Finished rim to rim for the GCAFI.  Dunno.  The first day down North Kaibab to Cottonwood is a thrash, admittedly, but more so for people who did not take getting into shape seriously.  Also, skipping dinner and breakfast is a loser.  We are burning mucho calories, people.

Weather could not have been better.  Not too cold on the North Rim, 90's coming down, which is hot but not unbearable.  Cool enuff to sleep at night.  It was hot crossing the Box, but again, not as hot as could have been.

I was able to rig my hammock every night.  At Cottonwood, I went between the pack bars.  At BA we got the Palace Suite and I tied off to the old CCC structure.  However the wind, or my rocking, or something wore through the cord and I sat down, hard, at 1 AM.  I did a quick scorpion sweep with my trusty black light and slept on the ground for the rest of the night.  Much prefer a hammock.

Next day I borrowed a cardboard box from the Ranch and cushioned the rock from the cord, or visa versa.  I also got in and out very carefully. The cord was 275 pound test, but it may be that springing up with enthusiasm puts too much stress on the cord.  I also put my pack under me, so if I fell again I could land on something semi-soft.  I know we are supposed to hang them, but all the food was out, and critters

can climb up to the packs anyhow.  Did not bring the heavy duty cord hanger because the whole point was to save weight.  And avoid ticks.  At IG it is easy to rig between the pack hanging bars.  Got a lousy tick bite anyway.

Gossiped with Helen at IG. They picked up an illegal guide a few weeks back.  Apparently he advertises on Facebook and is unprofessional enough that he gets caught.

I met the AOA group doing a rim to rim with Phantom Ranch assist.  One gal at Cottonwood at 1 PM was really hurting.  Barely walking, looked to be in real pain.  I meet the guide at the water refill at the Delta, and he introduced himself.  I could not shake hands because my hands were full of micro trash I had been picking up, which he apparently was comfortable with ignoring.  I thought he was a different guide than I had seen the day before, so I asked about the gal who was doing so poorly.

"Oh, that was "Sally". She's right here, and she's doing fine."  Sally gave me a dark look, but, hey, she was walking funny.  Helen told me that she was not doing well on the way out, either.

This was "opening weekend", first weekend the North Rim is open to cars.  My lands, hundreds of runners.  Most of them were polite, but the 50th time you step aside it gets old.  Also two blasted past me with no warning.  I could have easily stepped to one side not hearing them, or dropped a stick and knocked them off into the creek. Asking to pass is for your safety as well, runners.  They also pretty much overrun the canteen at the Ranch. Helen said they did $130,000 work of retail at the Ranch.  They ran out of size Large tee shirts, so I will buy some for my people when I go back. Assuming they have them by then.