Just got back from hiking and camping in the Grand Canyon Sunday night and I have to tell you the place is amazing.

My band of friends, three hearty girls from Honda, and a fellow who could have us all rolling around in stitches, decided to make the trip in January.  What we all share in common is the love of nature and the outdoors, which includes hiking along our very own Bruce Trail.

Slightly embarrassed I have to admit we were afraid of the unknown terrain and its habitants, mostly scorpions and rattlers. We decided to hire an outfitters group and have a guided trip.

We arrived at Flagstaff, where many of the world’s best athletes train because of the high altitude to meet our guide, a lanky Scotsman with an American accent and incredible knowledge of the Canyon including  geology, botany and the local folk lore, shortly after 6 a.m..

There, we shifted 10 pounds of clothing and other essentials from our bags to a pack that donkeys would carry down the Grand Canyon to our camp site at Havasu.

A three-hour drive, standing at the top of an awe-inspiring view where one could see for miles and miles, a dream was beginning to be fulfilled.

The first mile-and-a-half was a steep drop and the only way to make it down was by a path of switchbacks.  

Hundreds of people walk down each day from children to seniors, many carrying a few extra pounds in the mid-section, so we were not alone.  There were also teams of donkeys and horses carrying boxes and bags of campers’ packs, mail and supplies for the Havasupai Indians that live at Havasu, an absolute oasis, where towering falls and emerald pools exist.  Words that came from all of our voices time after time were, “Oh my God!”

Once we reached the campsite located between steep vertical canyon walls with the wonderful sights and sounds of a flowing creek, our guide was to set up our tents and prepare the food, but he wanted to help a fellow guide because his hikers had a more difficult time reaching the destination than my band of nature loving explorers.

Our group quickly set up our tents, but Dave the guide was back in no time to prepare a wonderful gourmet of campers’ burritos.

Bed at 9 p.m., up by 6 a.m., the next day was like a dream.  I can’t believe that anywhere on our wonderful planet of earth exists such a place.  Lush forests of cottonwood trees spectacularly set the backdrop before the purest, blue waterfalls 90 feet high.  

Absolutely unbelievable, considering the rocky environment we had just trekked six hours through.

We spent the day exploring three dramatically different falls.  Much to our amazement we scrambled down huge masses of travertine rock faces which is calcified plant life caused by the high mineral content of the spring water flowing over it.  

We swung from tree ropes and splashed into deep river beds, wandered aimlessly across fallen trees and gently stepped across sun worshipping stones.

A highlight was to brave the oxygen depriving falls sprays while we finger-stepped across stone embankments while in the water to eventually stand behind the roaring falls only to dive freeheartedly underneath the thundering strength of water landing on the flat blue pool of serenity.  

What a day it was and only if my words could describe what we did and saw.

Another gourmet dinner, in our sleeping beds by 9 p.m. and up by 5 a.m. A light breakfast, sleeping bags rolled, clothes gathered into packs for donkeys to carry, and three liters of water in each knapsack, the ascending hike out of the canyon began shortly before 7 a.m..  And what a hike it was with temperatures soaring above 90 F (32 C) degrees before 10 a.m.

Flowering cacti was the subject of our amateur yet brilliant photography.

Our eyes screened the rocky desert hoping to sight a blooming prickly pear cactus or the violet flowers peeping from a barrel head or hedgehog cactus.  Although only April, pictures were snapped for our aspiring wall galleries at home.

For more than five hours, our legs strained up the ever-winding switchbacks underneath the penetrating mid-day sun rays to reach our beginning.  Euphoria, a job well done, an accomplishment – yes!

We left the canyon knowing we had just conquered a piece of one of the world’s wonders.  An experience. A great one!   

Alex Hargrave is sports columnist for The Sun. Your comments and feedback are welcome at sunnews@simcoe.com.