"It's the Road, not the Inn
"Delivered boxes of clothing in Aqua PrietaPeople's card board box homes destroyed by the rain
The stock market has crashed, what a shame
The sky darkened, we pushed onSal Si Puedes was the camino's name
Only 100 miles of dirt and rockThunder roared, clouds burst and arroyos filled
The adventure with a pupose rolled onEl Tigre montana range,
rare birds, also a peacock
The engine stalled, the plugs were dried
Halfway the el camino was washed outWe did not stop
Stuck for an hour, under the wheels we moved rock
The storm moved the rain stopped
Shrines, virgin beauty and serenity
A loud noise, the muffler was broke
Barbed wire patched it together, no more drag
We rolled onAfter 70 miles
A raging arroyo we could not cross
We were done going south, and turned back
Children riding bare back, roosters crowing, yearlings bleating
Sleeping dogs, brick casas, tall trees, floral displays
A paradise found, surrounded by the El Tigres
The pueblo Colonia Morelos, suspended in time
Smiling, friendly people, just living, no portfolio, just live stock
Homemade tortillas, papas, carne and frijoles
Get out if you can
Back to Aqua Prieta in the dark
Crossed the border to Douglas at ten
Fourteen hours on the road
By the time I get to Phoenix it will be four more
But first a tecate and then head home
4/10/2002
10/15/2001
Out Among Wolves
Out Among Wolves
My youngest son Jake and I decided on a trip to the Eastern Arizona Highlands where there are the best opportunities for finding solitude.
We drove for close to five hours to the Blue range Primitive area in East Central Arizona near the New Mexican border. This pristine area is familiar to only a few.
This is the area where the Mexican wolves (Lobos) have been released. Lobo restoration has gained considerable public support, however some locals still regard killing wolves as an affirmation of community values. The Lobo is the most endangered wolf in North America.
We arrived at the KP Cienga Campground late in the afternoon in the middle of a thunderstorm, which is common for this time of year. The quaking aspens had already started to turn to their brilliant yellow fall color.
The campground is at 9000 ft. and overlooks beautiful meadows. It was deserted with the exception of one woman that had been there for a week scouting the Elk.
That afternoon we started hearing animal sounds that we had never heard before. At first I thought it was an Elk bugleing; then coyotes. Jake described the noise as a “banshee” sound”. He inquired, “Is that wolves?”
I never expect to see a wolf in the wilderness, they are too wary, but my fondest hope is to someday perhaps hear one. Could this dream have come true? I wasn’t convinced-UNTIL-that night we had dinner at the Hannagan Meadows Lodge and chatted with a wrangler that was familiar with wolves and had heard some that morning. She described the sound as “one that you have never heard before” and it matched our description of what we heard. I was still not convinced.
The following morning I asked the lone camper about the sounds.. “Those were wolves Mr., in fact I watched one of them meander through the meadow the other day. At first I thought it was a coyote, it was so scrawny, but when I looked in the binoculars I knew it was a wolf. It had a radio collar on.”
WE HEARD WOLVES!!!
The next day we enjoyed a great 10 mile round trip hike down KP Creek that dropped steadily for 2500 feet through dense Canadian zone forests of Engelmann Spruce, white fur, Douglas fur and quaking Aspen. We felt a profound sense of remoteness and intimacy on this hike.
My youngest son Jake and I decided on a trip to the Eastern Arizona Highlands where there are the best opportunities for finding solitude.
We drove for close to five hours to the Blue range Primitive area in East Central Arizona near the New Mexican border. This pristine area is familiar to only a few.
This is the area where the Mexican wolves (Lobos) have been released. Lobo restoration has gained considerable public support, however some locals still regard killing wolves as an affirmation of community values. The Lobo is the most endangered wolf in North America.
We arrived at the KP Cienga Campground late in the afternoon in the middle of a thunderstorm, which is common for this time of year. The quaking aspens had already started to turn to their brilliant yellow fall color.
The campground is at 9000 ft. and overlooks beautiful meadows. It was deserted with the exception of one woman that had been there for a week scouting the Elk.
That afternoon we started hearing animal sounds that we had never heard before. At first I thought it was an Elk bugleing; then coyotes. Jake described the noise as a “banshee” sound”. He inquired, “Is that wolves?”
I never expect to see a wolf in the wilderness, they are too wary, but my fondest hope is to someday perhaps hear one. Could this dream have come true? I wasn’t convinced-UNTIL-that night we had dinner at the Hannagan Meadows Lodge and chatted with a wrangler that was familiar with wolves and had heard some that morning. She described the sound as “one that you have never heard before” and it matched our description of what we heard. I was still not convinced.
The following morning I asked the lone camper about the sounds.. “Those were wolves Mr., in fact I watched one of them meander through the meadow the other day. At first I thought it was a coyote, it was so scrawny, but when I looked in the binoculars I knew it was a wolf. It had a radio collar on.”
WE HEARD WOLVES!!!
The next day we enjoyed a great 10 mile round trip hike down KP Creek that dropped steadily for 2500 feet through dense Canadian zone forests of Engelmann Spruce, white fur, Douglas fur and quaking Aspen. We felt a profound sense of remoteness and intimacy on this hike.
OOHHHH CALIFORNIA NIGHTS
"OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH California nights, When I'm walkin with you, hand in hand by the shore" Lesley Gore-California Nights -1967
Highlights of this trip include:-Drinks at the Fisherman on the San Clemente wharf, catching brilliantsunsets-Dining at the Harbor Grill in Dana Point-Hiking in the Cleveland National Forest to the Holy Jim Falls-Shopping at the Sawdust at Laguna Beach-Walking Cody on beach after beach after beach-Checking out the Surfer's museum in Oceanside-Visiting great friends and relativesLast Wednesday we left the Arizona inferno of hot winds and forest firesand headed for the coast. This was Cody's first trip to California and sherefused to lay down in the back seat. I threatened her with a "don't makeme turn this car around" and she immediately threw up on the seat, It wasa long, hot trip across the desert.However, when we arrived it was paradise, the cool sea breezes and mildweather felt so good.We stayed at Stefanie's condo while she was housesitting for friends. Hercats remained at with us and Cody terrorized them into hiding until themiddle of the night when they would come out and meow and then the furwould fly.An extreme adventure was had by all when we drove a washboarded backroadthat horrified Stef and then hiked to the Holy Jim Waterfalls, accompaniedby millions of gnats. We really got a nice aerobic work out swatting atthem while we hiked. The waterfalls were real pretty, but Gerry did notthink it was a fun trip? Stef reported that she had a fun time, in spite ofthe life threatening trip on the back road.Stef and Gerry enjoyed visiting with Tracy and her new baby. We all enjoyedseeing family at Alan & Sue's barbecue at their beautiful home in LagunaNiguel.El Lobo, always on the lookout for the ultimate souvenir scored two of hisfinest to date-- A Saint Christopher medal with a surfer on the back wasfound at the Surfer's Museum-Too cool! Saint Christopher is the patronsaint of travelers. I used to have one of these when I was at Reno HighSchool. I think an old girl friend stole it.I also found a Killer Dana Surf Shop tank top at the Killer Dana Surf Shop.Very cool!We were treated to dinner at the Harbor Grill by the owner, John Hicks. Ihave known John since we were in the seventh grade at Northside, Jr., HighSchool in Reno. John sat with us and we had a really fun evening.The food was nothing short of terrific. John and his wife Wanda have reallyworked hard to have such a fine, successful restaurant. He has done verywell for a guy that came out of the Northside hood. We really appreciatedhis generosity.Well, that California culture keeps rolling on, and we have returned toArizona and the monsoons.Thanks to Stefanie for her great hospitality and friendship.I will end this report with the legendary classic Surfari hit "Surfer Joe"released in 1963, the greatest year for surf music. Perhaps it will helpyou to do some California dreamin or to remember those wonderful days of"T-shirts, cutoffs, and a pair of thongs." Or perhaps you will find itbizarre and troubling that any one remembers such a song.(Embedded image moved to file: pic02715.jpg)"Down in Doheny where the surfers all go,There's a big bleached blondie named Surfer Joe,He's got a green surf board and a woody to match,and when he rides the freeways, man is he hard to catch.Surferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooSaw him one day flying down the road with 26 surfboards and a 100lb. load,I knew where he was headin, tryin to reach, the playground of thesurfers-Doheny BeachSurferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer JoeHe went down to Huntington beach one week, for the annual surfersconvention meet,he was hangin five and walkin the nose and when the meet was over thetrophy was Joe'sSurferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer JoeSurfer Joe joined uncle Sam's marines one day, they stationed him atPendleton, not far awaythey cut off his long blonde locks I'm told, and when he went on maneuvers,Joe caught cold!Surferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer JoeNowwwwwwThat didn't stop him or keep him way, when the surf was up he still had hisdayThey caught him at the trestle down by the sea and now poor Joe is doingK.P.Surferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer Joe"
Highlights of this trip include:-Drinks at the Fisherman on the San Clemente wharf, catching brilliantsunsets-Dining at the Harbor Grill in Dana Point-Hiking in the Cleveland National Forest to the Holy Jim Falls-Shopping at the Sawdust at Laguna Beach-Walking Cody on beach after beach after beach-Checking out the Surfer's museum in Oceanside-Visiting great friends and relativesLast Wednesday we left the Arizona inferno of hot winds and forest firesand headed for the coast. This was Cody's first trip to California and sherefused to lay down in the back seat. I threatened her with a "don't makeme turn this car around" and she immediately threw up on the seat, It wasa long, hot trip across the desert.However, when we arrived it was paradise, the cool sea breezes and mildweather felt so good.We stayed at Stefanie's condo while she was housesitting for friends. Hercats remained at with us and Cody terrorized them into hiding until themiddle of the night when they would come out and meow and then the furwould fly.An extreme adventure was had by all when we drove a washboarded backroadthat horrified Stef and then hiked to the Holy Jim Waterfalls, accompaniedby millions of gnats. We really got a nice aerobic work out swatting atthem while we hiked. The waterfalls were real pretty, but Gerry did notthink it was a fun trip? Stef reported that she had a fun time, in spite ofthe life threatening trip on the back road.Stef and Gerry enjoyed visiting with Tracy and her new baby. We all enjoyedseeing family at Alan & Sue's barbecue at their beautiful home in LagunaNiguel.El Lobo, always on the lookout for the ultimate souvenir scored two of hisfinest to date-- A Saint Christopher medal with a surfer on the back wasfound at the Surfer's Museum-Too cool! Saint Christopher is the patronsaint of travelers. I used to have one of these when I was at Reno HighSchool. I think an old girl friend stole it.I also found a Killer Dana Surf Shop tank top at the Killer Dana Surf Shop.Very cool!We were treated to dinner at the Harbor Grill by the owner, John Hicks. Ihave known John since we were in the seventh grade at Northside, Jr., HighSchool in Reno. John sat with us and we had a really fun evening.The food was nothing short of terrific. John and his wife Wanda have reallyworked hard to have such a fine, successful restaurant. He has done verywell for a guy that came out of the Northside hood. We really appreciatedhis generosity.Well, that California culture keeps rolling on, and we have returned toArizona and the monsoons.Thanks to Stefanie for her great hospitality and friendship.I will end this report with the legendary classic Surfari hit "Surfer Joe"released in 1963, the greatest year for surf music. Perhaps it will helpyou to do some California dreamin or to remember those wonderful days of"T-shirts, cutoffs, and a pair of thongs." Or perhaps you will find itbizarre and troubling that any one remembers such a song.(Embedded image moved to file: pic02715.jpg)"Down in Doheny where the surfers all go,There's a big bleached blondie named Surfer Joe,He's got a green surf board and a woody to match,and when he rides the freeways, man is he hard to catch.Surferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooSaw him one day flying down the road with 26 surfboards and a 100lb. load,I knew where he was headin, tryin to reach, the playground of thesurfers-Doheny BeachSurferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer JoeHe went down to Huntington beach one week, for the annual surfersconvention meet,he was hangin five and walkin the nose and when the meet was over thetrophy was Joe'sSurferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer JoeSurfer Joe joined uncle Sam's marines one day, they stationed him atPendleton, not far awaythey cut off his long blonde locks I'm told, and when he went on maneuvers,Joe caught cold!Surferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer JoeNowwwwwwThat didn't stop him or keep him way, when the surf was up he still had hisdayThey caught him at the trestle down by the sea and now poor Joe is doingK.P.Surferrrrrrr Joe, now look at him gooooooo,Surfer, surferrrrrrr Joooe,Go man goooooooooOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, Surfer Joe"
10/14/2001
Kaibab-Bright Angel Loop
Kaibab/Bright Angel Loop -17 miles -9000' elevation gain/lossJake and I left on Saturday afternoon for a day trip into the Great Canyon.We spent the evening in Cameron at the Cameron trading post and enjoyed anice trout dinner.We rose at 4:00 A.M. and drove to the South Rim and caught a shuttle to theKaibab trailhead. They now run shuttles every half hour starting an hourbefore dawn. This was Jake's inaugural hike into the Canyon. We leftKaibabat 6:40.A.M. A ranger at the trailhead questioned anyone going down as totheir itinerary and strongly recommended not going to the river and out asthis was an extremely dangerous hike in the heat. After identifying myselfasEl Lobo Grande, the ranger really insisted that we rconsider our travelplans?The hike down Kaibab was great, we saw few people and the canyon lookedgorgeous. We arrived at Phantom Ranch at 9:00 A.M. and went into theInn/Canteen and enjoyed snacks and Lemonade. I bought the boy a PhantomRanchhat to keep this fun experience with him while he is in graduate school.We spent some time at the creek and left at 10:00 A.M. The thermometer wasat the century mark.Jake set a tremendous pace and we arrived at Indian Gardens at 11:30.A.M.This was going way too fast and I expressed concern for saving energy forthelast two miles.The temperature had gone down to a cool 99, and I was really hoping that wewould get some cloud cover for the final 2500' ascent.The familiarity ofthistrail and memories of the arduous climb were overshadowed by Jake'spleasureand appreciation of the experience. We rested at Indian Gardens until noon.We were fortunate to get some cloud cover going out but it was hot! Ialwaysswear that I will never ever go into the Canyon in the heat of summer butalways end up doing it anyway.Jake kept up a breakkneck pace, and we ended up using every bit that we hadto get out the last two miles. The trail from here was cluttered with spenthikers and noisy tourist fools.We finished at 2:00P.M -much too fast. This was done at close to 20 minutemiles.I downed a pint in the bar and we took off for the four hour drive home.This was the real scary part. If Jake was fast on the trail he was fasteronI17. I drove to Flag and from here he flew home. I was white knuckeled thewhole way.Overall, this was a fun trip, but a very long day day. I feel fortunate tobeable to share a part of the world's greatest geographic area with my son.We are delaying our North Bass Backpack scheduled for next weekend becauseof work conflicts, but am planning on a three day trip into the rugged,remote Mazatzals with Bob Shea.I believe that we will start at City Creek, by Payson and go to FullerSeep.This will be a 4500' climb, but should put us in the cool country.
Escalante Route-Hofdahl TR
Tanner, Escalante Route, New Hance TrailsThe trip was originally scheduled to be a four day back pack with Steve,Bruce Corey(El Lobo Grande), James Cabanas and myself. I was especiallylooking forward to this trip because it was my first back pack in the GrandCanyon. I have back packed before in California, but I knew that thiswouldbe a special challenge. I was saddened to learn that my former boss, SteveYahner, would not be able to make the trip. He felt that It would be toocold. I had day hiked the canyon seven times this year and I really wantedto complete this journey.We started on Thursday driving up to Cameron and staying at the TradingPostMotel. I was impressed with the accommodations, the food wasn't bad andthe company was great. The three of us shared a room and it worked outwell. Between James' snoring and Bruce's coffing, I did get some sleep. Iwas a little concerned because I knew that we only had two tents. I wasthinking about the nights to come and I was mostly worried about sleepingwith James' snoring. I made a decision that night that I was going tosharea tent with Bruce( El Lobo Grande).We started the next day driving to the Tanner trail head. I backed up mySuburban in the parking lot thinking it was in a nice position. Brucethought it was too obvious that we were gone for several days. I reparkedit in a less obvious position. In hindsight, he was probably right. Hehasmuch more experience than I. We started down the Tanner trail at about tento eight in the morning. It was cold and overcast, we immediately put onour gloves and hats. I was thinking that this might be a cold affair thatImight later regret. The trail was steep for the first hour and a half.Theweather began to clear and we became warmer. The views were awesome and Ithink as a group, we were beginning to achieve a positive attitude that wenever lost throughout the trip. We proceeded down the Tanner to the end atTanner rapid. We landed at the Colorado at about one in the afternoon. Aswe were looking for a campsite, we met a young couple who had already foundtheir campsite. We talked to them for just five minutes. The young womanwas impressive with her knowledge of Grand Canyon. She was nice lookingtoo.She informed us that the Escalante would be difficult, but that we couldgetto a point along the Colorado that we could camp and get water. She didindicate that the New Hance trail was difficult to hike out. We set up campand relaxed for a short while.After we set up camp, we had some trouble with James' water purificationsystem. He recently changed the filter and It really didn't work well.Thefilter was spitting out the carbon resin in the receptacles. I was alittleuneasy, but I thought I would just go along with it and see what happens.The three of us were so positive that It wasn't going to be a show stopper.I truly loved the camp site. We were right next to the Tanner rapids oftheColorado and the weather was awesome. I would say it was almost midsixties.I slept well even though Bruce coffed a lot and he had to get up in themiddle of the night to go to the bathroom. The night did get a littlecool,slightly below forty.We went to sleep early at about six thirty. I brought a fitting book, "TheMan Who Walked Trough Time", by Colin Fletcher. I read two chapters asBruce tried to sleep and negotiate his cold. We planned to wake atfive-thirty only to wake up an hour late. We began our day with greatweather and made our way over the Escalante route. The breakfast was goodfor Bruce and I, but not for James. The Granola that he consumed justdidn't agree soon later.The trail was very beautiful. It basically paralleled the river. Wereally wanted to get to a similar campsite along the river. We hiked alongsome very exposed trails and then down into the Escalente creek. Brucecontacted the Grand Canyon Field Institute to get some short cuts. We cameupon the impressive Seventy-five mile creek/ canyon and Bruce wasdeterminedto find these cairns to lead us to a short cut. He became a little shortwith me, as I was leading the crew. We were only about 500 yards away fromthe cairns when he decided that I wasn't paying close attention. Weregrouped and hiked back a short while. We then decided that we hadn'tgonefar enough only to find the short-cut. The short cut did have some greatrewards and we were all in awe of the Seventy-five mile creek.We thought we were close to our destination of Hance rapids only to findsome hairy climbs at Papago Creek. He had to scale on all fours late intheday. We made it to Hance right at dusk and we were needless to say, verytired. It was a fifteen mile trek in all, a very long day.The camp site at Hance rapid was just as good as Tanner rapid. We didn'tsee a sole. The only problem was that Bruce kicked over my new candlelantern accidentally. It was then that I felt that Bruce's nick nameshouldbe changed to "El Toro Grande". I really felt he is best described as a"Bull in a china store". I think that the cold that he was fighting was sofrustrating for him. We went to sleep at about eight-thirty. I read for ashort time, but I was pretty tired from the long day. We slept reasonablywell and knew that we had a big day ahead of ourselves to climb the nextmorning.We began our trek out at about nine-thirty on Sunday. The New Hance wasbeautiful. It is also called Red Canyon as you hike through the first thirdin all red canyon. It is steep and we just kept going on. We realizedthatwe were completing a four day hike in three days. I think that Bruce and Iwanted to hike out. James wouldn't have minded staying another night. Heflew in from Sacramento and wanted to get four days worth. He also luggedalarge camera and a tripod the whole way. We were concerned about campingincold weather mostly and Bruce's cold was beginning to bother him. The NewHance trail was just as the woman described, difficult. I hiked out atfour-fifteen to catch a ride to the Tanner trail head to drive my Suburbanback to pick up Bruce and James. They made it out at five-fifteen. It wasalready below forty degrees and it felt cold.It was a great accomplishment, I really felt like all we did was hike. Wereally didn't get much time to relax. As I look back at the hike, Irealized that New Hance is not for the meek. I really enjoyed getting toknow Bruce"El Toro Grande" and James Cabanas.
Topacoba Route Grand Canyon
"Live the life that you imagine,What is your next great adventure?"The Topocoba trail to Havasupai is seldom used today. It is marked on theGrand Canyon Trails Illustrated map but I do not know anyone who has hikedit. Thousands of tourists each year, with Havasupai as their destination,instead, travel the 10 mile long Hualapai trail that is well worn and easywalking.The Topocoba hilltop trail was the old mail route into the village ofSupai.This route traverses one of the highest terraces in the Grand Canyon.Permission from the Havasupai Tribe and the BRO at the Grand CanyonNationalPark is necessary to hike this route. This route crosses the Havasupai'sancestral lands that the tribe reveres as sacred.This was a special opportunity, as my friend Bob Audretsch, a Grand CanyonRanger had special permission from a council member, and invited me tojoinhim on this 20 +mile day hike.I drove to Tusyan Thursday afternoon and met Bob for a Pizza pig out (carboload)We then downed 2 quarts of Ben & Jerry's for the salt content. The nextmorning we got up at 2:00 A.M. and drove 37 miles of backroad. The road toPasture Wash turnoff as well as all the way out to Topocoba ismoderately rutted. Three Havasupai guys were collecting fees includingonewearing a side arm!!! They woke up at 4 AM when we came up!We had a high clearance 4wd vehicle but evenwith that we had to park about 3 miles from the trail top at thebeginning of the road going up onto Great Thumb. Near the top of thetrail we followed an apparently earlier trail going directly down LeeCanyon and found that washed out and thus cliffed out. Moving backup the trail we then moved slightly south and found the switchbacksthrough the Coconino. Once through the Coconino the trail generallyfollows the bed of Lee Canyon till it meets Havasu Canyon and then ofcourse follows Havasu Canyon north. Because of the recent rainsthere were significant potholes in the ravine bed filled with water.We saw no other people all the time we were out on the trail. We did seenumerous elk, 1 deer and three wild horses. There were many qualitypetroglyphs.The trail was surprisingly in decent condition. There was not a cloud inthe sky until late afternoon and we hiked out in 100+ temp. There is only2200' of elevation gain but most of it comes at the end.We finished hiking after 3:00 P.M. and I left Bob's at 5:45 and was home bynine. That is a best time for me. I have an early plane to catch tomorrowA.M. to Portland where I am visiting my son Jake as well as spending a weekat a Mountain Climber's lodge at Mt. Hood. I will be doing some volunteerwork on stream restoration of a tributary to the Salmon and hiking theWilderness areas around Mt. Hood.Tomorrow, Jake and I plan on doing a coast hike at Tilamook.
