The first hike to “The WAVE” in northern Arizona required a permit as only 20 people are allowed in each day. There is no maintained trail and the map consists of photos of landmarks for guidance. The hike is only about 3 miles but covers a wide variety of terrain from deep sand to slick rock. The hike is well worth the effort. The area is remote and quiet and most of the people I saw did not stay very long. At times I had the entire formation to myself. The striations and depth of color in the sandstone are remarkable. There are also a large number of other formations around The WAVE that are amazing. At times it reminded me of Carlsbad Caverns, only in daylight.

The second hike of the day into a slot canyon came immediately after The WAVE and started at the same trail head.

Buckskin Gulch is the longest slot canyon in the Southwest at 12 miles. It is not the most colorful canyon but it is very deep and narrow at points, requiring me to turn sideways to pass through. This hike also challenged me to do a bit of bouldering. Not far into the canyon is an intersection of two slot canyons that open up about 30 yards wide. Petroglyphs have been carved into the sides of the canyon here. Due to time constraints I was only able to hike about 3 miles into this canyon. Total miles hiked the first day, 12.

The Antelope Slot, located on the Navajo Reservation, is only about ¼ mile long but is very colorful. Approximately 5 miles outside of Page, Arizona, all access to this area requires a Navajo guide. Although this area can be very crowded, with patience you can get some incredible photos. The light shines into the canyon and seems to make the sandstone glow.

The Grand Canyon was my final hike of the trip. I started at 6:30 in the morning and hiked down the South Kaibab Trail. There is no water available on this trail and everything needed for the entire trip must be carried in. My backpack weighed just over 40 lbs. The view from this trail is inspiring as you can see the canyon opened up before you for the entire walk down. Sunrise below the rim was worth the early start. The hike to the Colorado River took 4½ hours and was not as hard on my knees as I anticipated.

I was able to spend a few hours at the river exploring the area around Phantom Ranch. I was excited to get some fresh lemonade and a Snickers bar at the canteen. There are small cabins and two dorms at Phantom as well as the canteen, a ranger station, and fresh water to fill my camelback. Bright Angel Campground is located here and a small stream, which starts on the North side of the Canyon, runs through the campground into the Colorado River. This area is very peaceful with large Cottonwood trees and a beach along the river where the rafters pull in.

After a much-appreciated rest I began the hike UP to my assigned campground at Indian Gardens. The trail starts with a mile hike along the river with not much rise in the trail. But after that, it was all UP. The campground is just under 5 miles from Phantom Ranch, with 4 of those climbing. About halfway up this part of the trail it began to rain. At first the coolness felt great, but that soon turned into cold—all part of the adventure. Rain gear for both me and my backpack worked out great and I was able to keep up a decent pace to camp.

Indian Garden Campground is a beautiful spot with water, a small stream and tall Cottonwood trees. The rest here was definitely needed. Just prior to reaching the campground was a sign that read, “0.3 miles to Indian Garden Campground.” In my mind I envisioned one trip around the High School track but it was by far the longest 0.3 miles I’ve ever hiked. By this point in the day that short stretch seemed like an eternity. The hike down from the rim, to the river, and back up to the campground was 12 miles.

My hike out of the canyon from Indian Garden started at 7:30 a.m. and took 3½ hours to cover the final 5 miles, all UP. This was actually a very enjoyable part of the hike. There were a lot of people coming down the trail for day hikes into the upper canyon and it was great to visit with them as we passed on the trail. I spoke with folks from Japan, the UK, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Poland, and from all parts of the USA. One guy who passed me on his way up had already been to the bottom and was almost back to the rim. It only took him 4½ hours to make the round trip. He later passed me again on his way back down, this time for a short hike with his family.

It was an incredible adventure that I would gladly do all over again, and perhaps, with a few modifications I will. For those interested in more information about the Grand Canyon, visit their website at http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm.