Phantom Ranch, September 13th
At the moment the Cafe here is mostly empty...a few Rim to Rim hikers, some river runners, but mostly folks who have stayed overnight at the Ranch. The cafe has a variety of snacks, drinks, first aid supplies, and an assortment of postcards which you can send out with the Mule Train to be mailed. The menu is not as thorough as I'd hoped: $9.59 for a sack lunch, $17.47 for breakfast, $21.07 for Stew, and $31.24 for a Steak. Apparently they like to make change, or just confuse the Europeans with those odd ball prices... Anyway,
time for a snack, a foot soak, and then maybe a nap. Continued... , September 13th I spent the rest of the day until about 3 pm relaxing and talking with some folks at Phantom Ranch and reading excerpts from the "Book of Country Music Wisdom." As you might imagine it was a short read, but I did copy a few worthwhile quotes down and plan to sprinkle them throughout the journey in he coming days. The highlight of my social afternoon was meeting and talking with a fellow named Mark from Colorado. He is a classic Grand Canyon hiker as he has been hiking in the Canyon for ~30 years and was quite knowledgeable about routes, trails, views, and general canyon trivia. We spent a few hours going over his past, current, and future hikes and also discussed the sections of trail that I had hiked and the upcoming stretch to Nankoweap. Eventually the conversation turned to gear and he was pretty excited about some of the lightweight alternatives to traditional gear...namely the alcohol stove. Anyway, we exchanged final goodbyes and he headed off to Indian Gardens for the night and his trip along the western Tonto Trail. Sometimes you just know when you see someone that you are going to get along and the conversation is going to be easy, relaxed, and natural --- despite age difference, gender, or ethnicity. Mark definitely had that vibe about him, and I was happy that my impression was correct. After Mark left I got to talking with some friendly Canadians (don't all Canadians seem friendly...?) and they were quite pleasant as well. At 3 pm I filled up with water, soaked my shirt and hat and hit the trail --- South Kaibab over the Black Bridge to the East Tonto Trail. I had been on this route in '99 over New Years as a preliminary shake-down hike for my PCT hike that spring. Leaving in the late afternoon worked well as much of the climb up from the river was shaded. As the sun sank, I was able to match my pace to the advancing shadow and therefore stayed out of the sun most of the afternoon and evening.
Now for some country music wisdom from Loretta Lynn, whom I believe has made a recent comeback with her hit song, "The VanLear Rose" thus proving her own quote correct: "You've got to continue to grow, or you are just like last nights corn bread --- stale and old." Brian Contouring through the Canyon, September 14th I broke camp at ~6 am intending to do about 9 miles before the sun started to heat things up.
Around 4 pm I pushed off again to make camp ~6.5 miles further along the Tonto Trail in Cottonwood Wash -- a nice slice of green on the side of Horseshoe Mesa. A few bats are circling about, and the near full moon has just risen above the cliffs. I have yet to mention the incredible silence that exists here. One of the great things about spending time in uninhabited landscapes is the abundance of silence and complete absence of trivial noise. Every noise out here has some purpose behind it. Nothing makes noise just for the sake of having something to do or for entertainment. I find it interesting that a person might find the total lack of trivial noise to be oppressive and uncomfortable, instead of soothing and liberating as I do. As my folks and friends have informed me, some storms have tracked to the east of my route. Not surprisingly, the Colorado River is runnin' red as a result. As unnatural as it might be, I was hoping it would remain dam-released blue green during my remaining time in the canyon as it is pretty much my only reliable water source in the coming days. I guess we'll see how it turns out. Country Music Wisdom for the evening: "Do what needs doin'." Brian Cardenas Camp, September 15th I left my camp and immediately climbed up and over Horseshoe Mesa, before beginning the standard Grand Canyon Contour along the Tonto Trail. Eventually I dropped to Hance Rapids at Red Canyon and watched a few rafts go through. I guess Hance is one of the more thought-provoking obstacles along the rivers course. After a short break, I pushed on along the Escalante Route until 75 mile Canyon, where I propped the feet up and rested for a few hours during the heat of the day. The Escalante Route is a nice route. Well-cairned, and a number of obstacles a hiker has to negotiate...steep scrambles, a few downclimbs, and a bushwack or two thrown in for good measure. After pushing off again I climbed up 75 mile canyon briefly before contouring around and down to Escalante Creek. The hike through Escalante was pretty tough...loose and steep, but I was treated to the circling's of a soaring condor during my ascent...a real treat to finally see one of those big fellas.