"The Window"
Fellow Adventrapaneurs,Good morning-"The Window" our destination, is a small natural arch in a blade of rockperched a vertical mile above Tuscon. When the sunlight strikes it at theproper angle, this natural hole in the wall is clearly visible from partsofTuscon.Esperro trail - 19 miles roundtrip-5140' elevation gain -trip rating 9.9I had been to the Window once before on a the Ventana Canyon route withJake,Andrew and Lorenzo last January. I have always wanted to do the challengingEsperro trail. My good friend and hiking Buddy John Hofdahl wanted achallenging hike so that created a great match and opportunity.We started on the trail at 8:00 A.M. with little visiibility. Threateningcloudcover and mist covered the Santa Catalina Range. The first part of thehike is in primo Sonoran desert. A forrest of impressive Saguaros alongwithprickly pair, mesquite trees, brittlebrush, ocotillo, and paloverde. Thenextpart follows Esperro creek with sycamores and some comparatively large oaksgrowing among the jumble of canyon boulders. Water was everywhere!Beautifulstreams coming down from the cliffs. We reached bridalveil falls at 11:00A.M. The thirty foot falls were gushing with a soothing beauty. There weresome impressive specimens of Arizona cypress across the creek.This would bean excellent place to camp if backpacking.Here we began climbing very steeply up through a thickening forrest coverofPonderosa pines and overarching White Oaks. At a saddle the view wasawesome.The clouds had cleared and we had a feast of the eyes.Your view is the rugged headwaters of Montrose Canyon and it stretches tothe pyramid of Rincon peak in the Rincon mountains. From this saddle thetrail really gets steep and we arrived at "the Window" at 1:00 P.M. The trails were very feint and confusing here. The top was covered by cloudsandmist and visibility again was only a few feet in front of you. We lost thetrail many times but were able to get back on track. Our time window forlight was in jeapordy and we did not want to be descending in the dark.The hike out ended up extremely enjoyable and scenic.Once back on track thegoing was smooth. We arrived back at the Sabino Canyon visitor center at5:00P.M. in plenty of light. The Steinlagers and Sierra Nevadas that Johnbroughtreally were a treat.That evening we celebrated at the Legendary "El Minuto" restaraunt inTempe.This hike is rated a 9.9. You travel through three distinct ecosystems.Thanks to John for driving and his excellent companionship.
Superstition Ridgeline
Give me silence, water, hopeGive me struggle, iron, volcanoes -Neruda
The Sierra club hike description asked the question "Are you ready for adawnto dusk test of your endurance? Lorenzo and I both foolishly answered yestothat question and were not disappointed.This hike involved a challenging ascent from Carney Springs to South peakandcontinued across the prominent ridgeline that defines the Western boundaryofthe Superstitions all the way past the flatiron and down Siphon Draw.For a good part of the hike we were looking down on Weaver's needle.At our break, Lorenzo casually mentioned that he had forgotten his lunch. Ioffered to share mine, but he politely declined. I think that Lorenzothoughtthat he would get El Lobo demerits if he ate some of my lunch. Later in thehike he reconsidered, and accepted a 1/2 piece of chicken. Lorenzo alwaysunselfishly shares his snicker bars with the group, so he had many creditsthat offset a possible demerit.After 9000' of elevation gain/loss and 12 overland miles of sufferingthroughsteep climbs and contact with prickly vegetation we pulled into LostDutchman's State Park to find that our ride was not there. He had quit andgone back before finishing the first mile. Sean, our ride, had my car keys,cellphone and gear and apparently went home with them. We finally reachedSean at home via the leader's cell phone, and found out that he had hid mystuff back at Carney Springs. So what's the problem? After a long drivebackto Carney Springs, searching and locating my bag I finally joined the restofthe group at a Mexican restaurant in Apache Junction. This particularSierraClub group are strong hardy hikers and friendly, fun people. The cervezasandmargaritas went down real smooth allowing for further dehydration of ourbodies.Dinner in Apache Junction was a slice of life. While waiting to use therestroom with a high sense of urgency, I was approached by a snowbird thatdemanded that he be next to use the facility. He felt his age gave him priority. I explained that I really needed to go, but would be real quick.Hethen asked if we could share the same urinal.I opted to let him go ahead and did a dance waiting while he took forever.Iknocked on the door and pleaded with him and finally he exited and scowled"Wait till you get old" at me. I told him I was old, and my bladder was nowruined. He didn't appear to care.Overall, I rate this hike a 9.3. Great company, splendid views, and abrilliant display of wildflowers due to the wet winter.
The Sierra club hike description asked the question "Are you ready for adawnto dusk test of your endurance? Lorenzo and I both foolishly answered yestothat question and were not disappointed.This hike involved a challenging ascent from Carney Springs to South peakandcontinued across the prominent ridgeline that defines the Western boundaryofthe Superstitions all the way past the flatiron and down Siphon Draw.For a good part of the hike we were looking down on Weaver's needle.At our break, Lorenzo casually mentioned that he had forgotten his lunch. Ioffered to share mine, but he politely declined. I think that Lorenzothoughtthat he would get El Lobo demerits if he ate some of my lunch. Later in thehike he reconsidered, and accepted a 1/2 piece of chicken. Lorenzo alwaysunselfishly shares his snicker bars with the group, so he had many creditsthat offset a possible demerit.After 9000' of elevation gain/loss and 12 overland miles of sufferingthroughsteep climbs and contact with prickly vegetation we pulled into LostDutchman's State Park to find that our ride was not there. He had quit andgone back before finishing the first mile. Sean, our ride, had my car keys,cellphone and gear and apparently went home with them. We finally reachedSean at home via the leader's cell phone, and found out that he had hid mystuff back at Carney Springs. So what's the problem? After a long drivebackto Carney Springs, searching and locating my bag I finally joined the restofthe group at a Mexican restaurant in Apache Junction. This particularSierraClub group are strong hardy hikers and friendly, fun people. The cervezasandmargaritas went down real smooth allowing for further dehydration of ourbodies.Dinner in Apache Junction was a slice of life. While waiting to use therestroom with a high sense of urgency, I was approached by a snowbird thatdemanded that he be next to use the facility. He felt his age gave him priority. I explained that I really needed to go, but would be real quick.Hethen asked if we could share the same urinal.I opted to let him go ahead and did a dance waiting while he took forever.Iknocked on the door and pleaded with him and finally he exited and scowled"Wait till you get old" at me. I told him I was old, and my bladder was nowruined. He didn't appear to care.Overall, I rate this hike a 9.3. Great company, splendid views, and abrilliant display of wildflowers due to the wet winter.
