Hiking Goals

I hit my bicycling fitness goal for the year by climbing Snowbowl Road, but I have another goal for the second half of the year. I want to do another big hike in the Grand Canyon. Most years since I moved to Flagstaff I've hiked down into the Canyon. On a couple of occasions I made it all the way to the river and back up to the rim. Other times I've done the "intermediate" hikes such as Plateau Point or Skeleton Point. 

A Monsoon rainstorm over the Mogollon Rim region from Fort Tuthill County Park. Seen yesterday on an easy run. I gave myself three days to recover from my bicycle ride up Snowbowl Road before resuming cardio exercise.

I think I'd like to at least do Plateau Point again. It's been a few years since I've been down there, and Indian Garden is a dream, even though it's usually overcrowded. That goal might change, but either way I need more hiking fitness than I have right now. The goal is to get fit, then I can worry about the specific goal, depending on fitness. I can achieve that by spending more effort running and hiking.

I scouted some of the other trails from the South Rim earlier this year and found that the trails are rugged and exposed compared to the Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails. There aren't many "easy" trails in the Grand Canyon so it's a matter of degree. It's difficult to train for the Canyon at the Canyon, but training in Flagstaff works well.

I'll continue cycling but probably start focusing more on getting in the runs, the hikes, the steps from now until November. That will serve the goal.