Christine and I wished the guys luck and safety on their adventure and got back in the car as they walked into the darkness toward the trail head. On our way back for the hotel we pulled over at a nearby lookout point and observed little sparkling lights on the side of the canyon. At first they appeared to be stationary but given a little longer observation they were actually groups of hikers' head band lights sparking in the darkness. It was a pretty neat scene as they twinkled about, descending into the pre-dawn darkness that is the Grand Canyon. Despite Christine's serious concerns for their safety I was honestly quite calm about their trip. I couldn't pinpoint my faith, but suppose it stems from my unshakable doubt that they would complete their trip safely. I knew for sure, whether healthy for himself or not, Jonathan would finish the rim to rim hike no matter what.
A little over an hour later Christine and I packed up the car, verified our route with the park transportation people and started on our trip to the north rim. We stopped at a scenic view/overlook tower before exiting the park but other than that it was pedal to the medal for another 4 hours before making it to the North Rim Park Entrance. Sure, the scenery was nice, and the company, always pleasant, but as we drove I could feel the slightest bit of jealousy for the hikers trip starting to brew. Cursed competitiveness. After checking in to our weee little cabin Christine and I made contact with the guys via walkie talkie. It was around 2:30PM and, according to their calculations they were less than 5 miles from the top. We decided we would start walking down around 4 to meet them and drove over to the general store to pick up some celebratory "you finished the rim to rim hike" beers. Right around 4 we started down the trail and came across many a weary hiker finishing the Rim to Rim. The first guy we saw was about 5 minutes from the top and looking mighty haggard. We chatted for just a second, gave him some smiles and words of encouragement and continued down the trail while he staggered forward. A few more travelers later we were again asked, "how much longer till the top" and when we said they were about 20 minutes from the top, in the most positive, excited for their accomplishment tones we could muster without being sappy, we got a snippy "everyone says that"! response. Taking no offense we continued our descent and discussed our next response for curious, tired and potentially cranky hikers.
A little after a mile down the trail we found our hikers! They were a little tired, some more sore than others but in great spirits. We made our way back up the trail headed for the finish line and chattered excitedly attempting to learn about their 20+ mile adventure. Jonathan admitted to having severe knee issues starting around mile 7, and just like I predicted, muscled himself, pain and all, across the canyon. At this point I'm lacking in the hike adventure and will have to ask Jonathan to fill in the details he wishes to share.
Upon finishing the guys enjoyed a refreshing brew in celebration of their achievement before we made our way back to our cabin for much needed showers. Still in a celebratory mode and needing a little pain reliever we made our way to the Rough Rider Saloon while we enjoyed a pre-dinner beverage and waited for our 8:00 dinner reservation. No doubt we would have wanted to eat earlier, but due to some last minute reservations 8:15 was the best option. Having celebrated a little too much, a little too fast we were down one group member as we sat at our table to enjoy our much anticipated dinner at the North Rim Lodge.
Back in the cabin we turned in early, allowing the crisp fall canyon air and refreshing canyon silence to sooth us to sleep. The next day, bright and early, we slowly made our way to the deli to pick up some coffee before enjoying the view of the rim. As Jonathan and I walked towards one of the seating areas someone commented on Jonathan's "Kaibob Shuffle". Shuffle indeed. Thanks to some very sore, over worked knees Jonathan was a walking akin to Frankenstein. Despite our short visit its very clear that the north rim is quite a different experience than the South rim, and may very well be worth the extended drive. Seeing that its a little more time consuming, and not quite as convenient to get to this rim, the tourist crowed is a quite different. From our visit I noticed considerably less bus groups and a much calmer, more "there for the nature than the photo opt" type of crowed. 
Around 10ish we packed into the car and started our journey home. The ride was pretty uneventful until we started coming across random 4x4 beams laying in various lanes along the road. Someone was steadily loosing some of their lumber load causing a bit of a road hazard which lasted about the last hour of our drive home. 
Having drove though a lunch stop we decided to hit up one last tourist stop for pie. Every time Jonathan and I have traveled to Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon or even Prescott upon our drive home we've seen an advertisement for Pies but have never stopped. We each enjoyed our own slice, apple, peach, rhubarb, pecan etc and as tasty as it was, I can't say I'd go out of my way to get more. The service was incredibly put off by our purchase and from this baker's perspective, the crust was too salty. We made it home early afternoon and spent the rest of our day catching up with the kitties and Mr. Jackson who spent the weekend with his bestest buddy Yager, down the street. Overall we enjoyed a terrific trip and should Jonathan take on this challenge again, I'll certainly be joining him : )
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