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Running
the Grand Canyon -
Bright
Angel Trail to Phantom and Back
Uploaded 4/15/06
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Here, on this page I am going to take you
on a journey through the layers of deep time on a fast run down
to the very bottom of the Grand Canyon. This was a practice run
for the upcoming Rim to Rim to Rim run in May, and this one covered
22 miles round trip.
Unless you are
in excellent physical shape, this run is not recommended! I pass
many hikers and wanna be runners on the way back up that thought
they could make it. So onward to our journey - The Canyon awaits
us!
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Please
click on thumbnails for larger view!
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Here
I am at the top of the trail head, dressed for temperatures at
the top in the upper 20's. As I quickly descend, layers of clothing
come off fast. |
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Not
far down the trail, what seems like a small ice flow is creeping
out of a hillside spring. |
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The
actual size! I had some hikers take my photo with the flow. |
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The
long trail to Indian Gardens has many switch backs, winding through
the ancient rocks. |
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As
we near Indian Gardens, about halfway to the bottom, the Redwall
Limestone cliffs tower over us. The canyon is twice as deep as
what you see here, the higher cliffs we depended are beyond the
edge of these cliffs. |
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Coming
into Indian gardens in under an hour of running. Last water stop
before the bottom. |
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Now
the run beyond Indian Gardens to the bottom will take us thorough
some of the most beautiful and rugged trails yet. This really
sandy part of the trail is easy to run on. But just wait! |
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We
get to the river in about an hour and 20 minutes. A few hikers
on their way up rest at the waters edge. |
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Next
we run a few miles along the bottom of the river, heading toward
Silver Bridge to cross. |
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Running
through the "sand trap" is a dune area where your feet
sink into the sand and its hard running. |
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Silver
bridge! Here we will run across directly over the fast flowing
river on a see through grate on the bottom that makes it look
like your running on the water! |
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Finally,
Phantom Ranch 2 hours from the top. It has been a long strenuous
run, but the views are priceless. |
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Sitting
at the bench along the wall at the dining hall, I shot this 6
part montage covering 180 degrees to show the view. |
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Heading back.
Now we reverse our run and go back up hill - thousands of feet
up and 11 miles to go!
Here is looking
back at Silver Bridge from the trail.
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When
I returned to the top, we spotted a big horn sheep on a ledge
below us perched over a thousand foot drop off on a rock protrusion.
How did he get there? This was with the 10D at 100mm. It was
bout half this size to the eye. |
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Zoom
in at 400mm. The pupils of their eyes are black horizontal slits. |
Camera: Sony P10 5Mp
Exposure: AE
Location: Grand Canyon, Az
Elevation: 7200 ft.
Outside Temperature: 35 F
Processing: Photoshop CS2
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