Continued (page 4 of 4)
Eight hours and 20 minutes after leaving Bright Angel Campground, we were greeted with bitterly cold winds and temperatures in the 30s at the canyon rim. There was no one at the top to cheer for us or pour Gatorade over our heads, but it all would have felt appropriate such was our euphoria. The sun was beginning to set, and the shadows in the canyon were long, but even if it had been noon in July we wouldn’t have been able to see our campground, 4,450 feet below. I was overwhelmed by the notion that it was my own two feet that carried me so far – no car, no airplane, no gassy mule. We hugged, took photos and put on another layer of clothing. Then it was time for the two-hour drive back to Sedona and a solid day of bed rest. People who’d hiked the canyon before told us we’d have one of two reactions when we reached the top: We’d either swear to never do it again or immediately begin strategizing our next trip. We did the latter – the bottom of the Grand Canyon hasn’t seen the last of me.
MORE SEDONA HIKES: Sedona Monthly‘s 10 favorite hikes, Sedona day hikes, Humphreys Peak, Hike of the Month
MORE SEDONA ROAD TRIPS: Lake Powell, Havasu Canyon, photographing Arizona, 3 slot canyons, 10 places to go to beat the Arizona heat, Acoma Pueblo, The Wave, Oak Creek Canyon, Crown King, Jerome, Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki National Monument, Arizona animal parks, Monument Valley, Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum, Navajo National Monument, Mormon Lake, Canyon de Chelly
