Continuing downhill below the 1.5 mile rest stop, I caught up with a woman who was carrying a full pack with camping gear. Usually I just say hi, but she was so friendly that I asked if she had been to the Havasupai Gardens (formerly Indian Gardens) campground before. She smiled and said that she has done 70-80 backpacking trips at the Grand Canyon. (That sound is my head exploding). She looked to be around 70, but was clearly super fit. We talked for over 20 minutes. Here's what I learned, pretty much in reverse order from my summary.
Her name is Jane. She lives in Albuquerque, NM, which she said is an excellent city for hikers due to the nearby Sandia mountains. But it does have violent crime and a lot of homelessness. She has a degree in English, but during the 80's she was a professional cyclist! She also worked as a programmer for The Phone Company. After some years she wanted a change, and her husband suggested that she might find law school interesting. First she took a 6 month break which she mostly spent backpacking; then she got a law degree from U of New Mexico. Initially she worked for a firm where she primarily handled civil rights cases, but eventually she left to start her own practice. And finally she worked for the New Mexico Disciplinary Board, which investigates lawyers. She really liked this work, but one day she just decided it was time to retire. Now she does a ton of hiking, including taking newbies on backpacking trips. She suggested that I try backpacking on the Hermit's trail at the Grand Canyon. I have hiked the upper part of this trail, but further down you need water filters since there is no potable water. She also mentioned several New Mexico hiking areas I would enjoy.
Oh, and she said that her husband was staying on the rim, because he's 82.
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