Chuck hiked the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim (North to South) on September 25th. We drove up to the North Rim Friday (the 24th) and stayed the night so the hikers could get an early start the next morning. I was the driver this year and I thoroughly enjoyed the job. My job entailed dropping off the hikers at the trailhead and meet them on the other side (south rim) and drive them home. It made for a very long day, but it was so neat to be there when Chuck came out of the canyon!
Beware... lots of pictures!!! Captions will be below the picture.
We stopped at the bridge by Lee's Ferry and
walked out on it and took some pictures.
Me and my love!
Colorado River is behind us.
The North Rim view
Trying to get a pic of us w/ the Grand Canyon behind us.
Right where the shadow is...
that is where the hikers hike through.
The sun setting at the Canyon... so pretty!
The group. 9 hikers, 1 (very important/needed) driver
heehee... I make my job sound so important!
Here goes the sun
People taking pictures of the sunset
Going...
Going...
Gone!
540 am at the trailhead!
Headed off in the dark!
I decided to go to a view point and see the
canyon just before the sun came up.
It was so pretty there!
The Lodge at the North Rim.
There's the trailhead!
I took this picture as I was driving towards the South Rim.
The South Rim... the one I've always seen!
I think it looks different than the North Rim.
The difference I see is more open canyon on the South Rim.
See the Trees??? That is Indian Gardens.
Chuck called me from there around 1220pm
saying he was on his way up!
Closer view of Indian Gardens and the trail.
I saw little dots hiking down there.
So I pretended one was Chuck!
If you zoom in you can see Chuck on this last stretch of trail.
He has on a red shirt, tan shorts and his Indian Jones hat!
I guess it is switchbacks for quite a long ways at the end...
As I was standing in an archway on the trail
waiting for Chuck, this sign was right in front of me.
I'm terrified of heights... I stood next to the
mountain wall & wouldn't go any farther down...
I was dizzy and anxious
I felt like gravity was pulling me towards the edge
...to fall in the canyon!!!
Now that cleared up in my mind that
I am definitely terrified of heights!
Here he is just coming around the corner!
Still coming!!!
Finishing 1 hr faster than last year!!!
9.5 hours this time around!
That's 24 miles of Grand Canyon!
Down and up...
and he's SMILING?!?
Must be because he sees me!!!
Look at that sweat!!!
His motivation to get to the top!
Mint Chocolate Chip Icecream!
That's my pretzel on his lap
and icecream in his other hand...
I didn't eat lunch!
He is A-MAZING!!!
Billy didn't take his hiking poles
and someone mentioned Billy's legs were cramping,
so Chuck went down to share his poles!
He was worried. What a great man I got!
(or maybe it's just he's CraZy!!!)
My absolute FAVORITE brother...
in the whole entire WORLD!!!
Good job Billy!
All the Hikers... back safe and sound!
A reward for the boys!
Thanks mom for the shirts!
They deserved it!!!
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