Reply #94: Yeah. Hardest thing I've ever done in my life was hike to the bottom and back out in one day.

[jobycom]

Also one of my favorite things I've ever done.

For good reason, they recommend you not do that, but I got into shape for two months before I got there, bought a water pump just for the hike, and dove in. Well, not dove. Hiked. I got to the bottom thinking "Wow, that was easy. They really overestimate the difficulty."

Climbing back up--seven miles of basically stair climbing--was excruciating! I stopped constantly. I took a nap next to the trail once. The final half mile or so I stopped every hundred yards or so to rest.

The next day I couldn't stand up. My legs were solid knots, and I had to hide from everyone how much pain I was in. It was worse since I was driving. We were leaving that day, and I stopped at the first gift shop I saw and told them I had heard it was a cool gift shop. I hadn't, I just wanted to buy aspirin without anyone knowing it. :) Funny thing, though--the gift shop was cool. It was an old stone building with a lookout tower, and after limping into the building I for some reason decided to climb the two or three stories to the top. You would think that would hurt, but it was the smartest thing I did the whole trip. The stairs loosened my muscles, and I started feeling better right away.

I still bought a little tin of aspirin and took the whole thing at once. :) That helped, too.

Anyway, great experience. I saw longhorned sheep, snakes, lizards, deer, eagles, maybe a condor, and all kinds of animals. I saw some of the most interesting landscapes I have ever seen. Just--don't try it. Just don't. :)