Tales From Below (Ep7): Humbled By The Canyon

Ashley Handschke and her fiancé weren’t new to pushing their limits. As endurance athletes and seasoned hikers, they thought they were ready for a two-day Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim of the Grand Canyon. But the Canyon has a way of humbling even the strongest. With temperatures soaring past 100 degrees and the climb up South Kaibab feeling endless, their first crossing tested their resolve, forcing them to question whether they could continue. But rest, food, and a reset mindset changed everything, setting them up for a sunrise second crossing they’ll never forget. This episode is a testament to grit, preparation, and the lessons the Canyon teaches—even when you think you’ve seen it all.

Episode Transcript

Brian (00:01):
It wasn't their first time pushing themselves. Ashley
Handschke and her fiance areendurance athletes. Regular
hikers who live at Elevation inSalt Lake City. Seasoned runners
who have taken on everythingfrom Ragnar relays to full
marathons. But this wasn't amountain.
This was the Grand Canyon. Andno matter how strong you are, it

(00:23):
humbles you.

Zeena (00:24):
My name is Brian Speciale, and this is their
story. hiKin Grand Canyon Talesfrom Below is brought to you by
Hiken. Hiking plus kinship.That's Hiken. Join the
conversation in our Hiken GrandCanyon Facebook group or at
hiken.club.
That's Hiken, hikin.club.

Brian (00:47):
The pair drove in and hit the North Kaibab Trail at
01:30AM. It was 05/30/2025. Theplan was a two day rim to rim to
rim, north to south today, southto north tomorrow. But the
forecast, it was brutal. Aprojected 108 degrees at the

(01:10):
bottom of the canyon.
But Ashley had done theresearch. The Grand Canyon shade
tracker, water stops, elevationprofiles. She was not winging
it. They made it to PhantomRanch right on time just before
07:30AM. An early lunch,postcards mailed, shirts soaked.

(01:31):
They left around 08:40 andstarted up South Kaibab. That's
almost six hours after the starttime that we would recommend
from the bottom on a hot day.Just over two steep miles later,
they were a tip-off, and thereality really set in. They
still had four and a half milesand more than 3,000 vertical

(01:53):
feet to go, and the sun wasalready high and hot and beating
down relentlessly. They pushedthrough the heat, forcing down
snacks and salt.
Even when water soundedrepulsive, Ashley drank. She
knew what she needed. Theysurfaced at 12:50PM, a brutal

(02:18):
experience that left themquestioning everything. That
night, they weren't sure they'dattempt day two. But sleep has a
way of changing things.
So does stretching, and so doesfood. They woke up at 02:30AM on
May 31, caught a taxi back toSouth Kaibab, and began their

(02:40):
second crossing at 03:30. Thistime, they got to savor all
North Kaibab has to offer, thesunrise, the box, Ribbon Falls,
the views they'd missed the daybefore. And even when the weight
of their packs pressed in andthe miles added up, they kept
going. Ashley described theclimb from Redwall Bridge to

(03:03):
Supai Tunnel as the hardest partof the whole two day effort, and
she's not the first to say that.
Her feet were cooked. Her heartrate was rising. But with shade,
cloud cover, and sheer will,they pushed on, and they
finished strong. 03:19PM, backat the North Rim, cheers from

(03:27):
strangers. Their two day r threecomplete.
And here are the three bigthings we'll remember. First,
the canyon is not like otherhikes. Ashley and her fiance
were trained, fit, and smart,and it still tested them more
than they expected. There's nosubstitute for this kind of

(03:48):
terrain, especially the goingdown first part. Second, they
almost bailed after the firstcrossing.
The food, rest, and a freshmindset made all the difference.
Sometimes, the reset is whatlets you finish what you
started. And third, they learnedto respect their pack weight.

(04:10):
It's not just what you carry.It's whether you've trained to
carry it.
The Canyon didn't care how manymarathons they'd run, but it did
reward their preparation, theirgrit, and their willingness to
keep showing up. You've beenlistening to Hiking Grand

(04:30):
Canyon, Tales From Below,brought to you by Hiking. Hiking
plus kinship, that's Hiken.Every story in Tales From Below
comes directly from your tripreports posted in our Hiken
Grand Canyon Facebook group. Bea part of the conversation there
or at our website, hiken.club.
That's hikin.club. My name isBrian Special. Until next time,

(04:55):
hike smart, avoid the heat, andnever underestimate the canyon.

Zeena (05:03):
This is the Hiken Podcast Network. Look for new episodes
of the Grand Canyon Hiker Dudeshow on Wednesdays, Tales From
Below on Fridays, and hikingmeditations in my separate show,
Sacred Steps on Sundays. Hiking.Together we roam.