Interlude 2 – Bipeds

It seems to us both that we can’t go anywhere in AZ without meeting folks from PA. Jake is from York and while I am kinda from nowhere, my permanent address since October of 2003 has been Millersville. I stopped to encourage two gals having a difficult ascent, and we chatted for about 5 minutes. They were from Juniata College in PA, and said the rest of their group was still below. I did see more of that group as I descended. There were several strings of 2-3 folks and two larger groups. The first large group was 10 kids taking a break in the shade of an outcropping talking loudly about which kind of television set was the best and who could or could not tell the difference. The second group was larger and I could hear them from at least a half mile out talking loudly about degree paths and other programs at their school.

That is what I am saying about the first 1.5. I love tech and degree programs and talk about that stuff often. I have even become heated in discussion and/or debate and raised my decibel levels. I am fine with people enjoying their own passions and interests. However, I don’t come to the GRAND CANYON to hear you talk about this stuff. It gets a lot better below Cedar Ridge.

We met a few hikers climbing out after longer day hikes. (I don’t know why anyone would plan an ascent of South Kaibab, especially a daytime ascent.) Jake and I met up at least once an hour if not more, but we did our descents on our own. This turned out to be unfortunate for one group of travelers. They were ascending and came upon Jake first as I was about a ¼ mile uphill yet. One of them made a joke about buying some water and Jake stopped them and filled up their bottles from one of his gatorades. I saw the same group a bit later and they just said, “Hello Sir” and jumped of the trail to give me room before I could do anything else, so I simply said hello and walked on. If they had said anything, I also had at least 1 liter to spare and would have gladly. It wasn’t upsetting or anything, but their behavior was just kinda weird so I moved on quicker without attempting to engage in the same way I had with other groups.

Next there was a string of about 14 Japanese youngsters, maybe teenagers, maybe twenty-somethings, spread out over 300 yards. I talked with the 4 in the Vanguard for 2 minutes, then saw the string of folks behind them approaching. Lots of hellos as these folks passed. The guy in the rear looked beat and like he was about to shout to his friends but didn’t. I noticed he had stopped in the meager shade of a tiny tree. I told him that where their lead walker was now, just 150 yards or so up the path there was a very wide cool section of trail in full shade. He thanked me and said in about ¼ mile, turn around and I would see a big turtle. I took no chances and stopped every 50-100 feet, but I never saw that turtle. It was still an awesome piece of advice that I bet I would not have been given if I had simply passed him by, even with a friendly wave.

At the privies at the Tipoff, I met a group of three hikers, one of whom seemed to be in bad shape. They were setting up a sparse rest zone in the shade of the privy station and getting that dude resting on a sleeping pad. I checked on them and offered of my gear, but they had plenty of water and food, just needed a break from the sun. As I was leaving I heard them say that they would wait there until around 6 PM before moving on, which sounded like a wise plan.

While Jake and I were resting and hydrating at the spigot by the river in between the two suspension bridges, one hiker approached. We asked if he needed water and he said he was fine and started to move off. Something clicked in my brain and I said, “There is a spigot. We would gladly give you ours, but this is piped in.” And he came back and filled up. I realized it was one of the guys from the Tipoff rest-house group.

We learned that his friend was more tired from lack of sleep the night before than anything sun or hiking related. After a few minutes of chit-chat, turns out that this guy is from State College, PA. Not but a moment from the hunting camp J. Piper and I lived on in Lewistown during the summer of 93. The guy knew the CVS where we worked on the demo/remodeling crew. The guy’s good friend was from York – actually Dallastown, which is of course exactly where Jake is from. And the guy’s friend went to the same high school. He was 10 years younger, but still – there is some kind of weird AZ/PA thing happening.

We met Rosy and her companion at Indian Garden. Rosy was the one suffering from bad dehydration and muscle fatigue. They had 9 total in their group but friend X had stayed behind with Rosy while everyone else went ahead. We were sitting on the benches right at the water spigot, so offering water was no good. We had no Gatorade or other source of electrolytes. We offered her what we did have left, Cliff bars or a 7-layer burrito from the Bell. But it was all a no go. If this had been anywhere else on the trail, if Rosy had been alone instead of with a friend, if Rosy had been with a friend who was also hurting, or who did not know about backcountry hiking, I would have stayed longer – maybe even all night. But, this is Indian Garden on a pleasant night in May. The lowest expected overnight temp at that elevation was 50-60. There is good endless treated water, a privy, 15-30 hikers camped within 50-100 yards, and a manned Ranger Station 200 yards up the trail. I told her she was going to be OK, listen to her friend, drink up – slowly, and that if she needed to stay right there all night, that would be just fine and she would be ok. Then I headed out. Jake stayed a while longer. Another guy came up the moment I left who was some sort of adventure tour guide fella and gave more advice about damp cloths and getting electrolytes and talked more about the Ranger Station and gave firmer advice about “stay here for the night”. Jake felt better about leaving after that and headed up also.

About 1.5 miles from the Bright Angel Trailhead, we stopped and talked with one Rim-to-Rim dude who was just getting started then, about 11 PM. Granted, we just finished talking about Dehydration Girl, but this is what I am saying about the danger levels of the corridor trails at night. You will still not be alone, and in many ways, you are in less danger than during the day (as long as you have a good headlamp!) After dark, you are more likely to meet the runners, marathoners, and rim-to-rim, or rim-to-rim-to-rim crowd, who are less likely to be carrying much in the way of extra supplies, but will help you out and at a minimum be able to send backup to your location. The reason these folks carry so little is that on Bright Angel there is water and a privy roughly every 1.5 miles!

I was still feeling good and rocking well in the last mile. I did have sore muscles, but it was nowhere near the 08 levels of pain. Suddenly, I saw a person about 10 yards ahead of me and stopped to also catch my breath and take in the stars. When they moved on I noted what should have been obvious before, they had no light – which is why I came upon them so suddenly. I started up after them trying to keep my light aimed at their feet and when I got within 10 yards I yelled out, “Is this helping or hurting you?”

The person turned and I saw that it was a man, he looked tired and a little scared, and he had little to no english. He let me catch up and I pantomimed to ask if he needed food or water and he waved those off. He stood aside for me to go ahead. At first I think he thought I just wanted to go on past, but quickly we found a decent enough pace and method for light sharing. I wanted to ask him if we were going too fast or too slow or if he needed to stop and rest, but I think that just everyone being tired and it being some time between 11 and midnight, it came across that we both just wanted to get up out of the Canyon.

Jake had been trailing on the ascent both from getting a later start than I did and from being tired and feeling run down. I waited for him at both of the rest houses and at several other locations, and we did a good job of having almost constant contact with one another via headlamp. I knew that he would be able to figure out what was happening with me and the new guy and he did and kicked it into another gear to first catch us and then keep the guy pinned between us in cones of light.

When we did get to the top I pantomimed again about the food and water and obviously feeling much better now that he was safe, he said, “I have hotel” and he pointed. He thanked us both many times and said, “No power. Electric go out.” So he had been prepared, sorta, just ran out of batteries for his light. And he proved the universal rule: whatever other country you are from – your English is much better than our XXXXXX (your native language).

He started off down this kinda dangerous rocky hill towards the road that I was not super comfortable with when we did it at 11:30 AM, and Jake and I jumped into action and followed him so he would not fall here in the home stretch. Once he made it to the sidewalk, he thanked us again and we went back to our car.

Next Up: Resumption/Fill In/Conclusion – missing details from the Colorado River up the Bright Angel Trail Head.

Go To Part 1

Go To Part 2

Video from the Colorado River

Audio from Indian Garden

Interlude 1 – Critters!

Once we were inside the park and on our way to drop off the car at the Bright Angel Trailhead, we saw a mule by the side of the road eating a tree. A bit further on, we saw what I believe was a mule deer, also eating a tree.

The first 3-4 miles of descent I saw many squirrels and what I am going to call crows. I don’t know much about ornithology, but these were crows or ravens, or maybe blackbirds – but I am sticking with crows. One group of 3-4 crows were having either a game or a battle, but they stayed close knit, often beaks together rising and falling in turning circles. Further down, I saw birds too distant to identify riding thermals and currents off of the cliff faces. I also had a few encounters with either a hawk or a small eagle right above my head doing the same. It came out of no where and was gone too quickly to identify, but I saw the individual “fingers” at the ends of the wings.

Did not see any fish or otters at the river, but we did hear an awesome chorus of frogs all the way up the Bright Angel. At Indian Garden, crickets, frogs and a few other insects were serenading the night sky and cheering us on our way.

Ascending Bright Angel in the dark, I saw two baby scorpions (my people) a few miles apart. There were 8-10 centipedes over the 5 or so miles up from Indian Garden. The biggest was about the diameter of a McD’s straw for milkshakes and 10 inches long. The smallest about the diameter of the cylinder that holds the ink inside a standard plastic Bic pen and 4 inches long.

There were a ton of tiny-to-1 inch beetles and many small spiders. However, at 3 mile rest-house there was a very big spider. It looked like the same or similar species as the little ones, but it was big and freaky. I know it was not a Black Widow because I researched those bad ladies in 08. Of course its body was smallish compared to its “wingspan” – maybe the size of a walnut – but with those long bendy legs it looked as big as a tennis ball. And its eye glowed! I don’t know if it had two, or one, or one tightly knit cluster, but it looked like one glowing eye. I got up and out of there!! I saw one baby snake I could not identify either.

On the drive back home there was serious deer activity. The most dangerous time there were 5-8 holding court in the middle of the road. Jake saw them in time because they hid the double yellow. Until then we had been scanning the sides of the road not looking for a hootenanny in the middle of the road!

Next Up: Part 3 – Interlude 2 – Bipeds!

Go to Part 1 

I am trying something new and just putting in links to open to the public photo albums on Facebook. Less pics in this text, but provides access to all the pictures.

Also, there will be links in the next post to one short video from the Colorado River and a short audio of insects at night at Indian Garden.

I may tighten up and get down with Flicker or something later, but seriously, how many things do i have to figure out how to use and keep track of and update?!?

Mt Humphreys Photo Set

Grand Canyon: 05/21/2012 – South Kaibab to the Colorado River to Bright Angel Trailhead

Grand Canyon: 12/06/2008 – South Kaibab to Tonto Trail West to Indian Garden to Bright Angel Trailhead  Part 1

Grand Canyon: 12/06/2008 – South Kaibab to Tonto Trail West to Indian Garden to Bright Angel Trailhead  Part 2

**Disclaimer** Hiking in general and wilderness adventures in particular can be dangerous endeavors. Know your limits and plan accordingly. If you don’t know your limits, start small and work your way up. Consider joining a hiking club! They are easy to find online or through your local backpacking shop. I should probably say something like this before every hiking entry, but really felt it was unavoidably necessary before this description of our recent Grand Canyon Adventure. We are both fine and had a super time. But – we helped a lot of folks during our trip, met a hiker in the midst of severe dehydration despite it being 9 PM, cool and dark, her having experience and being in a group of experienced hikers (they were on a Rim-to-Rim which is one of the most grueling things one can attempt in the canyon). She was so far gone that she could not eat and was barely able to drink. She had vomited several times before we came across her and her friend, and did again during our stay with them. Luckily, this was not far from a campsite and a Ranger Station – but these two had to borrow sleeping gear and remain in the Canyon for at least an overnight instead of following their plan and hiking out that night. Even ole’ Jake noted signs of minor dehydration near the end of our trip. I say that not to poke at Jake but to highlight the seriousness of the issues involved. Jake has several thousand miles ( I think about 4) of distance hiking under his belt and has hiked in the Canyon near thirty times and has done this exact loop at least 5 times. Plan, take breaks, drink loads of fluids, and eat snacks! **Disclaimer Ends**

Monday, 5/21/2012, Jake and I did a fantastic Grand Canyon Adventure! This is one that Jake has done many times, and that I have been a little afraid of since my first adventure into the Canyon, 12/06/2008. It is far too simplistic to say that the Canyon is beautiful, overwhelming, and difficult to internalize even while standing in its grandeur. That said, even amidst that unfathomable beauty, it is still possible to have a bad time. My first trip to the Canyon, while I am glad I went, it was kind of a bad time.

That 2008 hike was about 13 miles – down South Kaibab to the Tonto Trail West to Indian Garden and back out on Bright Angel Trail. I am very glad that I went, but that hike kicked me every place a fella can be kicked.

