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| In June of 1999 the Murphy clan invited me to hike the Grand Canyon. Quite a trek: 26 miles from rim-to-rim, 4,000 feet of elevation down to the river from the south rim, and then 6,000 feet up to the north rim- and we hiked it in one day. The temperature was scorching at the bottom. The thermometer at the Cottonwood campsite (near the base of the north rim) read 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I drank more than 10 quarts of Gatorade and lost it all through perspiration. It was a gorgeous trip. |
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| I hiked the Canyon again in October 1999- this time
from north to south. The temperature was much cooler, and
therefore much more enjoyable. Unlike the north rim trail which
has a relatively limited view, as you hike up the south rim at the end
of the day, you can see the layout of almost the entire trail, and see
all the different places you have been. In fact, from the south
rim (if you know just where to look) you can (just barely) make out the
lodge at the north rim, where the trail starts. The next day,
looking at the vast chasm and distance between the two, I could hardly
believe that it would be possible for someone to make the hike in one
day, even though I did it.
Nearby, Havasupai, is a less strenuous hike, with sparkling clear blue-green water and gorgeous waterfalls. In 2002, I spent five days rafting the lower Grand Canyon. |
