Ask Me: Hiking Grand Canyon Rim to River to Rim

[Note from Michael Lanza: In Ask Me, I share and respond to a reader question. Got a question about hiking, backpacking, gear, or any topic or trip I write about at The Big Outside? Send it to me at mlanza@thebigoutside.com or tweet it to @MichaelALanza. I will answer the ones I can in a post, using only your first name and city, with your permission.]

Hi Michael,

I have enjoyed reading the stories and information on The Big Outside. I see that you successfully trekked the Grand Canyon r2r2r (rim to rim to rim) hike. I’m impressed. I’ve also been reading through your gear reviews and am hoping that you can make recommendations to me. My husband and I are planning to hike in the Grand Canyon next fall with a group of friends. Continue reading →

A Grand Ambition, or April Fools? Dayhiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim

At 5:30 in the morning in early April, the bone-chilling wind cascading off the Grand Canyon’s South Rim at 7,200 feet slices through my few thin layers of clothing. Four of us are following our headlamp beams in the dark down the South Kaibab Trail. We’re just minutes into a day that will also end by headlamp light late tonight—but only after we’ve hiked farther than any of us has ever ambulated in a single day. Continue reading →