We Are the Crazy People who Hike Out West in the Dead of Summer

Warning: I use the word “hike” multiple times in this post. What can I say, it was an active vacation 🙂

Following a low key July 4th in Charlotte, Matt and I took off early the next morning for Phoenix, Arizona. We picked up our rental car and drove south to Sedona, a charming red stone town near Flagstaff. After a quick trip to pick up grocery store essentials (mainly water, beer, and jerky), it was time to hike Devil’s Bridge!

Devil’s Bridge reaches 3.6 miles return and is ranked as a moderate hike, but what made it all the more intense was the blazingly hot day, which peaked to an afternoon high of 95 degrees. The dry heat was powerful, and I realized that in consideration of all the outdoor adventures planned, it was going to be a challenging week.

Devil’s Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in Sedona, and it is super beautiful. I didn’t find the narrow bridge pass to be all that scary, but I did see someone else crawling on hands and knees to get off, which was a bit amusing…

After a decent night of sleep at a local inn, we kicked off the next day on Cathedral Rock. This hike is only 1.2 miles return, but is quite steep, and as such is rated as difficult. There’s no shade and it was slippery at times, but the gorgeous views made the trek entirely worth it.

Following a lunch stop off Route 66 (get your kicks), we drove 2 hours north to the Grand Canyon’s south rim. The park shuttle bus took us to the South Kaibab Trail, which matched our criteria: away from the tourist crowds and beautiful AF.

We’ve all seen photos and videos of the Grand Canyon, but there’s nothing like seeing it for the first time in real life. A wave of emotion took over as we entered, and I used the word “wow” more than I care to admit. But damn, it is grand and it is spectacular, so the reaction was more than warranted.

Close to a mile in, we stopped for a break at Ooh Ahh Point. Many hikers opt to turn around here, but we marched onward another half mile toward Cedar Ridge, which provides stunning 360 views of the Canyon. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Eventually it was time to begin the ascent, and with temperatures spiking to 110 degrees, the return became a serious struggle. All said and done, I recommend hiking the Grand Canyon in the fall or spring to avoid the brutal heat of summer. Some would say we’re crazy. We definitely are.

We spent that evening in the random Navajo town of Tuba City. There was absolutely nothing to do there, but it was fine since we were wiped out. Unfortunately the north rim of the Canyon was just a bit too far out of the way, so we decided to take a chance the next day somewhere far less popular, in a place that we had never heard of.

Cathedral Wash (not to be confused with Cathedral Rock in Sedona) was a wonderful surprise, and practically ours to explore alone. This hike is rated as difficult and requires lots of climbing, so definitely not recommended for those with bad knees. The Colorado River greets you at the end of the trail, and is the ultimate reward during a sweaty hike!

From Cathedral Wash, we continued north to Page, where we spent the next two nights on a Navajo ranch. Page is full of natural wonders, like Horseshoe Bend, and the magnificent Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. This stop enabled us to more or less catch our breath since there were no crazy hikes involved. We loved watching the sunset both nights from a secret spot we found on the ranch.

After Page it was time for a much anticipated visit to Zion National Park! We had two days to explore, so spent the first at The Narrows. This hike requires you to walk through the Virgin River, which in some places was as high as waist deep! You walk as far as you can manage, and then turn back when you’ve had enough. Since you move against the current on your way in, your return pushes you with the current – so both directions have their own challenges. We saw people of all ages and abilities conquering this hike. It was a blast.

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That evening in Utah is up there with one of the most bizarre nights I’ve encountered traveling (and I’ve experienced some weird things). I booked a “glamping” tent in Hildale, Utah, which unbeknownst to me was in polygamist FLDS territory. Prior to realizing this, we went on a local sunset hike and soon discovered we were being watched. Creepy, right? Matt says he slept with one eye open that night. There are more details to the story, but it’s pretty funny in retrospect…

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But somehow I slept like a rock, which helped me complete a successful climb up Angel’s Landing the next day. This was the final and best hike of our trip. It’s a 5 mile trek that summits with a steep and dangerous climb. Several people have fallen to their deaths on this trail, making it all the more intriguing for us as hiking enthusiasts. It was truly a great accomplishment and the views were heavenly (pun intended)!

It’s safe to say that by this point in time, our bodies were a bit fatigued. So we drove to Vegas, where we returned our rental car and spent two days and nights taking it easy: hanging out on the strip, gambling in casinos, seeing a Cirque de Soleil show, drinking overpriced margaritas by the pool, and people-watching.

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We covered so much territory on this trip! Native American land, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to explore this region of America, and to have done it with Matt by my side. It was an awesome time “passing the buck” out west. Until the next great road trip… ‘Merica!