Green Sporings Grand Canyon
"With some eagerness and some anxiety, and some misgiving, we enter the canyon below....."----John Wesley Powell, August 13, 1869Buenas tardes,My son Jake has been asking "where's that trip report?" I wonder where he learned to be such a bugger?Well, here it is. I barely have the energy to write it. Both feet are a blister mass and my ankles are so swollen I can hardly walk but El Lobo will deliver within the required two day time window!This expedition challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally but was a richly rewarding and immensely satisfying trip as well as a wonderful learning adventure.We visited a superbly beautiful and rarely visited area in an extremely remote location. We climbed to pristine parts of Green Springs Canyon where no other human being has been. Harvey Butchart, now 94, the undisputed king of extreme and obsessive Grand Canyon hiking, could not find access to some of the areas we visited, as documented in his book. Harvey logged over 12,000 miles in the Canyon.Eleven days ago I rode with one of the other participants, Ross, eight hours to St. George Utah. In St. George our group spent two days in thorough planning and pre-trip preparation. This included emergency planning. Actually the planning process began two months ago in researching how to get to our target area-Surprise Canyon and its tributaries. Back road access had to be determined. Geological maps were utilized to figure out some routes to Surprise Canyon and plan two itinerary options for a six day hike in the Surprise Canyon area. In addition various exercises had to be completed in order to make map reading and terrain recognition easier. The geological maps provided are special and cannot be easily obtained. They were donated to the group by George Billingsley who did the stratigraphy. George was a frequent hiking partner of Harvey Butchart and mentioned frequently in Harvey's books.After finalizing goals a consensus was reached for the route with alternatives. At this time we started the 100 mile rough back road drive through the Arizona strip and Shiwits plateau to our starting point climbing down steep loose rock into Green Springs Canyon. All packs were extremely heavy as each started with three gallons of water.The first day was vey hard as we encountered numerous narrow cliff passage challenges. It is a beautiful canyon with some nice water pools that required some swimming. One of our group took a nasty 30 foot fall and miraculously not only lived but also had no broken bones. He fell close to me where I was desperately trying to find a good hand hold. It was one of the scariest things I have ever seen.He stood up and smiled and said "I'm Ok." I was still in shock from watching his fall and even in more shock that he appeared all right. He was very fortunate, but had some real nasty cuts and his skin had been ripped from his legs. After three hours of emergency medical treatment, he opted to try to continue without attempting to radio a passing plane requesting emergency rescue. The weight of his pack was distributed among the group and he continued. We had to go on belay a couple of times. The injured party could not get his leg wet so he had to be carried by the group through pools that required swimming. The walking was extremely hard on the feet as you were absolutely required to "leave no trace" and always plant a foot on a rock and not leave any footprint. This was challenging but after a while became second nature.We finished walking just before dark and at our meeting that ended close to 11:00 everyone agreed that the highlight of the day was Ross appearing to escape serious injury. We would start each day around 6:00 A.M. and finish after 11:00 each night. My strategy was to just get through one day at a time. Ken, our leader was constantly coaching and teaching. When passage seemed impossible it was used as a group problem solving exercise. Teamwork, determination, and creativity would get us through. I learned that there is a way, keep looking!The following day we made it to Cottonwood Springs, through a gorgeous narrow redwall canyon with pools and lush growth of ferns, flowers and cottonwoods. Monarch butterflies would frequently flutter through the narrow gorge. Frogs, whose croak sounded like a bleating sheep were everywhere. This was a long day with only one rappel required on a down pour.The next day we day hiked to Hidden Springs---Shangra La. A lush riparian area with vines, ferns and moss.We had to carry the injured party through some pretty good pools and rope up a couple of times to get to a 40 ft. Natural bridge, that we believe has never been seen by other human eyes. This was very exciting!The next day's destination was Amos Springs. One of my goals was to get to the river and I requested permission to go solo since the rest of the group was intent on Amos Springs. Our leader gave me permission but commented that he thought that I would later be sorry. The river was a 24 mile round trip down Surprise Canyon dropping 1200' in elevation. The temperature was in the nineties but there was plenty of water flowing in Surprise Canyon. I left at 9:00 A.M. and the walking was on jagged rocks and boulders. My turn around time plan was 1:30. I arrived at the river at 2:00. The walk, although difficult was enjoyable having such solitude. The river was very peaceful at mile 248. The mighty Colorado that I rafted in September was not to be found, it was more of a lake due to Mead backing up. Clouds had been forming and I heard my first thunder. This was both frightening and exciting. This part of the Canyon is narrow and I did not want to get caught in it. It started raining hard and all I could think of was those that died in the flash flood at Antelope Canyon in 97. In my haste to get out of the narrow part I got caught in some deep mud and my boots and socks were drenched. I walked as quick as I could all the while looking for ways to go high if it kept raining. The thunderstorm lasted a half hour and then cleared. Unfortunately due to sliding socks, I started to blister and had to stop and try to contain them with tape. Going back was slower than going down and with it getting dark I could really feel the blistered pain.I made it back to camp at 9:00 P.M. and the group just started an emergency strategy meeting exploring the options in case I did not show. This served as a good exercise for the group. I went to bed at midnight and rose at 4:30 A.M. to break camp for the long hot trek out Twin Springs to where we had shuttled a car. This was about 4000' of elevation gain.My blisters needed attention and our leader coached me through draining, treating and bandaging them. I was able to keep a good pace but the pain was a little less than excruciating on every step. The redwall narrows were spectacular and we found a large chockstone lodged between the narrow walls up about 25.' The walk up Twin Springs drainage was arduous and at a break in the shade we were given an adrenaline rush when a very large pink rattlesnake crawled next to our leader causing him to do a somersault to get out of harms way when he heard the rattle warning. We had what we thought was our last challenge when we arrived at the 500' steep loose rock climb to the car. This was a slow process and some had real difficulty at this point in the journey.Finally all were at the top and we all took hands and tried to skip to the car. We reached the car and the jubilation turned to disbelief and dismay when the shuttle vehicle did not start. Another strategy meeting and plan formulated. The other vehicles were fifteen miles away. It was decided to walk the back road that night leaving most of our group at the shuttle car.At 3:00 A.M. the hikers arrived with the cars. On the way, one had a flat. Could anything else go wrong? Yes! One of the vehicles had it's keys locked in it by a very tired driver. Again, the team worked together to find a solution and was able to take a wire from one of the packs and slip it through the rear window and open. We then started the long drive back to the hotel at St. George. We arrive at 6:30 A.M. got our rooms, showered and met for breakfast. I called Gerry to let her know I was out.Ross and I started driving back to Phoenix at 10:00 after gallons of coffee and coke.We stopped at Vermilion Cliffs for a nice lunch and swapped driving every few hours. There was a slight delay on 17 backing up with weekend traffic, but I was dropped offclose to 6:00, in time to share a great steak dinner with my lovely and thoughtful wife that I was very happy to see.As I am finishing this trip report with my swollen ankles and achy feet it is difficult to fully appreciate how special this trip was and the tremendous growth and learning experiences. That will happen soon, when the pain stops.Note: the fallen climber prefers to remain anonymous
Hualapai Mountain Park
The great one was in town this weekend, my good friend and climbing partner,
Hannu Haarma arrived right on schedule at 2:15 Saturday afternoon. Hannu, recently won the USA orienteering championship. He will be competing for the world title this summer.
The morning was spent on a long bike ride with Gerry and a nice walk with Lucy. We also had time to watch a good PBS video put together by John Denver before his death. This was a very thoughtful gift from my favorite Aunt Jean. John Denver was a strong voice for wildlife and wilderness as well as the freedom and spirit of the American west. He opened up an environmental consciousness for many of us in the 70s. His voice remains an inspiration. You may enjoy "Let this be a voice". Back to the adventure.
When Hannu comes to town there are some constants. We drive a long distance, do a challenging hike, drink some beer and just have a great time. This weekend was not an exception.
We took off for Hualapai Mountain Park about 2:30P.M. and arrived in Kingman at 5:45P.M.
