Two weeks ago I did something dumb. Angry that our annual Grand Canyon backpacking trip was scotched by my busted knee, Padre and I decided to load up the Subaru and do the same trip, but in a day. Adding to this, the fact that my knee was still not-quite-healed-certainly-not-doctor-approved translated into this trip NOT being wife approved. Un-wife-sanctioned hiking is by far the most dangerous thing I do. Like I said: dumb. But then again, most of the thingsI do on this blog are dumb.
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I took many pictures of the trip. An unreasonable number of pictures. On top of all these pictures, writing about hiking the Grand Canyon is hard. I’m terrified this post will turn into: “We walked down, it hurt. We walked up, it hurt more.” So, with all that in mind, I’m just going to let the pictures do the talking.
Disclaimer: This post, and all posts on LesserPlaces, may contain affiliate links– links that allow me to receive a small kickback at no additional cost to you when you shop through them. This is how we keep the lights on.
Don’t forget you can follow Lesser Places by email, or on Twitter, Tumblr, andInstagram using the menu at the top of the page. Or, you could click the links below to share with your friends directly. Or, copy and paste the URL someplace you think people will find it useful. Or, print the story, place it in a nice envelope, and send it to one of your friends. Basically we support any way you want to share. No, we aren’t above begging.
Max Wilson is a graduate student studying ecology at Arizona State University. He write here at Lesser Places, occasionally for Backpacker.com, and even more occasionally for scientific journals. You can follow him on twitter @maxomillions.
Yep, you don’t need too many words with photos like that. Pretty awesome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Janet!
LikeLike
It seems we always visit the Grand Canyon with our European visitors. Next time there, I want to do this hike and I want it to hurt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hiking in the Canyon is amazing! This is a really hard hike for a day, but even just getting below the rim a little way is wonderful.
LikeLike
Wow… I enjoyed ALL of your photographs!! I want to hike there someday. I have to put it on the list. We are doing Utah this year. Maybe sometime after Montana and before Washington? I’m glad you were at least able to hobble through the day hike 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Jenn! I hope you make it to the Canyon one day. It’s truly incredible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Holy crow…the light! Stunning. Glad your knee didn’t break part way up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks– wouldn’t say it felt good, but I survived!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Following your Journey on Instagram, I guess I missed the part where you did the hike in a day. Nice work! And the photos are stunning.
LikeLike
Thanks, Robb! I think we might have passed each other while you were on the way down and I was on the way up…
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s entirely possible. We headed in on Bright Angel Trail around 630 am Sunday morning 3/6 and reached Phantom Ranch around noon or so
LikeLiked by 1 person
It would have been really close– we were heading up around 9:30
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a crazy small world. Well I’m sure that if we crossed paths I said Hi, cuz I said Hi to everyone, no matter how miserable they looked hiking up that hill 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
AMAZING PICS 👌🏽👊
LikeLike
Thanks! We had great luck with the light in the morning.
LikeLiked by 1 person