Day 1
Here's a picture of us just before setting off, early Friday morning:
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| We had no ideas the dangers that wait in the canyon, also in my tent |
That first day was 7 miles, all downhill, down 5000 feet to Phantom Ranch. Five days later, and my calves are still sore.
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| Is "bing" still a thing? |
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| We found a leprechaun! Pot of gold, still unaccounted for. |
Then we hiked over to Phantom Ranch where there is the best bar in the whole world, "The Canteen." This place sells box wine and $5 cans of Tecate. Tecate is the best post-hiking drink ever invented. It will make you forget about your sore calves and bruised hips. We immediately began work on our pyramid of beer cans (beeramid?) It was 5-cans high when they closed the canteen at 4pm to prep for dinner.
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| There are 3 Tulane alumni in this photo, and one more out of frame. Seriously! |
As the ranger put it, we "ping-ponged back to camp" and eventually made our way to the Colorado River to splash around. It was a warm day at The Bottom, but the water was freezing cold. Of course I slipped and fell in up to my stomach. Refreshing!
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| I have no memory of this. |
I don't remember anything else from day 1... shocking, I know.
Day 2
We broke camp and hiked up to Indian Gardens, roughly halfway between the South Rim and Phantom Ranch along the Bright Angel Campground. At our campsite we found a damn Mexican Spotted Owl which promptly perched in a place where I couldn't get to my pack.
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| So majestic and terrifying. |
I couldn't get to my tent, water, jacket, and the ranger (same guy) told me, "sleeping in a tent isn't required, and harassing owls is illegal." Stupid endangered owls, always ruining my fun.
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| My heart was pounding and my colon was puckered. |
Eventually the owl took off and I was able to get some sleep. No beers at this campsite, so I drafted a letter to the National Park Service to complain. Where are my tax dollars going, anyway??
Day 3
We hiked from Indian Gardens to the South Rim, our cars, and Wendy's for Frosties.
No one got heat exhaustion, but we practiced the pose just in case.
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| This pose is called the "Heat Exhaustion Heisman" |
One last joke
At the end of the day all 5 of us made it back to civilization, and I have a SWEET stuffed owl to mount in my cubical.
Just kidding, I have a real office... with a door and window. Jealous?
