The Plan for Day One

We plan to start on the North Rim taking the North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch. Some references say this is a two day hike and others believe it can be done in one day. Our goal is to do this trail in one day, making it to Phantom Ranch by our 5 pm dinner reservation.

What we've learned about the descent on North Kaibab:

• Trail starts at 8,200 ft. Our first landmark, Supai Tunnel, is 1.7 miles and down to 8,020 ft.
  
  
• Roaring Springs, the first of two waterfalls, is at the 5 mile mark and approximately 5,000 ft. Between the Tunnel and Roaring Springs there are switchbacks and the grade is steep.
  
  
• Cottonwood Camp is around 7 miles and about halfway to Phantom Ranch. Many suggest to camp here and finish the trail on the second day. We've opted for the alternative plan to hike down in one day the trail and spend two days at Phantom Ranch to recover.
  
  
• Ribbon Falls, about 8.5 miles, is the second waterfall. It's off the trail about 1.5 miles. We've already decided that we cannot afford to do this side trip if we're not doing well physically at this point. Problem. Ribbon Falls is one of the reasons we want to hike the Canyon. This provides motivation to really get in shape and prepare wisely so we don't miss seeing this!
  
  
• After Ribbon Falls, the trail becomes more narrow and the walls of the Canyon grow steeper. This is called The Box. Stories about The Box put a little fear into us. The walls of the Canyon absorb the heat from the sun. The radiating heat from the walls combined with the narrow trail create an oven for hikers to pass through. Doing this after hiking several miles and descending several thousand feet is the challenge. The plan is to rest before entering the box and hydrate! We need to be as strong as possible to hike this stretch.
  
  
• Reward. Phantom Ranch. On the other side of The Box, at around 14 miles (not counting the 3 mile side trip to Ribbon Falls), we reach the North Kaibab suspension bridge and cross over to Phantom Ranch. Phantom Ranch is at 1,200 ft.

Summary of Day One: hike 17 miles, descent 7,000 feet and see two waterfalls.