Grand Canyon – South Rim (more places to go and see)
Length: 20+ miles
Trail: South Kaibab Trail + Bright Angel Trail
Conditions: Very well maintained – practically impossible to get lost. However, bring a lot of water. Climbing up South Kaibab Trail is not recommended because there is no water pump station and it is extremely steep. I prefer Brite Angel Trail going up since there are bathrooms and water stations, and trust me, around 2 PM here you need it.
History: Once inhabited by the Pueblo culture (also known as ‘Anasazi,’ but that is a tad inappropriate since that is a Diné word for ‘enemy,’ heh), it later evolved into various civilizations and tribes. European contact first came from the Spanish in the 16th Century, followed by Yanks in the 19th Century. I had no idea how old the Bright Angel Trail was, it was originally built by the Havasupai folks to access water. Ugh, I had a fancy pack and it was a pain to carry water, I don’t know it was like then to carry far less in clay pottery.
Note: This was from a few months ago, but I lost all of my old posts. Anyways, I screwed myself over. I did this trail on Sunday, but I hadn’t slept since Thursday. The first night I was too busy doing homework to sleep, the next night I was too busy playing Saga Frontier II, thinking I would sleep on my carpool ride. Then I passed out for two hours at the table, and woke up in a panic and missed my ride. Somehow a stranger offered to drive me from Los Angeles to Arizona, and I went along, haha. Let’s just say that the sleep deprivation impaired my judgment. My ride dropped me off after watching meteor showers with me and I was left alone, I couldn’t find my party, so I just laid on the edge of the canyon watching stars. The next day I paid dearly since I hadn’t slept over nearly fifty hours, and by the time I reached the bottom of the canyon it was 127 degrees F (and I have no heat tolerance).
It would have been wise not to do it, but I don’t know when I will ever see the Grand Canyon again once I go home.
(via travelthisworld)