Monday’s trip was a bit more grueling – by design. The 2012 hike followed the same route with one exception. Instead of heading West on the Tonto Trail, we descended to the Colorado River, bringing the mileage up to almost 17 miles. In 08, I was in serious pain about 2 miles into the trip and suffered through every single step the rest of the way. On the final climb out of the Canyon on the well graded and relatively smooth Bright Angel Trail, my muscles were so sore that I walked about 20-30 feet at a time and often had to rest for 5 minutes in between periods of forward motion.

But much has changed from 12/08 to 05/12. I have actual trail footwear that fits and that I like! I have hiking poles! I have a “real” daypack with hydration system instead of a computer backpack crammed full of stuff! I am preparing physically and mentally for a much longer hike and have been training. It is May and not December! We planned the recent hike to do the final ascent in the dark on purpose and had all the appropriate clothing for such as opposed to getting stuck in the dark on accident in 08…

We both prepared well before leaving the house this time making only one mistake. Each of us continually forget how terrible warm-hot gatorade is and still make batches at home that won’t be used for 3-5 hours of travel time in the desert heat. We should have remembered to take powder and only mess with gatorade at water re-supply points where it can be consumed cool and lovely! But we did remember everything else.

The drive to the canyon is nice and we zoom right in with no waiting since we both have Annual National Parks passes. These give you free entry and parking to any National Park and free entry and parking to any State Parks from the issuing State (generally your state of residence). [I got this bit wrong. The passes work in many kinds of parks as listed on the link to said passes, but it seems to be only federally funded parks and not State Parks. Anywho, they are still a great deal if you do spend any time in National Parks!] In the case of the Grand Canyon, there is a dedicated lane for pre-paid/pass holders and it is like having EZPass on the highways back East.  – Over 62? $10 for a Lifetime Pass!

I am going to skip the play-by-play level of detail here, but if you are planning a trip to the Canyon, feel free to give me a holler and I can hook you up with more detail.

We started the descent about 12:30 PM. I had about 4 liters of fluid – two of water in my Camelbak and two 32 ounce Gatorades. Jake blew me out on the whole descent, but particularly the first 1.5 miles. From the Rim to Cedar Ridge is probably the most crowded section of the South Kaibab Trail. There are a few lookout points along the way, and while there is no water at any point on the South Kaibab Trail until you hit the Colorado River, many people who want to go below the Rim but do not have the time or the wherewithal for a longer trip  do the 3 mile roundtrip to Cedar Ridge.

Jake and I firmly believe in “Hike your own Hike!” and one would have to try very very hard to get lost on the Grand Canyon Corridor trails. He loves to blast through that first 1.5 down to mellower and sparser crowds of more dedicated hikers. On a day of extremes like this one, I try and hit a pace that I feel comfortable about from two angles. 1) Will this be a good pace for me for today? 2) Will I be able to hike and/or even move tomorrow if I maintain this pace today?

It should be said here, even though it is said everywhere, the South Kaibab Trail is gorgeous. It shows you more of the geological changes as you descend than you can see on Bright Angel, and it offers near constant uninterrupted views into the “main canyon” while other trails often meander through side or box canyons that offer much more limited views.

At every waypoint down to the Tipoff, I smiled and sang songs of joy inside. It was a gorgeous day. I was having an absolute blast. And I was in zero pain. No discomfort of any kind. I felt kinda like Jake. I said hello to everyone. I stopped and talked to anyone who wanted to talk. I gave a few folks advice. I gave others encouragement. I stopped each time an ascending hiker approached to take in the view and give them clear trail (which is not just polite, but the actual canyon trails’ right of way protocol). I had a big smile on inside and out.

From the Tipoff down to the River was a special and exciting time and place for me. I have heard so many stories about the Canyon and the River. I wanted to see it in 08 but could not. And being here now and feeling this way – I was happy. Most of the trail below the Tipoff is nicer than the trail above. You continue to see varied colors and different types of rock and sediment layers. The very final descent is as steep and taxing as any other of the difficult sections of the Kaibab, but you can see the river and the two suspension bridges the whole time. I was still doing fine on water supplies, but knowing that there is not only water, but treated water from a spigot waiting for you between those two bridges makes it much easier to endure.