Garcia Lopez de Cardenas (liberally sprinkled with accents) was the first white person to lay eyes on the Colorado River back in 15-something-or-other (1540?). He sent some men down to check out a route to the river. When they returned, they were caught in the fix of not being able to describe what they experienced and saw, for they had no basis of comparison. My experience at Cardenas Camp has been similar.
Staggering along, racing the setting sun I followed the trail
down off a ridge towards the River. Weaving in and out of the
willows and tamarisk I suddenly popped out of the brush directly
into a person's camp. I apologized and turned to go, but before
I could do so, I was invited to meet the rest of the `campers'.
I ended up sharing a dutch oven dinner with 14 river runners.
A most pleasant surprise to be sitting in the sand enjoying succulent
chicken, tasty potatoes, and a crisp salad. Unbelievable. After
dinner, as the moon rose over Cardenas Butte, it was an evening
of poetry, selected readings, and a few guitar songs. Good food,
great company, great canyon. Absolute perfection. Like Cardenas's
men, I am speechless in being able to describe my thanks for
every bodies hospitality and warmth. I am always so impressed
with people's openness in which they embrace fellow backcountry
travelers. Whether by river or by trail, we all! Overall a physical day, but one that has ended on an energized note. Country music quote of the day: "I ain't worried about dying. I'm worried
about living." Brian Sixty Mile Rapid, September 16th I left camp a little later than normal. It was a rough night of little sleep as the mice in camp were very active. I also had a hard time resisting a fresh cup of orange juice. Eventually though we all wished one another goodbye and I headed off again on the Escalante Route in hopes of getting close to the Little Colorado River by the end of the day. Because the main Colorado is running with a high silt load at the moment, I was keeping my eye out for any clear water to filter. I eventually found a pool near Lava Rapid and despite the early hour, I stopped to drink my fill. With only ~6.5 miles to the Little Colorado I was in no real hurry to do much of anything with my morning, so I lounged away the cool hours of the day. At some point I motivated myself to hit the trail and headed out into the heat of the day with a bloated belly of water and the hopes of finding a decent camp. At the Tanner Trail I left the Escalante Route
and continued on to the Beamer Trail, which I had heard is a
narrow, winding affair with a good deal of exposure as it contours
above the Colorado River. Around 3 pm I dropped down onto the shores of the Little Colorado River. I was delighted to discover that once I passed the confluence upstream, the main Colorado River was flowing a refreshing blue-green. It was amazing to see the Little Colorado running at ~250 cfs, merging with a river that is running at ~9000 cfs, yet completely influencing the appearance and silt load of its larger brethren.
After crossing, and working my way along the shore to the confluence, I immediately stripped down and dove into the clear waters of the main Colorado. It was cool, but so incredibly refreshing during the heat of the day. Wading about, I was totally engrossed watching where these two bodies of water met...the silt seeming to explode in underwater plumes as clean met dirty. I watched transfixed for some time, before soaking my clothes, redressing and working my way upstream along the right bank of the river. At this point, the potential Hayduke Hiker is in the hands of a gracious river runner to provide escort across the river...a ferry to the opposing bank to continue upstream in easier terrain. I was not in the mood to sit and wait so figured I'd work my way from beach to beach along the shore. Worse case I'd make a few more miles for the day and just hitch a ride in the morning and have a nice beach to camp at for myself in the evening. River traffic had been noticeably slower, as I any saw one group of boaters at Lava Rapids during my water break, so I figured that there would be a flurry of boats towards the late afternoon. By the time I reached the third beach, I spotted a raft party heading down canyon. I sprinted to the river side of the beach, gave some cryptic hand signals about my intentions, and was immediately picked up, and deposited cliff side on the opposite side of the river. Despite being dropped in a tricky spot, the whole process was amazing quick and exactly what I'd hoped for. River people are good folk.
