Section 3.5: The North Kaibab Trailhead
I have to take a moment to recount the experience at the trailhead because it was magic. This will be quick, which was true of our break at the top, but it’s worth a spotlight.
When I got to the top, after struggling up the final climb, electricity hit. Maybe it’s because I had just mentally switched my mindset to prepare for the return, but there was also an energy at the trailhead that’s tough to describe. There were probably 30 people, including a couple rangers, up there resting or recharging. Many of these folks had just completed the rim-to-rim and were elated to be done, and many, like us, were taking a short break to recharge and head back down to finish the R3. Everyone was amped up.
As we hiked that last 100 yards, people were cheering us on and giving us encouragement to finish strong. It was all smiles, even for me. Every new person that came up, no matter who they were, got the full treatment of accolades and encouragement. It was one of the most energizing things I’ve experienced.
Once on top, it was like a meet and greet at some friendly bar that just went up in your neighborhood. There is an immediate kinship that’s felt when you’re all out there doing something crazy together that’s born from the collective experience of a common challenge. I can see why the ultra running community is such a tight community. Maybe it’s the flood of endorphins that everyone has coursing through them at these times, but there’s definitely a mutual respect that creates an immediate feeling of friendliness that is a really great feeling.
We were chatting with a bunch of other people while we were refueling and refilling and preparing to turn right back around and do it again. There was one guy who had just made it up there to a makeshift “pit crew” that met him there to fuel him up so he could try to do R3 in less than 12 hours. That sounds like a long time, but consider that it’s 50 miles (ish) and there is about 11,500 feet of gain. That’s fast.
For me personally, the best part of the top was this energy, but it also gave me an opportunity to get into my pack and eat some real food. I put down a bunch of trail mix, a beef jerky stick and a Clif bar. I probably took in around 600 calories up there, which is exactly what my body needed. I also downed a half liter of liquid, half water and half with Scratch in it. And finally I soaked my hat, my buff, my shirt and my arm sleeves with cold water and put them back on. All of this cooled my body down and replenished my calories and electrolytes and I was ready to get back on the trail. My spirits were high feeling like we just accomplished something big and excited to do it again. Here’s me at the top:
Some other things to note about the trailhead.
There are real bathrooms, but they’re at the far end of the parking lot
There are garbage cans, so this is a great place to unload all your waste
The water faucet is amazing! The water is so cold and delicious and I highly recommend consuming as much as your body will take and also refilling all bottles right before you depart
It’s shady if it’s not noon, so grab some rest
There are plenty of places along the rock wall to sit and take a breather. Take your time here because it’s the most comfortable place before you head back.
Take a lot of pictures! Seems weird because it’s just a pit stop, but I’m telling you, you’ll want to remember the energy of this stop.
The North Kaibab trailhead is a magical place half way through R3. Make sure you experience it in full.
Onward.