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Doin' The Grand Canyon...
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Quattro
Amigos
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One of the primary challenges to hiking the Grand Canyon is managing water. There are lots of scary signs posted all around the canyon rim warning of the dangers of running out of water and how much water one should plan on carrying. At eight pounds per gallon, everyone thinks twice about loading up on this simple fluid... takes away from the essentials... like cameras, GPS's, cell phones, Margarita mix, binoculars, and smoked oysters. However, the first time one makes a trip into the Grand Canyon, it become very clear why those signs are there. It's pretty thrilling to be running out of water, miles down the trail, going toward an unproven water source. You can't go back... too far and too exhausting... and there may only be a dry hole ahead. Kind of works on your mind a bit. The fix for some of this anxiety is to overload on water on the way down and stash jugs of the stuff at regular safety intervals.
Bottom line, this hike is a definite 10, in my book. It would be difficult to top the combination of scenery, variety of sensory experience, or opportunity for adventure afforded in the Grand Canyon. Though it's a nine hour drive from home base in San Diego, it is an easy drive, with the exception of having to go through LA's smog basin. We'll definitely go back. So grab a cup of coffee, relax, join us on our Canyon adventure and read on...
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Our agenda was timed for a three-night, four-day run. The hike ranges from easy to very strenuous, and in spots, borders on downright scary. Much of the 'interesting stuff took us completely off-trail, requiring a certain amount of adventuresome spirit, aerobic capacity, and numbness in the cranium to negotiate successfully.
Each day had a different theme and set of challenges. Day one's focus was spelunking on Horseshoe mesa. The exploration was split between man made caves (mines) and the real thing... very cool. Day two concentrated on free-climbing the Redwall to the top of an unnamed mesa. The adrenaline level and fright factor increased nicely over day one, preparing the crew for day three... heh, heh, heh, "bubble bubble bubble, toil and trouble"...
During the activities of each of the first two days I worked diligently to keep the spirits of the team up for fear of general mutiny. The technique was simple, just offer soothing comments such as, "We're almost there." "It's just around the corner." "The pain will go away if you don't think about it." "Don't jump, the rest of us would just have to pack out the body." "No, there isn't any morphine in the emergency medical kit." "Tomorrows plan couldn't be worse than today's, rrriiigghhtt." Once you get the hang of it, making up these little calming throwaway statements just to keep order becomes second nature.
Day three... and you knew this was coming...was the roughest of all. The centerpiece to day three was a rock scramble over sharp, unstable formations, descending 1,200 ft. Then return via an unknown route, strap on the packs when and if we make it out, and push upward another 1,200 ft on a treacherous trail... in the dark! Needless to say, the tour guide was not real popular with the rest of the team... an occupational hazard.
The reader is invited to follow the detailed travelogue for each day by clicking on the navigation buttons located on the upper left corner of this page. Enjoy... we did... no really! This hike is truly a 10. You won't find many anywhere in the world any better.
The rigors of the Canyon dictate that the team should be small. The weather is changeable, the trails are strenuous, and water is scarce. The last trip into Yosemite would have impressed even Genghis Kahn. There were 14 souls of wide ranging aerobic capacity and experience. The consequences of problems in Yosemite are not as serious as in the Canyon, so we decided that a maximum of four would make the Canyon run. Only one (me) had been into the lower reaches before... and therefore was responsible for planning. Big mistake, guys... the others would find this out soon enough.
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Marathon man, software manager, and programmer extraodinaire, Hal Lonas was our designated emergency runner in case any of the rest of us got into trouble. There are no cells covering the Grand Canyon so phoning it in won't work. Therefore, it is only prudent to conscript a member who actually thinks it's 'fun' to run 26+ miles. "Ok, Hal... could you run up to the rim and bring back a couple of pizzas? The rest of us don't feel like cooking tonight." |
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Seems this was destined to be an all-Ohio hiking team. Paul is no exception. Though he is the only team member still living in Ohio. Paul calls Canton, Ohio home. A Psychologist by trade, no doubt Paul found fertile ground for new studies regarding the mental state of transplanted West Coast types. We can hardly wait for the movie version. I thought I was going to gain sympathy for my slow pace by blaming the age factor. Unfortunately for me, Paul is my age AND and aerobic gorilla. |
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Originally, we thought it would be helpful to have a mechanical engineer along to help analyze the mechanics of each planned 'challenge', so we invited my older brother Marshall (pretty well preserved, wouldn't you say?). Actually, it turned out to be a bad idea. It's better not to know when you're free-climbing a rock face that what you are about to do breaks some law of physics. Anyway, we were stuck having to listen to drivel like, "Don't let your CG tilt 2deg's left or you'll do a swan dive to the bottom of the GC." ...Very comforting. |
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Hike planner and one who should have known better than to take on this itinerary without a net, I resigned myself to bringing up the rear... well somebody has to do it. My first act was to check everyone for guns and knives... in case things went bad, I preferred not to become a victim of trail rage -- a socialization deficiency similar to that practiced on the freeways of LA. The hardest part of leading such an adventure was keeping a straight face when explaining what fun we were going to have next. And how the last little debacle was all a fantastic mistake... just one in a million probability. |
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"Hey Janet Reno, try this site with Netscape then ask Bill why it doesn't work
right." |
| Most of the pictures have words with them. Scroll around to get the play by
play. |
| Click on the animated maps to enlarge them. After marveling at the spiffy display
and wondering if the Webmaster also has a real job, you will find several hot spots, which
lead to pictures taken at particular locations on the map... Sort of an orientation for
the cyber traveler in preparation for the linear travelogue which unfolds with each
successive click on the thumbnail pictures. |
| Most pages contain large files and take a while to load. Wait until that little
twirlie thingy on your browser stops spinning or you'll miss some of the cool stuff the
Webmaster worked so hard to build. Those with slow (=dialup) connections... go for
coffee... the wait will be worth what you paid... |
| All of the pictures on this site are high quality. They were scanned by Kodak
directly from the original film negatives and they accurately reflect the difficult
lighting conditions in the canyon. It is recommend that you darken the room for
viewing or you'll be disappointed. None of the numerous space aliens are visible if
the ambient room light is too bright. |
| All complaints about this site are meticulously filed next to your name. Then at Christmas, all you whiners receive a festive lump of coal signifying the Webmaster's deep appreciation for pointing out his mistakes. If you are still game... send your comments to the Webmaster c/o dial-a-prayer. |
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