It’s raining in the desert. What are the chances? 21 members and friends, along with 2 coaches, from Innovative Fitness Port Moody huddle under a tree at the top of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for a group photo. No amount of rain can hold back the excitement and anticipation of the group. 3 months of planning, training, group hikes and prep meetings have all led to this. Down and up in one day.
The planned route covers a total of 25.5 km, 1440m of elevation and weaves past some of the most scenic view points the Grand Canyon has to offer. We set out.
Traveling down South Kaibab trail, the first few kilometers are slow, as the normally dry red dirt has turned into a red sticky mess. Past Ooh-Ahh Point, down to Skeleton Point, past several trains of guides on mules and after 2 ½ hours of hiking down, we cross the Colorado River to Bright Angel Ranch for a quick lunch break.
After a brief break it’s time for the fun part—getting back up. Our route takes us back across the Colorado River, along the banks and up Bright Angel Trail, winding through beautiful striated rock formations and streams to the halfway point at Indian Garden. After a brief rest in the shade, we top up our water bottles,and the real hike begins. For the next few hours the trail cuts back and forth through 3 cliff faces to bring us back out on top of the South Rim.
Mission accomplished. To celebrate, the group heads back to Scottsdale for some well deserved poolside RnR at the W Scottsdale! Great job everyone, all of us at IFPM are proud of your achievement!
- Mike Davis
- Tom Kozelj
- Otillia Kozelj
- Tara Caffelle
- David Dallazanna
- Daniella Dallazanna
- Emelin Ferrer
- Lesley Stefani
- Rick Stefani
- Mike Robillard
- Cheryl Robillard
- Sam Wilkins
- Geraldine Wilkins
- Patricia Vance
- Eric Vance
- Shallah Panjwani
- Roumina Popatia
- JD MacMillan
- Danielle Jones
- Bob Charbonneau
Coaches
- Ashlee Claydon
- Alex Kastelen
