Grandview Trail, Grand Canyon #49

Seven weeks ago I couldn't climb the stairs without becoming winded.

These stairs were not a problem.

Dotty and I planned to leave at 7am, but she forgot she was working until midnight last night.  So her husband Darrin & I agreed she should sleep, and we ended up leaving at 8am.  On a whim, Darrin decided to join us.

I actually met and became friends with Darrin first, back in September 2013.  I met Dotty this past Christmas; we love telling people we met because I was friends with her husband.  

Aren't they cute?

We hit the Grandview trailhead at 10:30am, a little late for a start but HEY, it was only three miles there and back, right??! 

Except the trail looked like this...

Or this (yes, this is the freakin' TRAIL.)

So instead of a quick hike down, we had a very arduous three mile hike.  To a freakin' half a house.

We just did what for this?

As we ate lunch, a few hikers coming back up the trail let us know the view was another 30 minutes up the trail.  Upon hearing that, I threw my boots back on, and dashed off as quickly as I could.  My phone said it was three, add an hour on for this plus the hike?  We'd be done at 7pm and dark!!!  We had to hammer this out quick!

The view

Darrin photo bombing me.

One cannot, in pictures or words, adequate convey the beauty of the inner canyon.  Cliffs and buttes of spring green; a quiet unlike any other on earth.  Addicting like a drug; I need to be there.  There is a peace that blankets the heart and soul; truly the canyon is like no other.

The hike up would be tough-you saw the trail-but I had a sneaky suspicion we might make better time in the trip up. We went very slow, trying to secure footing on the way down.  On the way up, the 1000ft drop off wasn't as big of a deal, and it was a matter of putting on foot in front of the other.

No air monster.

No Maverick.

No Mephistopheles.

Just joy.

Physically, the hike out is hard.  Psychologically, it was exhilarating.

After seven hours of hard hiking, I'm still smiling!

I leave stuff in the canyon.  I carry in my baggage, and leave it behind.  God and I still had some good one to one time, but in general my thoughts replay the past few weeks and plans for the coming months.

There were several, "Oh, S***" moments with the drop offs. The mesa trail was scary!!

We finished up 7 1/2 hrs after we started, emerging on the rim at 6pm.

The Three Muskateers.

We headed over to the Bright Angel Lodge for dinner, and left the canyon at 8pm.

A better day I cannot imagine.

Eight and a half weeks ago, I could not hike Thumb Butte without stopping, and gasping for air.  Six weeks ago I couldn't do it.

I just did my second Grand Canyon hike, with no issues, in the past two weeks,

Maybe there's something to being fit after all?