Ep 017. Royal Arch Loop Day 1 (Trail Series). Not So Easy Downhill + Sleeping in Frog Canyon

Welcome to the first episode of my Royal Arch Loop Trail Series! If you listened to last week’s episode, you got the full recap of our Grand Canyon adventure one year later. But now, it’s time to go back in time and experience it as it happened—raw, real, and straight from the trail.

In this episode, Meg Atteberry and I are recording from Day 1 of our Royal Arch Loop adventure. And let me tell you, this day was no joke.

We tackled endless boulder fields, climbed our way through tricky downclimbs, and were punished by the desert sun. Oh, and I sat on a cactus within the first mile. 🙃

We’re sharing it all—the highs, the lows, and the unexpected (including an aggressively loud frog orchestra at camp).

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why Day 1 of the Royal Arch Loop was brutally long (and why we kept saying “just two more miles” for hours)
• The surprising technical challenges we faced early on
• Meg’s “desert mode” vs. my Colorado winter legs struggle 😂
• My tragic encounter with a cactus (and Meg coming to the rescue)
• The moment of awe that made the day worth it
• A sneak peek at what’s coming on Day 2

This is the real behind-the-scenes of an epic desert backpacking trip. You’re going to feel right there with us on the trail, sweaty, exhausted, and laughing at the chaos.

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Meg Atteberry on Instagram and TikTok @megintheforest
• Trail Guide Of the Royal Arch Loop

Where to learn more about Allison:

• She Dreams of Alpine Blog
• Instagram @shedreamsofalpine

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