Pennsylvania Grand Canyon (Friday Five Edition)

So you might see a similar post on Meranda's blog, but I wanted to talk about our fun little adventure up to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.  Meranda wanted to check it out as there was supposed to be a race there but there was no information about it online as they cancelled it this year (we are hoping just this year and not forever).  But I'm always up for a road trip so I told her I would check it out with her.  Here are 5 things that happened.

1. We got lost.  Well we really didn't get lost, it's just that most mapping systems didn't even know where the PA Grand Canyon is.  Google did, but apparently it considers several State Parks part of the whole same system and it sent is to the wrong one.  So we went probably 30 minutes out of our way and had to cross this scary bridge as well.  But we talked to some really nice bikers who were doing a whole weekend ride through the rail trail in that area.  I kinda wanted to join them.

2. We had a second day of cooperating weather.  While it was dreary out, it really didn't start raining till we left the park.  The temperatures were cool where we had to put on a jacket and were happy that we were wearing jeans.  Then while we were hiking we got hot and had to strip our jackets and at that point I was kinda hating my jeans.

3. It was beautiful!!  These pictures really do not do it justice.  With the overcast skies most of the pictures came out kinda dark.

4. When they say the trails were steep, they were not kidding.  We went on the shorter path first and it looped around back to the top.  It was short and kinda steep.  The second trail we went on was a bit longer and a lot steeper.  As we started the second trail, we saw kids coming up.  Everyone was huffing and puffing, but we said we were marathoners, this would be no big deal.  Well it kinda was a big deal.

The downhill to me was the hardest.  While it wasn't raining, the trail was still wet and had leaves all over it.  I was terrified that I was going to slip and fall.  Also, my knee really was hurting on the way down.  It doesn't like hills.  So we made it down to the waterfall and decided the rest wasn't worth going down as others coming up said it just leads down to the rail trail and river.  The waterfall was really pretty.  Not as large as I thought it would be, but worth the trek down.

We hung out and took pictures.

The walk up wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  While we huffed and puffed all the way up and had to stop a couple times to catch our breath, I felt safer going up.  And my knee completely stopped hurting.  Though my calfs were feeling it by the end.  Meranda's Garmin said that between the two hikes the elevation was 799 feet.

Oh I have to add that there was this guy that ran down and back up twice while we were hiking.  We thought he was insane as not only was it dangerous for him, but there were actually a good handful of people on the trail who had to make sure they moved out of the way of him on some very narrow paths.


5.  We should have asked before we started hiking where the race actually takes place.  It turns out that it takes place on the other side of the rim.  After seeing the park, I really wasn't sure how there was another side of the rim.  By the time we were done, I really was tired and ready for dinner and voted that we don't check out the other side.  I probably should have just sucked it up as now I'm very curious about it.  Might have to do another road trip just to check that out.

Have you ever been to the PA Grand Canyon?  What's your favorite part of hiking? 

Linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia