Sandi Richmond
Milepost 75, a memoir.
Adventures
Grand Canyon - Trans-canyon hike from rim to rim to rim.
October, 2024
I’m 80 and recently completed my final “one day” trans-canyon hike. With artificial hips and knees, arthritic feet, a-fib and L4-S1 spinal fusion surgery, I figured it was time to end this sweet chapter of my hiking life. Since this would be my last, I created a list of goals. We met every one of them with one slight adjustment:
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Remember the entire hike.
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Be safe and at peace with my slow pace; hike with joy.
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Pause to appreciate and take lots of pictures.
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Drink the lemonade (maybe even coffee) at Phantom Ranch and mail some postcards
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And reach Coconino Overlook before sunset. We did this, but because I was so slow, it was on October 21st, the day after we started!
My daughter, Rachel, and I started our trans-canyon hiking journey in 1991 when we attempted a R2R2R hosted by Sid Hirsch and featured in the May 1992 Arizona Highways magazine. We had to turn back shortly after crossing Redwall Bridge, hiking “only” 46 miles of this 52-mile hike. The extra miles were added to make it a 50/24.
Rachel was 15. I was 47. It was our first trans-canyon hike, our first DNF, and our first encounter with a trail angel. We were hooked.
Rachel moved on to other high school activities after the next year, but I kept trying and finally completed the entire R2R2R 50/24 in 1994, the year I turned 50 (I figured if I didn’t do it by then, I never would.). I don’t run. Never have. But back in the day, before my surgeries and age added up, my walking pace was 13-15 minutes per mile. I completed the hike in 21 hours and 50 minutes and earned the right to buy the T-shirt. (I bought two. One to wear and one to keep for posterity.)
We knew someday we would return to hike a R2R together, which we finally did the year I turned 75. We were fully trained, but our timing was compressed due to family commitments, so we started our hike, sleep-deprived, jet-lagged, and unacclimated. Rachel was fine even though she had completed an Ironman just three days earlier. I was exhausted, slow, and frustrated. Afterwards, when I realized I couldn’t even remember most of the beautiful sights from Manzanita Rest Area to Supi Tunnel, I knew I needed one more chance.
We decided to complete my final hike in October 2024. Son-in-law, Rob joined us. Thank goodness! We were well-trained and had even traveled across the country in October 2022 to practice hiking the final 2.6 miles on North Kaibab and 3 miles on Bright Angel. We were fast and strong as we climbed down and up both sections. However, my spinal fusion surgery in 2023 set me back. I picked up training as soon as I could, spending hours walking gnarly trails and climbing multiple stairs in flat Florida, but I had lost more of my strength and speed than I realized.
On October 20 at 2:30 a.m. Rachel, Rob, and I headed down Bright Angel Trailhead, confident in the dark with our waist lights,
Sandi with daughter Rachel at the Bright Angel trail sign
delighted it was no longer snowing or raining, and quite comfortable on the hard-packed trail. We soon encountered a series of deep, wide puddles, my pace slowed but we kept moving forward, making it to Havasupai Gardens just after sunrise. The weather was crisp and the views spectacular as we paused to capture photos of the sun’s rays drifting down and illuminating the Canyon walls. The puddles continued down Devil’s Corkscrew and I needed more rest breaks. We slowed even more to step aside every time faster hikers approached so they could comfortably pass.
"We soon encountered a series of deep, wide puddles, my pace slowed but we kept moving forward..."
By the time we reached Phantom Ranch, we accepted the reality that my pace would not allow us to meet our 9:30 p.m. shuttle at the North Rim. That’s where we met our trail angel, Jennifer and her hiking partners, Annie, and Britta. Jen agreed to notify our Trans-Canyon contact, Jolene, as soon as she could get a signal on the south rim. We savored the lemonade and coffee, mailed some postcards, then moved forward smoothly through the box. The sun was overhead, but the temperature was low. Now alone on the trail, we celebrated the lingering light of dusk. Then night dropped like a curtain when we were about two miles from Cottonwood. I paused to savor the stars and was still convinced we could reach Manzanita before taking a longer rest break, but the combination of multiple 15-20-inch concrete barriers (Were they always there? Were they always that high?) and deepening darkness took its toll. We finally reached Cottonwood after 20+ hours on the trail. For the first time I was scared. So was Rachel. I sat at the picnic table by the compostable potty unable to summon the strength to climb up the stairs. Rachel sat and encouraged me. Rob made a hot and tasty cup o’ soup. I took some sips, my fright passed, and we climbed up the stairs to rest on our space blankets on the floor of the biggest of the four bathrooms. After 2-3 hours (I think I even slept for a few.), we headed out.
We made it to Manzanita just before sunrise. Rachel laid out her array of food on a picnic table, Rob used the jet boil to make coffee, and the sun peaked over the horizon. From then on although it was physically uphill, it was mentally downhill. I was refreshed and knew I would be able to see and remember our journey all the way to the trailhead. Rachel got a signal, called Jolene at Trans-Canyon and told her we would shoot for the 6:30 p.m. shuttle.
The hike up North Kaibab was filled with lovely sights, lots of stops for Rachel to take pictures, for me sit, sip, and snack, and for all three of us to pause and appreciate the beauty of this magnificent trail carved into the mountain side. Rachel and Rob helped boost me up and over more high cement erosion barriers and we continued to step aside for faster hikers. One man insisted on waiting for us to navigate one more barrier, then said, “I’m inspired by your endurance and impressed with your family’s support. Good job!” His words echoed up the trail as other hikers celebrated our slow, steady progress. One hiker gave me the thumbs up and said, "I was ready to give up on this hike until I saw you. Now I think I’ll keep going.”
And there it was, Coconino Overlook, just before the sun started setting and the colors began popping! We enjoyed the view, captured the moment then headed up the final .7 mile. As we hiked, I gave thanks for this glorious Grand Canyon, for all the people who created the trails, for Rachel and Rob’s planning, heavy lifting, and support that made this hike possible, for my legs that kept propelling me forward, my heartbeat that stayed steady, and my
Sandi reaching the Coconino Overlook.
passion that helped me endure, for the many caring, encouraging hikers on the trail, for the stories and tips on this Facebook group (especially the bug warning and Alka Selzer suggestion), and for this monumentally magical adventure of hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim.
We approached the trailhead. Rachel and Rob helped me climb up the final three steps. It was 6:00 p.m. 39 &1/2 hours after we started. And the sun was still shining.
L-R ... Rachel, Rob, and Sandi