Hiking the Grand Canyon!

It turns out that when you are out and adventuring about in the world, there is less time to get  down to the business of telling stories about it. Not that there aren't any stories, just less time to record them all. So now I begin to try recounting the adventure of the past few days, which have been so packed with exploring, that Mario and I often found ourselves wondering if 2 or maybe 3 days had passed, when in actuality, we had just crammed in an incredible amount of activities, and all since breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast, like any big day when we want to go on a big hike, we leave our campsite just after sunrise and drive into the National Park, opting to have our bowls of fruit and granola while parked at the trailhead, overlooking the route we will shortly be undertaking. This was the same for our morning at the Grand Canyon: wake up with the sun, enjoy a few moments in the quiet (and cold! We had to turn on the heater last night!) of the Kaibab National Forest. Then it's pack up and drive up to the Bright Angel trailhead in Grand Canyon Village, and park for breakfast. This time was punctuated by hellos from many a passerby, peeking curiously into the open door of the campervan, trying to catch a view of what living life on the road might be like, and continuing on their way. One couple catches our attention, only because I overhead the distinct sound of Quebecois being spoken, and so when they also peek inside, I call to them to come take a quick look. We chat a moment before they continue on, but just to affirm how big and small the world is at the same time, I discover through our conversation that they hail from the same town as we do! 

So, onto the hike: There are a couple of trails that descending into the depths of the canyon, trips that can take you a whole day to get to the bottom, another to climb back out, if you are lucky. But these also have a number of rest stops and shelters along the way, because of human needs, hiking at elevation, severe weather, etc. Which means you can also set any one of these points as your goal and hike down and out of the canyon as much(or as little), as you want. Mario suggests we hike the Bright Angel trail this time, to give ourselves another set of views, and as he is the knowledgeable one when it comes to our hikes, I go along with it. 

Desert Squirrel! So flooffy!

The going is relatively easy to begin, because we are descending first and then climbing afterwards. It a daunting feeling, know that every easy step you are taking down into a canyon, you are going to have to struggle taking back up and out, and with twice as much effort. You can see it on the faces of people we pass on our way, painted in shades of sadness, misery and tears. The further we go, the more the returning hikers look like they are just waiting for a passing mule train to scoop them up and carry them back out of the canyon. At least the views of the canyon are much less upsetting!

1.5 mile rest house

Our goal is to make it to the 1.5-mile rest house, and we make it with time to spare, getting to enjoy the little shelter shelter while having a snack, but also trying out the amazing composting toilets tucked up on the side of the canyon route. It's pretty amazing the service available this far into the hike - and makes you wonder how they got everything down here in the first place!

Hiking in the rain

Then begins the hard part: 1.5 miles of grueling uphill slopes, straining the leg muscles and testing the drive of the hiker. On top of that, storm clouds that we have been watching gather in the sky finally begin to open up, raining down on us just enough to warrant breaking out the raincoats. Which we DID remember to pack this time. We pass some trail workers in jeans and cowboy hats, picking away at rocks to make a new drainage channel along the side of the trail. We pull over to the side of the trail to let a mule train pass, 2 riders and 12 beasts, plodding their way up to the rim of the canyon. I see this, and something in my mind clicks - if I just walk slow and steady, the hike will be less strenuous than trying to hike fast but in spurts, and having to take more rests. I slow my pace. I plot out my steps. I take looks up at my surroundings more, and even take a few pictures. And when Mario and I finally make it to the top of the Bright Angel trail again, it's not misery and sadness on my face, but a smile and a look of satisfaction at my successful climb.

The rest of the day is spent getting ourselves back to Nevada, which is a good haul. I plug in the Hobbit audiobook to listen to as we drive ourselves out of what sometimes seems like Mordor, given the landscape. We snack on cinnamon graham crackers and Cheeze-its. We take a break in Williams, Arizona, at the Love's Service Centre, and a well-deserved shower. This place is where we first fell in love with the Truck Stops, last January, when attempting to outrun a storm and find a welcoming place to camp when all of our options seemed exhausted - it just seemed natural to return again for a visit.

Mexican bowl with homemade chips

A little before sunset, we are bouncing down the dusty gravel roads of Kingman Wash road, searching for a spot to park. Surrounded by red and white striped cliffs and desert vistas, the air is hot and dry, the bats swoop overhead in search of a snack, and we are completely alone. So far, overlanding has resulted in some pretty spectacular landscapes, and continues to surprise me with the fact that these places still remain largely undiscovered.