Hikers experience epic adventure, make enormous impact

Submitted by Tracie Pretak, former Board Member & Co-Chair

Maybe it was a mid-life crisis moment. Maybe I needed a new goal to achieve. Maybe it was the enthusiasm that past hikers shared in their stories that inspired me. Whatever the reason, when I listened to a group of dads speaking at the 2024 National Conference about their experiences hiking the Grand Canyon, I literally became obsessed with doing it myself.

But when you take on a challenge of this magnitude – I mean seriously, this isn’t just any hike, it’s the Grand Canyon! – you are going to have moments of doubt. I returned home and started taking long hikes just to convince myself that this grandma could handle the long mileage.

I also began recruiting other hikers because I know that going through any challenge with someone who truly “gets it” makes the effort easier. Everyone needs a friend like Lyndsey . She’s the kind who just says, “Sign me up!” Knowing I had her by my side pushed me through the rough times during training and the hike.

When I saw the canyon for the first time, I was in awe. My excitement turned into a massive adrenaline rush that made sleep nearly impossible. After being awake for 22 hours (due to travel and the time change), I only slept for one hour. Our hike began at 5 am. We were blessed with a beautiful sunrise. We took our time and took in the world around us. When we reached the bottom, we were rewarded with a cool swim in the green water of the Colorado River.

I ended up hiking with two of our affected members on the uphill climb. A partial trail closure forced us to take a connecting trail across a plateau in the direct sun. It was supposed to be 5 miles, but it had an unexpected detour making it a couple miles longer. The temperature in the canyon was nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  I was so impressed with our guides and the things they did to keep all of us safe – holding umbrellas over our affected hikers to give them a little shade, carrying extra liters of water to squirt down hikers who were getting hot, monitoring our heart rates and stopping to rest when needed, sprinting to rescue our lead group of hikers from an aggressive 6-foot rattlesnake, and saving the life of a hiker we met on the trail who tried this hike unprepared and was experiencing serious heat illness. The humanity and compassion I witnessed in all of us was heartwarming and good for my soul. Overcoming obstacles and working together has bonded us for life through our shared experiences on the trail.

We were still climbing at nightfall. When we reached the last rest house, we took a long break. We saw what few people will ever see – the canyon lit up by a full moon.  It was so beautiful and the perfect ending to an epic day!

Denise  hiked down to meet us and walk with us for the final steps of the journey. Having done this hike herself, she knew the encouragement that was needed at the end. On the ride back to camp, she asked all of us to give a word to describe the day – resilient, perseverance, amazing, accomplished, teamwork, adapting, awe-inspiring, together, and delightful. It was all of that and more.

I am so proud of our team of hikers and what we accomplished together. We didn’t just complete a huge challenge, we also raised a bunch of awareness and nearly $45,000 for FIRST!  

There is so much power in community and believing in yourself. I proved that I can do anything and that has given me freedom in ways I never thought were possible. I will do this hike again! And Lyndsey? As always, she said, “Sign me up!”

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