Coincidentally it was `Steak Night' which I had no trouble with accepting either. Along with the steak was a crisp green salad, mashed potatoes (which I got to mash), and dutch oven carrot cake in celebration of one of the client's birthdays for dessert. Another unbelievable evening of great company, great food, and good spirits. As I said before, these River People are good folk. The only bad thing about all this hospitality is that my pack is not getting any lighter for the climb out of the canyon! I really enjoyed talking with the 5 guides (Jerry, Jan, Jess, John, and Billy) as well as the clients throughout the evening. Jerry in particular was quite knowledgeable about the canyon and the Colorado Plateau. He recommended an alternate route to Nankoweap Canyon (which the ranger at the North Rim had also mentioned) and showed me the route on the map. Something to consider this evening for sure. Slowly the evening died down as the moon rose and cast a pale light on the Malgosa Crest upriver, continuing the ongoing play of light and shadow that seems to happen at any hour in the Grand Canyon. Country music quote of the day, from The Man in Black: "I don't have unattainable goals. I just
want to be a better person. I found out the better I am, the
happier I am." Brian Cross Country in the Canyon, September 17th I awoke slowly this morning after a hard sleep, the rhythmic slapping of the water on the boats coaxing me to dream time, despite the moons attempts at keeping the lights on. With only ~14 miles on the schedule for the day, I was in no real rush --- plus I was told eggs and hash browns were on the breakfast menu. Shortly I rose, and wandered over to the kitchen to help Jan with the breakfast prep. It was a relaxing morning filled with more food, fun, and frolic. The clients slowly emerged from their tents as the morning calls of "Coffee!" and "Breakfast!" were made. I probably pushed off around 9 am as the AZRA rafts were readied to leave shore for another day on the river shooting rapids, hiking canyons, and undoubtedly laughter. It was fun to experience the dynamics of a river trip and its organization. I was really surprised at how the entire group worked so well together after only a few days on the river getting to know one another. Maybe Jan said it best, "...once you tell them they have to pee in the river and poop in a box for the next 14 days, barriers fall pretty fast." Anyway, it was a pleasure to spend an evening and morning with the guides and clients alike, and measuring the grins on folks faces, it seems AZRA runs a top-rate service. I've had a little interest in floating the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon at some point, but after experiencing the canyon while hiking, I think that added river perspective would be interesting. So I headed off, climbing up and over a number of sandy dunes, boulder hopping along the river bank, and bashing through willow and tamarisk for a good portion of the morning. I really enjoyed this stretch of the Canyon, as it is more open at the river level, and the scale is a bit more manageable to comprehend. The only negative is that it is in the flight paths of the `Scenic Air Tours'. A steady progression of prop planes and helicopters tended to unpleasantly wake me from my daydreams. Late in the morning I arrived at the large, vegetated delta of Kwagunt Creek. This was the beginning of the alternate route to Nankoweap that Jerry and the Ranger had mentioned. Although it would add more climbing to my day, I was intrigued and figured it would be more interested than 4 miles of shoreline walking. The only downsides to this route was that I would miss the Anasazi Granaries lower in Nankoweap Canyon and another possible rendezvous with food-laden river runners. Undeterred, I swung a left and headed a few miles up the Kwagunt. Basically the route follows the main creek until you pass through the Butte Fault, set your sights on Nankoweap Butte, and head a few miles and climb ~2000 ft up a draw to an obvious saddle. The views back downcanyon were awesome, despite being slightly shrouded from the smoke of (what I assume) controlled fires on the North Rim at Point Royale.
I descended slowly to the running waters of Nankoweap Creek and my camp for the evening --- about 3 miles upcanyon from the Colorado River, and ~11 miles and ~5,000 ft to the North Rim. I was tempted to do half of the climb this evening, but figured an early, well-hydrated start was the better decision. Heading off cross country in the Grand was not
as intimidating as I imagined it to be. Granted it was a basic
route, but I did feel I began to understand the intricacies of
the canyon a bit better when constantly vigilant of the route
and the path of least resistance. I felt in rhythm throughout
the afternoon physically, and the attention that needed to be
paid to the route, stymied much of the trivia that batters around
my noggin during the course of the day.
Country Music Wisdom for the day: Pain comes like the weather, but joy is a choice. Brian Back at the North Rim, September 18th Broke camp at 6 am and headed up the Nankoweap Trail which is often described as the hardest route in the canyon. Admittedly skeptical, I set off a steady pace with the goal of beating the sun to the top of Tilted Mesa. This trail gets blasted by the sun, so an early start was mandatory. The first few hours of hiking were absolutely splendid. The morning sun warmed the east facing cliffs and the color of the stone changed as the sunlight intensified. The flap of a raven's wings was the only noise to break the interval of my breathing and the crunch of stone underfoot as I moved steadily upward.
The sun made its presence felt as I continued to climb and contour along the Nankoweap, the trail not really too steep, but bouldery and narrow most of the time. Progress was slowed but not overly so, and the temps were noticeably cooler after climbing ~2,000 ft. in an hour. But, all good things eventually end and my morning frame of mind was intruded upon by the chop of rotor blades and the whir of propellers. Bummer. These noises only intensified my pace and I shortly crested the lip of the rim, sweaty and exhilarated at the views into the Saddle Canyon Wilderness and across the canyon to the South Rim. Again, the scale of things here are at times incomprehensible and definitely summarize the appeal of the western landscape for me: Big, open, and free. I know fences exist, but from this vantage, the topography just rolls along uninhibited.
