Lower Grand Gulch, Utah

“The move” just below the Shangrila Canyon rim, day 3. This picture was cropped tight to hide how crucial sticking this move really was. Sorry Mom.

Day3: Clear blue skies and warm sunshine greeted the group Saturday morning. A fresh, cool breeze filled the canyon with the sweet smell of cottonwoods and willows as we leisurely rolled out of their sleeping bags.
*Side Note: The first person up usually made the first of four rounds of coffee for the group. We called it “firing the French press”. We packed in three kinds of coffee; mocha, organic and Godiva. Powdered milk, chocolate and raw sugar finished off the perfect cup of joe!
Today would be a free day with no scheduled traveling. One of the greatest things about the way the trip was planned is that it catered to all styles of backpacker. This allowed people to take the trip at their own pace, which made it more enjoyable for everybody.
The relaxed type:
For most of the group the day would be filled with lounging around camp, swimming in the near by pools, some light hiking exploring the Anasazi treasures, and some sandal(Chaco) time, to let those soar and swollen feet have a day off. Our friend Sam has some great shots of the Anasazi treasures on his blog from the day.
The ”balls to the wall” type:
The Doctor (Will), The Animal (JP), Pedro and I would take this opportunity to “open up the fly wheel” (JP’s words) and cover some ground! Will had planned an “epic” day of exploration for those willing the boot up and get it on. We filled our Camelbaks, grabbed some Powerbars and set off for what would be one of the best walks I have ever done. The 17+ mile hike included a trip down the canyon to the Rio Grande, exploring the Rincons near Shangrila Canyon and the “Perfectr Kevia”, a trip to the rim above Shangrila(pictured) and most importantly a whole day of laughing and enjoying my friends in this one of a kind place!
We were back by dusk and found the rest of the group had started the night’s dinner of Indian food (dot not feather). I had a curry dish that was out of this world.
*Side Note: By dusk the group was well feed and laying flat on their backs stargazing. It looked like a bomb went off at our camp with body sprinkled throughout the site. The night would treat us with a shooting star that went from horizon to horizon (longest I have ever seen). The group erupted with many oohs and aahs, I even heard a few hallelujahs!