That is unbelievably great. Good for you. You are so inspiring. I would love to hike more, but my husband doesn’t like me to hike by myself. So I have to go when he wants to go also. I guess I should try to find a hiking friend.

The best training is hiking the trail you plan to hike in stages, so you can assess the challenges and tough spots. If you cannot hike the same trail, hike something similar, in similar conditions. I might have been lucky when I did my Rim-river-rim dayhike, but I had done several high altitude dayhikes the year before, and continual gym conditioning all year. At least I had a notion of my physical abilities. I was given a warning by a ranger, but I took lots of fluids and food, so if I was stranded in the canyon, I could have survived at least another day until I met someone on the trail. It also helps to know where the support sites are on the trail for water and shelter, so you can plan your failure strategy.

​ @ageingungracefullypushingt7135 I'll try to answer, but usually my posts get deleted when I do. -During a training session, I'm fueling with Liquid I.V. and to that I'm adding a vitamin B complex 100 pill, and 2 or 3 Magnesium Lysinate pills that I break in half. I recently found the magnesium in capsule, so I now pull those apart and sprinkle the contents into the drink flask. I'm doing this in a 21oz Camelbak soft flask. If I were using a bladder in a pack, I'd up the amounts. -I use GU Roctane during training, at roughly every 45min-1hr intervals -Immediately after the training, I drink a quart of water that contains 3-4 scoops of MRM "Reload" BCAA+G. I will sometimes add 1 scoop of this to my drink flask(s) so that I'm getting some of it during the training. Point being, to help manage lactic acid build up. -I eat a lot of citrus during the training session (peeled tangerines), and afterward, a very ripe pineapple, usually in my old Vitamix, with a tray of ice, 5 carrots, cilantro, a banana or 2, maybe an entire peeled lime, blueberries, etc. It makes close to 2 quarts of slushy, and contains a ton of Whole Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium ,VitA, etc. that helps muscles recover -I use a percussion massager on my legs -I wear compression sleeves on my lower legs for a few hours -I have a massage chair so I do 30min in that -I eat a very non-inflammatory diet, based on the Yes and No food list by Dr. Gundry -I supplement iron using a product called "Blood Builder" -I supplement vitamin D3 taken with K2, at 15,000iu/day -I don't eat dairy or dairy products -I eat quite a bit of protein, plus avocados for their healthy fat and high potassium content, and a lot of produce -I don't eat big production raised meet or eggs. I eat versions of those, including wild caught fish, from other sources, including venison and bison -I'm active the day after, because it takes muscle movement to move lactic acid, and the 2nd day after a workout is always the worst, so I usually am back to training on the 2nd day after. In other words, I only take 1 day off. You could go really lite on the 1st and 2nd day after, and you'd probably feel better, and fully recover quicker. 30min on a nice spin bike for example. Just something to cycle the blood through the legs. That's some of how I handle it.

Great job on this hike Dr. Bill. Really impressive!! With all that you do athletically (skiing, hiking, Grand Canyon hikes), it's probably time to do active recovery methods, and fueling a certain way, both before, during, and after. It'll make a huge difference in what you're able to do, and how you feel.

R2R is a great goal. Low humidity seems like a plus for health. Good luck.

Good tips. I long distance backpack and I rarely see anyone backpacking any real distance without hiking poles. I also wear biking gloves to protect my hands. Take care

First off I would like to say congratulations on your wonderful adventure and all the effort you put in to make it happen. I was just wondering what time of year did you do your hike? Did you use a transportation service to get you to the North Rim? Did you use electrolytes in your water? I am 65 and I do a lot of long distance backpacking, like the AT LT etc and I find taking magnesium really helps with leg cramps. Whenever I do a long trip I always take magnesium before bed. Just so you know on my trips I often run into older people hiking very long distances. I actually don’t think the ranger was listening to you or had already made up their mind when they knew your age. Many people do not actually train, I train year round, if I did not train I could never hike the way I do. All of your training paid off and you did amazing. Take care and keep hitting the trail.

Billy, I miss you and I love you Gman

Good for you for being able to complete that at your age but going solo was a HORRIBLE idea.

