Like anyone who knows us can testify, getting up early is not something we do very well. However, hot hot hot days (i.e. 42 degrees Celsius!) in Arizona and Utah coupled with gorgeous hiking opportunities made early mornings a necessary reality... so recently we've been woken by Apple's sweet tones at 4.30 and 5am in order to finish all hiking by 11am.
Thankfully the hikes have made the mornings well worth the effort! The scenery tends to have great dramatic names - i.e. Angel's Landing, Leap of Faith, Ooh Aah Point, The Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock and The Three Patriarchs. We also hiked up Observation Point which was way cooler than it's dull name implies! For those of you not trained in American hiking geography, we have had a seriously fun last week exploring the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.
Before we crack into the photos, here's a couple of things we've noticed about hiking (and hikers) in the US.
1.) Americans love their snazzy hiking gears. To give you an idea of some hiking equipment musts:
- Whilst walking through a river canyon, carbon fibre poles were all around us; we had a sturdy branch each.
- We were totally out of place by not dressing in khaki, beige or moss green. *Note to self, must blend into surroundings more.*
- We sipped from the rather unfashionable drink bottle as opposed to the super cool Camelpacks.
- Expensive hiking boots? Overrated. We prefer running shoes of intriguing shape and consistency, after Jess's literally melted in the Phoenix sun. A word of warning - don't leave your shoes in the car!
2.) The scariest thing about hiking in America? The posted pre-hike warnings.
"This is a strenuous hike. Do not attempt if you are scared of heights, there have been fatalities. Do not attempt if you are not of reasonable fitness. Beware of mountain lions. Do not attempt if you are not dressed in khaki, there have been fatalities."
OK, so maybe the last point was exaggerated, but you get the idea.
Underdressed and over-warned, we have had an absolutely fantastic last week. The Grand Canyon is large and impressive beyond description and photographic justice, whilst Zion National Park is pretty much the coolest place ever, extremely beautiful and wonderfully varied. But enough writing - we'll let the pictures speak for themselves!
GRAND CANYON
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| Well named! |
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| 'tis Grand indeed... |
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| Resting before we climb back up to the canyon rim. Hiking in the Grand Canyon involves going down first...the hard bit comes in the second half! |
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| The man works on making me a widow |
ZION NATIONAL PARK
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| Exploring 'The Narrows' canyons |
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| Chris capitalising on a chance to take his shirt off... Typical. |
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| These two owls were perched on a nearby tree... too cool. |
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| Camping is fun...for about 3 nights. It is quickly losing its appeal! |
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| This step was called the 'Leap of Faith'. We were a bit underwhelmed by the size of the "leap" so tried to make it look more impressive... |
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| Hiking up Angel's Landing with plunging cliffs on either side. Fun! |
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| Conquered! |
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| Chipmunks are everywhere, and they are cuuuuute. |
you guys are doing EXACTLY what I want to do... i feel like your celebrities or something. haha. how did you raise money and get time off work? i'm only 18, but i have BIG dreams.
ReplyDelete-Savannah Bruce :)
Hey Savannah! We lived off one income and saved our other income until we had enough money for this trip...and then we quit our jobs and left! Haha, celebrities?? YUSSSS.
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