23years! What have you not done for 23years? Ask yourself this question? What comes up? Maybe it’s you haven’t  danced; maybe it is you haven’t had a picnic on a beach, maybe it is you haven’t read a book? I am sure everyone’s answers will be personal and unique. One of mine was visiting Yosemite National Park. I just had the privilege to stay at Yosemite for 5 nights recently.  I can tell you it will not be another 23years until I go back. We arrived on Wednesday late night so driving in I could not see the true beauty of Yosemite. We were up early Thursday morning to go into the valley to do some exploring, we did not plan on much hiking this day. Driving into the valley you go through a long tunnel carved into the mountains. When you approach the light at the end of the tunnel, no don’t worry you are not dying but you see one of the most amazing views that your mind can picture. Take a second and pull over with the rest of the crowds. It is truly a site to see that I have a hard time explaining because I cannot do the beauty justice. In the valley that day, we did the tourist thing. We looked at the Ansel Adams store, went to lunch at a BBQ restaurant, walked through the incredible Ahwahnee hotel. This place is remarkable; it opened its doors in 1927 and was made a national historic landmark in 1987.

It’s surrounded by Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point. This is necessary to see while in the park; the architecture is truly inspiring! On Friday, we decided we needed to venture out more, we needed a challenge and to see what nature had to offer us. We chose to hike Yosemite Falls and possibly go further to El Capitan. What I thought would be a straightforward 3.4 miles up and the same back turned into a challenge that I was not expecting. The trail was a steep climb, when I say steep I mean lean in and push up, up and up each step! Then to top it off you are hiking on granite that is very slippery due to dirt/sand that has worked its way on top of the rock. The way up felt like a never-ending climb that my legs and body was not ready for. I felt the burn and pain all over my body.

I kept telling myself what would Goggin’s  do? David Goggin’s book Can’t Hurt Me is the last book I have read and it stuck with me the entire hike. It was the only way I made it to the top of the highest waterfall in North America. The views were worth the pain; lying next to the pools of water looking up at the clouds were worth all of the energy that I had used to make the hike up. My legs shook from fatigue and I wondered how would I make the hike down. At this time it was getting too late for us to push on to El Capitan so we decided to hang out on the top of Yosemite Falls a bit longer and enjoy each other’s company. The hike turned out to be about 12 miles round trip and was very very difficult, the way down my legs shook, and the fear of slipping on the rocks was real. I kept having to stop to take a breather. Again, it was worth every minute. I will not wait another 23years to do this hike again. I will not wait 23years to see the beauty that Yosemite has to offer, I will not wait another 23years to hike Yosemite Falls. However, I will be in a lot better shape to take this adventure on next time.

Pj: One of the Crown Jewels of the National Parks is undisputedly Yosemite National Park! The majesty of the sheer granite cliffs on all sides as you drive into the valley with the iconic half-Dome anchoring the panorama is truly awe-some!

To have to joy of traveling there recently with family- parents, siblings and daughter will be treasured memories for years to come! We made the most of it! Day 1: We acclimated to the area on the valley floor trail loop. Frank Loyd Wright is the architect who designed the Ahwahnee hotel with his characteristic embrace of the nature patterns, creates a form that blends hearth and vista for a seamless experience of grandeur!

Day 2, we ascended up from the valley along the Yosemite falls trail. We had ambitious hopes of making it to the top of El Capitan but after a late start and honest assessment of fitness and remaining day light chose prudence. With no less pride we reclined atop the falls, ate our well earned meal. We refilled our water supply with a Salvation Army water filter pump. We then proceeded cautiously back down the side of the falls through switch-back and granite stepping stone trail. Day 3, sore but not deterred, we rapidly hiked the mist trail to Vernal Falls and further in up to Nevada Falls. I took note of the signage indicating 4.5 miles to go to Half-Dome near by. I recalled how 19-years earlier the summer by daughter was born I climbed the peak pulling self up and lowing self down with steel cables! We put in for permits but we’re not selected this time, and truth be told grateful body and spirit were not prepared for that test!

