Be sure you or he calls Grand Canyon right away. A lot of their venues fill up a year ahead of time. If you haven't been, you'll LOVE it. Pictures are nuthin'.

How did I miss this thread? We love hiking and backpacking. I took my first backpacking trip in 1992 and discovered that going downhill caused me severe knee pain. But that hasn't stopped me! And I finally wised up and went to a physical therapist who had me doing exercises to strengthen my quads. Trekking poles are a must, as well. We just came back from a two week trip, backpacking in the Grand Canyon and at Zion National Park in UT. The next big trip is going to be the 100 mile wilderness, part of the AT in Maine. I can't wait!

Hi! My friends condo is in Frisco. Near Copper, Vail, and Brekenridge?

Keep on hiking chicks!

My friend does Havasupai every year and she said to call in January (That's when she calls) they should know when everything is going to be up and running by then.

Hey Reji, which part of Zion did you do? I live fifty miles north of there in Cedar City.

We backpacked the Narrows, which was marvelous. When we first started, it was really cold and we were worried about getting our stuff wet, so we were tiptoeing across the river, hopping on rocks. By the second day, as long as the river wasn't over our head, we just sloshed right on through. So much fun!

The Narrows are awesome. I haven't done them yet but it's on my list. There is good hiking in Zion.

Hi Ladies!

I am so glad there are other hikers out there! I was so enthused about this thread and I am happy to see other hikers. I just love hiking. It makes all the training and conditioning that goes along with weight loss worth it. I am not one of those who can exercise just to be fit and trim...it's gotta get me somewhere. Like high in the mountains or way down a beach or deep into the redwoods. And, for me it's all about peace, tranquility, beauty and being out in it all.

I love Zion and have been there a couple of times, although, my boys were very small and just could not do backpacking or long hikes. I have not hiked the narrows, but have peeked down the trail and hoped to do it some day. I think Capitol Reef and Bryce are also gorgeous. I have hiked the Grand Canyon, too. Down to the bottom and part way up the north trail. One of these days I would like to hike down from the North Rim. And then there was the only time I got lost hiking and it was in the Grand Canyon on an unmaintained trail. Scarey, thirsty and foolhardy, but found by a volunteer doing rescue sweeps. One of these days I would like to hike to Betakin and Keet Seel. This summer I am going to hike and look at Chaco Canyon, Canyon of the Ancients and around the Grand Junction area for sure. Who knows, maybe I will be in good enough condition to tackle a 14er, but I will be happy just being there.

This last weekend I took a long cool stroll through the redwoods. They were like being in a cathedral; hushed, verdant, full of spirit and light. In two weeks I am going to do a long hike of the marsh at Eureka.

Keep walking and hiking ladies!

Sheri

You'll love the Narrows; it was so much fun.

And I hate to ask this, but if you only went part way up from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, are you still there? :dizzy:

It must have been scary to have gotten lost in GC. We stuck to the corridor trails on our recent hike, but the next time we're there, I want to get out to some of the less traveled trails.

Hi Reji,
We went part way up, over the period of a few days, after spending time at Phantom Ranch, but ran out of food, time and money so headed back up the south rim trail (Bright Angel). The North Trail connects to the South Trail on the other side of the Colorado River.

The trail I got lost on was Tanner Trail. We were following cairns and went down a burro trail and failed to make proper note of where we had veered off the path. We were trying to get down to the river. We wound up at a totally impassible drop off and had to turn back. We ran out of water, it was very hot and there was no shade. It was my scariest experience hiking ever (besides happening upon grizzly bears in Yellowstone). Hiking in the desert takes skill and precaution that I was not well enough versed in at the time. We got quite a lecture from the person who rescued us:o Live and learn! I had heat exhaustion and had to drink and rest in the shade behind a boulder before we could hike out. We were almost out when we were found and didn't even know it. We did have the trails all to ourselves, though!

Sheri _

Sheri, I'm glad you ended up OK. The Grand Canyon is definitely to be respected. I love that place but haven't been for some time. Now that I'm in shape again I need to plan another hiking trip there some time. Before, we hiked halfway down (?Lookout Point) and back up, which is a big hike in itself. I was thin then (130#) and reasonably in shape, but not trained for hiking. It was the downhill stuff that killed me. I was in SO much pain for several days. I could hardly walk down the slightest grade, and downward stairs were almost literally impossible. But it was still a fabulous trip.

