hiking the grand canyon // a little video.

i was in the mood to make a movie, so i looked through my footage and decided on our grand canyon hike. enjoy! 

song credit: "flowers in her hair" by the lumineers. also mentioned here.

grand canyon hike :: mooney falls.

okay, so mooney falls is best know for the hike down to it. it's straight down and you hold onto rusty chains to keep yourself steady. danny was behind me to talk me through where to put my feet and where to grab on to. casey was right above me and was loving danny's direction as well. not gonna lie, it really gets your heart rate going, but it's pretty thrilling at the same time.

walking down to the main "chain" area of the hike.

yup, i wasn't lying.

but then it's totally worth it because you see this.

travis and grant getting ready to go through the rock wall caves.

travis, the birthday boy! loving it.

looking through the cave.

slow and steady wins the race... three points of contact at all times!

how i felt right after i got down!

we're assuming the bench ended up there after the big flood.

the epitome of crystal clear.

travis and danny - both "Go Pro" cameramen with the matching wounds to prove it.

canyon babes after a "behind the falls" swim. 

so, danny went under the falls and found a little are you could sit behind and look out. 

the boys. and then they visually demonstrated that we were at mooney falls. i'll spare you.

mother natural. a naturale. 

tarah won the "gourmet" cuisine badge. slicing meets with a spork #camplife

the crazy chinese singing birthday candle that grant would ultimately have to destroy.

campside games - Left, Right, Center. i was the big winner of round #1!

headlamp in an empty water bottle = campside light.

danny was introduced to Toblerone chocolate. we've created a monster.

the next morning, danny & me plus heather & james got up, packed up our campsite and set off for the return hike. the rest of the group stayed an extra night. we powered through the hike and did it all in 4 hours and 15 minutes! taking my shoes off has never felt better. we hit the road, did a ghetto car wipe down via cucumber baby wipes and then stopped for a guilt-free lunch of beers, nachos, club sandwiches, hamburgers and ice cream. a shower and our bed had never felt better than it did that night..

....and that's a grand canyon wrap!

who's in for next time? 

(who am i?!)

grand canyon hike :: exploring the falls.

without a doubt, i enjoyed our hike as much as i did because of d. looking back, he handled everything just right. didn't push, but gently encouraged. despite my not wanting to spend any time or money at REI, he made sure i had good gear. this is so key - once you're in the middle of the wilderness and all you've got is your stuff - you're really glad when it's lightweight, easy and awesome. i thought it was insane to spend hundreds of dollars on hiking shoes, wool socks, liners, awesome water shoes, "moisture wicking*" clothes and underwear.... the list goes on and on, but i escaped the weekend without a single blister or problem so i guess you get what you pay for. and in that situation - your comfort is key. i'm glad he splurged. (he even gave me his super awesome sleeping bag inflatable pad to make sure i got the good night's sleep). #truehikerlove

and then there was the actual time we were there - boy oh boy did d take care of us. i was basically along for the ride and just had to make sure my legs worked - he even checked in regularly to make sure i stayed hydrated. the man took care of everything - purifying our water, setting up camp, making sure i had instant coffee in the morning, making our meals - and was so happy to do so. he loved it and i loved him right back for it. i can't imagine being with someone "winging it." i felt so comfortable knowing everything was going to be set up and just right. it definitely made a huge difference.

*when the REI lady asked me what i was planning to wear during the hike and i said, "uhh... a cotton tank top and shorts?" i thought she was going to pass out. apparently both big "no no's" - shoulder protection and moisture wicking clothes are "duh" items in granolaland. and then she said, "what about your undergarments?" i now own $20 patagonia briefs. sexy. and totally ridiculous. i swear, REI people are the most convincing sales people ever. 

our 2 person "plus" tent. pretty rad. there was some tent envy happening. 

good morning grand canyon! three full days without make up. 

it's been a while since the last time that's happened.

just chillin' streamside. we loved our spot. 

good morning! our view when we woke up (nice & sore).

the view out the front of our tent.

our campside neighbors, James & Heather, getting ready for the day.

i was the last one to wake up on sunday morning. after i was moving, we hiked to Havasu Falls. Gorgeous.

Me and Heather found a little lagoon to chill. waving at the EXTREME boys.

one... two... three.... JUMP.

of course D has a much cooler entrance than i did.

james coaxing heather into jumping in.

the boys planning their EXTREME (the word of the weekend) to get behind the falls.

one by one they did it. and got pounded.

the "canyon babes" in sexy water shoes watching the boys do extreme things. 

a little slice of heaven to ourselves.

EXTREME adventures.

the fifteen. 

the broken lens on my point and shoot made for a cool snap. i'll take it.

pouch meals and naglenes. #camplife

danny's wound from going through the waterfall with the "Go Pro" camera on.

yes, that's a bag of wine tied to a rope chilling in front of our tent. my husband rules.

happy camper. literally.