On nights 1 and 3, a group of us loaded into the car and took the path through the upper forest to Glacier Point! An Ansel Adams favorite for photographing Half-Dome and all of Yosemite Valley! On one night a rainbow hung over the monolith after a light rain and the setting sun beamed soft glowing pink light across the granite! Spectacular show! We were surprised to see marriage ceremonies concluding each night at Glacier point, but couldn’t argue with the unsurpassed beauty and ambiance of background for the momentous occasion and photos!

We are roughly 9-months out from taking on the Grand Canyon for a second time in my life. Nine months until I am heading through Sedona and stopping for lunch. Back in the car and headed out on highway 40 until we take the exit onto highway 64N. Be very cautious on this highway, it is well traveled by all, including tour busses and people that like to drive way too fast. 

In addition,when you are passing through Tusayan pay very close attention, as you will often have elk and other wild animals that will come from nowhere and cross the road. I personally know someone who has totaled their truck from running into an elk on this stretch of highway. Thank  goodness, they walked away without a scratch. I also had a very narrow escape from a person passing a tour bus coming head on with me. It was much closer than I would ever want it to be again. This is just a reminder to pay close attention on this stretch of highway. 

Once you get into the park, the speed limit is slow so the danger goes away.  However, do pay attention as you may see people pulled over or stopped in the road because there is a heard of elk just off the road.

There is a small grocery store inside the park that you can stop at to pick up food, drinks, toothpaste, or any simple supplies that you may have forgotten. This is definitely not a Walmart so do not expect to find everything but it is good for any last minute supplies, or if you need to get sandwich meat etc. Or maybe just a postcard, but I would wait on the postcard to get it from Phantom Ranch so the mule can pack it out. 

Quick update on my training, I was working very hard on my training. I was very consistent for the past 4 weeks. 3 days a week, I am working on a CrossFit type training in order to work my entire body, as well as get my heart rate up rapidly. The other 3 days during the week, I am doing 60 min on the Stairmaster, which puts me around 200-flights climbed, if that wasn’t enough on these days, then I do a 30-min arm workout.

I need to be strong and fit for this hike. I was feeling great, very motivated, pushing my limits, getting stronger every workout. Then of course, what happens? I came down with what was either food poising or the flu. I will not go into details because you do not want to hear them, but it knocked me on my ass for 4 days. I did not eat anything for 3 days then had soup on the 4thday, the 5th day I finally had a solid meal.

I have been back in the gym for 2 days know and feel tired and week but guess what? I am back in the gym training. The old saying any workout is better that no workout. Today I finally feel back to almost normal. My point is something is going to happen during your training, injury, illness, something unexpected to through you off your game. My advice is get back in it as soon as possible! Even if it is just a walk, don’t let days and weeks then months go by. GC here we come!!!

Pj: Two solid hikes last week. A Rim-lake hike for two hours. We also did a Mount top hike to a ski area with great visits. The hike was thru evergreen forest with cedar and pine mixed along the trail.

I made use of my hiking poles in both. It was a good reminder of the varied role that walking pole provide from balance, stability, extra push, distribution of weight and impact. I used cycling gloves to protect hands which worked well.

While I am finding time for hit and miss hiking, I feel far from dialed in and would estimate my preparedness for GC to be 40% at best. With nine months to go, I am feeling the urge to move distractions to the background so can focus and increase readiness!

Nine month has me thinking about the gestation period for pregnancy. GC is an opportunity for new life!

Kj: Set a Date, furthermore buy your plane tickets, book your hotel, and pay for phantom ranch! These are all actionable items that will make you go visit the GC. Do not wait and think I will go next year or maybe the year after. The next year will turn into a lifetime. Set a date even if it is a year out or further, then get some skin in the game by putting out some funds towards it.

