1% Club

• About 5 million people see the Grand Canyon each year, even just from their car at an overlook off the highway.
• 10% of those 5 million people see a portion of the inner rim of the Canyon, mainly through day hiking.
• 1% of those 5 million people visit the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
  Yay!! I’ve always wanted to be in a club!

My brother is a professional guide for a top-end guiding company called Wildland Trekking. He guides mainly in the Grand Canyon and in Yellowstone. Last year, he suggested that we take a take a personal trip together….a siblings trip. LUCKY US!

As a disclaimer, I’m not the writer in the family. I’ll leave the detailed trip synopsis for my sister to share in her own time. She’s much better at that sort of thing. This is just my brief overview and some highlights photos from our trip. There were times when I was too tired to go after my camera so my photos are interspersed with hers in order to tell more of the story.

My sister and I enjoyed a first-rate guided experience on the 7 mile hike (a 4800 foot descent!) down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on the South Kaibob Trail. We heard about flora, fauna and, of course, geology. Too much to fully remember, but continuously interesting.

Once we reached the bottom on Day 1 and had set up for camp, we went to listen to the Phantom Ranch park ranger explain how the Canyon came to be and why it was an unlikely phenomenon.

We (my sister and I) learned SO much…too much to recite back. But one take-away is this handy pneumonic device so that we can at least share the answer to this question: “Can you tell me how the Grand Canyon was formed?”

The answer is: “SURE, I can!”

Sediment was placed in many different layers over many (understatement) years. Tectonic plates crashed together at some point, creating an Uplift (as opposed to a buckling like what would produce a mountain range). The uplift caused the whole plate (layers included) to rise up. The uplift was tilted, though, rather than completely flat. A powerful River began to make its course over the uplift, flowing downward. The volume, direction, and force of the river over time, began to cut into the soft layers of rock. Because of the river and Erosion, we now see what we see today.  SURE

Boom! How’d I do, bro? For all of you who know way more about Canyon formation, please do me a solid and not give me a smack-down for all the things I missed…I did my best.

We spent two nights in the Phantom Ranch campground which were a God-send in order to ease the aching muscles and to have the energy to explore some of the Canyon floor.

On the third day, we started our two-day hike out of the Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail and spent the night at the Indian Garden campground after watching the sun set against the Canyon rim from Plateau Point.

The final day. Whew. Up…up…up…….up. My brother said, “When you get to the top you’ll have so much energy!” Amazingly, he was right. The adrenaline was flowing from our accomplishment.

I have heard it from several people….Wildland Trekking guests tend to become territorial about their guide. I can see it. I mean, these are amazing people! This was my first experience and you may all say that I’m prejudicial because he’s my brother….but if I didn’t know him from a dude on the street, I would still tell you that he is THE best.

He guided us before the trip with how and what to pack and how to train for the hike. He guided us during the trip with knowledge, encouragement, motivation, patience and safety. Oh, yeah, and did I happen to mention that we didn’t eat “normal” camp food? Breakfasts and lunches were hardy and fresh. Dinners were often served with appetizers like smoked salmon or cheese and crackers. And the dinners. Oh, the dinners! My favorite example (because I’ve said it so many times already that I actually remember most of what was in it) is our Day 1 dinner….curried shrimp in a coconut milk sauce with peas and bamboo shoots over white rice. Right?!?

So, let me just say this. If you’re going to go to the Grand Canyon and you want to get to the bottom, absolutely go to www.wildlandtrekking.com and specifically ask for Ron Bubb. He may be my brother, but it’s nothing less than a fact to say that he is one of the best guides…..period.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed the visual tour, I’d love to hear from you.  Contact me here or on Facebook  to comment or to purchase images.

Fun Fact:

• Did you know that the top of the Canyon (where we stand to look down into it) was once the BOTTOM of an ocean?

If I Had a Do-Over:

• I would have trained more (*cough*) so that I felt more energetic to take more kinds of photos.

The Highlights of the Hike….In Order:

1. My sibs
2. The views on Day 1
3. The food!
4. My trekking poles

www.focusphotographymn.com