The first time I went hiking in the Grand Canyon was with Mike and Sam. The second time was with Jessica, Sebastian, and Jacob. And the third time was with Jared, Sam, and Kiley. This was the hardest trip for me yet. I don't know if my legs and feet can handle any more backpacking trips like this again! But our children were awesome hikers--even our new daughter-in-law, Kiley--I was really impressed!
1st day of our trip:
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| Jared excited for his new adventure! |
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| Jared, myself, and Sam at the beginning of our hike down |
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| It was icy, so we had to take it slow and easy! |
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| Cute little Kiley wearing my hiking jacket |
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| Sam and Kiley hiking into the canyon |
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| Lots of switchbacks going down |
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| Look how gorgeous the Grand Canyon is! And there's my sweet Mikey bear leading the way |
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| Sam stops for a breathtaking view of the canyon below |
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| It was beautiful and windy out |
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| The Grand Canyon in all its wonder and beauty |
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| It was a long hike down our first day |
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| Me, Jared, and Kiley |
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| My bearded son, Jared, taking a brief rest |
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| Kiley sailed through the hikes light on her feet |
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| Kiley left Sam behind in the dust! |
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| Sam's heavy load begins to catch up with him |
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| You can see the river in the distance--we must be getting closer! |
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| For some reason, the water is emerald green--perhaps from all the minerals in the canyon floor |
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| Me and Kiley on the trail |
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| Jared near a good lookout point |
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| What are these rocks doing here? |
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| A smiling Kiley had boundless energy and resilience |
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| Colorful rocks and river |
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| So much like his dad and a lover of nature |
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| One of the many awesome bridges we got to cross |
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| Sam stops so we can catch up with him |
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| Jared loved this trip but missed Jenny and the boys; he wished they were there with him |
2nd day of our trip:
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| Hugging my handsome grizzly boy, Jared |
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| The bathrooms near our campsite at Bright Angel |
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| A beautiful deer down in the Grand Canyon |
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| Here's another deer with small antlers |
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| The nice laundry facility provided for those staying in cabins |
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| Adorable cabins not far from our camp |
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| We hiked rim-to-rim on this trip |
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| Sam carries an extra heavy load on his back as usual |
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| Cute newlyweds hiking together for fun and exercise |
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| Exhausted and stopping to enjoy a bit of nature in the canyon |
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How do these pretty vines grow without soil?
A cute fuzzy caterpillar I found on the trail |
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| Jared and Mike venture into the COLD waterfall pool |
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| Look at all that moss on the rock |
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| Inside the moss covered "cave" under the waterfall |
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| Mike looks out the mossy cave "window" high above the pool |
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| Getting up the nerve to get freezing wet again |
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| It's so COLD! |
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| Now it's Jared's turn to peek out the "window" |
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| Quite a unique and fascinating site |
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| Time for a cold "bath" in the pool and falls |
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| Like father, like son; Jared learns from the best |
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| Rub a dub, dub; two men in the tub |
Brave shower buddies
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| I sure love these wonderful guys! |
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| Mountain man Jared feeling good and clean and ready for more hiking |
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| Enjoying a stroll without my backpack on |
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| A butterfly lands under Jared's arm |
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| I think this little fellow is attracted to RED |
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This was just one of the little joys we encountered on our Grand Canyon adventure
3rd day of our trip:
Such a diversity of colors and textures in the canyon
Jared was an excellent hiker and camper like his dad
A rushing brook near our camp site
Resting my tired and aching feet with Jared
Kiley's big blister on her toe
We drank water that we filtered from running brooks and streams
This was a cold pool on our way to another camp
We longed for shade during the hot days of hiking
Much of the canyon is rough and desert-like
A lovely burst of color in the desert heat
Ribbon Falls
Another good place for Mike and Jared to bathe
But a bit treacherous too
Mike gets ready to take the plunge
Shampoo time
Jared takes the plunge
Wow, that was refreshing and COLD!
Seriously, Jared and Mike were the CLEANEST hikers in our group
Jared washes his hair in the icy cold falls; I was too chicken to get cold and wet
Interesting caves?
Jared finds a cute tree frog
Please don't eat the cute little frog!
Colorful crevices in the large canyon rock
4th day of our trip:
Heading back to our first camp area at Bright Angel
5th and final day of our trip:
Crossing the bridge very early in the morning, anxious to get home
Life in the rocks
Climbing back up the canyon was long and grueling, especially for my sore legs and feet
Number one backpacker, Mike Hobbs
Riders on mules climb down the slippery, icy slope
Say goodbye to the beautiful Grand Canyon, until next time!
Look at those switchbacks; they seemed to go on and on and on
A final look at the gorgeous #1 natural wonder of the world
I'd like to hike the OTHER side of the Grand Canyon on our next visit; who wants to join me?
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