2007 Grand Canyon Adventure :: Day 9

Today we woke at about 5:30am, and packed up our camp for the last time and headed up the Bright Angel Trail. It is a 4.6 mile climb to the top and we arrived at the South Rim in the early afternoon. The weather coming up was cool, and we felt strong and relatively rested. We spent some time at the top looking back toward the North Rim and filling our memories with the sights and sounds of the adventure. They are memories that have been firmly imprinted into our minds. For me, arriving at the South Rim is both a joyous and reflective occasion. The canyon has been working its magic and I am perfectly content to continue the immersion of nature into my soul. It has a healing, regenerative power..... a magnetic pull to center your life and nurture your imagination.

The most important aspect of the hike is that it was a tremendous success from the standpoint of raising money and awareness for the Believe In Tomorrow Military Housing Initiative. We have accomplished goals that we set out to accomplish and that is a measure of our success. Tomorrow we leave for the ride back to Phoenix and then onto our homes, families and friends. As a team, we have also accomplished something that we can treasure and be proud of for years to come. Scott, Doug and Dave have been wonderful hiking companions. Each of them greatly added to the experience in unique and meaningful ways and I am proud to call them friends.

I want to thank Scott for volunteering to carry the GPS system so that everyone could view our progress online, (as well as many other items the group shared, ie: chocolate, batteries, etc...) through 72 miles of rough and difficult terrain. It was a heavy piece of equipment. (We still believe that Scott may have also had a kitchen sink tucked somewhere in his backpack, as he seemed to have just about everything else.)

I also want to thank everyone reading this for their support and encouragement.

In the next several weeks we will be meeting to evaluate the future of pledge driven adventure events to support Believe In Tomorrow.

Until the next adventure.....