Hiking down into the Grand Canyon is optional. Getting out of there is mandatory. A popular saying about the GC goes, “There’s no shuttle bus from the bottom to the top.” The only ways to get out of the Grand Canyon once you hike down is to: 1) walk out; 2) get carried up on a medical litter; or 3) get evacuated by helicopter. After nearly twelve hours of hiking 7 miles down from the South Rim and then hiking 7 exhausting miles across the canyon, Chief and I were faced with the above three options.

At Cottonwood Campground, we had already climbed about 1,500 feet on our hike up the North Kaibab Trail. There was still 6.5 miles in front of us with a grueling 4,200′ elevation gain to reach the North Rim. Chief continued to apologize for suggesting we could undertake the Rim2Rim hike in one day. The hike across the bottom of the canyon had taken its toll on our bodies as we dealt with the intense heat and increased elevation. Our legs felt as though they were already made of jelly and I was struggling with stomach pain for an unknown reason. Chief had major blisters on his feet but wouldn’t take off his shoes, as if avoiding the sight of several fluid-filled pox would make the pain more tolerable. I looked around at other hikers who were also struggling but who then took off up the trail with the same painful expression I’m sure we had. The air was so dry and hot I couldn’t even manage to express the tears I wanted to shed. It was 3:30 PM and Chief asked, “Do you want to try to spend the night at Cottonwood Campground or continue walking?” A major obstacle was that we had no permit or tent to stay the night since sleeping at the bottom of the Grand Canyon was never in the plan. We had reserved a lovely room at the North Rim Lodge months ago, but we began to doubt if we’d ever arrive. Would anyone find us at the bottom of the canyon if we couldn’t continue? Visions of hungry vultures came to mind as I imagined them picking away at our dead bodies. Anyhow, I could have easily ripped Chief a new one, but realized the intense guilt he already felt about bringing us here was probably punishment enough. We decided to continue walking, just to see if we could make it 1.4 miles to the next checkpoint at Manzanita. Our only hope was in a prayer that God have mercy on our situation and give to us the strength to walk out.

The hike to Manzanita was a 360-foot evaluation gain and we arrived by 4:30 PM. We stopped and briefly rested on a bench and filled our water bottles at the water pump, feeling somewhat successful in our arrival. The next section to Roaring Springs was going to be a steeper climb of 500′ in less than a mile. Our confidence was short-lived as the ascent was immediate and breath-taking; not because of the view rather due to the difficult climb and the high elevation. I stopped every 20-30 steps just to catch my breath. Chief patiently waited every time. Over an hour later, we finally caught sight of the beautiful waterfall at Roaring Springs. I wish we could have enjoyed it more, but we knew we had to keep moving our legs. There was only about three hours of daylight left with more than four miles of steep trail to reach the North Rim. We didn’t anticipate how slowly we would hike the next two miles as three hours passed quickly and the sun started to set. Another hiker caught up with us and we were surprised to see he was carrying a bicycle on his back! He silently passed us and then he effortlessly climbed a steep portion of the trail. Chief and I wondered a purpose for having a bike. Is he hiking Rim2Rim and planning to ride the bicycle back to the South Rim? Or is he taking the bicycle to the North Rim for another person? That mystery kept our minds occupied for a minute or two. Anyhow, we reached the Redwall Bridge as the sun was setting. The bridge crosses a deep gorge, which was several hundred feet down. We put on our headlamps and carefully stepped across the wooden planks of the bridge, staying in the direct middle since the metal siderails had openings large enough for an elephant to fall through. Chief said, “Don’t look down.” He didn’t say to hold my breath. I think that came naturally as we cautiously made each step. On the other side of the bridge, the trail narrowed even more and the steep gorge was frightening as we cautiously stayed toward the wall side. The canyon grew darker and darker as the sun disappeared toward the west. Any other day we would have appreciated the beautiful sunset and the colors on the canyon walls, but this hike was too exhausting and concern about the darkness settled in hard. Another Rim2Rim hiker passed us and told us we had about 2.5 miles to reach the North Rim trailhead. He said he was going to finish this hike and then hike back to the South Rim the next day. I commented under my breath that he was off his rocker (just my opinion). He quickly disappeared in the dark, but we watched the light from his headlamp go up and up the canyon ledge. We were unaware we had over 2,000′ yet to climb.

