#1 Deepest: Grand Canyon

#1 Deepest Canyon: Grand Canyon

Canyon Depth: 4,460 ft.

Trail Length: 16 miles

Low Point: 2,800 ft.

Elevation Change: 4,460 ft.

7 August 2013

Happy birthday to me!! Turning 24 sucks, but hiking the Grand Canyon makes it okay. I've hiking the Grand Canyon once before (2 years ago) but it never ceases to amaze me. This time around, the colors were completely different; there was way more green than my last trip, and the rocks had kind of a purple-mauve color. As I hiked down the South Kaibob trail to the river, it was pretty overcast, which made the rocks look even more beautiful. My first glimpse of the Colorado River really surprised me: it was totally brown!! (Light brown). Last time I hiked, the river was bright blue and I saw a ton of people rafting. I'm assuming that the rain the day(s) before caused some erosion and stirred up the river, resulting in the muddy-brown color. It sounds ugly, but it actually looked really cool against the green/blue/purple colors of the rock. 

I met a few cool characters on the hike. First, I met a father-son duo (Jack & Jack) who were attempting to "run" the Canyon. Jack Sr. was pretty intense (I'll put so much money on him being divorced) and Jack Jr. was around my age, pretty cute. They passed by me on the way down, running, but I ended up smoking them on the way up. I also met a 26 year old girl named Kasia from Poland. She was on this incredible road trip across America, hitting up every National Park I've ever heard of - and a ton I haven't heard of. She was cool at first, but then I started getting jealous of hearing about her road trip so I ditched her. On my way up Bright Angel, I hiked with this legit mountain man (full beard, hiking in sandals) who was really nice. 

To sum up, the Grand Canyon is f-ing amazing and hiking it is the only way to truly experience it. The colors change so drastically as you descend, and it's impossible to grasp the enormity and depth of the Canyon without making it all the way to the river. This hike absolutely MADE my birthday.