I'll try to answer your question here. I've not been on that portion of the River Trail, but it's used by the mule trains that come down Bright Angel, because they can't go across Silver Bridge. The problem with going this route on a Rim2River, would be that there's no water unless filtered from the creek at River Rest, all the way over at the start of Bright Angel. It would really slow down the travel time and wreck the legs to carry that much water. My personal preference is to always go light, saving the legs and increasing travel speed a bit. If you don't want to go the extra mile to and from Phantom, there's a water spigot just 200m after Black Bridge, on Boat Beach, and another at the mule pen area, helipad area, along with a bathroom, just 100m before the Silver Bridge. But it's always fun to go into Phantom, hang out for a bit, refuel, sit with legs elevated, do some leg swings, and get spooled back up for the 9.5mi climb out.

My response to your question keeps getting removed.

Nice! When are you thinking about for the canyon, later in the fall?

Tell me your a monster, without telling me your a monster!! Fantastic job Dr. Bill! You made my legs hurt just thinking about it. That route looks like it was never ending. Wow!

Playacar one of my favorite beaches in the area

And gosh, 17 miles… That’s practically like you did the rim to rim again.

You are so inspiring. Enjoy your videos greatly.

Glad your wife recovered well and your fitness goals are on track 🙌 Cool to see a rattler up there!

Thank you for this video. What kind of socks do you wear? What is the brand and the type? And what is the brand of the liners?

Posting the big numbers I see, Dr. Bill... and snake jousting! Geez, this channel has come a long way! Hahaaa! I'm glad your wife got through the covids and is getting back to normal. I'm sure that was miserable. She was in good hands. I'm right there with you regarding the extra work that even 10lbs brings on. It's absolutely a detriment when you trying to move it around with your legs. You've done a great job getting off!

Thank you. I appreciate all your knowledge.

Enjoyed listening to your story. Thank you. Was there in May this year with my sons and we went down to Havasupai Gardens, just to try it out, as all our other hikes so far were up (Yosemite, Zion) and then down. We were suitably worn out the next day and abandoned a half baked plan to get to the river and back, instead doing some of the hermit's trail. Being back in Australia now, I can't seem to shake a strange sense of 'homesickness' for the incredible trails we had the priviledge of experiencing during our short 4 week roadtrip in the US. Since its likely I'll probably be in my mid 60's before I can get back there, I was becoming a little disheartened. However, after watching some of these clips, like yours, I am encouraged to keep training for it, and becoming more of the opinion that if hiking rim to rim was to end up being my last day on earth, I may be able to live with that.

For some reason (or several) , this is one of the most enjoyable vid's Bill. Nice job. For some unknown reason, the 17 miles just struck me as a good achievement. The scenery over your left at the 6:20 mark was spectacular! Are there homes wayyy over there? It was nice of you to make dinner easier for the rattler and prior to this, is a snake bite first-aid pack in your knapsack? Am glad the Mrs. got over the covid. It went thru our house last Spring. Have you had it yet?

I am with you on the weight, I put on an extra 13 pounds or so being undisciplined. So sorry to hear about your wife's covid, it is horrible that it is still circulating out there. I ran into rattlers on both of my most recent hikes at Grand Canyon, one pink and one brown, so you might keep your eyes open on your R2R!

Good effort! I am 70 next year and would like to do R2R in a day - looks spectacular! I see the most common R2R is about 38.6km with 1750m elevation. Have earlier this year done 44.5km in 10 hrs 15m and 39.5km more tricky track than R2R in 11 hrs 15m, both with about 1450m elevation, so hope R2R doable in 12-13 hrs. Have not had to cope with the extreme R2R temperature variations in my hikes though!

How did I miss this one? Interesting.....

Great job Dr. Bill!

I heard someone say once that we do the miles so we can do the miles and it’s so true. I’m sure the winter activities kept you in shape and it’s just going to take some muscle group adjustment as you shift activities. Any goals or trips in mind?