Once you have money in the game you more than likely will end up going because you do not want to waste that money. Then after you have skin in the game, you will have no other choice but to train! You will need to train to make the hike to the bottom and back up. This is what keeps me motivated to wake up at 3:30am to train, it lights a fire under my butt to continue to train over the course of time leading up to the hike.

The best part is I am telling myself I am doing all this for the hike that I have set a date for. However, in reality it is to stay healthy, it is to relieve stress; it is to have a clear mind and soul. Exercising has so many benefits that most people do not realize. Some other benefits of exercise is it improves your mood; it helps fight the feelings of depression and anxiety. An obvious reason is it helps with weight loss; you need to stay active especially the older you get. It is good for your muscles, bones, again as you age, you start to lose muscle, and exercise is a great way to slow that process. You will see your energy levels increase overtime as you exercise. These are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the reasons that you should be exercising. I know everyone is different and some people are just able to get up and go to the gym, or go for runs, walks, hikes etc.

I am more of the person that needs a true purpose to get my butt up and go. In addition,usually my purpose cannot be because it is good for my bones. I have definitely used the motivation of weight loss when I first started my workout journey, because I was very over weight. Therefore, this worked for me. Today I am not in the best shape but I am also not very over weight. Therefore, this reason does not work for me anymore. I have to always find the “why” in order to get me motivated. I know if I get up and exercise, I will be in a better mood, I will have higher energy levels, but those still are difficult for me to use as my “why”. I have to plan a trip to hike the GC, or sign up for a race, something that I can physically check a box that I finished. Then once that is complete, I need to do it all over again and find the next challenge. Do yourself a favor sign up! Whether it be hiking the GC or running a 5k. Sign Up!

Pj: Bliss, Nirvana, Moksha, Transcendence, the pursuit of Happiness speak of a destination. Well the Grand Canyon is a destination. However to experience it with your eyes is only a taste of majesty. To hike down into the bowels, to sweat and burn is to go into the ground traveling back in time millions of years, to lose one’s self in the strata and molecules of earth itself and find a well earned exhausted honest peace at Phantom Ranch only to rise again to emerge from this union with the natural world an individual on the Rim. An individual who has experienced an indivisible truth about the cosmos! The seed must dye to be reborn, todays work is tomorrow harvest.

Kj: Fueling the soul while hiking the GC is easy, like drinking from a fire hydrant! The beauty that surrounds you is like nothing else. The friends and family that you hike with, the new friends you meet on the trail all fuel you up! Thinking about the history, and all the people from different walks of life that have blazed these trails, energized me!

Honestly, the difficult part is fueling your body so you have the energy to go the distance. This needs to be one of the most important parts of your journey. I cannot stress enough that if you think you have enough fuel for your body bring more. On the hike down, I did not take the time to stop and eat a protein bar, or grab some electrolyte packages as much as I should have. Thinking back, I was just too excited and wanted to make it down. I did not feel the fatigue that my body was going through. I did not feel the loss of energy when my body was actually screaming for fuel. By the time, I reached the bottom I felt week and shaky. Yes, I know it is a tough hike but my body had gone through its fuel way before we hit the bottom. In addition, I was barely eating and re-fueling the energy that I needed.

I recognized this in my bunk at phantom ranch and made an effort to pay attention to what my body is saying. I did a much better job on the way out of the canyon. The moment I felt my body asking for fuel, I gave it fuel. I made an effort that if I started feeling week, shaky, tired, fatigued, anything abnormal at all, I reached for fuel. I felt so much better on the way up because of the effort I put into nourishing my body.

This fuel came in many different forms: power bars, cliff bars, Gatorade gummies, squeezable energy drinks, and electrolytes. I found myself reaching in my pack about every 30min to eat something. Well sure enough, I ran out of all of these forms of fuel about 1hr from the top of the GC. With all the fuel that I had brought, there was no way I would have thought I would run out. I was sure I packed enough to keep me going for 3-days in case I got lost. Remember when you think you have enough, do yourself a favor and bring more! Fuel your body and your soul while hiking the GC!

