I had no idea how long it would take me to make the climb from Cottonwood campground to the north rim. I knew it was steeper than what I had done the day before, but that it also was less steep than the descent into the canyon had been. I decided to get an early start to beat the heat, in case it took me a while to get up.

While it was a consistent climb, it never felt too hard. I was grateful that I had my trail legs by now, which I’m sure is what made it easier. I kept stopping to take yet more pictures of that gorgeous place. I passed a number of hikers and eventually met up with a tour group on mules. After chatting with them, their leader told me that when I got to the rim, if they were around, they would give me a ride to the lodge. We both set off up the trail at the same time and I was surprised when I reached the rim before they did.

I arrived at the north rim around 10 AM. The first thing I noticed was that there was still snow in places. It was one reason I was glad to take my time going through the canyon, I was hoping the trail would be dry by the time I hiked it because I knew how sticky and heavy the mud here is.

I did get a ride to the lodge with the meal team and after discovering that I couldn’t get any food until after 11:30 when the deli opened, I sat on the floor of the lodge and started charging some of my devices. Soon a woman came up to me and said, “Mary Badass.” It took me a few seconds to realize it was Crystal Cori who had been a major trail Angel for me almost 2 years ago when I hiked the new England Trail. She informed me that she had just arrived on the north rim with her friend to celebrate her friend’s birthday. What were the chances that we would both arrive at the same time in the same place, especially the day after someone had asked me if I ever met people I knew on the trail?

Crystal informed me that she had recently moved from her home in Connecticut, where I met her, to Utah. After chatting for a while, she took me out to her car where she gave me two large bags of fresh food.

In addition, a man who was seated in the lodge heard me talking and came up to me. He asked if I would mind if he bought me lunch. I said I would be honored. He gave me $20 and I went and bought a delicious barbecued pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. I had been a bit bit concerned about affording much food on the north rim and here it was falling into my lap, another reminder to trust that I will be OK.

As I was walking the mile back to the campground, I asked two maintenance men if I was going in the right direction. They informed me that it was “a long walk,” and one of them offered to give me a ride. As much as an extra mile of walking wouldn’t have killed me, it was nice not to have to do it. I really was happy for that ride.

When I arrived at the campground store, I met Aven, the woman who had offered to give me her charging cube. I was happy to be able to offer her some of the food Crystal had given me. I love the way generosity and kindness keeps going in circles.

I arrived in the hiker/biker campsite and discovered it was right on the rim with gorgeous views, unlike the campground on the south rim. The clouds were moving in and I could tell it was going to storm soon so I quickly put up my tent.

I chatted with Peter and Elizabeth, a couple who were visiting here from San Diego. Somehow we got talking about the weather and I told them I was afraid my tent would leak. Peter said he had a spare tarp I could borrow. I gratefully accepted and walked up to their campsite to get the tarp. When I mentioned that my friend Crystal had given me two pounds of uncooked turkey bacon and I wasn’t sure what I was going do with it, Peter told me I could cook it in their skillet on their Coleman stove, which was much larger than my tiny stove. Yet more manifestations of how I was being cared for!

I wrapped my tent in that tarp and dove in just as the storm began. The lightning flashes were magnificent but once, in the 1970’s, I had had been sitting on the north rim of the Grand Canyon watching a storm and before I knew it my hair was standing up from the lightning. Thus I knew enough to stay from the rim. The thunder was deafening as it echoed through the Canyon. When the hail began, I sent out words of gratitude for the tarp protecting the already worn out fabric of my tent. With the tarp covering my tent, I felt like I was inside of a cave, and I was overjoyed to notice how much warmer the tarp kept the tent. I was glad that my tent held up especially, given that the hail was strong enough to knock down at least one other tent.

I slept fairly well and did not want to get out of my sleeping bag in the morning because it was so cold out. From my sleeping bag I could see the sun rising over the canyon.

I had been planning on leaving the Grand Canyon that day but with all the food Crystal had given me, not only did I not have to buy some at the store for the last leg of my trip, I also realized I could do a zero and eat for much of the day.

After spending a few hours sitting on the edge of the canyon working on blogs, I walked up to the store, hoping to charge my devices. When I saw the barely stocked shelves in the newly opened store, I was even more grateful for the food that Crystal had given me. I bought a sweetened iced tea which I seldom drink at home and sat on the floor in a corner of the store charging all my devices and polishing up my blogs.

Eventually, I returned to my tent on the rim, watched the sunset and crawled into my cozy cave, preparing to finally leave this very grand canyon in the morning.