This was the trip that we'd been planning for over five years. We had backpacked across the Grand Canyon along the Main Corridor six times before, each time taking at least three days to make the journey. The slower pace of a backpack trip allowed us to view the scenery and absorb the atmosphere of the depths of The Canyon. We were able to study the plants and animals and geology as we trudged along. And after six journeys we felt it was time to explore other regions of the Park, to hike other trails into other side canyons.

Yet ... there was that one evening, as I watched the local news, when they presented a story about a local fellow who, at 60, decided to run a marathon for the first time in his life. He had never even been a runner before. But he learned what he had to do, started working out, and there he was, ready to take off for Boston or New York.

I got to thinking about that, and realized that privately I'd always envied those who were able to hike the 24 miles across the Grand Canyon in one day. That always seemed like such a challenging task that must be reserved for the young and superbly conditioned. But ... here was this "old" guy who was going to run 26 plus miles. Heck ... he was ten years older than I was. If he could run that far in one day, then, darn it, I could surely walk 25 miles in a day.

So ... planning began. We began working out, taking longer and longer hikes, making all of the preparations. Then, at the half-way point of a 15 mile hike along the crest of the Great Western Trail, I twisted my left ankle. It was pretty bad, and actually took several years to completely heal. We had to postpone the hike.

Other activities intervened over the next couple of years, until we were finally able to focus on this project again. And, once again, we began our preparations, getting in as many hikes as we could, beginning in February of 2005 and continuing on until this trip, in late September. All in all, within ten months of 2005, we hiked just over 321 miles. Definitely our record trail year. Among the hikes were several in the 14 to 15 mile range. In early September we spent a week camped in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, where we hiked every day, putting on about 70 miles of wear on the treads of our boots. We were ready.

And so what you will read here is the culmination of several years of planning and conditioning. I finally made it across the Grand Canyon in one day (actually, 13 hours) when I was 55. No marathon, but it was still a challenge.

Next> Saturday, September 24, 2005 (Trans-Canyon Shuttle)