KREW Meetup in the Grand Canyon

Community and the love of running is baked into the very foundation of what PATH is built on.⁠ We run to connect with ourselves and each other. We run to experience the wilderness, to immerse ourselves in the outdoors, and to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible. We run to feel alive, to experience what this world has to offer. And we love sharing that with you.

Which is why we invited our PATH KREW members out to the desert for a weekend of fun, laughter, and of course, running. And what better location to run in the desert than the Grand Canyon? Many of our KREW members had never seen the “big ditch” before, and a few were seasoned veterans who had run the classic Rim to Rim to Rim route (R2R2R).

We chose to run a popular route called the Cowboy Loop, also known as the South Kaibab-Bright Angel Loop. The National Park recommends traveling counter-clockwise on the route, so we decided to run down the South Kaibab Trail to the river, then back up to the South Rim of the canyon via the Bright Angel Trail.

We met up with our friends, Hilary Matheson and Billy Yang, who took some photos of the journey. To get a head start on the day, we began our run from the South Kaibab Trail around 5am. 

We carefully made our way down the icy start.

Looking down towards the river on the South Kaibab Trail. It’s a long ways down!

There is nothing in this world like the first morning light in the Grand Canyon.

Fist bumps all around for such a glorious morning.

KREW members Heather and Ashly enjoying the view.

KREW member Kyle thinks it is well worth getting an early start for the sunrise.

Whether this is your first time or your 100th time, the Grand Canyon is always awe-inspiring.

Ooh Aah point is aptly named.

We took a lot of breaks as we descended through the layers of the canyon so that we could take it all in.

Path Projects CEO and founder, Scott Bailey, joined us for the spectacular day.

The trail winds its way down through switchbacks and narrow trails built onto the cliffs.

We had so much fun running to the bottom of the canyon.

Halfway down and we still can’t see the river!

Things started to heat up as we continued to descend.

Finally! Our first views of the Colorado River.

Mules have right-of-way in the Grand Canyon. 

Once we reached the river, we crossed the bridge and made our way to the famed Phantom Ranch.

Built in 1922, the Phantom Ranch is a popular place for hikers to get a snack and cold drink. We couldn’t resist stopping.

Ordering snacks and the infamous ice cold Phantom Ranch lemonade, a special treat in the heat of the canyon.

It’s of utmost importance to stay hydrated in such an arid place. Luckily, there are several water spigots along the trail.

It’s also important to keep consuming calories.

We felt refreshed after our break at the Phantom Ranch, and began our journey out of the canyon.

The KREW dropped nearly 5,000 feet to the bottom of the canyon, it would take some work to get back out.

Gunnar cools off at a water station along the Bright Angel Trail.

Getting closer! KREW member Greg points at details along the canyon’s edge.

With the end of the trail in sight, Victor shows us his superhero-size energy.

The sun began to set as we exited the canyon, and the air began to cool drastically. Regrouping inside the Bright Angel Lodge to warm up, the KREW reminisced on the day over some well-earned burgers.

It’s days and moments like these that bring us back to our roots. The friendship camaraderie within the running community is like none other. Being able to share these memories of friendship in such a beautiful space is why we’re here. It’s what we live for.

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