Next Up: Interlude 1 – Critters!

Jake and I climbed Mt Humphreys yesterday and it was quite an adventure. We had a good time and I learned many useful things.

We left much later than either of us wanted, but in the first of a series of twilight zone moments, it was my fault.

I carried my full pack with about 35 pounds, and I am pleased to say that I handled the weight well on the most strenuous hike I have done with a full pack since at least Crabtree Falls to the Priest shelter.

But, I have no idea what I was thinking, or perhaps, why I was not thinking – I had absolutely nothing useful in my pack aside from water, Cliff bars, and the iPhone. 35 pounds and nothing I needed. I was hiking in a light t-shirt and running shorts and I brought no other clothes. I actually did not even have enough clothing to be warm in the car on the ride back given that we would not finish the hike until well after dark due to the late start. Speaking of hiking after dark – I did not bring my headlamp or any other flashlight.

Mt Humphreys is the tallest mountain in Arizona and one of the big ones in the country at 12,633 ft. The last leg of the hike is fully exposed above treeline and every trail journal mentions the extreme wind. Did I have my wind/rain jacket with me? No.

In an attempt to prepare for the JMT, I brought both my one click digital camera and the iPhone so that I cold compare shots of large vistas and see if it was worth it to bring the actual camera as well as the phone on the longer trail. Pulled out the camera at a nice vista – dead battery. This was really not my day. I don’t do stuff like this.

I absolutely loved about 90% of the hike. From the parking lot to the saddle where the trail splits to different summit trails for the three main San Francisco Peaks – lovely. The summit however was not my favorite. We summited close together and still almost lost the trail 4 times. Once we got around three false summits and were on the final approach the wind was relentless. I did feel like it was possible to get blown off the mountain top. About 25 yards from the summit, in a series of huge sustained gusts, I sat down. While I was catching my breath, I thought – that’s it! I’m going back down and this summit can kiss my grits! But, I knew that I would regret that choice. Not so much for the missing 25 yards, or the missed view (it was awesome, but it was also a very hazy and smokey day) but for the self confidence. Part of choosing this mountain to climb is that it the closest thing we have to what we will face in the Sierras. I wore my pack to gain the inner knowledge and experience to draw on on difficult days that I can do it because I have done it. Letting my fear control me and keep me from the goal was just not something I was willing to do so I stood up and hiked to the summit.

Jake took the lead on the descent and we agreed that if we got a bit separated, we would meet on the saddle at the trail junction. I was tired, frustrated, cursing the wind, and having a little bit of difficulty seeing. My eyes are very sensitive to wind and water easily. All I wanted to do was get back to the saddle and begin the descent on the nice comparatively easy trail we hiked up on, and get back well below treeline before dark.

I don’t have a good way to judge how fast the wind was blowing. But I have never experienced anything like it. Much faster than anything I ever got skiing or sailing. This may be a little gross for some of you but I include it to complete the picture both of how bad the wind was and to add to the picture of the discomfort I was in at this point. Once we got into that extreme wind I had to blow my nose. I was afraid to pull out my handkerchief though as I imagined it would be ripped from my hands. I had already removed my hat and lashed it to my pack to avoid losing it. A few moments after the first impulse to reach for my handkerchief, that became obsolete as the wind was strong enough that it did the job for me. The wind blew my nose continually for the next hour or so.

Another key factor was whatever brain explosion happened to put me in this position. I was the reason we were later than intended. I was the one who somehow neglected to bring any of the gear that would have given me more comfort. A vast amount of my suffering was self inflicted and that made it worse. So that was my general state as I began to descend from the summit towards the saddle. Given all of that I still kept a few of the key elements of wilderness survival in mind – stay calm, think first, don’t make situations worse.

I wanted to sprint down to that saddle, but I forced myself to be very slow and careful. The last thing I needed was to fall. Even a minor injury at that elevation and time of day would have made things much worse. So I went slowly and carefully – and I still lost the trail twice. But each time I did the right things. I did not panic and I looked carefully in all directions. The first time I could not see the trail anywhere. So I climbed towards the peak of the mountain, figuring that since I can’t see the trail it is probably above me, and if not, I may have a better chance of seeing it from above. About 7 feet above me, I hit the trail and moved on.

