Trip Report: Grand Canyon Self Support Kayak in 7 Days

February 19, 2024 by John Nestler in Kayaking, Trip Report, Whitewater Kayak

My last two trips down the Canyon were 20+ day self support solo kayak trips and I was ready to share the experience with someone else. The only catch was I only had 8 days off of work, so it'd have to be a quick trip. And in the spirit of adventure it made sense to go all the way to Pearce. It wasn't an easy sell - paddle 40 miles per day, for 7 days, in the middle of winter, but a good friend from college agreed to come along and I was stoked for the adventure.

Trip Report: Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim (R2R2R) Trail Run

November 10, 2022 by John Nestler in Photography, Trip Report, Running

The r2r2r has been on my radar for a while now since it's such a classic route, but I never lived closed enough to make it a weekend trip. I briefly contemplated trying it in June when I moved out to Utah but the weather window wasn't quite right (and my legs were shot from the White Rim). I threw out the idea to some friends though and settled on the 1st weekend in November to give it a go, and it really worked out beautifully.

Ultimately just James and I made it down to the Grand Canyon for the run and the area had just received its first snow of the season a few days prior. Temps were looking to be in the low 20's at night rising to 60's down at Phantom Ranch which made planning and stowing layers a bit tricky. My greatest stressor? Whether to start out in shorts or wear light pants overtop.

Grand Canyon Solo Kayak Trip Report & Photographs

July 23, 2022 by John Nestler in Videos, Trip Report, Kayaking, Camping, Photography

I'm fortunate enough to have been down the Grand 1.5 times previously. Once on a commercial trip from Phantom to Diamond and another full trip as a solo kayaker back in 2014. Both those experiences were magical and I've been scheming a way to return for years now. The schedule in graduate school isn't conducive to taking a month off on a whim, but I caught a lucky break during my 4th year of medical school.

All year I'd set aside January as a planned vacation month. I didn't get a permit in the main lottery and was also denied in the follow up lottery. I was crushed as I knew this would likely be my only totally free month until after 5-6 years of residency. The day after receiving the lottery info I got a call from an unknown Flagstaff number. Thankfully I answered as it was a river ranger saying I was next on the list for a late January launch - I was ecstatic!

Biking the White Rim Trail in One Day: Trip Report

June 18, 2022 by John Nestler in Bikepacking, Trip Report, Photography

The White Rim has been on my radar as an iconic loop for quite a while now, and it was one of the first big adventures on my list to do after moving to Utah. Unfortunately I moved at the beginning of summer and temperatures were pretty toasty in the Moab area. Luckily I saw a one-day weather window of lows in the 60's and a high of 80 so I decided to go for it.

I started before sunrise at the bottom of the Mineral Bottom switchbacks in order to beat the heat on the strenuous climb up towards State Route 313. The switchbacks are definitely pretty steep and gnarly to drive down but the Prius made it down without issue as the road was in pretty good condition at the time. I started at 3:30 AM, and the climb up the switchbacks actually flew by in just 30 minutes. From there I hit SR 313 in time for a beautiful sunrise and then began the fun of descending the Schafer switchbacks while continually being in awe of the landscape around me.