March 17 Just Breathe

"Stay with me,..

Let’s just breathe" 

- 'Just Breathe' by Pearl Jam

There are no words to accurately describe spending a day at something this amazing. Trust me, the pictures do not capture the immense beauty or show the incomprehensible scale of what your eyes are seeing. I can only say to you what I was told by friends and family that have been here. This is a place that you must visit at least once in your life. I began my day on the Rim Trail near the Bright Angel Trail. The mules were lining up to take people into the canyon. I checked the trail but it looked very icy. Then I saw two guys walking up carrying ice picks. I decided to walk east along the Rim Trail to Mather Point. The following pictures were taken along the that route.

One thing I noticed, and completely approve of it, is the lack of fences and railings. If you want to risk your life to walk to the edge, feel free to do it. 

After lunch I decided to hike down into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. What could go wrong? It's Saint Patrick's Day. I'm Irish. I'm wearing green. 

UH-OH. I don't have crampons.

It's icy especially in the shade. So what, I continue on. I hope to make it to the Mile and a Half Resthouse.

The trail was dry in the sun, packed snow or ice in the shade and slushy in between. The one constant was the mule shit was everywhere. I almost made it to the Mile and a Half Resthouse. I turned around on the switchback just before it. ( I learned this the next day when I could see down into the canyon from the Trailview Overlook) My legs were getting tired and my knees began to ache from constantly trying to keep from sliding on the downhill sections covered with ice. I also began to worry about getting my old, fat ass back out of the canyon. I had hiked down about 1100 feet. So I rested, then headed back up.

Yes, I did make it out of the canyon without help from the search & rescue team. I stopped often early in my hike back up, then I surprised myself how easily the upward hike became for me. I took it slow, stopped to drink water and take pictures and suddenly I was at the top of the canyon. I met a lot of people on the trail. Some just said hello, some stopped to talk. One lady seeing my green Irish Baseball Association T-shirt said with a perfect Irish accent, "Oh me laddy, Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you." I did celebrate the day in the bar at the Maswik Hotel. I had three Harps beers and two slices of pizza. Hey, I'm just as much Italian as I am Irish.