I crossed over the creek (mile 14.9) at 10:58 a.m. Thanks! It was nice to see people again. But there are other sections of the canyon that I still haven’t explored. I always know where to go to learn the ins and outs of running the Canyon…your blog! I knew that my solitude would soon be over as I would start running into many backpackers setting up their camps. Thanks for the continued inspiration and good during race season. I would try to run fast and then come to a screeching halt, realizing I wasn’t on the trail any more. I think I left them with their jaws hanging open. Image via Peretz Partensky. Sure enough I lost it. Well, I came close. When you had blisters at the beginning I knew you were in for it. Nicely done, Davy! Completed two multi day trips to the Grand Canyon, Angels Landing in Zion NP, numerous hikes in the Canadian Rockies. The South Kaibab-Tonto Trail-Bright Angel Trail loop does not go to the Colorado River, but is a fantastic day hike that has a little bit of everything: huge views, views of Phantom Ranch and the Colorado River, solitude on the Tonto Trail, and shade and water at Indian Garden. To view the map, click here. We were treated to a desert terrain that was tinged with green grasses and small wildflowers, which won't last for long. Hermit Trail to Tonto Trail. I don’t think it did, but I must have had a few cat naps because the time passed by fairly quickly as each hour I checked my watch. The main hike I did was down the South Kaibab rail, along the Tonto trail and back up the Bright Angelt trail. I also had a garbage bag that I could use for more warmth. I estimate that along that way I climbed at least 13,000 feet. Super Connector by HAZ_Hikebot. Another awesome run and write-up. He said that he was already stopping for the day. How great was this! Trails continue on either side but on each end they become remote “routes” instead of established trails. I enjoyed it enough that I can’t rule it out. That brought to mind a tragedy many years ago when two planes collided over the canyon killing all aboard both planes. Some couldn’t believe I was passing them after I had run all those miles. Next morning, trace the rim of the ever-deepening canyon to the Tonto Trail, and turn west. 1:14:24. Another new thing was the amazing sounds. A thorn had gone all the way through the bottom of my shoe, through the insole, and deep into my foot. I suspect Scott Jurek and Joe Grant covered this segment a couple hours faster in 2010, I’ll try to find out. There are no crews or aid stations to help. I love running at night. I received my second wind and had a blast charging down the trail with my lights. Right before reaching Horseshoe Mesa, I caught up with a guy and his son resting in the shade, doing a day hike from their camp below. But I’ve had a dream to run the length of the Grand Canyon rather than across it. As the sun rose higher, it illuminated the cliffs, buttes, and peaks all around me. It just doesn’t receive much boot traffic. So my starting point would be at South Bass. It is possible that I was actually going much further because of all the weaving around that wasn’t being picked up. I had to stop many times along the way just to gasp and the beauty and take pictures. But I still had two emergency blankets. My GPS didn’t help much. Congratulations on your thrilling adventure. At times it was very slow, but I kept catching and passing hikers going up. Not being critical, but I think doing some minimalist running in training really helps to toughen up your feet and lower leg muscles. I got a surprise about 2/3 of the way as the desert area suddenly had a grov eof trees and a muddy stream to cross. We started from Grandview and made our way 28 miles westward toward the Tip Off and finished on South Kaibab, still managing to do 3900ft of elevation change each … Both Horton Creek and Tonto Creek have trout. For most of the hike you will be in the back of the Bright Angel Fault, surrounded closely by the canyon walls. I explained that I was cutting my run short and getting out at Grandview. Cell phone coverage had greatly improved on the South Rim last year and this year. Though NOW… I have to admit that meeting you has been nagging me a bit…. Hiking the PCT has been a long-gestating goal. Wow! If you thumb through the “Death in the Grand Canyon” book, you will find many entries of people losing their lives on the Tonto Trail in June-August. I noticed that they didn’t descend into the canyon, only flew over it. Good luck with your future plans!! I reached Monument Creek (mile 39.7) just after dark at 7:30 p.m. The road ahead was straight as could be and rolls up and over low ridges. You would think that the smooth parts are easier and faster. With over 500 miles on my Hokas, I think they were at end of life for something as rugged as this. Helpful. They even took pictures of me. Hi Davy! At 8:15 a.m. The message went through fine. That is the problem with doing this adventure in early spring. The further I went, the better my navigational skills developed. “Looks like you have come a long way.”   “Yes I have, I ran all night.”  Before I knew it, the top arrived and I was done! Great job, and good advice and cautions to others who might try Grand Canyon running. Without careful attention and experience with the trail it is very easy to lose the trail and end up in a cactus patch. Finally I just had to stop and take off my shoe. He didn’t ask any more questions. Getting injured. Yet one more factor to slow me down is the self-supporting nature of this run. I knew that I was way behind my planned schedule, now two hours behind. However, rangers are allowed to make special accommodations for thru-hikers. I filled up my bottles, and filled up a bladder. I was now in familiar surroundings, having visited this area twice before. Views of the river could be seen with the rim far away that I have climbed up before. I turned on two GPSs to track the miles and keep my pace up. I kept going back over and over again to the last cairn, but could not figure things out. The next descent down to the Tonto was much more rugged. I knew that I could be mistaken (I was) because I didn’t take the time for a careful inventory, but I decided to cut back my intake for the night. Finally I hit the home stretch, the last few hundred feet below the rim. I ran along the rim for another half mile. That waste of time was frustrating. Drinking water, privies, picnic tables and shade make this a … I limped on for another 100 feet trying to figure it out. I hate going through that place because of the rugged climbs and thoughts of the Boston Marathon runner who died here. Next up was Emerald Canyon (mile 5.3) and Quartz Canyon (mile 7.3) at 7:38 a.m. Before Quartz, as the trail extended back toward the Colorado River, the terrain was covered with prickly pear cactus. John Muir Trail is in California with a length of 211 miles, taking roughly 15 to 23 days to complete a thru-hike. As I continued running west, I discovered that the road I was running was being used as a flight path for all the helicopters returning to the airport. I parked my car at the Bright Angel Trailhead and caught the Hermit Rest shuttle. In order to camp down in the canyon, or even hike/run at night in the canyon, you are required to obtain a permit and pay a fee. My feet were a mess. Trails continue on either side but on each end they become remote “routes” instead of established trails. At about 3:30 a.m., I finally got up. Along the way there are bail-out points to climb out of the canyon. I texted my wife to let her know that I was doing fine and that I would be taking longer than expected, that she shouldn’t worry. I had over 400 waypoints in my GPS which would help keep me on the trail. Photograph by Michael Mohr, Redux South Rim starts. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us. Highly recommend this trail. I was feeling amazing and ran very fast for a couple miles on the easy trail section. At times I could see it several miles ahead. Your email address will not be published. I spent time doing a better job taping my feet since blisters were already trying to form. Foolishly, I decided to just bushwhack to the next GPS waypoint. My race calendar pales compared to yours, but we at least have that one in common. I taped the problem spots again but they were in terrible pain. They don’t last very long. I was also very appreciative you’d think to consider adding me to that list of people. The tights really protect the legs. I quickly passed by Horn Creek (mile 47.9) at 10:43 p.m.  You don’t want to drink the radioactive water here from the uranium mine above. I hoped for a 16:30-mile pace for the first 30 miles, but it just wasn’t going to happen. This was a disappointing thought, but if I did continue, the risk would be much higher and I probably wouldn’t get out until dusk. I put on a show for them and ran very quickly up the trail until my lights were out of view. Running out of water. I would then study the terrain, back up if needed, and get back on the trail, or in extreme cases, pull out the GPS and find the next waypoint. I think I saw you on the Tonto between Cottonwood Creek and Grapevine the morning of April 16. So this time I concentrated more. I just pushed on ahead. Going deep into each side canyon was always  a challenging experience. I rested for quite awhile to bring my heart rate and respiration down. I started to have terrible blister problems and decided to stop for awhile to work on my feet, put on sunscreen, and put away my lights. I stopped for about 10 minutes to talk to her. This trip report actually begins at the confluence of Tonto Creek and Haigler Creek and follows Tonto Creek 17 miles* to Gisela with an elevation loss of 1000 ft. For instructions to the confluence please see the Hellsgate trip description. My feet were in bad pain but my legs were feeling great. I took my foot out and spied a point sticking up from the insole. This trip requires that cars be left at both ends of the trailhead (Gisela and Little Green Valley). Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Temperatures can reach 120 degrees in places and there is very little shade. So I would survive. This video contains information on how I'm preparing myself mentally and physically for the ultimate adventure of taking on my thru-hike. Was it a rock? That still is slow, but would put me at Grapevine Creek at dawn. Hikers seldom follow the entire Tonto Trail, normally using it to connect with rim-to-river routes. I soon reached the esplanade level of the canyon – a level plateau of red sand. This hike is very straightforward, and perfect for all ages and abilities. When I am out alone, I tend to worry. Eerie chimneys could be seen off in the distance. I needed to back off my pace, drink a bunch, and take more electrolyes (S-caps). What is the trail like? They helped me find the right trail but then stopped me to try and figure out what I was doing and where I was going. Day hikers from the rim above started to appear. Thank you. Nice job! I cooked up some more soup and felt much better. Instead of pushing hard, I enjoyed my remaining hours in the canyon. I had no idea how far up it was. I counted up my backpack days across that section… 6 days… hmmmmm. It was much warmer moving around. There was some boulder hopping, vegetation to work my way through, and another 1000 feet to go down. I tried to suck on Beef Jerky and that helped for awhile, but my stomach was telling me that it wouldn’t let me run fast if I didn’t feed it. Sounds like you had fun. There is water in this canyon, but it is full of minerals and can give you the runs, so I skipped this water source. (Turns out that Scott Jurek and Joe Grant did it last year!) I got a good night’s rest at a motel outside the South Rim, and waited until morning rim temperatures got above freezing. The trail goes from Garnet Canyon on the West, to Red Canyon (Hance Rapids) on the East. I just explained that I was going a very long way and would be running all night. Falling off cliffs. Hot and dry in summer. These first ten miles seems a little less impressive than other sections of the Tonto. They mentioned that they had also camped here last April and wondered if I was one of the guys who were also running that trail then. We were dayhiking west while you were headed east. I soon started a running pattern that would go on all day. and I’m thinking about running the Tonto. Indian Garden and the Bright Angel Trail below Grand Canyon Villiage. They end up getting stuck on a cliff and die. One day perhaps, one day! I’ve never been into ultra-running, but do enjoy long day hikes, like the 24 miler down Hermit, across the Tonto and out Bright Angel. When I got your text mid-canyon I was shocked and amazed. Viewing these from down in the canyon are even more spectacular than from the rim. I looked up and was able to pick out the area on the rim where I peered down on this canyon yesterday afternoon. Use instep crampons in winter. I always underestimate the difficulty of running fast on this trail. I read on Scott Jurek’s Facebook page last year that he and Joe Grant ran from South Bass to New Hance trailhead in 32 hours, in April of 2010. I chatted with him for about ten minutes explaining what I was attempting to do. She quickly understood that I had good experience in the Canyon. It looks like they went from South Bass to New Hance in 32 hours. It was quite a sight. He had only hiked about seven miles today. The Tonto National Forest recently released a burn severity map of the Bush Fire. I continued down toward the east junction, looking for a nice place to camp for the night. For my run I would be passing by five exit point opportunities to climb out of the canyon. Looking toward the north Rim, you can spot Wotan Throne and Vishnu Temple. It is arguably also the most scenic. This is the other realistic danger. I probably lost it going through the rough boulder area). It was great to see all the cliffs even at night. I would hear this sound at nearly every creek I would cross during the night. I continued on. I totally agree that if you’re going long, ultra long, that absolutely you need better protection. I think this was the most impressive location on my run to see the buttes, peaks, etc. Short-cuts are always slower. So I cut my late afternoon run short and returned, finding my camp undisturbed. Because of all the snow the previous weekend, the road was moist and soft, very runnable without mud. For more