Pj; End of summer is approaching fast! Labor Day weekend is almost here. Kids are stocking up on supplies and getting ready for back to school. It’s a great time of year to be out doors in the Pacific North West! Hiking, biking, kayaking, river and lake swimming all within a short distance!

The county and state fairs are in full swing! Football season is upon us! Another year of Fantasy Football scrums and trash-talking nearly under way. The year’s wheat and barley harvest is being gathered! Life in flow is rolling along. Why do anything but the comfortable and easy?

I have an ancestor whose story has been recorded for her posterity. She was freed my her master, lover and father of several of her children at about the age of 40. She then spent the rest of her life working to earn enough to buy her children’s freedom.

I find that kind of courage and determination nearly unfathomable! It makes the GC feel like a pothole to be stepped over. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not my ancestor’s birth right but her spirit strove for these higher ideals none the less. This American trinity is my birth right and that of my children!

I shall not waste precious breathe on the master’s life, on the master’s liberty, or the master’s pursuit of happiness! In order to form a more perfect union within my self, my family, my communities, and nature, I will give all my heart, soul, mind and body so my children may live into the dream of a noble people, live into the dream of freedom!

Kj: We started the morning hike on the South Kaibab Trail, which is roughly 7.5 miles down to the Phantom Ranch. This hike should take you approximately 4-5hours. At first glance, this seems like your average daily hike that I have done so many times. Either in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, or on the Coast of California where you crest the mountains and are overlooking the ocean. What a beautiful site that is!

The big difference is being prepared to hike down into a canyon instead of up a mountain. Oh, what a difference this was for me and the rest of our party. It went from a challenge to a big struggle for all. We all felt the pain and discomfort in our bodies. We all questioned what we were doing and what did we get ourselves into. The struggle was real, but very worth it in the end.

I am committed to being prepared for our next hike in 2020. I have said many times training is key to being prepared for this hike. Do Not think because you have done a few moderate hikes that you will be able to finish this challenge. When you think you have trained enough and are prepared train some more. Today my training consists of 3 days of full body strength training, and 3 days of conditioning. Let me tell you I hate conditioning but it is necessary. I love working out with weights and getting stronger and more muscular. Probably because it is easy to see, it is simple to know that today I lifted more weight than yesterday.

Conditioning is just grueling and I cannot really know if I am getting better, sure, I might be able to go 5 minutes longer but I still feel like I am going to pass out. I have never left a conditioning session going, wow I killed it today. Conditioning now days for me is 55 minutes on the stair master. After the 55 minutes, I take a 5-minute break then do 3sets of 15 reps on 3 different arm workouts. Normally the arm workout would not be that difficult but doing it after the stair master is a completely different challenge.

You may ask what does this have to do with the Grand Canyon. The Stair master is an excellent way to work your entire legs. The benefits of the stair master not only mimics your climb out of the GC but it also is excellent core work. Other great benefits are it works your Quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. There are not many workouts that hit all of these muscles in your legs. Lastly the arm workout is a test of your mind, can you train arms after the grueling 55min on the stair master. In addition, you will need the strength if you are using hiking poles and to carry your pack with you. Do not wait until the last minute to start training and remember to train hard, and train your entire body. You will need the strength and the conditioning to make the GC hike enjoyable!

Pj: When life throws you lemons, make lemonade! I wish I thought and acted like this. I am currently more of a when life is tough have a chocolate chip cookie. I haven’t always been this way. This change of self puzzles me. I have packed on a fair amount of weight which further hinders cardio conditioning.

I use to love being active, playing sports, getting into nature hiking, cycling, kayaking, and traveling to National Parks. I was diagnosed with cancer on my spine almost 15 years ago. I was lucky enough to only need a resection of my lower thoracic and upper lumber spine which removed all of the slow growth tumor. No chemo or radiation needed and after five years of annual MRI scans am considered in remission and at this point (Knock on wood) cancer free! I’m still wrapping my head around how I am a survivor and two close friends have succumb to their battles with cancer. Life is full of promises, but few guarantees.

