How — and whether– To Pursue Adventure in the Midst of Pandemic Last week Sylvia and Brian were hiking out in the mountains of North Carolina Mountains, celebrating Brian’s birthday. We returned home to a different world than the one we left. True, the writing had been on the wall, if one had been willing to see it. Already, the […]
Can I hike the Grand Canyon Traverse?
Can I hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim too? The short answer is…yes, this is a hike that even modestly experienced hikers can do, if they are well prepared. But do NOT underestimate the risks and challenges. This is a SERIOUS undertaking! For as long as there have been human beings around to stand upon the edge and see […]
Up Is Mandatory!
The Grand Canyon North South Traverse: Part Two, Final Day **Completed in 2003, the North-South Traverse of Grand Canyon is the first true Bucketlist hike that Brian ever did. He would recommend this hike to virtually any able-bodied hiker as a once in lifetime experience, if that hiker is well prepared for the canyon’s unique conditions.** ***Note that the editors […]
Bright Angel
The Grand Canyon North South Traverse: Part One, Days One and Two **Completed in 2003, the North-South Traverse of Grand Canyon is the first true Bucketlist hike that Brian ever did. He would recommend this hike to virtually any able-bodied hiker as a once in lifetime experience, if that hiker is well prepared for the canyon’s unique conditions.** ***Note that […]
Beauty Measured Out In Sandstone: The Grand Canyon Traverse
The Grand Canyon North-South Traverse **Completed in 2003, the North-South Traverse of Grand Canyon is the first true Bucketlist hike that Brian ever did. He would recommend this hike to virtually any able-bodied hiker as a once in lifetime experience, if that hiker is well prepared for the canyon’s unique conditions.** ***Note that the editors apologize in advance for the […]
A Day on the Mountain (Sort of)
Medoc Mountain State Park, Halifax, NC **We have added Medoc Mountain State Park to the list of our Best Hikes in the Triangle Area. Okay, so there’s no actual mountain here…it’s still one of the best and least crowded outdoor getaways within an hours drive of Raleigh.** For our first official expedition with new team member Fitz Roy, the captain […]
The Grand Canyon’s Grand Front Door
Glen Canyon, AZ While the far-reaching views from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon may be the most enigmatic and spectacular, there is a particularly intimate magic to being inside the canyon itself. One cannot really know the place without being underneath its shadowy depths. But there’s a rub…there’s still no easy way into the canyon. The advent of […]
Sedona: The Red Rock Paradise
Sedona, AZ There is, believe it or not, much more to see than just the Grand Canyon in Arizona. During their 2009 Grand Canyon expedition Brian and Sylvia decided to see some more of what the Grand Canyon State has to offer. Of course, Brian had in fact been to the Canyon twice before, including a full North-South traverse of […]
Grandscape: The South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ Excepting perhaps Yosemeti’s famed valley, no landscape has captured the national imagination like the Grand Canyon. Vast, rugged, strange, fantastic, profound…the grandest of canyons carved by the Colorado River through countless layers of sandstone rock is like no other on earth. There are bigger canyons, but none eclipse the Grand Canyon in scale, beauty […]
The Most Celebrated Hole on Earth
The Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon has long been recognized as one of America’s most magical places. Even the name affirms its grandeur…there is no need to explain WHAT canyon you are talking about (it’s the canyon of the Colorado River, technically speaking.) All you need to do is say that it’s the Grand one. Everyone knows which canyon you […]
Fitz Roy Turns One Year Old!
The Domestic (Dog) Adventure: Fitz Roy Two months ago we introduced the fabulous Fitz Roy, the first four-legged member of the BecauseItzThere team. It has been a seriously new experience having Fitz aboard. Site Editor and Minister of Expedition Brian has managed a hiking expedition or two, most often with positive results, and he has had some past experience with […]