I’ve always been a girl who LOVES crossing items off a list. Whether it’s my weekly to-do list, a grocery list, a packing list, a vacation planning list or a long-term list of goals, I enjoy making them and using them to gauge progress. Yes, I am a TOTAL nerd, ha.
I also love a good challenge; thus my decision to run half-marathons. When a list requires extra time and energy with greater physical and emotional investment, the payoff is sweeter and the achievement more satisfying. Isn’t that the point?? It’s not supposed to be EASY to check items off the Bucket List. In my mind, it’s reserved for grandiose dreams and indelible moments, the kind that require heart and soul and a leap of faith.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to see the Grand Canyon (of course). I don’t remember when it became a Bucket List item to ride a horse or mule into the Canyon, but I recall exactly when I decided I would “settle” for hiking the Canyon. My brother and sister-in-law and nieces turned me on to serious hiking about three years ago. Then they traveled to Arizona and came back with tales of hiking the Grand Canyon in December 2021. All of a sudden, a new idea replaced the old one!🤩
Thankfully, my amazing friend Casey agreed to come with me, even though she’d never attempted a hike of this magnitude. I am SO PROUD of you, sister!! You crushed it and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. In fact, navigating this challenge with you made it so much cooler and more meaningful. Love you!
Our first view of the Grand Canyon at the South Rim caught me off guard. After we parked the car and pulled on our boots and layers and checked our packs one more time, we started walking toward the trailhead, chattering excitedly. At some point, I looked up and saw it! Not only did it take my breath away, but I was completely speechless. It was absolutely worth the wait.🧡
Temperatures at the Bright Angel Trailhead at 8:30am local time on April 14th, 2023, were in the upper 40s. I wore four layers on top and two layers on the bottom plus a winter hat and gloves as we started our descent. And a huge thank you to my niece Deanna who gave me crampons for Christmas! The first mile and a half of the trail featured snow and ice; the spikes on the bottom of my boots were invaluable.
As we descended farther into the Canyon, the temperatures warmed up. We were able to pull off layers and stuff them into our packs. We stopped periodically to take photos, and we also had to share the trail. Even at that hour, we passed hikers on their way back up to the South Rim! Some had started super early; others were returning from an excursion to the Colorado River bed which required at least one overnight stay. On the 4.8-mile trek down to our campground destination, we were cheerful, greeting everyone and asking where they started. Most of them were laboring to get back to the top and didn’t have much energy to communicate. I remarked to Casey, “That will be us in a few hours, ha!”
The initial rest stop was the busiest with a couple dozen people taking breaks and snacking. The majority of hikers only go this far before turning around. The numbers thinned out significantly as we worked our way deeper into the canyon.
Farther down the trail, the sunnier and warmer it got, and the greener the Canyon became. What a joy to see spring decorating the terrain in vibrant patches of emerald green and splashes of purple, with plants blooming and thriving. Set against the bright blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to make this dream come true!
We stopped for a half hour at Havasupai Gardens after traversing our way nearly 5 miles down. This is where the mules are kept, and we could smell them (plus we saw evidence of them on the trail, ha). I was really proud of us for packing exactly what we needed to make this trek–from the multiple layers to the water bottles I refilled in the campground to enough snacks to share and refuel. As we rested, we knew the toughest challenge was still ahead, but we were psyched! I’ll never forget that pit stop for all its anticipation as well as the peaceful atmosphere, sitting on a picnic table in the shadow of the Canyon.🧡
As we began the challenging ascent back to the South Rim, the walls of the Canyon towered above us and left me in awe. As I go over the photos from the bottom, I am still incredulous and so PROUD of this achievement. We weren’t simply AT the Grand Canyon; we were IN the Grand Canyon!
I was right–we didn’t have the same energy to interact with other hikers on the way back up. But the climb was my way of marking a milestone birthday in style! Breathtaking in more ways than one and requiring all the energy we could muster, plus the hip and leg muscles that would scream at us the next three days. We tried to keep a steady pace when we were moving, but periodic water and photo breaks were necessary! I was in AWE every time I gazed up and realized where we started and where we were headed.💙
One of my favorite parts of the adventure was watching the colors in the Canyon change over the course of six plus hours as the sun moved across the sky. The weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL the entire time we were there. And since clouds are my favorite photo muses, I was thrilled to see them dot the blue expanse above us in various formations throughout our hike.
The final mile-and-a-half back to the South Rim was arduous not only because of the steep inclines, but also because it featured snow and ice and plenty of other humans, some in large groups. Dozens of hikers in all shapes and sizes and ages and footwear (including boat shoes and Uggs!) crowded the trail and made it more challenging to navigate. I stopped to pull the spikes onto my boots again so I could climb over the icy patches to pass the slower hikers and tourists who blocked portions of the path. The last mile was the toughest AND the most rewarding.
I let out more than one exhausted “Wooooo!” as I reached the gate at the trailhead and patio where we began our trek that morning. The area was jammed with people, so I found a quiet spot away from the masses. Only problem was that we had to go down five steps and then back up five to reach it. Believe me when I tell you even that made us groan, ha. We snapped a few more photos and recorded a triumphant video. As we looked out into the Canyon, a ribbon of deep green way down in the valley drew our attention. The cottonwood trees of the Havasupai Gardens–we were there!! (You can see them in the below photo.)
We hiked more than 9.5 miles round trip, winding 3200′ feet down the Bright Angel Trail and climbing back up in six hours, including breaks. What an adrenaline rush!! To celebrate, we ate pasta, rotisserie chicken and eggs and washed all our laundry, ha. And to cap our incredible day, we discovered a Dairy Queen in Williams near our Airbnb and snagged blizzards for our just rewards.
After months of planning and coordinating, not to mention years of dreaming, I couldn’t have designed a more perfect experience. The glory of God’s creation in the Grand Canyon is truly unforgettable. The best Bucket List items always exceed expectations.❤️
Play by Play Day by Day with Amy Lawrence 