As you will learn going through my paiges, I am obsessed with being outside. Hiking is one of my favorite ways to be out in nature. I am definitely a morning person and there is nothing better than hiking during sunrise and getting back to the city life before lunch time. However, to break into my first hiking post - I'll go rather "large scale".
September 2018 my hiking twin and myself went to the Grand Canyon. We camped for four days and three nights. The days were hot and the nights were chilly but it was a trip to remember!
One of the trails we did while we were there was the South Kaibab trail. This trail goes down to the Colorado River and back. Every posting around the Visitor Center at the Grand Canyon says NOT to go to the river and back. Well, my friend and I did.
13 miles and almost 7 hours round trip. This trail is not for beginners. Like any training athlete, train for the endurance and planning to be outside for this long! It is definitely deceiving how easy it is going down the canyon is. It's a breeze. In the mornings, watching the sun come up and change how the shadows appear in the canyon is a sight unlike any other. Then the afternoon sun comes and in September, in Arizona, there is heat and A LOT of it and very little shade while being engulfed in the canyon. Be prepared, ask questions, and it is OK to turn back.
So some quick tips right away for this hike:1. Bring LOTS of water. My friend and I carried 5 litres EACH. Plus we hydrated days before this day.2. Bring snacks. We brought PB&J sandwiches, beef jerky, Cliff Bars, and dried fruit.3. Know hiking etiquette. There is a standard in the Grand Canyon about yielding to the mules and workers. Please make yourself familiar with those guidelines for your safety and other visitors safety. 4. Sunscreen!
The further you get down, the less tourists are around. While we were hiking down, we both zone out. We don't talk a lot and we just put ourselves in our element and zone out. It is very easy to do. The colors are rich and deep in desert hews. You can hear birds rustling in the bushes and trees. There was a breeze that day that echoed throughout as well.
Stillness.
After a one-of-a-king peanut butter and jelly lunch by the river, you start the hike back. This took majority of our time during the hike. The elevation gain shows now mercy to even the most experienced hikers. The mules and workers are out transporting materials and in 2018, you had to yield to them. So you would hike, in full sun, yield to mules coming down, walk by all of the their fresh poo, and then repeat.
As you get closer to the top, you start to run to buckets of tourists and visitors. Watch your step, watch the path and be aware of your surroundings. The trail is narrow and steep and the drop off is dangerous.
I know I made the end of the hiking trail sound dreadful and might make you second guess whether or not to hike this trail. I 100% recommend you hike this trail if you are properly prepared!
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