More great tips Dr. Bill! To the ointment list, I'd suggest something for chaffing, like "Nut Butter", and something to treat the effect of the 100 grit sand paper that's used as toilet paper, both down in the Grand Canyon, in the rooms on either rim, and generally, within 100mi of the Grand Canyon: That magic ointment is "A&D Ointment." If you haven't tried Injinji Smart Wool Toe Socks, you may love 'em. No need for wearing 2 pair of socks! Also....I feel so called out for running R2R's and Rim2Rivers without a boo-boo kit, and possibly for not wearing any socks, let alone liners😂 Nice 11 miler at altitude! I noticed the same thing, both going into ski season in Jan. and leaving it at the end of Mar. If you're interested in stuff like this, I've been using: MRM "Reload" with BCAA+G since about 2015 as my recovery drink. It seems to help me turn things around faster.

FAK NOT FAQ!!!

When you're on your training hikes, do you also carry bear repellent and/or a firearm? I thought I read about an attack in Yellowstone a few days ago.

Ha ha - before watching thought the bad advice was to do it at 71!

Can you please tell us about your training program? My wife is 74 and she is hiking NK to BA on Oct. She drinks red wine and runs marathons, but I figure there is some good canyon specific training we can do to get in great shape. Thanks!

Bill, when you start out, how much water do you carry and what would you say the total volume you drink is?

Good stuff Bill. I liked the "pause " early with the text page but 10 seconds longer might have been better for the slow readers. What are all those things hanging on the railing behind you? Looks like bras <giggle>... FYI - most of the time I go down stairs, I turn around and go backwards. Almost impossible to trip and fall plus, with my supplemental Oxygen tube, there's little danger of tripping and tumbling.

G

Thanks very much Bill, really good advice.

Great tips as always Dr. Bill. Thank you for doing this series. It's going to help many people!

Yeah, some good advice here. I've done Rim to Rim as a day hike once and some other pretty stiff hikes there (e.g. Hermit to Bright Angel twice as a day hike, for example). I don't see ever going any significant distance below the Rim in June, July, or August--just too hot. The Canyon feels significantly hotter than the air temperature because sunlight reflects and radiates off of everything. And yeah, hiking that beautiful canyon in the dark just leads to missing too much. I suppose, though, if that's the only time you can do it, it's better than dying or needing rescue.

I'm 69 and have just completed the Kaibab-Bright Angel loop in a day. Isn't it a bummer when you get passed on a hill by the elderly?

This is a great series that you're doing, both the Don't's and now the Do's. I hope the videos reach more people! The people in ball caps in the Canyon, just kill me. They're just being fried all day. Great tip on the cooling towel. We've used those, and also the ones that are like a rope shape. Life savers! When we were backpacking there as a family, I would pay the weight penalty and take a pressurized mister, and we would mist our faces and necks all the time during the climb out. It was heaven. I'd even offer a mist to others on the trail. The tip about toilet paper and a change in bowel function is on the money. The toilet paper in about a 100mi radius of the Grand Canyon is sand paper. I'm guessing it's because of the water usage issues that part of the state has, and that most areas and gas stations are on some kind of septic system. Needless to say, you'll start sand papering yourself as soon as you get into the area, and it get's much worse with the paper that is used in the Grand Canyon. A tube of old school "A & D Ointment" is a must have, and keep yourself using it!! A couple other contributing issues is eating differently, especially people who show up and start eating peanuts, and bars. The other issue (just a guess) is that drip feed of adrenaline, that you get. I think it literally triggers a "I need to be empty to be surviving this..." privative response. I actually adjust my eating in the week before a run there, in order to avoid all of the voiding that typically occurs on the first half of the run, and I'm yet to be truly successful.

Great tips Dr. Bill. The abandoning issue is huge, and I see it in the Canyon often. It really wrecks the person who's being left behind, whether they spend the day walking 20' behind, or 2 miles. A portion of the issue is that people just have no idea how brutal a hike in the Canyon is. Even if they think they are training for it, unless they are doing some extreme training, and are already some level of athletic, and with a low body weight, they are actually showing up under trained, and unprepared. Like you, I come across, and give a hand to, quite a few people, every time I run there. I even carry extra gels and extra electrolyte mix packets. I got a chuckle out of your pack weight comment. The first time my wife and I backpacked there, in 2007, we literally got laughed off the bus on the way to the S. Kaibab trail head, because our packs were so huge. And man-oh-man did we pay the price, in spades. We returned the next year, better trained, and with much better, and much lighter gear! Great tip on the extra light. My batteries started to die last Aug, during the descent down the North Rim. It was my own fault, and it was not fun. I won't make that same mistake again!