information, visit, © Copyright 2020 Grand Canyon Conservancy. However, there is a chance that by toughening up your feet in training you *might* not have had the blister issues you had… Who can say? Still confused, I finally came upon a campsite of backpackers. I arrived there (mile 35.9) at 6:11 p.m. (Looking at pictures I took of myself, I could see it working its way out. A ranger lady called out a greeting. Next up was civilization! I reached Lonetree Canyon (mile 61.6) at 3:27 a.m. thanks for this writeup! I didn’t look forward to the section ahead, the traverse into Travertine Canyon. I told him that I had planned to find snow below the rim and melt it for water. Fantastic report with amazing pictures – all documenting an incredible adventure! I had readjusted my pace goal during the day. Castor Temple towering above me looked very impressive. As I looked closer, it looked like within a few days or a week that the entire desert would be in bloom. However, I did it solo. I have yet to run into a snake in the Grand Canyon. I approached him and called out a greeting. I came upon an unexpected sight, a car parked on the side of the road. The trail was much, much fainter. The past few days had been very windy. Great report. I was relieved to find water there. Jillian has completed thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail (a 2,200 mile trail from Georgia to Maine), Pacific Crest Trail (a 2,650 mile trail from Mexico to Canada), Camino de Santiago, a thru-hike of the Tonto Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail, hiked 450 miles of the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail. I knew from past experience, that this is the worst area to lose the trail. Snakes. Hiked the AT in 2017, check out the journal! It was a wonderful dinner. Washouts and rockslides require some route-finding skill. For dinner, I opened a sterno can and used it to heat up some soup in an aluminum cup. That really surprised me because I knew it would have to be a couple very good ultrarunners. It was great fun as I left some hikers way behind me down the trail. He was amazed to hear that I had run all the way to the trailhead. The sun was setting now. I’m glad I changed plans and didn’t come here last weekend after all. I encountered a rattlesnake near the silver bridge the first time you took me there. To view the map, click here. I guess I could have asked them to refill my water bottles, but they probably wouldn’t have liked that, so I went on. When I reached the creek, I just filled up and went on my way. No write up, he only posted a few pictures. There were several routes and I was confused about which trail was right. Finally, I decided to take just a little detour and peer over the steep cliff down to the river about 800 feet below. When the trail had to go down a little it was so painful that I screamed out at times. April 22-Around 7, I stepped onto the floor to feel no pain in my foot! On the trail again, the next five miles to Boucher Canyon were long, exposed and getting hotter. I carefully stayed away from the edge and continued on. The trail goes from Garnet Canyon on the West, to Red Canyon (Hance Rapids) on the East. Tomorrow night he hoped to camp at Slate Canyon if there was water there. The climb at Mt. Not so. Hikers seldom follow the entire Tonto Trail, normally using it to connect with rim-to-river routes. She was from Moab and was out here doing trail patrol. I don’t know if sleep ever came. It was very easy. It was both a peaceful and frightening feeling to be so very remote and on my own. Over the years, the Tonto trail started as a game trail, then used by Native Americans, then by miners and now mostly by backpackers. As I ran on, I tried to figure out how I was going make it to the end on so little food. I need to get back to the Grand, it is a very solemn place and one I truly felt home in. But once I ran the Tonto Trail in shorts and came away with bloody scratched legs and splinters to pick out for the next several days. I crossed Sapphire Canyon (mile 17.8) at noon. This time on the Tonto Trail, I used both a handheld and a bright headlamp spot light. Finally I got past all that activity and then only heard a dull buzzing behind me. I ran the Tonto Trail for 77 miles in the Grand Canyon in 27:56. I warned them that I really stunk badly. I reached Grapevine Creek (mile 71.1) at 7:26 a.m.   A group of backpackers were starting to break their camp and they all came out to greet me with excitement. Thanks for bringing the attention to it! Even going short sleeves is a problem. Running on the Tonto Trail is only for those with advanced Grand Canyon and desert running experience. She was very surprised to see me running and doing so with such a light pack. In the past two times I ran this section at night, I kept losing the trail between Cremation and Lonetree. I had to stop many time to make adjustments to my gear, pull out more food, and stop to fill my bottles. The road was fantastic. Elevations: 3,600 feet (1,097 m): Tonto Platform (Red Canyon) 2,800 feet (853 m): Tonto Platform (Garnet) Length: 95 miles (152.9 km): Garnet Canyon to Red Canyon . 