The alarm goes off at 5 am. There’s no snoozing allowed this morning. We’ve made the decision to hike out today in hopes of avoiding a possible blizzard that is threatening the Canyon. (more…)
Tag: Thanksgiving backpacking trips
Grand Canyon, Day 2: Down by the River
We don’t set an alarm, and I’m surprised that it is already 6:30 when I check my phone. Time to move! (more…)
Into the Gila Wild, Day Four
Sleeping high on the mesa, the sun reaches the tent much earlier this morning than on our two previous days deep in the canyon of the Middle Fork, which makes it much easier to get moving. It also helps to know that we only have a short distance to hike today and that there are only a handful of river crossings before we reach the trailhead. Plus there’s always the inherent excitement of finishing a trek to motivate us today. (more…)
Into the Gila Wild, Day Three
Déjà Vu
When the alarm goes off at 6:30 am, it’s still dark in the tent. Once again, we’re both reluctant to loosen the drawstring around the hoodies, break the seal on our sleeping bags and make contact with the arctic air of this November morning. Once we finally do, it’s immediately clear that this morning is EVEN COLDER than yesterday. There’s only one way to handle the cold: get up, get dressed, get moving and don’t stop. Generating body heat is essential, so we move as quickly as possible as we set about our usual tasks. And when that doesn’t work, we duck back into the tent to drink some hot tea and coffee. (more…)
Into the Gila Wild, Day Two
Waiting for the Sun
Sunrise is officially at 6:45 a.m., but the sun doesn’t begin to penetrate the bottom of the canyon where we are camped until considerably later. It’s cold, and we are more reluctant to emerge from the warmth of our sleeping bags than normal. Without ever leaving their cozy confines, we can tell that the temperature is even colder now than when we went to bed last night. We unzip our bags just enough to pull our cold hiking clothes in, hoping that this will help take away some of the chill before putting them on. After a few more minutes of playing possum, we give up and get dressed as fast as possible. Our quick movements help generate a little body heat. (more…)
Into the Gila Wild, Day One
After tackling 490 miles on the Colorado Trail this past summer, it’s been an awfully sedentary fall for the two of us, and we’ve been itching to hit the trail again and taste the freedom of the outdoors. With a week off over Thanksgiving, we were looking for a backpacking destination in the US that would offer a challenging multi-day experience and still be warm enough for camping in late November. Our first choice was the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Trail, a classic hike that’s still on our bucket list, but, unfortunately, we were too late this year to secure a permit. Where else would work? (more…)
Take A Hike Photography 