Desert Southwest - The Checklist Edition - Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Traverse, Day 2 - Clear Creek Campsite to Cottonwood Campsite - September 2014

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We had a relatively early dinner at roughly 5pm. The combination of shade and the slightly higher 4000-foot altitude made for near perfect temperature conditions - roughly in the 25C range (77F). Most pleasant.

courtesy PChen

courtesy JInnes

A rare shoulder rub

Dinner at Cottonwood

Dinnertime at Cottonwood

courtesy PChen

courtesy JInnes

Dinnertime at Cottonwood

One minute video clip, Cottonwood Camp campsite - Click on video above to start

With dinner finished and with daylight remaining, it was time to do a little next-day hike planning. The next day was our exit day: the hike up from Cottonwood Camp to the North Rim. The total distance was fairly short - under 7 miles (11km) - but the elevation gain was significant: 4,250 feet. In order to minimize the chances of a hot ascent, it would be key to start early.

There was an additional logistical factor to consider: the shuttle bus system that I would be using to retrieve our 12-passenger rental van (which, you may recall, was situated on the south rim at Desert View) only ran twice a day: a departure at 7:00 a.m., and a departure at 2 p.m. I had hedged my bets and put myself down for both 2 p.m. and for 7 a.m. the following day, but I really was hoping to the 2 p.m. shuttle. If not, our entire group would have to wait an extra half-day (just so I could perform a shuttle operation).

Given the above two objectives, we pegged our hike start time at 5:30 a.m., and a get-up time of 4:00 a.m.

Post-dinner rest

We spent the rest of evening chatting and relaxing on a huge flat slab of rock within our campsite. As dusk fell, we laid side-by-side on this slab, which was conveniently angled slightly to the south - keeping our heads raised and providing a good angle towards the best of the stars. And stars there were: the clouds had disappeared completely and the air clarity was good. The moon was near new, so it did not reflect any spoiling light into the sky. When the dusk finally receded into night, we were treated with a fabulous milky way view.

courtesy JInnes

Komo Point

Twilight at Cottonwood

The Milky Way Emerges

Nature's planetarium

The night-sky watching was so comfortable from our rock slab that even after everyone else had gone off to bed, Pu and I stayed up for longer and continued to watch the night sky. With no wind, a clear forecast, and an airmass that was basically at room temperature - and with a nice clean surface, well away from the dirt and spiky plants of the ground - we both decided to haul out our sleeping mats and bags and sleep out in the open atop it.

I had never truly spent a night out in the open before. This, however, was a fantastic introduction. With eyes closed, it felt exactly like being in my bedroom at home. Any time I wanted, though, I could open my eyes and immediately see a deep black vault, filled with pinpricks of light.

Interactive trackmap with photo points - Grand Canyon Traverse, Day 2 - click map to view

Interactive trackmap with photo points - Grand Canyon Traverse, Day 2 - click to view

Rim-to-Rim Traverse Day 2 - Hike Data

Start Time: 7:41a.m.

End Time: 2:48p.m.

Duration: 7h7m

Distance: 14.17 km (8.81 mi)

Average Speed: 2.0 km/hr (1.2 mph)

Start Elevation: 3662ft (1116m) *

Max Elevation: 4078ft (1243m) *

Min Elevation: 2632ft (802m) *

End Elevation: 4056ft (1236m) *