Sage advice Dr. Bill! The people wearing black, especially in tank tops with a ball cap, just kill me. The sun at high altitude just microwaves them. A great shirt in the Canyon is the Nike "Pro Combat" long sleeve, with perforated back, side, and underarm panels. They're inexpensive used, like on Mercari/Poshmark/ebay. Combined with a full brim hat to keep the sun off the face, ears, and neck, and it's a great combo.

Great tips Dr. Bill!! An outstanding shoe in the Canyon is the Vivo Barefoot Primus Trail FG, or the Merrell Trail or Vapor Glove. Wear 'em with Injinji smart wool toe socks, and no blisters. The round heel cup areas allow the feet to scoot to the side on off-camber rocks and logs, instead of being pitched around by the ankle, and being off balance, or worse, rolling the ankle, which occurs with a shoe that has a wide, flat, heel area. The wide toe box allows the foot and toes to function similar to a hand, creating great grip and great balance. Completely transforms the experience of hiking on the crazy terrain and 10,000 mule steps in the Canyon. My daughter and I backpack, and run there, in Vibram FiveFingers, and we DO get our feet and shoes wet in the creeks, which is heaven......but that's a completely different type of footwear. I'll be there in 3 weeks to run another Rim2River, and can't wait to be back!

That's a no-ski day for me, Dr. Bill. Flat light, can't see terrain, and mostly, or all powder. Waaaay outside my skillset for sure. I actually purchased a pair of powder skies this season, watched the tutorial vids by "stomp it tutorials" and others, and made a solid effort to learn how to ski it. I did not make much progress, but I'm not giving up. It might help you to grab a pair of "yellow-blue" low light goggles, either by Smith(chromapop), Anon (M3's), or Atomic (HD). What you have on there is for bright sun, or sun with some clouds coming through... which makes it impossible to see in those conditions. There are good deals out there right now, so it's a great time to buy gear!

Thanks for the tips - trying to get permits for September!!

Great advice! I’m currently training for my first rim to rim and have a healthy respect for it. Looking forward to a beautiful and challenging hike.

Congratulations! Well done. My only concern is that it's not possible to set clear parameters to define the ability to do this hike, and having said that, I'm thinking some people whose abilities are not within those impossible parameters may try this and fail with serious or fatal results. I say this because I volunteered at White Sands National Monument (now a park) many years ago, and a 23 year old nurse died while hiking the dunes on a 110F day. Desert places are deceivingly dangerous, and can make you a walking dead person before you even know you're thirsty.

Congrats on ur achievement. I was listening to your advise and one of them caught my attention. While everyone is advising soaking their feet wet, you are suggesting against it. Can u explain that in layman terms about the side effects of it. Is it age related or applicable to everyone ? Thanks 😀👏👍

This is the second publishing of this video. My apologies if you saw the first. I have been having some difficulties with my video editor. For reasons unknown to me, it appears that the editor, after completing all editing, drops the edits when transferring the vid to storage on my computer. This is the second time it has happened, and I caught it early this time, but some people did see the raw footage. Again, my apologies. Also, I know I look pretty stiff in this video. As you can see, I was pretty cold.

All valid points. I am a bit like a cat in that I do not want to get my feet wet, but goretex shoes do get hot on the rim to rim, so there are some trade-offs. You are still wearing the Keens, but the hybrid shoes have merit. My last few rim to rim to rim hikes have been in Altra Olympus Mid GTX, although this year I think I will wear the Topo Trailventure 2 Mid WP. Unlike you, I do find the rocks impinge after a 12 hours on the trail, so the rock-plate in the Topos is useful to me. Are you planning to be on the trail this season? See you there.