YIZI GO This is a portable camp chair made by Trekology. Who knew
that I needed a camp chair? According to the hike guidelines it is nearly a
necessity, listed in fourth place, right after tent. They must have anticipated
my skepticism because they also listed their reasons, “Canyon surfaces are
invariably hot, cold or uncomfortable to sit on”. Okay.
So, I dutifully went online and spent four hours reading
reviews and looking at camp chairs. What a job!
Do I want it to be light enough to carry for miles, or do I
want it to be strong enough not to break when I sit on it? If I believe
reviews, it’s one or the other, not both.
My chair, here it is.
I decided on the YIZI GO. Do you know why? Yes, so I would have a pretty cool subject for the letter Y. No kidding. It also turned out to be a good buy and I feel favored in my choice. I put it together a couple of times and once I learned how, it wasn’t as hard as the reviews indicated. I sat in it and it was comfortable. It has adjustable legs so it can be a little higher than some, and yet it is lighter than quite a few of the models. I like that it has a little pocket, a carry sack, and a ground tarp (had to order this extra) so the legs don’t sink into the dirt.
There are so many interesting pieces of equipment that are tempting to buy. I have a hard time getting out of stores that sell camp equipment without getting something. But this was the only one that had a really useful name. We all have our reasons… just sayin’.
Do you ever wonder why you are drawn to adventure? Even if
you only like to read about adventure, discovery, exciting lives and times,
have you stopped to think about why those stories are appealing? Why do we have
bucket lists? Why do we purposely choose some challenges and count them worth the
pain they may cause? Why do I want to sleep on the ground for five nights, hike
20 miles up and down a distance greater than four Empire State Buildings, in
uncertain weather with only what I can stuff into one duffel bag, and do all
this with 7 strangers who might snore even worse than I do? Why?
My thinking – it’s because we are made in the image of an adventurous God. Big plans, big ideas, a view of existence so broad and all encompassing that we can’t begin to understand it, all that starts with him. It’s mystery and we are made to be curious and to seek it out.
The Grand Canyon is a project on a scale bigger than we can
imagine, yet the processes that formed it were designed and patiently overseen. Colin Fletcher in “The Man Who Walked Through
Time” was trying to wrap his mind around the length of time represented by the
Grand Canyon – millions of years. He had
this to say, and I quite agree.
“Most of us, when we first think deeply about such time spans, tend to draw back in fear from their brink, just as we tend at first to draw back in fear from the brink of anything so immense as Grand Canyon. But it is worth remembering, I think, that some element of fear probably lies at the root of every substantial challenge. And it makes no difference at all whether the challenge is to your mind or to your body, or whether – with richer promise than either, alone – it embraces both.”
The Man Who Walked Through Time, p. 4 by Colin Fletcher
That fear thing! I will admit to being drawn to things that are capable of frightening me. Isn’t that the essence of challenge? I am habitually choosing challenges, small, large, and in between, because I want to know if I can prepare well enough, mentally and physically. The prospect of seeing and experiencing wonderful things that I would otherwise miss pulls me into adventure.
My adventure is somewhat ridiculous when compared to Colin
Fletcher’s goal of walking the Grand Canyon from one end of the park to the
other, but another quote from him resonated strongly with me.
“I looked east and west, as far as my eyes could strain, until cliff and terrace tapered way into hazy distances. It was mysterious and terrible – and beckoning. And some time during the afternoon, as I sat on the rink of this strange new world, it came to me that if a route existed, I would walk from one end of the Canyon to the other. Once the idea had crystallized, no hideously sensible doubts reared up to plague me. And I did not need such fragile props as “reasons”. The only question I asked myself was whether the project would turn out to e physically possible. Perhaps it is in this kind of simple certainty that most of the world’s ridiculous and wonderful dreams are born.”
