Miles Hiked: 30
AZT Progress: 694.6
I woke up pretty cold in my sleeping bag this morning so I made some protein hot chocolate for breakfast before hitting the trail around 6am. I was originally planning on camping outside of Tusayan today but the miles went so fast I ended up making it all the way to the grand canyon. 12 miles into the day after grabbing water at a wildlife tank, I stopped at Grandview lookout Tower where I got my first view of the Grand Canyon! I met Derby and Stitch at the last water source where we discovered that Derby and I had both hiked all of the triple crown trails during the same years and never met untill now! They had a friend meeting them at the fire tower for a zero day and some trail magic. I was very sweetly provided trail magic in the form of Gatorade and a coke as well. It was a great treat. I hung out and chatted with everyone for about an hour before taking off to finish the remaining miles for the day. I made it to Tusayan at 4pm so I decided to get an Arizona Iced Tea and some pickles at the store and continue walking to the Grand Canyon. I entered the park on a paved bike path and it continued six miles all the way to Mather Campground. It was just after 6:30pm when I got there. I was still able to check in at the camp office and secure a spot at the AZT thru hiker campsite for $6. It was located right behind the shower and laundry building. After setting up camp I went to the general store for dinner where I inhaled a chicken sandwich and a protein drink. I thought about walking to see the canyon for sun set but it was about a mile away and I was just so tired. I felt stupid walking all the way here and not seeing the sunset but I wasn’t even supposed to make it this far tonight. Tomorrow I plan on getting up for sunrise and making my way to the backcountry office to see what permits I can get for the canyon which will determine the rest of my hike!
Happy Trails!
-Early Bird
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