Team Lightning took off down the South Kaibab trail...well...rather like lightning. The tiny little figures in this picture represent the closest Team Thunder was to them for pretty much the rest of the trip down to the river.
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| Tiny specks named Austin, Zach, and Andrew |
Traveling with the 3-person Team Thunder was rather like traveling with three tour guides. In other words, we were easily distracted. "Oh look at these flowers!" "Over here is a very interesting rock formation." "Hey, this is a great place for a photo - smile!"
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| Oneill Butte...heh, heh, "Butte" |
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| Team THUNDER!!!!!!! |
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| OOO! Pretty! |
Keep in mind that at the South Kaibab trailhead the elevation is right around 7,200 feet. Phantom Ranch is at a measly 2,500 feet. So over the course of the next 7 miles, our teams descended about 4,700 feet. Plus, since we were hiking in July it was a good thing that we started early in the morning because it gets hotter and hotter the farther down you go into the canyon. Why do I mention this? Mostly to make excuses why the old people took 5 hours to get to the bottom while the young people made it in 3 and a half. OK, so we did see Team Lightning up close at a rest stop where they had been lounging for quite some time waiting for us.
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| Team Lightning waiting for the old folks |
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| "Jeeves, where is my tea?" |
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| "Good Lord! There's a river at the bottom of this thing!" |
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| So huge, it is almost unbelievable! | |
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| Despite the sign, we didn't see any. |
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| That teeny-tiny patch of trees? The campground |
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| The tunnel...at the end of the light? | | | | |
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| Bliss! Bright Angel creek and campground! |
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| The Black Bridge! (complete with mule crap.) |
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