2012-09-23: chumley: 6.31 mi 1,628 ft | load nearby guides. I had to stop several times to reapply tape, change socks, and do whatever I could to protect my feet. The nearly full moon was out. Going between drainages on the ridges, it is smoother and when it goes in, or needs to cross drainages, it is rugged and reminds me of the tough Zane Grey 50 course. Approximate mileages between key points on the Tonto Trail:11.6 miles (18.7 km): Garnet Creek to Bass Canyon35.7 miles (57.5 km): Bass Canyon to Hermit Creek12 miles (19.3 km): Hermit Creek to Bright Angel Trail (Indian Garden)4.5 miles (7.2 km): Bright Angel Trail to South Kaibab Trail21.3 miles (34.3 km): South Kaibab Trail to Grandview Trail (Horseshoe Mesa)9.9 miles (15.9 km): Grandview Trail to New Hance Trail (Red Canyon). To make things hard, it constantly changes back and forth between smooth and rugged. Those areas are also calling for me to run there. As I was descending I came upon a sweatshirt on the side of the trail. Continue switchbacking through Coconino Sandstone and head north along Cedar Ridge (2) through the Supai Group’s blood-red shale. You don’t want to do this on the exposed Tonto Trail. Will I try it again and try to make it all the way? I now hoped to get in 40 miles before dark and do 30 miles before dawn. You need to know where the water sources are. Vegetation was always more abundant and greener in these canyons and this time of year, each had at least some water in them. It’s nice when people understand and don’t give you those blank looks wondering if you are a crazy person. One guy talked to me for a few minutes and mentioned he had not seen anyone continue on today. On my way again, I stopped a mile further at Grapevine Spring, filled up again and continued on the long traverse above the cliffs around toward Cottonwood Canyon. We woke up to a delicious home cooked breakfast of potatoes, black beans, corn, cheese, eggs, toast, yogurt, fruit … The shadows come alive. The Tonto trail begins (or ends - depending on which way you're heading) at the west end of the beach that has formed at the mouth of Red Canyon. I needed to go down into the canyon where it would be warmer. Nice run Davy! If you floated down the river from Red Canyon to South Bass Canyon, it would only be about 31 miles. I finally reached the junction of the Tonto Trail going west. Congrats on a courageous run. It was so great to be out running in the cool morning. Location: South Rim Trails. Start Date: Friday, August 2. Thru-hike: 1. Before turning into Hermit, I took another look up the canyon and took in the beautiful sight of the canyon late in the day. 3. And those folks who went to Boston thought they were having fun. Two 60 something retirees searching for adventure. After a few miles, I heard buzzing that got louder and louder — helicopters. I had run out of water a few miles earlier and noticed a gallon of water on a picnic table. You have to stop, study the surroundings, back up, and carefully find the trail again. This combination worked great. Half of it is rugged and rocky, the other half is smooth but very crooked, widing around all the bushes and cactus. Also, if you are in shorts, you really slow down as your try to dodge all the thorny bushes. I couldn’t get it out of the shoe but with some effort broke it off and hoped that it didn’t leave a point deep in my foot. She had seen R2R2R runners before, but never a through-runner on the remote Tonto Trail. Conditions worked out, so I made plans to run the length of the Tonto Trail from South Bass to Hance Rapids, a distance of more than 87 miles in the canyon. It is generally not cairned, but if you lose the trail, as is inevitable, youll find it again if you know your overall direction, grateful to be back after having been shredded by the merciless blackbrush, which forms the dominant plant cover on the Tonto platform. I had run out of the water that I had brought down from the rim and was now very thirsty. I thought I only had about 1200 calories left. Now it was my turn to be startled. I decided to make a try and pulled out my phone. I opened my pack to put more food in my pockets but was shocked when I discovered that there wasn’t as much food as I thought left. Thanks for sharing! I crossed Serpentine canyon (mile 3.9) at 6:35 a.m. Dave, As I rested, I readjusted my plans. Great write-up. The lights of the lodges up on the South Rim came into view. If I ever get back there, I’ll be sure to consult your past reports for more info and insight. I can attest to that. My