Crossing One Gigantic Ditch -- The Grand Canyon!

Floyd May is a friend I met back in 2010 and he had told me about a trip he and some other guys had made the previous year to the Grand Canyon.  He talked about how they had hiked from the South Rim to the North Rim, spending the night at Phantom Ranch, which is located in the bottom of the canyon.  A trip that takes 2 days, if you push it and are in decent athletic shape.  A trip that few people who go to the canyon ever actually make.......the vast majority of Canyon visitors peer over the edge and take lots of pictures from that vantage point, but never make it down one of the trails to the bottom, much less all the way to the North Rim..........and back!  That distance is roughly 45 miles, let alone the elevation change and all the dangers that  you can encounter along the way.  This, all along a set of trails that have seen a huge number of people perish.....losing their lives because they miscalculated the pure massiveness of nature, and not taking into consideration the respect to which it deserves!

Well, once Floyd relayed the story to me........I was hooked!  Let the adventure begin!  We took off on the Friday before Labor Day, 2012 and begin a journey that lasted 4 days........but the memories will be for a lifetime!  Floyd May, myself, my son Heston Richardson, Steve Daily, Blake Blackwell, Todd Blackwell, their dad Jim Blackwell, Chip Webber, and two brothers.....Lance and Mark Heiliger headed to the Grand Canyon to see what we were made of.  Now, for probably a 4-6 month period of time Floyd kept each of us through emails, etc. up on what we needed to be doing to get in shape for this endeavor.  That involved a lot of physical training, I know each of us who took the trip shared how we had trained ourselves for this adventure and a lot of that involved strenuous physical activities.

We drove through the night to get to the Canyon in two different vans; Jim and Todd Blackwell had flown into a local airport and met us out there to begin this adventure.  The following are a few pic's of our group at various points along the South Rim the day before we began our quest.

From left to right; Mark Heiliger, Chip Webber, Floyd May, Blake Blackwell, Lance Heiliger, Heston Richardson, and Steve Daily.

Far beyond this image, to the north, is the valley we will cross the following day to reach the North Rim of the Grand Canyon; a distance of about 22 miles.

The next morning we began this quest at about 5 a.m. winding down the narrow South Kaibab trail, which is 7.5 miles to the bottom of the canyon.  This was on a Sunday morning, at about 3.5 miles we stopped and had breakfast and Floyd presented a short Sunday School lesson and shared scripture.  This really took on a whole new meaning all the while sitting on a narrow-rimmed trail that is very hard to understand the grandeur of, without seeing it in person.

From left to right; Chip Webber, Heston Richardson, Jim Blackwell, Blake Blackwell, Todd Blackwell, and Floyd May.  This was taken at Skeleton Point and this picture does not do this view justice!

Shortly after continuing on our journey we reached the bottom of the canyon.  This image is the trail, from the South Kaibab's perspective, of the bridge that is used to cross the Colorado River.  

Heston, alongside one of the many signs telling hikers to take care and that mule riders have the trail right-of-way anytime that you meet them.

We continued on toward the bottom of the Canyon and reached Phantom Ranch at about 11:00 a.m.  It was starting to get very hot, so we refreshed with cold water and a quick lunch at the ranch headquarters.  To stay here, you have to have a reservation and that is typically, at least, a one-year in advance only option.  We didn't stay here for very long, most people will have turned around about a mile or so before this and begin the ascent back up to the top of the South Rim.  Our quest was going to take us 7 more miles up this canyon, then about 7 more miles before we reach the top of the North Rim.

This is the south end of our north bound group at about mile 10, heading up the canyon towards the North Rim.

In the foreground you can make out Blake and Floyd, we are just beginning our ascent to the top of the North Rim at this point.

This is Heston Richardson, as we take a breather along the North Rim trail......notice the small, narrow, thread of trail to the right of the image.  That is the North Rim trail, if I had known it was going to be this dad-gum narrow and steep, I might of had second thoughts!  But, it was a blast and you cannot actually understand the enormity of all this without actually going there.  This trail was blazed by native Americans for years before any white man ever knew of it's existence!  

Another shot of the North Rim trail.

This is our group at about 16 miles into the hike, taking a short break for fluids and nourishment.  From left to right; Steve Daily, Heston Richardson, Blake Blackwell, Jim Blackwell, Chip Webber, Floyd May, and Todd Blackwell.

Heston and I at about 17 miles into this adventure; mere words cannot express what enjoyment I've had on this earth with this young man!  He is my grandpa, my dad, and myself all rolled into one; and the closest and most dearest man I know of on this planet!  (I've decided some years ago to speak my heart; not my head anymore.......I don't want to wait until it's too late to let people know how I feel about them, especially family).

We are just about to reach the summit of the North Rim with the sun beginning to set.  

That night my camera bit the dust, I think it got wet from my perspiring so darn much that it shorted out.  So I don't have many more pictures, only more story.  We ended up spending the night at the North Rim lodge in some really nice cabins and had a wonderful meal at the lodge itself.  The next morning several members of the group decided to take the van back to the South Rim but Floyd May, Mark Heiliger, and Lance Heiliger decided to hike back.  Now the van ride is 5.5 hours and you have to drive about 200+ miles to reach the South Rim, this is only 22 miles if you hike but because of the depth and enormity of the Grand Canyon this is the distance you drive to get to the other side by vehicle.

We reached the South Rim and went into a souvenir shop whereas we purchased shirts that said we had survived the R2R in the Grand Canyon, that's Rim to Rim!  

Heston and I in our shirts!

The only one we could actually buy the R2R2R shirt for was, Floyd May.  So after we left the souvenir shop we went to the top of the Canyon at the trails head and waited for the Heiliger brothers and Mr. Floyd May to emerge.  Shortly after 5 p.m. here they came and Floyd had a mile-wide smile for he had attained something very, very, very few people can lay claim to.......making the hike from R2R2R.  We crowned Floyd the toughest of all of us on this trip!

To say this was an adventure would be the truth, it was a life-time experience that all of us were very fortunate to have been able to complete together.  I believe that's what life is about; learning to take an adventure, take a chance, live a little, have fun, make friends, and grow closer with your family!  As I look back on the memories I don't think I will ever forget the closeness that we 10 men shared; even if it was for just 4 days..............it will last a lifetime!

Thanks Heston, Steve, Blake, Todd, Jim, Floyd, Mark, Lance, and Chip!

Billy Ray Richardson