Grand Canyon is like no other hike I have done! The hike down was truly one of the most challenging experiences of my life! I stack it up with centuries on my road bike, Olympic triathlons, running a marathon, climbing Masada in Israel, or summiting Half Dome. The climb up was not as difficult as the step downs of South Kaibab trail in the heat of late May.

When you skirt disaster, and get a glimpse of your own death if not that of those in your party, especially in this tame world a soulful gratitude for the simple things becomes the back drop where options emerge saying I have every right to enjoy something sweet and on the other hand the call of the wild says sharpen those teeth and get back after it there is time to rest when I‘m dead.

Kj: We left Phantom Ranch bright and early heading towards the Bright Angel Trail. We wanted to get a good jump-start on our day in order to make it out at a decent time. The nerves and excitement were almost overwhelming. I was worried about my legs; actually, I was worried about my whole body. I was in pain, sore, but my heart and spirit where not broken.

My concern turned to my father who is in his 60’s, my concern turned to my brother’s father in law who had a rough time the day before on the way down. Nothing like asking the rangers to fly you out on a helicopter and money is not an object. The ranger laughed, and said “sir you have a choice to hike down, but once your down your only choice is to hike back out”.

We knew it would be a difficult, almost impossible hike out for these two in our party. We crossed the Colorado on a bridge just as the sun rose. Standing on that bridge with the Colorado roaring beneath me was an incredible sight. A sight that I was uncertain if I would ever see again in my lifetime. I stopped in the middle of the bridge and had to soak it in. Not through me taking pictures on my phone, or talking with others, I had to take a moment alone and let my mind comprehend what I was seeing. There was so much beauty that my mind felt like it was not real. That moment that I took a lone I will never forget, the picture in my mind I can see clearly to this day, I can hear the Colorado roaring beneath my feet, I can smell the water rushing by, I can see the sun coming up and shining on the river in areas. That moment I felt completely alive and one with nature. I made a promise on that bridge that I would be back to see this site again, feel it, and smell it. It is an amazing feeling to have all your senses going hyperactive because of the beauty of nature. This is why I am making the choice to hike back down in 2020, and making the choice to hike back out!

Pj: Death. That reality of mortal existence that is securely hidden from sight in today’s first world culture, moves back into view in the desert and more so in the Canyon. Life is strangled at the root, scorched and withered. The limits of human viability can be tested in this arid opened tomb.

The artery of the Colorado that pulses and sustains life has carved its way deeper and deeper into the rock face laying bare the strata of millennia to tell the tale of ages and epoch long deceased but writ large for the geo-scholars to decipher. Soaking in this life giving water is a boon not easily earned and a treasure to restore mind, and body.

Kj: I hear my alarm go off at 3:30am, I roll over and press snooze. Once again my alarm goes off and its 3:35am and I roll back over and turn my alarm off. My alarm goes off again at 3:45am; yes, I set a backup alarm just in case I turn off my first alarm. I have done this too many times and did not even realize I turned it off. I then spend about the next 5 minutes in bed debating with myself should I get up and go train or should I go back to sleep and get an extra hour or so. Over the past 5yrs of training, my healthy mind has won this battle more than it has lost. Over the past month, my unhealthy mind has won this battle more often than not. However, the past week my healthy mind has won this battle. It truly is a battle between getting up and going back to sleep where I literally discuss it in my head and have to remind myself why I am getting up and doing what I do. It is never fun to wake up that early, it is not easy, I do not wake up yelling woooo let us go train! It is a struggle but the struggle is worth it!When people ask me, how do I get up that early just to train? Well it has not been “just” to train!

My mind recognizes that I have already accomplished something positive to start my day. It sets the tone for my attitude, motivation, and enthusiasm and stress level. Now this may not work for everyone, do what works best for you. If training in the mid-day or afternoon works, make it happen. Whatever you can stay consistent with is the key. It feels great to be back in the gym training for the Grand Canyon. I know the time is limited and I need to be consistent with my training in order to reach my goals for the GC. It feels great to be back in the gym for my mind, body and soul. Whether hiking to a majestic location or just trying to be your best self be consistent with your training!

