feet straight down. The picture below shows an example of this…the
trail is there if you look closely.
LIFE Ministries works directly
with couples who are in the depths of their own canyon. The ministry is committed to helping hurting
couples who are facing crisis or potential divorce. LIFE Ministries also walks with
couples who need a "tune-up" and want to take their relationship with
God and one another to a deeper level…to avoid the canyons entirely. Please be in prayer for the ministry and I
ask that you consider supporting LIFE Ministries financially through the Run
for LIFE effort. Your contributions
allow the ministry to continue to work with couples to climb out of the canyons
and later look back from the top to see how far they have come and the beauty
of what lies ahead. To contribute or for
more information please visit www.runforlifenow.com
1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.