Wednesday, September 9, 2009

My side of the story!

Okay, I'm really not going to share the whole Paria experience from my point of view, but I did want to add a few thoughts.
First of all-I would not recommend this hike to women who are 5 months pregnant unless you've done some serious backpacking. It is a lot of time on your feet and not very comfortable sleeping conditions. I do have to say-those thin mats seemed to get more comfortable each night! It's like magic!
Second-I would give the hike 5 days instead of three. Maybe even four would be okay. I'm a fairly slow hiker-even more so when I'm pregnant. If you are fast and in shape-like my brothers-in-law-you can pull of three days. We hiked all day with few breaks outside of lunch. And we hiked until dark-so it's pretty grueling. Give yourself at least 4 days!
Third-If you can-get a hotel the day you get out of the canyon. Don't try to drive 8 hours. It was long and we all swelled up from the knees down.
Overall-It was a fun, learning experience. I really did enjoy the backpacking. My group was very kind and often carried my pack for a ways to give me a rest. Either that or they just wanted me to move faster. Either way-I appreciate the help. I love you guys! Thanks to Sophie, the inspiration for getting me outdoors! She has enabled us to enjoy rock climbing, river rafting, and this awesome adventure! It's nice having her as a sister-in-law. She is also incredibly good with my children-who love her to death! Your awesome, Sophie!
A shout out to Mark and Lara Cook! They let me stay at their home in Boulder City, Nevada the night I flew into Vegas. Thanks for picking me up from the airport, Lara. You saved me a bundle in hotel and taxi fees! I owe you!
Sometime-I'll post some pictures of the new van we got in Vegas. I've enjoyed it so far. More about that later.....

1 comment:

  1. Wow! I can't believe you hiked at 5 months pregnant! That is awesome. Oh, and so are Mark and Lara!

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