Of Storms and Canyons (Part 9)

Jersey Boys on South Rim | Unknown Photographer

I squinted and shaded my eyes from the glare of the sun. I saw it all ahead; a series of pink, plastic flags that cordoned off the slide on Dripping Springs Trail. It was inevitable that we'd encounter something like this. The rain had been relentless all week and there was evidence everywhere that the rain had battered the canyon for a lot longer than that.

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Of Storms and Canyons (Part 8)

Sunset at Yuma Point | Mark Lindsay The Boucher Trail had lived up to its expectations. It was steep, precarious, and exhilarating. But, even though now at Yuma Point, we weren't quite done with it. There was another leg of the trail to be negotiated on the next day—a long traverse to Dripping Springs Trail and then up to the rim on the Hermit. The grand loop would then be complete.

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Of Storms and Canyons (Part 7)

HIkers on a Ridge, Grand Canyon | Mark Lindsay Water. Survival in Grand Canyon requires an obsession with it. And survival in Grand Canyon means that you must carry enough of it. Unfortunately, just as nature made water a necessity, it also made it very heavy. As our third night in the canyon came to an end, our fourth day would be lead us away from our water sources and up the canyon towards the rim. Making sure we had enough water would be our primary goal.

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Of Storms and Canyons (Part 6)

Hiker with Poncho, Tonto Trail | Mark Lindsay

The second night at Hermit Rapids was way more restful than the first. My brain was slowing down and acclimating to the natural stimulation and cadence of the canyon. I was getting used to living the nomad life in a tent. The weather was still unsettled so the tent cover was still on during the second night but we'd figured out a way to get fresh air circulating while we slept. I drifted off effortlessly.

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Of Storms and Canyons (Part 5)

River Camp, Hermit Rapids | Mark Lindsay

It takes at least two days for me to detach my brain and soul from our wired world. The first night in the canyon is often one of withdrawal. There are no distractions, no phones, no Internet, no books, no television, no nothing. There's only everything that the heavens have to offer—that is if the night is clear. On this first canyon night it wasn't. But the full moon was glowing and trying to assert itself behind an eerie and stubborn mist.

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