So - How About Hiking the Grand Canyon?

Sure - why not! Well, tomorrow I'm off to Arizona to fulfill a foolish promise made approximately 14 years ago when I took a day hike with my best friend Julie in the Canyon. Now during the day hike - half way down and up again - I was:

• Younger
• Skinnier
• Stupider

I'm really hoping that with age I have the wisdom to plan a little better to conquer a 2-day, down and back hike in the canyon. During the first trip, little in the way of water and food was taken and (the cardinal hiking sin), my boots were new. This time, I have a real backpack, comfy boots, lots of H2O and a lot more prep work. Hopefully, that marathoning experience will come in handy too.

Even so, I'm a little nervous as I can't plan as well as Julie (she's an engineer). Snippets of our planning conversations for this trip:

Julie: I'm bringing the Scorpion anti-venom, so you don't have to too.
Jean: Scorpions?

Julie: I wrote four Yatzee scorecards on one piece of paper, so we don't have to carry extra paper (b/c its heavy - the paper; the Yatzee dice are coming b/c there is no TV at the bottom of the Canyon)
Jean: Umm - do I have room for my Ugly doll?

Julie: We will need exactly 12 oz of water per hour, based on the hourly weather forecast I emailed you.
Jean: I'm bringing gummy bears.

So, if someone is helicoptered out of the canyon, you know who it will be :)

Wish me luck!