Day One - Saturday

Our big adventure started in Las Vegas with the rental of a red Mustang convertible.  Five hours after crossing Hoover Dam we arrived at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  

The day's events included a five hour shuttle to the North Rim.  Our driver, Roger, hurtled through the desert, past Navajo blankets and pottery.  Our fellow passengers, Natalie, Andre, and Drew from Winter Park; and Tom, 22-year Grand Canyon concessionaire employee, and his brother, from Seattle, were on the same itinerary as ours.  Another passenger, an unnamed delirious man who had completed a rim to rim in 24 hours drifted in and out of consciousness. We arrived at the North Rim in time for our dinner reservations.

We rose at 5 a.m and patiently waited for the promised shuttle to the trail head at 6.  At 6:30 we accepted a ride from a gracious couple in a large van.   

At the Kaibab Trailhead we began our 4,000 ft. elevation loss and seven mile descent to Cottonwood Campground.  

We passed through forest into desert, past the Coconino sandstone cliffs, Redwall limestone, and Bright Angel shale.  The rock formations amazed us in color and scale.

At the campground it was 105 degrees.  We sat in the shade of the rain fly and waited for sunset and some reprieve from the heat.