Pj: Is it worth it? The cost, the time, the efforts training, the discomfort of travel be it plane or car-is it worth it to hike the GC or really to do anything extraordinary?

Last weekend my family and I hopped in the car drove for hours to get to the coast then loaded on a ferry, car and all, and floated another hour plus to our destination, the San Juan Islands, off the coast of WA state.

The islands were charming, relaxing, and soothing. The brief time seemed to unfold and moments expanded in each other’s presence in a way that does happen in the mundane rushed pace of ordinary life. The flow of the island held us together, to reconnect, to listen, to see, to walk through the sandy beaches back into each other’s lives.

My counting brain says no way was it worth it to drive for hours, spend a bunch of money, to be tired after a vacation. However, my heart that loves…loves natural beauty, true connection, and the goodness of a treasured time out of time…says loud and clear-Yes! Undoubtedly, yes! We need more of this – but alas this is today’s harvest and I am grateful and full. Full of moments that are real and unfold in my mind’s eye with joy, tenderness and the warmth of my convocation.

I find more than affirmation of what has pasted but also fuel for the road ahead. Life in its messy business gives way to a holy center to bring me back to myself…my higher self striving to animate this flesh with verve. GC awaits!

Kj: Nobody told me it was going to be easy, but nobody told me it was going to be one of the most difficult things I have done in my life. I had heard of the beauty of the Grand Canyon but images and words don’t convey the awesomeness. Looking down and finally being able to see the Colorado River getting closer and closer. Finally getting to the bottom and walking across the bridge looking at the roaring Colorado beneath your feat. Truly, an amazing sight that puts all of your human senses on high alert. This trip is not for everyone, but can be a trip of a lifetime for those who choose to go and prepare properly.

We are ten months out from our hike. I would be lying if I told you that I was ready to go today. I would be lying if I told you that my training is on point. I would be lying if I told you my diet is going exactly as planned. Truth be told I am glad we are ten months out because my diet and workouts have been non-existent the past few weeks. I am getting nervous that I will end up taking this trip as I did back in 2017, with little training and little preparation. 

Unfortunately, life happens and you end up missing a workout here and there and then the diet goes with it. I have been in that vicious circle too many times, the next thing you know it is ten months later, you have gained twenty pounds, and you are not sure how you got there. Being excited about the trip when you first book it is normal. It is like most things that you start. At the outset you are energized, motivated, and determined. The difficult part is keeping that same motivation for the entire year leading up to the trip.

I’m starting to get back into setting daily goals, writing down five things that I will accomplish the next day. My goals are starting out simple, 1. Go to gym in the morning, 2. Follow your diet, 3. Read 10 pages of a hiking book, 4. Visualize 5. Write down my goals for tomorrow. Cross off your goals as you complete them during the day.

Doing these steps daily gives you that motivation, the self-accomplishment that sometimes you need in your life. I am going through a little funk as I call it and have not been following my workouts and eating habits. This is how I plan to get back on track in order to accomplish my trip to the GC. Not just, accomplish it but soak it up and enjoy it! It is never too late to get back on track and get your preparation back on track to make your trip – a trip of a lifetime.

Pj: Life happens! You lose focus and before you know it you are somewhere in the labryinth! The circle of hell called self-destruction where cookies, ice cream, candy at the movies, cream sauce pasta, drumsticks, etc go from tempting to f–k it. Where your worth is diluted in repulsive self-contempt. The sense that Melville describes that drives men from the shore to sea. Others go underground knowing that you are no good company to anybody and you push what comfort may be found away. That bull-headed part of yourself that devours dreams is run amuk, chasing you through the maze of old habits and unhealthy outcomes.

