after all the eating, the unwrapping, the movie watching, comes the gallivanting:
the mule that i didn't ride
the mule that i didn't ride
down into the canyon
that i didn't hike
the t-shirt that i got
i hiked
[dragged myself, complained, nearly passed out, & barely made it out of]
thegrand canyon
[dragged myself, complained, nearly passed out, & barely made it out of]
the
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16 comments:
Going into "the Ditch" is something everyone should do or try once, but there is absolutely no way I would stand on glass thingie they just built.
Oh my God! The Canyon! The Canyon!
I miss it every day.
bryan,
the glass thingy was at the other end of the canyon from where we were, or i would have gone out on it. in a heartbeat. even though it costs $89 to do so [or did at the time i looked it up, when we first planned this trip].
we did walk partway down on a previous trip. i'd like to hike [or ride] the whole way someday. i also think i'd like to try the helicopter ride.
arch,
i miss it too [already] as well as the desert around it. the last time i was there, i was a kid of about 10 and it was the 4th of july, so this trip was a bit different. i can report that unlike other things when you grow up, this one still looks just as big as it did all those years ago.
Sigh. Some of my Sierra Club friends have done all the Canyon's hard things not once but several times. More power to them: I'm a weakling wimp. :)
I've seen it only from the air, decades ago. It's breathtaking even that way. And it doesn't really look small even from a commercial plane.
no need to walk. the mules are real sweetie pies, and i've been told they're specially trained to walk close to the edge to give you a better view. :)
The mules are probably role models as well. They give us something to be as stubborn as. <grin_duck_run />
they're my role models!
Awesome.
it truly is.
i wish my photos weren't so crappy, but i console myself with the fact that even great photos don't do it justice.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I recommend taking a raft trip through the canyon. Some of the commercial companies offer a trip where you hike down the Bright Angel trail, meet them at Phantom ranch, and raft the rest of the way down. No uphill hiking! You can of course do it the other way too: raft from Lee's Ferry down to Phantom ranch, and then hike/mule out to the rim (not my style).
i'd have been disappointed if you didn't recommend it! i like the sound of that no uphill hiking part. i may have to try it. otoh, rafting looks like it takes work, and concentration. any time i spend in the grand canyon, i want to be soaking up the sights, not piloting whatever conveyance.
my parents have rafted down part of the colorado, but i can't remember if it was in the grand canyon or another part of the river. now that they're retired and we're still working, it's become difficult for us kids to keep up with all the old folks' adventures.
Anymore, the commercial rafting actually doesn't take much work (unless you specifically ask for it).
In the Grand Canyon, most commercial trips are run on 20-40 ft long rafts that are powered down the river by outboard motors. You get to sit and observe, do a lot of side hikes, and on some trips, literally don't even have to set up your own tent. Very posh.
If I were going to do one, I would probably do this one for the educational aspects:
http://www.ncseweb.org/GC2008/
i'm impressed with a rafting company that can accommodate someone in a wheelchair. that sounds like an interesting trip, but even in the spirit of opposition research, i'm not sure i could stand that much creationism at one time.
I think the creationism would be presented in a tongue and cheek fashion: Genie Scott (the creationism "advocate") is the head of the NCSE.
ok, maybe i'd survive that trip. :)
i'd certainly be happy to give them money.
I broke a similar cup today. I did hike down into and out of the ditch on two occasions circa 1999-2000. I'd like to buy that cup if you still have and want to part with it.
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