Wieke De Boer is an experienced ultrarunner and backpacker, with a lifelong connection to the Grand Canyon - she's also a mother, a teacher, and my friend; the one who introduced me to running in the canyon and still the only person I've ever done the double crossing with.

On August 28th, she set out for two nights in the canyon, completing a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim trip in a familiar place as her first ever solo backpacking trip. On August 29th as she traversed the majority of the R3 route from Bright Angel Campground to the North Rim, and back, she was caught in multiple storms that led to a massive flash flood through Bright Angel Creek - ultimately devastating the area and taking two lives.

Her story is nothing short of incredible - in the way she made observations and made decisions, alone in the backcountry, that ultimately saved her life. This is her telling of her history with the sport, the Grand Canyon, and the experiences of that day.

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