Only one way out, sharpen your sword and prepare for battle. Slay the Minotaur! As U2 has deftly said “you become a moster so the moster will not break you.” Who is it going to be your-best-self or the bull-sapian? It’s not a rational decision, it’s self preservation! There is no right way only the deed done. And for a time your best self is no where to be found. You grasp in the dark for something elusive, a way, a path, a lifeline to what you seek.

Finding your way back to the surface of your life through the twists and turns of past scars. Finding the thread of being that binds you to life, liberty, and happiness, to wholeness and belonging. Find the path that is marked from above to return to the light, to warmth, and re-union, to Love’s divine-self!

And begin again…

Kj: When you think about making a trip to and hiking the Grand Canyon, what do you imagine? Excitement? Anticipation? Curiosity? Neavous? Fear? Joy? Wonder?

It is a trip of a lifetime to one of the most visited places in the United States. I remember feeling such excitement many months ahead of the trip. Excited to be with family, excited to see the pure beauty of the GC with my own eyes. The months and days prior could not go by quick enough! I just wanted to be there… This excitement can turn into being overwhelmed; it can also turn into a lack of planning that can get you hurt when hiking. 

After many months of planning, I failed to think about the simple things of the hike. How much food do I need to bring in my pack? Do I need a headlamp to start my hike? One very important part of the hike will be the weather… Something I really did not consider when we went on our trip. Yes, I knew we were almost in the summer months but the weather looked mild. A Cool 60’s in the morning and low 80’s in the afternoon. I started our hike wearing a long sleeve sweatshirt knowing that it would warm up a bit and I would be good in a short sleeve shirt and my shorts. About an hour into our hike, I was able to take off the sweatshirt as planned and go with just a tee shirt. I felt good for a while, not overheated and not to cold. Fast-forward 4 hours later and as we kept getting closer to the canyon floor, it kept getting hotter and hotter. I realized I failed to look at the weather for the Canyon floor prior to the hike.

The weather from the Rim to the floor can be drastically different. During some winter months, you can start the hike in snow and ice and end up with perfect weather on the canyon floor. On the other hand, like when we started with perfect weather and ended up being in a convection oven at the bottom. I was not prepared for that heat, and a few in our party had to stop less than a mile away from Phantom Ranch as we thought they were getting heat stroke. We are going around the same time in 2020 and this time I plan on training outside during these summer months. I will be bringing a very large hat to cover my face and neck. I would suggest a small towel to get wet that you can put on your neck or rub your face. Of course, bring sunblock and apply many times throughout your hiking journey. My pre-planning this trip will not be clouded by excitement and fear. I will pre-plan accordingly so I can spend more time enjoying this hike instead of just trying to survive!

Pj: Which would you chose “the power of an idea” or “the power of love” ? Both have changed the world. Ideas such as fire, the wheel, the flying machine, and computer chip have contributed to the evolution of civilization. While love of family, tribe, partner, children, and universal human compassion have changed human nature bending toward Justice and Freedom.

Preparing for a trip to a National Park and especially the Grand Canyon is personal but not only personal. It is shared in actual time with others and through memory stories are offered to enliven family and friends who could not enter the deep. The adventure is social in all the nameless others who accompany you down and back up and a few who reveal something of themselves become part of your experience, an encounter. It is communal sharing in a National treasure and owning through experience a cherished part of Americana, the wild wilderness.

Make no mistake, all the planning in the world can not, and I repeat can not tame the Grand Canyon. Even the dams that have been built to harness the power of water and gravity such as Glen Canyon or Hoover Dam have not succeeded in house breaking the GC. Rapids still roar. People lose their way and suffer consequences. People ignore the warnings, disregard the signs and pay a steep price while others yearly lose their lives in falls, heat stroke, and offer their lives as a sacrifice to a thirsty diety of desert. Still numerous courageous souls walk into this furance to test their metal, to be purfied in the crucible, to wrestle with this fire-scortched messager and emerge with a soaring vision, and encounter the elemental archaic forces, to pass through bridges in time to emerge with a deeper connection to all that is terrestrial, human, and core.

