grand canyon ?rim 2 rim?

[smithtim]

so I'm going to be out west next may and hoping to get in a good hike in the grand canyon... I've looked through many sites and have got very mixed messages ( from NPS saying don't even try south rim down & back in a day .... to ..... summit post saying rim to rim in a long day ..... to ..... unknown websites saying 6-7 hour rim to rim times).


So I was curious to see if anybody here has done the rim 2 rim hike, and/or has any info etc about the hike - suggestion on how I could translate their times into climb times/distances for the local white mountain area.


Also, any suggestions for other hikes in the surrounding area ( Zion, Bryce Canyon national parks & grand staircase area) as it looks like I may have a few extra days in Page,AZ

Thank you in advance



p.s. below I've posted a couple of my recent climb times from the Whites so you can get a little better idea of where I stand etc...... I'd say I am a semi-experienced in decent shape; not sure if I put my self in the "fast hiker" category which a lot of these sites refer to


# 1 18th March 2010: left pinkman @ 5:30am hiked upto tuckermans ranger station by 7am... cut over to fireroad on cut of trail then up to lions head & back down to fireroad around 9ish... then continued on fireroad & up Huntington snow slope to base of ice then back down and out back to pinkmans @ 2ish

# 2 few days prior Prior: left pinkman @ 7 am ish staright up Lion's head to summit & back out by 3ish ( was soft snow so little slow)