pace was slow. I could also now again hear the familiar buzz of helicopters and planes as I reached the area that they could fly over. 12 Day Grand Canyon Backpacking/Float Adventure/Royal Arch/North Bass/Tonto Shelf - Duration: 1:14:24. What was that! This is amazing. Back out toward the river, I came upon a cactus in bloom. I thought you were pulling my chain when I asked your name! I reached Slate Canyon (mile 25.1) at 2:04 p.m. It was cold and tasted fantastic. The Tonto Trail is like a contour line on your map. My headlamp was on red, so I had the red light, green light effect going on. Before attempting this end-to-end run, I had already logged 192 miles on the Tonto Trail in segments, all in November. Another thing that really slowed me down is the beauty of the canyon. It was an amazing experience and I am so very thankful for being able to experience this dream run. So I felt prepared, knowing what to expect, and pretty familiar with two-thirds of the trail I would be on. Seeing the canyon in moonlight is a sight that fails words to describe. This was the 6th trail on the South Rim that I have used to go down into the canyon. This was the guy who I had been told camped at Ruby Canyon last night. To avoid doing any out-and-backs, I decided to start my run where the South Bass Trail (coming down from the rim) intersects with the Tonto Trail. At 8:30 a.m., I was off, excited to start what would turn out to be a 110-mile running adventure. But then I came into a rugged canyon and it slowed me back down. He had given another guy a ride out here in the morning and I guess I could have hooked up with him too via the backcountry office. I reached Agate canyon (mile 19.9) at 12:30 p.m. and on the way to Slate again peered out down into the impressive Colorado River gorge. What a waste of time! Using a GPS can help, but is annoying to keep consulting. I was kicking myself for not asking you where you’d started, but would never have guessed South Bass! To keep me company at times I sing out my music and echo off the cliff walls. I felt a very sharp pain in the ball of my foot that felt like I had been stabbed. I could hear them still talking about it as I left. Gee, I have run a 50K in half that time before. (However, it turns out there were snow patches just below the rim in the trees that I could have used, so my plans were valid.). Out of water, in the summer heat above 100 degrees, she just couldn’t face the climbs to reach South Kaibab two miles away. Read Journal... Hodge Podge Colorado Trail . The first couple miles of switchbacks were pleasant and were not covered with big rocks like on other trails. They offered me food and I couldn’t resist their dried mangos. Cliffs could be seen glowing in the sunshine. They said that they didn’t mind, but opened their windows all the way. It had been 12 hours since I had seen anyone. We slowly packed up and watched an episode of That 70’s Show until our ride came to get us. I decided to cut my run short, skip the last ten miles of the Tonto, and climb out Grandview Trail. I used the headlamp to pick out the cairns far ahead and that really saved me a lot of time and kept me on the trail. He had hiked down and up the South Bass Trail to the river and back today. I’m the guy you met on your way up Grandview (with my son). What an epic adventure! I love the mornings there as the light appears and brings the canyon to life. I peered over the side and sure enough there was a large company setting up their camp for the night a couple miles below Hermit Rapids. At about 5:15 a.m., my through-run of the Grand Canyon on the Tonto Trail began! The trail is named after John Muir – an author/environmentalist from history and has 160 miles to follow the similar footpath as the Pacific Crest Trail. I was also interested in establishing a fastest known time for this stretch. Well, I came pretty close to my goal, and probably accomplished something no one has done before. We were actually out for a day hike from the rim (down to the Tonto around the Mesa and back up). Only one section of the canyon is open for fly-overs, the section near Hermit and Boucher canyons. Through-hikers have accomplished this in several days, but I have yet to hear about runners accomplishing it without stopping and camping for the night. I’m sure they could see my crazy lights. All this takes time and you just can’t do it very fast. I reached Indian Garden (mile 50.4) at midnight. Ultrarunning History Podcast and Stories - ultrarunninghistory.com. Three-Mile Resthouse. Oh well. The Tonto Trail generally follows the path of least resistance as it meanders, sometimes very deeply, back into drainages. Help us raise $150,000 by 12/31 to hit the ground running in 2021. (Turns out that those two guys were Scott Jurek and Joe Grant. 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