Eventually I popped out of the brush to FR 610 and left the
Hayduke to walk ~12.5 miles back to the North Rim Village for
my resupply along the Point Imperial and Ken Patrick Trails.
Both of these routes were well maintained up to about 1 mile
from the TH parking lots. After that they became overgrown. Not
difficult to follow, but I was hoping to be able to tune out
for the afternoon. Somehow managed to get 2 days ahead of schedule in the last section, so I am planning on taking a rest day, before heading out along the Arizona Trail to re-join the Hayduke ~10 miles north of here. I enjoyed this last section of the Hayduke quite a bit, but am glad to be moving on from the Grand Canyon to some new terrain. I will miss the unique characteristics of this landscape, but will not miss the sweat rash, hot temperatures, airplanes, or vegetation that makes my legs bleed. ~26 on the odometer for the day. Country Music Wisdom of the day: In the long run you make your own luck --- good, bad, or indifferent. Rest Day, September 19th Another rest day here at the North Rim. Like all rest days, the day has been both a blend of relaxation and chaos. At one point I was a little too relaxed and forgot to visit the PO before 2 pm, thus missing the chance to pick up my re-supply box. But, adaptation is necessary for survival and I will make due. Instead of hitting the trail early, I'll just leave around noon and have a mellow day of walking. No big deal. Wildlife highlight of the day was watching a deer chase off a band of wild turkeys --- an aggressive habit no doubt developed to insure the deer preserve the prime habitat for tourist handouts. A truly Marty Stouffer `Wild America' moment. Human highlight was a toss up between two instances. First was the folks from Minnesota (minn-a-sooota) trying to get cell reception on the sunporch and the resulting conversation between husband and wife. Second was watching the oldest person I have ever seen (presumably with a valid drivers license) behind the wheel of the largest RV I've ever seen attempting to negotiate a tight turn in the campground. Both were entertaining, but too close to pick a clear winner. Tomorrow I anxiously head northward. Brian
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I
left the cool environs of the North Rim this morning and arrived
4.5 hrs, 14 miles, and 5,800 ft later at Phantom Ranch. I plan
to hang out here pretty much all day until things cool off before
pushing on another ~7 miles to Lone Tree Canyon to camp.
I
am camped below Patti Butte, about a mile short of Lone Tree Canyon
which was my intended stopping point. After passing a number of
great campsites, I just had to stop at this one...a flat shoulder
with unobstructed views both up and down canyon. Watching the
evening light on the surrounding buttes, towers, and cliffs was
fantastic -- a welcome distraction from my calorie-laden bowl
of nightly slop -- which tasted all the more slop-like after my
fine catered dutch oven meal from the guides (Matt, Matt, &
Matt) of Backroads.com at the North Rim. 
Generally
pleasant walking along defined trail, through washes, and across
the heads of drainages. 
Contouring
again after climbing out of the main fork of Escalante Creek I
eventually headed a small a drainage on exposed trail before beginning
my descent to Cardenas Camp.
Crossing
the Little Colorado River was like walking through a bowl of chocolate
pudding...it seemed to be 70% silt, and only 30% water. A messy,
dirty affair that was about mid-thigh at its deepest.
Now
on the good side of the river I made quick time and eventually
dropped onto the sandy beach directly below 60 mile Rapid. Where,
to my surprise, five boats from Arizona Rafting Adventures (AZRA)
had just pulled in and were setting up camp. Before I'd walked
5 steps, I was given cold cranberry juice, invited to dinner,
and offered a 2" thick pad to sleep on if I decided to stay.
Uuhhh, Yes?
Once
at the saddle, the views into Nankoweap Canyon were equally incredible.
Nankoweap is a large, many fingered drainage with plenty of interesting
nooks and crannies. I could also spot portions of the trail that
I'd be tackling tomorrow to reach the North Rim. 
Anyway,
after a good foot soak, casual observations, and multiple dinners
in an attempt to lighten my pack, I headed up the Nankoweap Trail
to watch a great sunset. As much fun as hanging out with the river
folk has been, I am looking forward to my last night below the
rim in the same manner as I entered the Canyon: alone, sweaty,
and anxious for tomorrow.
Reaching
the top of Tilted Mesa, views into Little Nankoweap Canyon emerged,
and the ravens of the morning were playing in the updrafts of
air that were moving up canyon.
After
taking a short break to soak in the views, I continued up the
trail to FR 610. By far this was the worst part of the Nankoweap
--- a hacked together route that ignored topography and common
trail sense.