Chief told me to take the lead on the trail as he wanted to watch that I didn’t trip in the darkness and fall toward the edge (keep that tidbit in mind). The canyon was quiet and we could only see a few feet in front of us on the narrow ledges with the help of our headlamps. Every movement was a climb and I tried counting steps just to keep motivated as we navigated the switchbacks. The repetition of our steps were only interrupted with a brief stop to rest and breathe. We soon put our jackets back on as the temperature cooled in the night. Back to counting steps–1, 2, 3… Suddenly, I noticed movement four feet ahead on the trail with the light of my headlamp. It was a snake and I immediately looked at the tail and saw the rattler. I stopped and kept my headlamp light on it to access where it was headed. The snake was small, stopped briefly, then slithered toward the wall side of the trail. Chief said he would use his hiking stick to keep it away and told me to pass near the ledge as fast as I could. We both passed safely but soon came upon another obstacle. A rock slide had left good-sized boulders on the trail. At first, we couldn’t see where the trail went because in the darkness the path wasn’t clear. We climbed over the boulders and eventually found the trail free of fallen rocks. Just when I thought we could safely keep walking, I heard Chief shout my name and yell for help! Panicked, I looked back to see he was hanging over the ledge. I ran back and he said to grab his arm and pull him up. Thank God that there was a tree behind him which stopped him from falling any further over the ledge. Chief said that he had tripped over a rock and fell near the edge. Maybe he should have walked in the lead so I could catch him… Those dangers kept us hyper-vigilant and, most likely, awake as we continued the hike.

There is no cellular service in the Grand Canyon so we were surprised when my phone started to ding at a certain elevation. Several text messages came in all at once. Lots of people were wondering what happened to us. We didn’t want to reply to everyone as it was after midnight back east. We did get these messages from our daughter:

Daughter(10:20 PM our time): “Hey mom–just trying to see if you guys are alright?”

Daughter: “I text dad a few times but haven’t heard anything. Getting a little worried.”

Me: “We are still on trail unfortunately. About 1.5 miles left but slowly plugging. Sorry if this arrives late. Dad’s phone lost charge today.”

Daughter: “Only 1.5 left! You can do it! Thanks for texting. Let me know when you arrive, where you are staying. Love you guys!”

The words were encouraging but we weren’t sure we could even hike another mile and a half. It seemed like we were making very little progress. We arrived at the Supai Tunnel, an area where the rocks form a tunnel that leads to an open, flat grassy area. The area is filled with pine trees, although in the darkness I could only smell the sweet scent of pine. We sat down to rest and Chief got clean drinking water from the pump. Chief and I had another conversation about staying there and finishing the hike the next day. While resting, a group of three hikers from Tennessee and two hikers from Texas joined us. Like us, they were also attempting a Rim2Rim hike. And also like us, they were struggling physically and mentally. Everyone decided to keep hiking but it was at a snail’s pace. Walk a few steps, then rest. Walk then rest. We’d pass them then we’d stop. They passed us then they’d stop. That became the rhythm as we all moved slowly the next mile toward the North Kaibab trailhead. Rachel, one of the hikers from Tennessee was 21 years old and in good enough shape to hike ahead. I heard her jubilantly screaming that she made it to the North Rim trailhead. I knew we were close! At 12:30 AM, Chief and I somehow found a burst of energy and climbed the steps to reach the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at an elevation of 8,241′. The 21-mile hike from the South Rim to the North Rim took us 21 straight hours to complete–by far the most difficult hike we have ever attempted. And only by the grace of God it was completed.

EPILOGUE: Chief and I arrived at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim Lodge at 1:00 AM on May 25th. Rachel and her family had a car parked at the North Rim parking lot and gave us a ride to the Lodge, which saved us another mile walk. We did remember to text our daughter that we arrived. The desk clerk on duty checked us in and gave us the key to our room. A warm shower and comfortable bed were waiting for us. Though neither of us remember dropping into bed, Chief and I awoke later that morning and texted family and friends that we had safely completed the Rim2Rim hike. Their prayers and support kept us going! The dining room at the North Rim Lodge served an amazing breakfast buffet and, boy, did we eat our money’s worth! We had booked a shuttle to pick us up in the afternoon and drive us the five-hour trip back to the South Rim. It was dark when we arrived later that night back to our tent at Mather Campground–exhausted and sore. What we learned from this hike is that there is often purpose in the struggle. The path of life, like the hiking trail, is sometimes dark and unclear. Life can be treacherous and exhausting, but also beautiful and amazing. We walk and walk but sometimes it can seem like we aren’t getting anywhere. We think we know the way but we can’t always trust our own thoughts. The truth is the Lord is always with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He carries us when we can’t make the journey. He leads us when we are unsure. His forgiveness is complete, as ours should be to others. God loves us unconditionally–even when we make choices that aren’t totally right. God can make ALL things right. God is good all the time! Of that, we are sure.