42 days after the hike – THIS is why you want good hiking shoes!

July 14, 2013

So, this is my lingering blister … 42 days AFTER hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim.  This is why you need to get good shoes early, train in them, and throw them away at the first sign of trouble  (and don’t try anything new out while hiking the canyon – I think the foot […]

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Oh My Grand Canyon 2013

June 7, 2013

My GC 2013 trip started when we were driving home on the last day of R2R2R 2012, when Stephanie called to ask about going on the trip this year. I need very little encouragement to look ahead to the next year’s hike (even when I still have rocks inside my calves) and so it all began. […]

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Hiking Eve, Eve, Eve …

May 28, 2013

It is almost hike time! I am knee deep in last minute checks:  battery on headlamp, water bladder in the Camelbak, dinner reservations, emergency duct tape around the base of my hiking poles, new glasses, sending the Schedule to the hikers … and of course the yearly payment on my life insurance policy.  I am […]

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11 days out!

May 19, 2013

R2R2R 2013 is about to kick off! The North Rim opened on May 15th, and I’ve been stalking the NPS Grand Canyon Back Country website for updates.  If you are hiking below the Rim in the Grand Canyon, you should go to that site and read about trail conditions, hiking tips, and get up to […]

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3 weeks from now …

May 12, 2013

Three weeks from now we will be enjoying a quiet day on the North Rim.  Nursing blistered and bruised feet, smelling the pines and maybe even some Icy-Hot on sore muscles, enjoying our fireplaces, and kicking back with the traditional Bloody Marys at high noon. Everyone should be doing final prep: 1.  Complete equipment and […]

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26 days out … Knees, Feet, Moleskin, and Duct Tape

May 4, 2013

26 days until you all arrive in Arizona – I am getting great questions from the hikers! 1.  Knees issues?  My knees are fine/injury free in everyday life, but I have found that the hike can aggravate the best of knees.  The first 6 downhill miles are steep, 20% + grade.  We put trucks in […]

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44 days, I can’t wait !!

April 16, 2013

The final hiking countdown is on, and we will soon be standing at the Rim taking a zillion sunset photos.   I bet I have 1,000 of these sunsets in my phone.  So many good times, with so many great people. The world is such a beautiful place when you stop and enjoy the moment. Peace […]

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55 days out, time for equipment check and fear

April 6, 2013

55 days out from the hike … and I am checking and re-checking all of my equipment.  After 9 years and countless miles together, I had to retire my old Camelbak (insert sad face here) and I picked up their Adventura model.   I guess I should shop more than once a decade because the […]

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61 days out – Trail Damage

March 30, 2013

61 Days Out – crunch time.   The fear of not being Canyon Ready gets sharper each day, and I have begun watching the GC Back Country news updates for trail conditions and water supplies. We have had a very wet winter here in Arizona, with both rain and snow at the Grand Canyon.  They put […]

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My Water Systems

March 15, 2013

Do you have your (1) water filtration system and (2) your water purification method ready for the GC Rim to Rim hike? In the past 2 years, there have been significant water problems in the Grand Canyon.  There is only one pipe that supplies water through the canyon, and it is really old and recently […]

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