The Triple Crown
In the early 90's my wife and I and some family members, over a dinner of beer and pizza, challenged ourselves to what we called the Triple Crown. The idea was to summit both Half Dome and Mount Whitney and to hike from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and back again. That last leg soon morphed into the Rim2Rim. Our goal was to do all three in the same summer, which we did in 1993.
All three trails are breathtaking, and the views are wonderful. The photographic opportunities are unending. These three trails are certainly among the best day hikes in the world! Though we have now hiked each segment many times, we have only done all three of them in the same summer just that once.
In 1993, there was freezing rain and wind when we started out at 5 a.m. on the South Kaibab trail in the Grand Canyon. Part way down our boots were covered with red mud. Just after Ooh Ahh point, the rain stopped, the clouds slowly drifted apart, and shafts of light poured into the Canyon lighting first one of group of formations and then another. It almost as though heaven was opening up. An unexpected, but glorious dawn was a reward for leaving our warm hotel room and heading out into the cold, wet, windy, grey morning weather.
In 2019, we started down from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in cold and snow. It stopped snowing by the time we got to the Supai Tunnel. As the snow melted, waterfalls splashed over the cliffs. We hugged the cliff walls as we hiked and enjoyed the excitement of walking behind waterfalls in the desert. Down further, we were greeted by a wild, teeming, gaudy display of cactus flowers the likes of which we have not seen before or since.
It's funny how those weather conditions that seem to threaten the start could evolve into some of the most exciting and deeply satisfying moments of a hike.
If you have a comment, let me know. Tom@thefleetinglight.com
Half Dome
The Half Dome trail is 8 miles to the summit from the Yosemite Valley floor, an ascent of 4800 feet. The round trip day hike is 16 miles. A permit is required for this hike. Most of the trail is not that difficult consisting of a series of switchbacks up the Nevada Falls trail. The view of Nevada Falls is fantastic, and there is a great stopping place for rest and a snack at the top of the Falls. The trail is a tougher and steeper progressing to the summit.
This is not an area for the timid or those who suffer from vertigo. Drop-offs are steep and close to the trail. At the back of the Dome, the Darth Vader helmet portion of the mountain, there are the "granite steps." These are a series of steps cut in a steep granite cliff. Going up the steps is difficult, but doable. It also is your first woozy sense that you in the sky itself. After the granite steps, there are the cables. The Park Service has anchored steel cables and an occasional cross-board on the steep back-side. There is no vegetation here. Only one gigantic rock. Good boots, gloves and some upper arm strength are essential since you pretty much pull yourself up. The danger on this section of the trail makes the heart race. It is a moment for great care.
The top of Half Dome is a massive piece of rock with dramatic views in all directions. The first time we hiked up there, I wanted to peer down the face itself, but I was scared stiff. I got down on my stomach and crawled over to the edge looking straight down. It was a frightening thrill.
There is a rocky point at the summit which sticks out from the face, casually referred to as the "Diving Board." It is a jumble of fairly big rocks, and seems quite stable; but you can look through crevices in the rock all the way to the Valley floor thousands of feet below. If you are not an experienced climber, this moment can turn your knees to jello. My wife and I have pictures from two different trips of ourselves standing out there, crazy fools that we were, with El Capitain rising in the distance behind us. Most recently when we were on the summit, there was a line to go out on the Diving Board.
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the continental U.S. at 14,508. The summit can be reached by a hiker's trail; climbing equipment is not needed. The most common route is on the east side. The famous eastside Whitney Crest is photographed above. The trail begins at Whitney Portal which is at 8800 feet. The ascent is 5700 feet. The round trip is 22 miles. A permit is required for this hike which can only be obtained through a lottery.
There are essentially three segments to this hike: first, 6 miles from Whitney Portal to Trail Camp at 12,000 feet; second up approximately 90 switchbacks to Trail Crest at 13,645 feet where for the first time a hiker can look both east and west; and third "only" 1.8 miles from Trail Crest to the summit. Many hikers camp at various locations on the way up. The Triple Crown challenge is to do it as a day hike. We usually start this hike with headlamps at about 3:30 a.m.
The first portion of the hike is relatively easy until the trail breaks out of timber into open rock. After that the trail is noticeably rougher, but there are stopping points for rest and water. There is a small lake at Trail Camp which sits right below the Whitney Crest at 12,000 feet. The air here is noticeably thinner, and the Whitney Crest hovering above adds drama to the location. Unfortunately, this area is often overcrowded and not very clean.
After Trail Camp, an unyielding climb begins up about 90 switchbacks (there is a "discussion" of exactly how many switchbacks there are). There may be a fresh water spring at the 23rd switchback, but the drought has made that source unreliable. When the panting, oxygen starved, tired hiker reaches Trail Crest, there is a view to the west across Sequoia National Park that buckles the knees.
The trail continues along the west side of the Whitney Crest to the summit, the notorious "backside" of Mt. Whitney. For much of the way this trail clings to the side of a cliff with a drop-off of a thousand feet or so on the western side. At some points, it is very rocky and almost a boulder hop. It is a time to go about 50 or 100 steps and stop to catch your breath. It would be dangerous to get too tired or light-headed on this stretch. Tough as this section is, the views go from one dramatic outlook to another.
