Excursionistas

Last week Lee and I got back from our hiking trip out west. We flew into Vegas and drove to our retired friend Rich's house in Prescott, AZ with a stop at Hoover Dam in there. We took a little 2 miles practice hike the day before we were going to tackle the canyon which was good because my back was hurt and I wasn't sure how well I would hold up. Things went well on the practice run so I was excited for the next day. On Friday we didn't get to the Canyon until after 11 a.m. which meant that we would be in for some serious heat when we got to the bottom in mid-afternoon. And it didn't dissappoint. The worst part of the hike down was easily the last mile on level ground from the bridge over the Colorado to Phantom Ranch. It was just over 105 degrees when we got there at about 4 p.m. After cooling my feet in the creek for a while we had an all you can eat beef stew dinner. Oh yeah, you know how everyone says that the desert heat is a "dry heat" so it isn't as bad and that it gets cold at night in the desert, neither is true. Yeah, 90 in the desert feels cooler than 90 in Jacksonville, but it isn't 90 in the desert in the summer, it's 110 and it feels like an oven. We got up at 5 a.m. after a poor night's sleep in the 10-man bunk house and it was still 80 degrees about an hour before sunrise. We ate a bagel and headed out. Much to my disappointment it was about a 2 mile walk before you even begin your ascent up Bright Angel Trail. I thought the first 8 miles of the 9.5 mile hike up the canyon was easier than hiking down the day before because there was drinking water and a creek to keep you cool. But that last mile and a half was brutal. Nothing but steep switch backs in 90 degree heat. It wasn't so much the heat or my weakened muscles but I got a pretty sharp pain in the front of my hip. It sucked. But at about 1 p.m. we reached the top and hit the Bright Angel Lodge for lunch. It was about the most physically demanding 26 hour period in my life. But it feels good to know you've done it.

From the Canyon we parted ways with Rich and headed to Kenab, UT for the night. I recommend taking Alt 89 if you ever make the drive from the South Rim up to Zion. We spent the next day at Zion and the next two days in Vegas. We flew home on the red eye and I was in bed by 9 a.m. Zion was a great park too. Reminded me of Yosemite but without as many people. Here are some pictures.

Lee at the top before we started.

Rich next to a cool tree at one of our early stops on the way down.

Here I am at about the halfway point. Still feelin' pretty good.

Rich and Lee starting to get a little tired.

The Silver Bridge over the Colorado to Bright Angel Trail and Phantom Ranch (upper right).

Dawn at the bottom of the Canyon. The Colorado runs pretty fast down there.

Vermillion Cliffs on the drive to Kenab.

I nearly fell on my ass seconds after this picture.

Nice picture of clouds and mountains at Zion. It poured about an hour later.