'Nuff Said.

Earlier I posted on Fbook " The Grand Canyon is huge. 'Nuff said."  Well, to break my statement, I'll expound!  In the last two weeks, my husband and I have hiked Havasupai ( a three day backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon on the Supai Reservation) and Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Cycling shape is very different than hiking shape. I'd say we're in really good cycling shape...not pro level, by any means, but good, nonetheless. However, hiking shape? You might have great lungs from a bike, but your calves and glutes are still going to talk to you for days afterwards!

It was a beautiful trip. Well, both of them, I mean.  Havasupai, as my husband so accurately said, is a hiker's disneyland. It's fantastic, and the scenery changes so much....the waterfalls really top it all off, with a cool swim being the only shower you get from the hot and dusty trek in.

The rim to rim was fantastic, with a hike from the North rim to the south. The fall leaves are changing on the North rim, and it is much cooler there, since it's about 1,000 feet higher than the south. We hiked the the South Kaibab all the way through, which is a shorter, but much steeper route. I would say it's much more beautiful, too. It's worth foregoing the longer, shallower Bright Angel trail or the views.

I was staring into nothingness by 6 pm when we got out. And oh...sitting down and standing back up was the worst. After 20 hours of sleep in two nights, I am feeling back on top of my game.  Century ride, anyone? (nope, that's in 3 weeks for El Tour de Tucson).

And for all of you readers that think I am nuts for being this active, there were at least a dozen individual men and women that were in another league of their own on our rim to rim!  In the SAME amount of time that we hike ONE rim to rim, most of them had done a RIM to RIM to RIM. That's right, South to North (23 miles one way) and then turned around and did North to South (another 23 miles) the other way, in ONE 12 hour period of time. I would've cried thinking about if I'd had an extra tear to shed...but I didn't. I was all salted/electrolyted/watered out.  They are the crazy ones that inspire our madness. You ain't seen nothin' yet!

Watch out family, if you haven't been looped in yet, next year you're coming!

Kel