Why I’m Hiking the Grand Canyon Traverse | Lyla Harrod | Smartwool® US

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Why I’m Hiking the Grand Canyon Traverse | Lyla Harrod | Smartwool® US

Why I’m Hiking the Grand Canyon Traverse | Lyla Harrod | Smartwool® US

VF Corporation • May 18, 2026

Lyla "Sugar" Harrod holds the Women's Self-Supported speed record on the
Appalachian Trail and has thru-hiked over 16,000 miles. This season, she's partnering with Smartwool® to hike the 600-mile off-trail traverse of the Grand Canyon. This is her story.

A Place Larger Than Life

There are a few places on Earth that feel larger than life. Places that remind us that if all of earth's history was condensed into a day, humans have only been around for the last 77 seconds. The Grand Canyon is one of those places. The Canyon encompasses an entire universe in and of itself, one with secrets rarely experienced by humans.

What Is the Grand Canyon Traverse?

This season, I'm preparing for a Grand Canyon Traverse, which means I'll attempt to navigate from east to west across the entire length of the Canyon below the rim for roughly 600 miles. A vast majority of the travel is off-trail navigating sheer cliffs, steep shale fields and ancient lava flows and involves at least 400,000 feet of vertical gain. It's the kind of project that requires strength, patience, humility, adaptability, and a willingness to keep moving when the path is unclear. In other words, it feels like home to me.

What Is Thru-Hiking?

Long-distance hiking, or "thru-hiking", has shaped the way I move through the world. I've thru-hiked over 16,000 miles and currently hold the Women's Self-Supported speed record on the Appalachian Trail. I'm also the founder of Trail QTs, a mentoring program for first-time queer and trans thru-hikers. I've found deep healing, identity, and purpose in wild places. Thru-hiking has given me perspective, community, and a way to understand myself.

For many of us, especially queer and trans people, belonging can be complicated. Sometimes it's something we have to build ourselves, piece by piece. I've found it in my family and chosen family. I also find it in nature, walking through forests, deserts, mountains, and canyons until the noise quiets down enough to hear myself clearly.

There's something powerful about carrying what you need on your back and trusting yourself to keep going and keep a clear head when things get hard. That mindset is part of why the Grand Canyon Traverse calls to me.

Traversing the Grand Canyon: What It Really Takes

Most people experience the canyon from the rim, looking out over its scale, colors, and vastness. But traversing it is something entirely different. It means entering the layers.

It means moving through heat, water scarcity, exposed terrain, steep routes, and deep geological time. It means respecting a landscape that doesn't care about ego. A traverse is not about conquering the canyon. It's about listening to it.

The Hayduke Trail and the Routes That Prepared Me

I've spent meaningful time in the Grand Canyon before, while hiking the Hayduke Route, where the canyon demanded route-finding, patience, and constant awareness. I've also drawn on lessons from my own 3,000-mile Divide to Crest Route, a route I created that connected vast stretches of wild country across the American West.

Projects like those taught me how to problem solve when conditions change, how to stay calm when plans unravel, and how to keep making steady decisions over long periods of effort.

Those experiences matter because a Grand Canyon Traverse is as much a technical challenge as it is a physical one. Success depends on route-finding through complex side canyons, reading terrain, identifying safe lines through loose rock and steep slopes, and managing long stretches between reliable water sources. In remote terrain, small mistakes can become big problems.

Traversing the Grand Canyon: What It Really Takes

Most people experience the canyon from the rim, looking out over its scale, colors, and vastness. But traversing it is something entirely different. It means entering the layers.

The Hayduke Trail and the Routes That Prepared Me

Projects like those taught me how to problem solve when conditions change, how to stay calm when plans unravel, and how to keep making steady decisions over long periods of effort.

Grand Canyon Hiking: Why Dependable Gear Isn't Optional

So why partner with Smartwool for this project? Anyone who has spent time outside in challenging conditions knows temperature regulation, moisture management, durability, and comfort can make or break a hike. In a place like the Grand Canyon, where conditions can vary wildly and the margin for error is slim to none, dependable layers aren't a luxury, they're essential. Smartwool earned its reputation by making wool apparel that performs when it counts.

But what made this partnership meaningful to me goes beyond fabric. Smartwool shows meaningful support for the LGBTQ+ community, including organizations such as The Venture Out Project, which offers wilderness and outdoor trips for LGBTQ+ people.

Why Representation in the Outdoors Matters

Representation and support in the outdoors is more important now than ever. Too many people have been made to feel like adventure belongs to someone else. The truth is that the outdoors belongs to all of us. When brands help make that clear, not just in words but through action, it creates more room for people to show up fully as themselves.

As a trans woman and queer hiker, I don't take that lightly. I know firsthand how powerful it can be to see yourself reflected in outdoor spaces, campaigns, and communities. It can be the difference between feeling like an outsider and feeling invited in. I'm proud to work with a brand that recognizes that inclusion strengthens our whole community.

Whatever Your Canyon Is, the Way Through Is the Same

My hope is that sharing this project gives people a glimpse into what's possible when we trust ourselves enough to try something hard, or even scary. You don't need to be crossing the Grand Canyon for that lesson to apply. Maybe your canyon is recovery. Maybe it's coming out. Maybe it's starting over. Maybe it's believing you deserve a bigger life than the one fear has offered you. Whatever it is, the way through is often the same: prepare well, stay humble, ask for help, keep moving. That's what I'll be carrying into the canyon.

I'm grateful to Smartwool for supporting this effort, and I'm excited to bring you along for the journey: the training, the logistics, the highs and lows, and the wild beauty of attempting something that feels both intimidating and deeply worth doing.

The Grand Canyon has a way of making people feel small in the best possible sense. It reminds us that we are part of something larger, older, and more enduring than ourselves. And sometimes, that's exactly what we need.

See you out there.

Follow along with my journey on Instagram and feel free to reach out with any questions!and feel free to reach out with any questions!

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