My BIL (I think) has a book about all the deaths in Grand Canyon :dizzy:.

I've just started hiking again. I love it! I'm going to start backpacking next month!

Hi Julie,
Yeah, the GC is trial by fire, that's for sure! The soreness is testimony that you are alive and living a life of adventure and exploring the world! Some of my best experiences in my life were accompanied by days of soreness afterwards, do you know what I mean? Dancing like no one is watching...

Now that my children are all but grown I will hike the GC again. The spring or the fall are nice; the weather is warm and the crowds are not quite so bad. Do you think you will go this year? The last time I was there I spent the whole time in a hotel room, sick as can be with the flu:( The time before that my oldest son was seven and the trails were icy...not a good mix. I love my kids and I miss my older son, who has moved away from home, but I am looking forward to reinventing my life without children at home, too.

Your BIL book is funny; imagine people driving all the way to the Grand Canyon to do a suicide leap? For some reason I find that ironic. I guess the scenery beats the Golden Gate Bridge!


Sassy-Backpacking is the best! Where do you plan to go backpacking? Please come back and talk about your experiences!

Sheri

Great rewards
 

Hiking and backpacking is the greatest reward for losing weight! I love to camp and day hike, and have recently begun longer backpacking trips. Backpacker Magazine, especially their gear guide, rocks! This summer I hiked in the mountains in central and southern China and in the spring hiked part of the AT in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. One of my favorite books is Bill Bryson's, A Walk in the Woods, about his experience hiking the AT . Last year, I hiked in southern Spain and northern Morocco in the Rif Mountains. I'd love to go back to Morocco and hike in the Atlas Mountains. One of my favorite places to hike that's not so far away if you're in the north/northeast U.S. are the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec. Other great places my family and I've enjoyed for hiking and other outdoor adventures... Olympic National Park in Washington, the moutains around Vancouver, and the Canadian Rockies (Yoho is my favorite park in the Canadian Rockies). I hope this year to hike in the Scottish Highlands, which IMO is one of the most beautiful places around. It's funny, I went to FL for a conference last week and hated it -- flat, sunny, hot, sandy.... Give me a hill, moutain, cool and crisp air and woods any day over the beach!

Thanks for the tips on great places to hike! New Mexico is one of those places that I haven't been to but is near the top of my list.

I didn't read it much, too morbid. I'm sure there were suicides, but I think most of it was accidental, falls and getting lost.

I think this must be the book (unless there's more of them out there!)

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Deat.../dp/097009731X

Hi Rif,
Thanks for all of the good tips, especially about the Canadian Rockies and places in Canada. They are all places I have often wondered about and they are close enough to be realistic at this point in my life. I have not traveled outside of the U.S. and hope to do so someday. I think Spain and Portugual are much like California and it would be interesting to see the contrast. Once I get my kids through college :) I hope to travel more outside of the U.S.. For some reason I am very intrigued by the Canary Islands and I really want to go to New Zealand. I think outside of a summer in the south of France, New Zealand would be my top choice for extended travel and hiking.

I have been to the Olympic Mountains in Washington. The Hoh river valley is incredible. People don't realize that the Pacific Northwest has a temperate rainforest. It is an undiscovered gem in our national park system. The Hoh tribe is one of the most remote Native American tribes in the U.S., too. The Northwest and Alaskan tribes are fascinating and their culture and art is beautiful and bears witnessing.

Have you ever been to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington? When I was in high school a favored trip was to take the ferries out to the islands and bicycle the country roads on the islands and end up in Victoria for fun and frolics.

A great book about the desert, if you are interested in hiking in New Mexico is Desert Solitaire. Also, anything by Terry Tempest Williams is good. Barbara Kingslover writes wonderful essays about the Southwest, too. I will look into the books you suggested as I enjoy reading about the environment and outdoor adventure. Annie Dillard writes wonderfully about the East Coast.

Julie, thank you for the link about the GC. I have stood at the edge a time or two and wondered about how many people have fallen. It is not a place to be taken lightly!

Well, I hope my insomnia has abated. Time to go back to bed. Hike on ladies!
Sheri