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| Hiking | 7.50 Miles |
4,790 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.50 Miles | 55 Hrs | | 0.14 mph |
| 4,790 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Although I'd hiked in with Kurt, I was excited to spend a little more solo time in the Canyon - and, as I knew that the gap in our abilities would be even more pronounced hiking out, I decided to go it alone. Just me and the SK. Mano a Mano. Or Mano a Camino - depending on how you look at it.
Amazingly enough, I have never hiked out on the SK before. I typically do the loop counter-clockwise. I've heard from some folks, though, that it can actually be nicer on the SK because the pace is easier and the crowds fewer. I'm here today to tell you that is absolutely true. A part of what always kills me on the BA when I'm hiking out is that it just...keeps...going...and going...and going. The SK doesn't mess around, and while my pace was a tad slower in those steeper sections, I felt much better at keeping myself going consistently on this trail. I also had very few times when I needed to stop for mules or other hikers.
I loved being on my own on this part of the hike. I didn't have to push any harder than I wanted to, didn't have to worry about folks waiting ahead or lagging behind. And, best of all, I could make stupid grunting noises to my heart's content as I tackled the steep steps.
This is also the first time I've been on the trail since they completed the rebuild. I have to say, while I miss the more 'natural' construction of the original track (where the color and texture of the trail changed through each geologic layer), this new trail is rock solid, easy to hike and lacks all the blasted steps that it used to have. It's a beauty, and on a cool fall afternoon, it's the perfect way to exit the canyon.
Once I got to the top, I found my mom (who'd driven from Phoenix just to shuttle me home), got some pizza and started the long drive back to civilization. The next morning, as I fought rush hour traffic to get back to Tucson, I couldn't help but reflect that no matter how few days I spend in the backcountry, it will always seem more real to me than the bizarre rituals of city life. Waiting in a line nearly 10 cars long to get a spot of freeway pavement just to park for another 5 minutes? That's reality? Who are we kidding?
Dreaming of the trail... |
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Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.- Barack Obama |
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