We stopped for gourmet cheeseburgers at Burger King and overcame our first big challenge, that of being locked out of the rental car and not being able to use the keys to get in. Hannu got only mildly excited, with
an occasional Finnish curse gracing the parking lot.
The great one and I finally figured out that the trunk key also was the key to the door.
Small delay, now to Hualapai Park.
The park which was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps covers 2,300 acres at elevations ranging from 4,984 ft. to 8,417 ft. at the top of Hualapi Peak. The environment in the Hualapais is similar to Prescott National Forrest and the South rim of the Grand Canyon. Vegetation includes Ponderosa pine, pinion, white fur, aspen, gambel oak, and manzanita. The mountains are named for the Hualapai Indians. The name Hualapai means "Pine tree people."
We stayed at one of the rustic rental cabins. These are the best kept secret in Arizona. The cabins rent for $25 to $55 a night and all have showers with stove and kitchen facilities. Most have fireplaces or wood burning stoves and all with wall heaters. This mountain park run by Mojave County parks dept. offers a great alternative to spending a summer weekend in the White Mountains, Flagstaff, Prescott, or the Mogollon Rim.
Saturday evening was spent drinking Steinlagers and watching the stars in the great Arizona sky by the fire built outside our cabin in a pit.
Easter morning we rose early to start up the trail leading to the craggy Hualapai peak. Among Hualapai's attractions are the trail system. They are quite nice.
It was a beautiful morning with some of the bluest sky that I have ever seen. After 4 miles, the last one in snow, and a couple of thousand feet of elevation gain we came to within 200 feet of the summit. The only problem was that there was no trail, only a rock climb with quite a pitch. We tried a couple of routes unsuccessfully but Hannu found
a way that was a little dicey but doable. At the top was a rock with only room for two-perfect! The views are panoramic the only spoiler was a slight haze, probably from Las Vegas. On the way back, Hannu, not satisfied with bagging the highest peak, suggested that we climb another. I said "Lets do it!" but really thought Damn!
So, we climbed to just below the bottom of Aspen Peak at a little over 8,000 feet and again was faced with a pretty good vertical pitch to get to the top. Hannu was not interested in going to the top but I had to pay him back for finding the way up Hualapai, so I led us up a slightly less difficult route.
After coming down I was afraid that he would want to climb yet a third- Hayden Peak,
but to my relief he was more interested in the Amstel light at the end of the trail, so we took the potato patch trail back to the car.
We arrived back in Scottsdale at 4:30P.M. Hannu headed back to his hotel to clean up and would meet us for dinner later. In the mean time Ger and I attended a veinte cinco anniversario for our housekeeper and amiga-Luscilva, at her home. It was a large party with over fifty in attendance, including two other gringos. The music was loud, the food was good. This was really fun and we thoroughly enjoyed a rich cultural experiece, and a big improvement over the corporate social crap I used to do.
We left the party after a couple of hours and met Hannu at Az88. We had a very nice Easter dinner that Hannu graciously treated us to. Gerry had her signature best looking in the world Martini, and Hannu and I treated ourselves to Chimay beer made by trappis monks in Belgium. This is pricey at $14 a bottle but absolutely a unique taste and well worth it! Particularly when Hannu is buying! Highly recommended.
Hannu Haarma arrived right on schedule at 2:15 Saturday afternoon. Hannu, recently won the USA orienteering championship. He will be competing for the world title this summer.
The morning was spent on a long bike ride with Gerry and a nice walk with Lucy. We also had time to watch a good PBS video put together by John Denver before his death. This was a very thoughtful gift from my favorite Aunt Jean. John Denver was a strong voice for wildlife and wilderness as well as the freedom and spirit of the American west. He opened up an environmental consciousness for many of us in the 70s. His voice remains an inspiration. You may enjoy "Let this be a voice". Back to the adventure.
When Hannu comes to town there are some constants. We drive a long distance, do a challenging hike, drink some beer and just have a great time. This weekend was not an exception.
We took off for Hualapai Mountain Park about 2:30P.M. and arrived in Kingman at 5:45P.M.
We stopped for gourmet cheeseburgers at Burger King and overcame our first big challenge, that of being locked out of the rental car and not being able to use the keys to get in. Hannu got only mildly excited, with
an occasional Finnish curse gracing the parking lot.
The great one and I finally figured out that the trunk key also was the key to the door.
Small delay, now to Hualapai Park.
The park which was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps covers 2,300 acres at elevations ranging from 4,984 ft. to 8,417 ft. at the top of Hualapi Peak. The environment in the Hualapais is similar to Prescott National Forrest and the South rim of the Grand Canyon. Vegetation includes Ponderosa pine, pinion, white fur, aspen, gambel oak, and manzanita. The mountains are named for the Hualapai Indians. The name Hualapai means "Pine tree people."
We stayed at one of the rustic rental cabins. These are the best kept secret in Arizona. The cabins rent for $25 to $55 a night and all have showers with stove and kitchen facilities. Most have fireplaces or wood burning stoves and all with wall heaters. This mountain park run by Mojave County parks dept. offers a great alternative to spending a summer weekend in the White Mountains, Flagstaff, Prescott, or the Mogollon Rim.
Saturday evening was spent drinking Steinlagers and watching the stars in the great Arizona sky by the fire built outside our cabin in a pit.
Easter morning we rose early to start up the trail leading to the craggy Hualapai peak. Among Hualapai's attractions are the trail system. They are quite nice.
It was a beautiful morning with some of the bluest sky that I have ever seen. After 4 miles, the last one in snow, and a couple of thousand feet of elevation gain we came to within 200 feet of the summit. The only problem was that there was no trail, only a rock climb with quite a pitch. We tried a couple of routes unsuccessfully but Hannu found
a way that was a little dicey but doable. At the top was a rock with only room for two-perfect! The views are panoramic the only spoiler was a slight haze, probably from Las Vegas. On the way back, Hannu, not satisfied with bagging the highest peak, suggested that we climb another. I said "Lets do it!" but really thought Damn!
So, we climbed to just below the bottom of Aspen Peak at a little over 8,000 feet and again was faced with a pretty good vertical pitch to get to the top. Hannu was not interested in going to the top but I had to pay him back for finding the way up Hualapai, so I led us up a slightly less difficult route.
After coming down I was afraid that he would want to climb yet a third- Hayden Peak,
but to my relief he was more interested in the Amstel light at the end of the trail, so we took the potato patch trail back to the car.
We arrived back in Scottsdale at 4:30P.M. Hannu headed back to his hotel to clean up and would meet us for dinner later. In the mean time Ger and I attended a veinte cinco anniversario for our housekeeper and amiga-Luscilva, at her home. It was a large party with over fifty in attendance, including two other gringos. The music was loud, the food was good. This was really fun and we thoroughly enjoyed a rich cultural experiece, and a big improvement over the corporate social crap I used to do.
We left the party after a couple of hours and met Hannu at Az88. We had a very nice Easter dinner that Hannu graciously treated us to. Gerry had her signature best looking in the world Martini, and Hannu and I treated ourselves to Chimay beer made by trappis monks in Belgium. This is pricey at $14 a bottle but absolutely a unique taste and well worth it! Particularly when Hannu is buying! Highly recommended.