This section of the trail also includes the famous "windows." These are points where the trail passes the base of the Whitney Crest spires. Here the trail is 4 or 5 feet wide looking down the sheer face of the Whitney Crest on one side and a straight drop-off to Sequoia National Park on the the other. Some hikers pause on the trail and take in the danger; others look down at their hiking boots and hurry along.
The Whitney summit is the achievement, but it is not as dramatic as the trail up. There is a hut at the top with a register for hikers to sign and plenty of places to rest for lunch. Naturally a lot of hikers go over to the edge and look down the face, but not everyone does. There are USGS survey markers embedded in the rock. A photo of those markers is proof positive of your achievement. Eat some lunch, drink plenty of water, but don't rest too long. Afternoon thundershowers can come up quickly and are very dangerous. Above the timberline, out on exposed rock, as far as the thunderstorm is concerned, the hiker is just a bag of water with a couple of aluminum hiking poles. It's a long hike down. Best to get started back as early as you can.
Mount Whitney Summit, 1925 USGS Survey Marker
The Grand Canyon
The Rim2Rim trail is briefly described on the Grand Canyon page. It is a 24 mile hike starting from the North Rim and going up the Bright Angel trail to the South Rim. There are water sources along the trail, but there can be problems, so it is essential to check the water supply with the Park before setting out. This hike is gorgeous almost the whole way. The trail is good but very strenuous. The combined elevation gain and loss is 10,000 feet. The North Rim itself is at 8000 feet. Heat is the principal challenge. Doing this hike in the summer months is extremely dangerous. Temperatures on the trail frequently exceed 110 degrees. As of 2022, no permit is required for this hike.
We have done this hike in May and October. The North Rim facilities open in mid-May depending on the snow and close on October 15. It has been the case that hiking in May was reasonably pleasant, but May seems like it is definitely getting warmer, with temperatures in the Canyon sometimes over 110. October is cooler, but the days are shorter and much of the vegetation is dried up. The fantastic views and the experience of hiking down and through the Canyon are the same.
When we started doing this hike in the mid-nineties, it was in a gray area. It was legal to do the hike, but definitely discouraged by the Park. Transportation to the North Rim was very limited. TheTrans-Canyon shuttle had only one van. There are no reliable estimates from that time about the number of people doing the Rim2Rim as a day hike, but I doubt it was more than about a hundred every year.
In the 2000s, the hike became more widely known, and Rim2Rim T-shirts appeared. There had always been a very few people who ran the Rim2Rim, but runners started appearing on the trail more frequently.
By the mid-2000s, the Rim2Rim2Rim or R3 emerged as the more defining challenge. Then came running the R3. Rim2Rim paraphernalia increased to include more T-shirts, hats, water bottles, medallions and even tote bags. The Trans-Canyon Shuttle acquired more vans and increased its service to two trips per day with multiple vans for each trip. Group hikes are now conducted frequently. Even running groups are doing the trail. It's not like the old days, but it is still a glorious hike.
The North Rim trailhead is almost 2 miles from the lodge. There is usually transportation to the trailhead provided by the lodge or privately by the lodge bell staff or the Trans-Canyon drivers. We start the hike at 4 a.m. with headlamps. By the time we have reached the Supai tunnel after 2 miles through wooded switchbacks, it is usually light enough. Walking through the Supai tunnel is the true beginning of this hike. It opens into a redwall canyon that is almost unreal. At times the trail snakes across the cliffside like a scene from the Hobbit. Dramatic formations rise from the canyon floor. As the sun rises, the canyon lights up. The sun does not shine directly into the redwall canyon. Instead the light hits the cliffs higher up and is reflected onto the redwall creating a warm glow that seems to emanate from inside the rock itself. There is nothing like it.
In the spring, depending on how much winter rain there has been, there can be an abundance of cactus flowers especially after the Cottonwood campground which is 7 miles down. In a good year, there are whole meadows of brilliantly colored cactus flowers, one more bright and gaudy than the next.
Phantom Ranch is about 14 miles down. Set on the Bright Angel Creek a short distance from the Colorado River, it is simple, rustic, charming and world famous. There are few rooms, and a lottery for reservations. A hiker can get cold lemonade, food and sundries from the dining room. Phantom Ranch also sells bags of ice cubes for a hiker's water reservoir to cool your torso on the hot trail up. There are shady spots to rest on the bank of the Bright Angel Creek. It is a wonderful place to refresh before beginning the 10 mile haul to the South Rim.
About 3 miles from Phantom Ranch, there are a series of exposed switchbacks on the Bright Angel Trial which mark the beginning of the Devil's Corkscrew. On a hot day, this section is a menace to the hiker and a definite risk for heat exhaustion. The rock cliffs bake in the sun creating radiation to the hiker from both the cliffs and the sun. Desert hiking mitigation includes ample water, electrolytes, water soaked bandanas, light weight clothes and a hat that cover the body, and frequent stops in the few overhangs that offer shade. It is a good idea to carry a packet of two of the World Health Organization electrolyte restoration salts. A packet weighs nothing, but it might save a life.
5 miles after Phantom Ranch is the Indian Garden oasis where there is rest and water. Leaving Indian Garden, the sheer cliffs soaring 3,000 feet up to the South Rim look indomitable. Yet the trail, consisting mostly of well graded switchbacks is not that bad despite the tiring, relentless uphill.
The late afternoon or setting sun may reveal great Canyon views on the way up, possible adventure photography opportunities. Once you get to the South Rim, you will have to get a shot of that achievement even though such a picture is definitely not adventure photography!