I didn't expect to be surprised by the Grand Canyon. I mean, it's a top flight National Park, and judging from the hordes of international tourists, definitely deserving of the "Seven Wonders" sobriquet it's often given.
But at the same time, I've hiked quite a bit through similar landscape over the course of several years. Besides being bigger, could the Grand Canyon really be all that special?
Yes, apparently! Walking on a narrow bench 1500 feet above the Colorado is absolutely magical. Everything is just so vertical here. I almost skipped this section of the Hayduke for geographic reasons. I'm so glad I didnt.
Themes:
Weather: pretty bad by desert standards. Camped in rain nearly every other night. Wind has been a constant - a little unnerving when you're walking narrow ledges with quite a bit of exposure.
River crossings: hitched a ride with a raft group, who spotted me a cold beverage. Score! Not too many river trips going on yet though; had to wait half a day for the first boat to come by. I've got one more raft ride to catch in a couple days; hopefully I have more luck this time.
Water: not too bad so far. I ran out of Aquamira though, so I had to drink unfiltered from the Colorado. Yuck. If I come down with diphtheria in two weeks, you know why.
Pack weight: 10 day food carries, back to back, are brutal. My pack is going to weigh 42 pounds leaving tomorrow. Yikes!
Photos? Nope, I'm too dumb to figure out how to get them from my camera to my phone via Bluetooth. And I don't have good enough internet to Google it. Next time, maybe.
Where next? The most brutal miles of the Hayduke await. I'll be spending the next week back in the Grand Canyon. After that? Marching to Zion!