The next time I lost the trail it took me a bit longer to even realize I was off trail. But once I did I stopped and looked slowly around. I saw a sign I remembered and rejoined the trail. Soon after I met back up with Jake and it turns out what had felt like hours in my mind had only been about 15 minutes. Good Old Jake had a long sleeve base layer for us both and 2 headlamps in his daypack and we adjusted our gear and descended. We made it well into the trees before dark and a had great time just enjoying being out of the wind and talking about all kinds of stuff. Once we got back to the parking lot about 10 PM, we just sat there and looked at the stars. I have never ever seen so many stars. It was beautiful.

I am glad that I have that experience to reflect on in times of need. I am glad that I proved to myself that I can carry 35 pounds (though my JMT pack will likely be 40-45) on a trail that gains 3,500 ft of elevation over 4 miles. I was not really worried about this part, but I was glad that neither Jake nor I showed any signs of altitude sickness or any adverse altitude effects.

And I made two decisions regarding the Grand Canyon river and back trip we have planned for Monday. I will only carry a FULLY STOCKED day pack and not my actual hiking backpack. I doubt we will do a 17 mile day with 10,000 ft of elevation change on the JMT. And we are going to hike in around noon so that we will get to see all those stars in the canyon!! Jake has done this hike many times and often at night. And we hiked out at night together on the same trail a few years back. It isn’t bad.

I hope you all had a good week.

This past month Jake and I have been talking about a summer hike and decided that we are going to do the 211 mile John Muir Trail!

We are both very excited. May is a planning and preparation month and we will begin end of May/beginning of June.

I ordered the best John Muir Trail guidebook in kindle form for me and a paperback for Jake. The definitive map set should arrive Wednesday.

I have read all of the text and most the appendices, and while it will be a fun trip, the planning is somewhat more difficult than East Coast/AT distance hiking. Unlike the AT guidebooks with distances to each shelter and water source in addition to elevations and route finding, the JMT and PCT guides lack that level of detail. Luckily, unlike many sections of the PCT, water is prevalent on the JMT, and there is enough info about locations of pre-existing campsites and water sources to make decent plans, but it does require more study and note-taking than back East.

We decided to walk the traditional North to South route to help us ease into the elevations, for greater ease of shuttling from the end back to the start, and because of the Northern terminus in Yosemite Valley. Jake and I spent two fantastic days in Yosemite back in 2009 and are excited to return.

The first two weeks of April, I was very down and decided not to fight it but to simply take time with my grief and feel the feelings instead of trying to push them down. The past two weeks I have been more active. I restarted my exercise routine with stretches and abdominal work and have done many local hikes. The past week, I loaded my hiking pack to 35 pounds and have started hiking with that to get used to carrying the weight again.

It is difficult to prepare for hiking in the 12,000-14,000 ft elevations we will soon meet, but we do live about 5,500 ft high and have several local hikes that offer 1,000-2,000 ft elevation swings and peaks up to 7,600 ft. This week I intend to continue working locally with my full pack, and next week Jake and I will do a trek to Flagstaff and climb the San Francisco peaks – 12,600 ft up.

Yesterday I did a fairly level and smooth hike, but 10+ miles with a 35 pound pack is still a good day. The tunnel that takes you under a roadway from a parking area to the trail was flooded from a recent rain and I walked through it knowing that soon, I won’t have a choice. My shoes dried out quickly, but with a huge blister starting to form around mile 6, I knew which socks would not be making the trip. I was a little sore today, but I popped that sucker and we did a nice three-mile loop.

I have been using Jake’s trekking poles and quickly decided that I need to get my own. But the poles and a bear canister are the only new pieces of equipment that I need for the journey.

Once we get the maps, and become more familiar with the trail guides, we will get more detailed, but for now we are looking at three weeks. The biggest factor yet to work out is the food resupply. There are lots of options, but we need to tailor them to our trip or vice-versa. Three roughly 70 miles stints between supply stops would be great.

More will be revealed, but for now, I am just excited.

If you are curious, this relatively short blog has an interesting account of a JMT thru-hike.