Southern California-Disney Adventure Park
Gerry and I just returned from four great days of fun and adventure in Southern California. The weather was superb! This was El Lobo's first trip back to the city of Angels (or city of water thieves, depending on your point of view) Many love to hate Los Angeles, particularly Northern Californians. Why? Is it jealousy of the weather, beaches, and the movie stars?This mini vacation included:-Disney's brand new California Adventure park-Dining at "Chez Mimi" in Brentwood and "The Lobster" in Santa Monica-Running and relaxing on the beach in Malibu-Touring the UCLA campus, including the legendary Pauley Pavilion -Rolling power blackoutsWe arrived early at the Disney California Adventure park and were quite surprised and delighted to find no crowds or lines. Apparently the park has not yet been drawing. Our first ride was "Soaring over California." This ride is truly wonderful!!!! It is rated a solid, exhilarating 10. On a simulated flight, in an IMAX technology, we soared from Los Angeles to the Golden Gate Bridge, then to Yosemite, then to Tahoe, then Napa then the storied coast. The whole trip was worth it for this one singular experience!! Gerry was a great sport and reluctantly agreed into going on the Grizzly River run, a roaring white water raft adventure. We were both totally soaked when we got out. California Adventure Park is as close as you will get to Grizzlies in California as they were all killed long ago. Reintroduction is being considered.After downing the biggest chocolate cream puff in the world, the sugar rush helped us complete most attractions and adventures. "Its tough to be a Bug" is a humorous, amazing 3D adventure. One of it's stars was the "silent, but deadly" stink bug. This attraction is lots of fun. The California Screamin roller coaster goes from zero to 55 in less than 5 seconds. El Lobo went solo on this one.The park is a true slice of the myth of California and well worth some vacation time. There have been few adventures away from the natural world that El Lobo has enjoyed. California Adventures is one. I absolutely loved it. Ahhhhhh California----------------- The whole state of California thrives and survives by moving water and rearranging the God given hydrology. The economy is richer than all but seven nations in the world, and it grows one third of the table food in the US and none of it within the preexisting natural order. About two-thirds of the state receives under 20" of precipitation a year. Marc Reisner wrote in Cadillac Desert---"California, it fools it's visitors into believing it is lush, is a beautiful fraud"The freeway ride back to the hotel in Bel Air was more California screaming as we survived the aggressive drivers and the slow downs caused by two accidents.On the radio we heard the news that John (Papa) Phillips had passed away and we were saddened. John's haunting melodies propagated the California dream or myth as did the Beach Boys.Mama Cass and John Phillips are gone from this world, but their music and message will last forever.So long John, thanks for the gifts.So what is the real California? Myth, fraud, or dream?I choose DREAM
Aqua Fria Canyon
On Sunday I went on an exploratory trek down Agua Fria Canyon with the Sierra club. Agua Fria was designated a National Monument early in 2000. It is located about 40 miles north of Phoenix and contains two mesas-Perry Mesa and Black Mesa. It is 71,000 acres of semi-desert that includes rich riparian habitat along the Agua Fria River. The Agua Fria headwaters are in Bradshaws, close to Prescott and it flows into Lake Pleasant. This monument contains some of the most prehistoric sites in the Southwest. There are at least 450 prehistoric sites inside the monument. This area suffers from its proximity to the sprawling Phoenix area and has been subject to vandalism. This is one of the monuments that "W" is trying to roll back. This area definitely needs protection. One of our hiking party is taking a Congressman through the area on Wednesday. He has formed, and I have joined "Friends of Agua Fria",an activist group formed to protect the status of the monument. The hiking group was an assortment of people that I have hiked with before with one exception, EARTH CHILD. EARTH CHILD has just moved to Arizona from Michigan seeking spirituality. She attended this hike to make a connection with the spirits.EARTH CHILD did not know about REI or Popular outfitters and showed up dressed in a full length heavy gray robe with leather sandals on her feet. She also was sporting quite a bit of Indian type jewelry. El Lobo wanted to bark at her but suspecting that at some time in her life she may have indulged in smoking marijuana (or peyote) thought she could be dangerous and opted to be friendly and converse with her. Moonbeam, was her name, and she had spent time on Max's farm at Woodstock and also was in San Francisco during the 67 summer of Love. At various times during the hike she would inquire about what would happen and how would she know if she were bitten by a rattlesnake or Gila Monster. Finally after asking for the tenth time I told her that if she was bitten by a Gila monster she would know, because they like the snapping turtles of Michigan don't let go once they bite. She would have to carry the Gila monster with her and have it surgically removed. More on Moonbeam later.Agua Fria is awesome country with spectacular scenery. We boulder hopped down about 4 miles and had lunch at a waterfall. The trip required many river crossings, some almost chest deep due to recent rains. The terrain consisted of box canyons, sandy beaches and jagged cliffs. This would be an excellent hot weather destination as there are many swimming pools along the way. Brilliant displays of wildflowers dotted the country side that included desert phlox, chicory, crownbeard, gilla, larkspur, and buckwheat. The claret cup cactus (also known as strawberry cactus) was in full bloom. We encountered many Monarch butterflies. There were frequent displays of petroglyphs. It was magnificent! I believe that it is every bit as beautiful as the primo Aravaipai Canyon located in the middle of Arizona. Moonbeam was too busy complaining and worried about getting bit to notice the splendid scenery.On the way to lunch Moonbeam fell of the side into the river and required a minor rescue operation. Her coat was thoroughly water logged and now weighed fifty pounds! At lunch, Moonbeam was shivering and we gave her a space blanket to prevent hypothermia. It was quite cool when the sun went behind the clouds.Jim, our leader was very patient with Moonbeam and left early from lunch for a head start and to personally guide her out of peril.When we returned to our cars we found Moonbeam in good condition and eager for her next Arizona outing. When asked how she liked the hike she smiled and slowly said--"Far out"
10/13/2001
Shinimu-Marble Canyon-Grand Canyon
Shinimu Wash-Marble/Grand Canyon - 12 miles-5000’ elevation gain and loss
Our group of five included my son Jake, friends and hiking partners Dan, Lorenzo, and John left around 7:00 Friday evening and stopped in Flag for dinner and libations at the Beaver Street Brewery. Our evening destination was our favorite staging area, the Cameron Trading Post. The Trading Post’s spacious rooms, nice restaurant and beautiful garden courtyard at a reasonable price, keeps us coming back. En route we were delayed over an hour on highway 89 due to a fatal collision involving a Semi. We had earlier discussed the necessary caution of driving this road late on Friday evening due to the frequent level of accidents.
We arrived close to midnight and had to hunt down the Security guard for our room key. The Post closes at 9:00 P.M. We finally hit the rack close to 1:00 A.M.
In the morning we took Navajo road 6120 West at Cedar Ridge for 21 miles to the trailhead. We followed the directions laid out in Steck’s Loop Hikes II and they were right on. Bill Orman’s input also very helpful.
We were on the well used horse trail at 9:15 A.M.
Note: This hike was featured in the September issue of Arizona Highways. The article categorized the route a “tough trek” on an “elusive, little –used trail”. The author of the article wrote that her group had lost the trail countless times and had to build cairns to help find their way back. This group ran out of water halfway to their destination so you can take it from there.
The facts are that this trail is extremely well defined and over cairned, probably due to their distribution. The article’s author could perhaps benefit from some leave no trace education and possibly would be better suited to the main corridor trails.
This is a very easy rim to river route. I know that the difficulty factor is relative to the individual and their respective physical condition, skills, and experience, but this route requires just 5000’ elevation gain/loss with very little exposure.
The route was created by the Bureau of Reclamation’s in the 50s in an attempt to further Dam the Canyon.
Thank God the Sierra Club was able to obtain enough public support to put an early end to the project. Apparently, an urgent full page ad was put in the New York Times appealing for the protection of the Grand Canyon. If you have read Cadillac Desert, you may not be a big fan of the Bureau of Reclamation’s and the Army Corp of Engineers. These two agencies were purported to be in competition and built too many Dams that serve no useful purpose and did not have business case justification.
