So, why the Grand Canyon?

I’ll let you in on a story.

I was raised in Cleveland Ohio and was an unhappy child. After college I got a job and advanced rather quickly to Assistant Production Control Manager of a 63 person specialty graphic arts shop. Weighing over 280 lbs and doing a lot of things that were not good for me I knew I had to change.

Although it took years to make this decision I did and quit the job deciding to hike every national park west of the Mississippi “even if it took me a year”. So I set off with a used Blazer (about 1973) deciding to buy only what I needed. For this reason I owned a spoon and a knife for years because I could do without a fork. The healing adventure I have been on for my whole adult life has taught me the difference between volunteer simplicity and poverty and the truth about loving myself.

I did not want to travel alone but had no choice. I was running for my life. Rocky Mountain National Park was the first stop. Here I did several hikes before I decided to take a multiple day journey to the Continental Divide. The next place I went was the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

When I got to the Grand Canyon I was awe struck. I just sat and gazed out over the expanse. I had never seen anything like it before. After several days I was drawn into it and had to touch the other side. I geared up and hiked down to Phantom Ranch that sits along the Colorado River and hiked up to the North rim. Then after a day rest I hiked down again and back up to the South Rim. After several days rest I hiked half way down and for the next 4 days hiked along the Kaibab plateau. When I finally got up to the main camp again I had lost almost 100 lbs. I was overjoyed. Immediately bought new cloths and headed for Carlsbad Caverns.

More pictures and follow-up's to come. Off to the Canyon....

The Earth's Edge

Joshua Tree | East from JT | Grand Canyon

Email: Exploring at HartWorks

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