The Mary Badass

On june 12 from 12 to 1 Eastern time I will be part of a free presentation about paddling the Connecticut river. One other person and I will be showing slides of our paddle of the entire river. There will be time for questions. You can read about this trip in some of my earlier…

I was pretty pleased the next day with how I put into place the lessons I’ve been cultivating on the trails these past few years. I still had no idea how I was going to get from the trail’s end in the middle of nowhere on the Utah border to a paved road, and then…

The closer I got to the end the more eager I was to get there, but again I worked on staying in the present moment. My goal for the day was about 18 miles to what was considered a fairly reliable water source out of a cement trough. The wind stayed with me all that…

I was thrilled the following morning when it wasn’t too cold out. It made it easier to get out of my sleeping bag and get going. From the campground, the trail dropped down into a little ravine. As I dropped the temperature dropped with me. It became downright cold and I thought about pulling my…

I had no idea how long it would take me to make the climb from Cottonwood campground to the north rim. I knew it was steeper than what I had done the day before, but that it also was less steep than the descent into the canyon had been. I decided to get an early…

I agonized over whether to write this blog or not. Given the fact that I am trying to get better at valuing myself, I’ve decided to put it out there. I spend at least eight hours a week if not more writing and posting the blogs. I carry a mini iPad with me to be…

After crossing the creek, it wasn’t always clear which path to take to get to ribbon falls. There are multiple herd paths with multiple water crossings of a non scary nature. I did not want to stop at every crossing to remove my socks and insoles so I just started walking through the water. It…

I was unusually lucky in being able to obtain a permit for two nights in the Canyon. Another hiker had obtained the group site at Cottonwood campground, which was only 7 miles from Bright Angel. She invited me to join her and the Backcountry office took pity on this old lady, allowing me the second…

I spent one day on the south rim sightseeing. I had to laugh when I was getting on the free shuttle bus, and the driver told the people to clear the front seats, which are reserved for old or handicap people. When the driver saw how stiffly I was walking, which always happens when I’ve…

I’ve had a really wonderful experience on the trail. It began with some very unpleasant interactions. My first night out of Pine when I finally reached my tent area they were already two tents set up there. The slanted ground was littered with rocks and pinecones and camp spots were few and far between. It…