We hiked about six miles and followed the fence fault down to the River. There is a nice beach area but we opted to camp about twenty five feet above the Colorado. This site is in my all time top five. It provided us with a gorgeous quarter mile river view. We arrived at 1:00 P.M. and decided to set up camp and relax instead of continuing a couple of miles to Vasey’s Paradise. Having seen it from South Canyon there was no burning desire to get another glimpse. We enjoyed watching a private river party pass by late in the afternoon. Clad in their wet suits, the people on the numerous rafts and kayaks were having a great time. They smiled and waved. The sun sparkled brilliantly on the water.
The evening was spent sipping “Jack D” and enjoying the good cigars that Dan brought. Normally, I stay away from alcohol in the Canyon (Phantom Ranch the exception) but we were not real concerned with dehydration. There were a couple of water pockets on the trail. The temperature range was between 40 and 60 degrees, perfect for Canyon Hiking.
On the way out we were amazed to see a very large porcupine on the trail! Dan and John almost walked right into him. The big fella’s quills blended in perfectly with the brush. We were all delighted with this sighting. I never expected to run into a porcupine in the Canyon.
The last mile to the rim was a little challenging as you gain about 1000’.
The atmosphere at the rim was surrealistic. A beautiful, unique assembly of soft clouds in the sky, a snow covered North Rim to the West, and the colorful Vermilion Cliffs to the North plugged us into a feeling. We broke out the Sierra Nevada’s that Lorenzo brought and cranked up John’s CD player with “While my guitar gently weeps”. Toasts were made all around, hoisted in the direction of the heavens “to George Harrison.”
We again stopped at the Beaver Street Brewery for dinner and libations and got back to Scottsdale close to 7:00 P.M.
Overall this trip is rated a 9.7. It would have been a solid 10 if not for the over kill of cairns and the weak Arizona Highways article. Thanks to John for driving, and the time shared with my son and the group.
The Popular--- Men Behaving Badly Section
-John and EL Lobo not eating and drinking things at the Beaver Street Brewery that their stomachs and upper intestines could break down. Their stench and volume nearly killed the other three members of the group on the hike down. In addition, they both tried to blame each offensive ugly incident on the other. They both had the nerve to shout “Jeez” when the other did it!
-Famous Quote by John: “ I am humbly honored to now have hiked where Steve Yahner, Master Canyoneer, has not gone. In fact, Steve and El Lobo could not even find this trailhead last year. I am now at the advanced level! Wait until I tell my Dad! Steve told him I was a beginner.”
-Famous quote by Dan. “I have hiked in tougher terrain in the San Gabriels! You are not S*&T, John!
-El Lobo brought Bud Lights but drank the Pale Ales and left the Bud Lights for John.
Our group of five included my son Jake, friends and hiking partners Dan, Lorenzo, and John left around 7:00 Friday evening and stopped in Flag for dinner and libations at the Beaver Street Brewery. Our evening destination was our favorite staging area, the Cameron Trading Post. The Trading Post’s spacious rooms, nice restaurant and beautiful garden courtyard at a reasonable price, keeps us coming back. En route we were delayed over an hour on highway 89 due to a fatal collision involving a Semi. We had earlier discussed the necessary caution of driving this road late on Friday evening due to the frequent level of accidents.
We arrived close to midnight and had to hunt down the Security guard for our room key. The Post closes at 9:00 P.M. We finally hit the rack close to 1:00 A.M.
In the morning we took Navajo road 6120 West at Cedar Ridge for 21 miles to the trailhead. We followed the directions laid out in Steck’s Loop Hikes II and they were right on. Bill Orman’s input also very helpful.
We were on the well used horse trail at 9:15 A.M.
Note: This hike was featured in the September issue of Arizona Highways. The article categorized the route a “tough trek” on an “elusive, little –used trail”. The author of the article wrote that her group had lost the trail countless times and had to build cairns to help find their way back. This group ran out of water halfway to their destination so you can take it from there.
The facts are that this trail is extremely well defined and over cairned, probably due to their distribution. The article’s author could perhaps benefit from some leave no trace education and possibly would be better suited to the main corridor trails.
This is a very easy rim to river route. I know that the difficulty factor is relative to the individual and their respective physical condition, skills, and experience, but this route requires just 5000’ elevation gain/loss with very little exposure.
The route was created by the Bureau of Reclamation’s in the 50s in an attempt to further Dam the Canyon.
Thank God the Sierra Club was able to obtain enough public support to put an early end to the project. Apparently, an urgent full page ad was put in the New York Times appealing for the protection of the Grand Canyon. If you have read Cadillac Desert, you may not be a big fan of the Bureau of Reclamation’s and the Army Corp of Engineers. These two agencies were purported to be in competition and built too many Dams that serve no useful purpose and did not have business case justification.
We hiked about six miles and followed the fence fault down to the River. There is a nice beach area but we opted to camp about twenty five feet above the Colorado. This site is in my all time top five. It provided us with a gorgeous quarter mile river view. We arrived at 1:00 P.M. and decided to set up camp and relax instead of continuing a couple of miles to Vasey’s Paradise. Having seen it from South Canyon there was no burning desire to get another glimpse. We enjoyed watching a private river party pass by late in the afternoon. Clad in their wet suits, the people on the numerous rafts and kayaks were having a great time. They smiled and waved. The sun sparkled brilliantly on the water.
The evening was spent sipping “Jack D” and enjoying the good cigars that Dan brought. Normally, I stay away from alcohol in the Canyon (Phantom Ranch the exception) but we were not real concerned with dehydration. There were a couple of water pockets on the trail. The temperature range was between 40 and 60 degrees, perfect for Canyon Hiking.
On the way out we were amazed to see a very large porcupine on the trail! Dan and John almost walked right into him. The big fella’s quills blended in perfectly with the brush. We were all delighted with this sighting. I never expected to run into a porcupine in the Canyon.
The last mile to the rim was a little challenging as you gain about 1000’.
The atmosphere at the rim was surrealistic. A beautiful, unique assembly of soft clouds in the sky, a snow covered North Rim to the West, and the colorful Vermilion Cliffs to the North plugged us into a feeling. We broke out the Sierra Nevada’s that Lorenzo brought and cranked up John’s CD player with “While my guitar gently weeps”. Toasts were made all around, hoisted in the direction of the heavens “to George Harrison.”
We again stopped at the Beaver Street Brewery for dinner and libations and got back to Scottsdale close to 7:00 P.M.
Overall this trip is rated a 9.7. It would have been a solid 10 if not for the over kill of cairns and the weak Arizona Highways article. Thanks to John for driving, and the time shared with my son and the group.
The Popular--- Men Behaving Badly Section
-John and EL Lobo not eating and drinking things at the Beaver Street Brewery that their stomachs and upper intestines could break down. Their stench and volume nearly killed the other three members of the group on the hike down. In addition, they both tried to blame each offensive ugly incident on the other. They both had the nerve to shout “Jeez” when the other did it!
-Famous Quote by John: “ I am humbly honored to now have hiked where Steve Yahner, Master Canyoneer, has not gone. In fact, Steve and El Lobo could not even find this trailhead last year. I am now at the advanced level! Wait until I tell my Dad! Steve told him I was a beginner.”
-Famous quote by Dan. “I have hiked in tougher terrain in the San Gabriels! You are not S*&T, John!
-El Lobo brought Bud Lights but drank the Pale Ales and left the Bud Lights for John.
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