Plan to scratch that itch, hike to satisfy that lust for life…

Kj: Growing up is different for my kids than it was for me. My Father worked very long hours to make sure the lights were on and we had food to eat. Even if that was a large pot of beans made on Sunday, which we would eat all week. Some weeks, my Dad would cut up some ham and put it in the beans on Wednesday to mix it up. During those lean times that was a big treat for us. 

My Mother who is such an incredible person for raising five boys, worked the night shift for many years when I was a child. When summer came around, we weren’t able to go to an expensive summer camps, but that didn’t stop us for having fun and learning about the world. In fact, at about 10am every day, my mom would to bed and get her much needed sleep. What did this mean for us kids? There was no way my mom was going to be able to sleep with five boys in the house on summer break. We were told to go outside and play and we had a certain time in the evening we had to be back home. We all had to stay together, and come home together, was the only real stipulation that was given to us. Yes we are boys so we did get into some trouble every once in a while. However, most often we took this time to explore, to go on adventures. We rode our bikes to nearby mountains and hiked, we searched for animals, and caves. We imagined that we were gold miners and collected rocks, or archeologist and picked up anything that looked like an old artifact. Time would fly by because of how much fun we would have on adventures and exploring the unknown. It never failed that we would have to race our bikes back home as quickly as possible because we were late for dinner.

This spirit of adventure remains. Hiking the Grand Canyon, seeing the unknown, and staying somewhere so very different like the Phantom Ranch gets me up in the morning, even a year out from hiking GC 2020, being prepared for the adventure gets me to the gym to workout, to prepare my body and my mind.

In 2017 during the last 3 miles or so, there was a woman a bit older than me, that when I sat to rest she would pass me. Then sure enough, I would get going again, see her resting a bit later, and pass her. This became the norm for a while; we were both struggling wondering if we could make it to the top. You could tell when we both locked eyes as one or another would pass the other. At some point when I passed her I told her let’s go! We are finishing this adventure together! We did and when we got to the top, we both embraced each other with excitement and disbelief that we made. We yelled with excitement and then she said she was off to get an ice-cold beer and disappeared down the path full of canyon gazers, and I was headed to meet up with my family that did not hike with us but were waiting on the top. It was a remarkable human moment for two perfect strangers brought together by the GC.

Life is one big adventure and I will never forget the people that I have gone on journeys with and the people that I have met during these adventures. Find your reason why; find what motivates you to go out and try something new and different. Is it the adventure, is it memories with family, maybe it‘s someone you meet on the trail that motivates you to finish. Whatever it may be, dig deep and find it, and hold on to that why when you are getting up early to train for the GC, or spending the extra money on gear that you may need. Find your Why; I was lucky to have found mine at an early age.

Pj: I hate losing things. I hate misplacing things: Keys, wallet, sunglasses, AirPods, you name it. Losing something that was just there makes me irritable! However, on the flip side, I love finding things, discovering new places, routes, and experiences while broadening my horizons.

As kids we would play these massive games of hide and seek with a dozen or so kids across several blocks that lasted for hours after a summer BBQ until the last flicker of dusk had given way to darkness and time to go home. We relished being outside, playing, having fun.

Now as adults the fun has changed a bit, but I still love the great outdoors! The National Parks and The Grand Canyon in particular are full of beauty and scenic treasures to be sought, found aplenty and experienced in person. When you go beyond your comfort-zone you discover new things about the world, your fellow travelers, and hopefully yourself.

Recently, I lost one of my best friends to cancer. When I go to the location he is inured, it is a hilltop over-looking the river, with the sounds of flowing water and pine forest surrounding. I recall the hours of presence he gifted me and my family with, the meals, card games, carved pumpkins, shared experiences of fatherhood as we raised our children, and shared encounters about teaching, and about being in nature.

The scene at the end of Dances with Wolves swirls in my heart as tears fill my eyes. This was my friend, my friend…my friend.

I shall find him now on the wind, in the water, the sun, and with out a doubt in the canyon.