The Man Who Walked Through Time, p. 6 by Colin Fletcher
Hmm… I know what he means by “hideously sensible doubts” and from time to time they may plague me. But sometimes, like with this Grand Canyon thing, a challenge just comes to me, from out of nowhere, and if it’s physically possible to do it, I don’t need reasons. Just sayin’…
It seems I am unable to come up with any U word that has
relevance to my Grand Canyon adventure, other than unable. I was complaining
about this to my brother and sister in law tonight while we were walking around
the wetlands, enjoying 60 degree weather and the sights and sounds of
spring. They felt obligated to help me
out with these suggestions:
Underwear (not sure I need to write about that…)
Ugly (that would be why I’m not writing about my underwear)
Underwire (not even in my underwear vocabulary)
Under (appropriately broad topic…)
Useful (but I think I’ve covered all the useful gear already, or plan to)
Since I only have a
few hours of April 24th left, I’m just going to combine all the
above in a very short post.
Yes, I’m taking UNDERWEAR, serviceable, comfortable but
possible UGLY underwear, which rules out anything UNDERWIRE. In my single person
tent, UNDER my sleeping bag, I will have a USEFUL sleeping pad. I’ve never had
a good night’s sleep on it but it insulates and is better than nothing. I also
went to the thrift shop today and found a light weight, long handle spoon which
will be very USEFUL.
And the last things I will say about this adventure is that it is a bit UNUSUAL but not UNPLANNED. Here is a picture of some of my USEFUL gear.
Top to bottom: Plastic bin to hold my gear, sleeping pad (compressible foam but also can be inflated) Camelback water pack and mess kit, my tent, Naljean water jar, down sleeping bag.
We are on the homestretch of the A to Z this week with only eight letters to go. As in hiking, this final stretch is going to be challenging since I no longer have posts written ahead and am getting tired (and would rather enjoy spring outside than do writing inside). It feels like uphill all the way…
The South Kaibab Trail is the one my hike will start on –
they call it a corridor trail, meaning that it is one of two or three that is
regularly patrolled and maintained. It is part of the Arizona Trail system
going all the way from Mexico to Utah.
After our first day of having our gear checked over and learning about the area we will walk through, I’m guessing we will meet early at Bright Angel Lodge and take the first shuttle bus of the day to the trailhead. It’s a ways away from Grand Canyon Village and there is no parking there for private vehicles. We will start our descent of 4,700 feet over the next seven miles. We will meet mules and other hikers on the trail. There are a couple restrooms on the way, but no water sources until we reach the bottom of the canyon. About the only shade will be from the canyon walls. The grade will be as steep as 22% at the final section and there will be many switchbacks. Doesn’t that sound like fun? But wait, it’s worth it.
There just aren’t a lot of ways to go down these amazing
cliffs. The South Kaibab was supposedly
built to foil Cameron who had started charging $1 per person to use the Bright
Angel Trail. It is steeper and shorter but has some of the most amazing views
available.
One of them is .9 miles on the way and is called
Ooh-Aah Point, because that is what most people say when they get there. I’m
going to try to say something more original. It’s a good distance for a casual day
hike.
Next is Cedar Ridge at 1.5 miles, another good
point for day hikers to turn around.
Followed by Skeleton Point at 3 miles, where
there is reportedly a 360 degree view of the canyon, and the first view of the
river.
Followed by Tip Off at 4.6 miles where the
steepest section of switchbacks starts, taking us down to the Black Suspension
Bridge, Bright Angel Camp and Phantom Ranch.
Although it is described as knee jarring, it is all downhill,
right? I think I can do it.
Yes, it really is a word. It is the name of a dish consisting of pieces of seasoned meat. However, it has nothing to do with the Grand Canyon. I’m hoping the alphabet police won’t notice I’m going off theme.
I could only come up with one Q word having something to do with the canyon and that was quartz. I didn’t even want to try to make quartz an interesting subject, although I’m sure some would be able to do that. So instead I chose qabab, which interestingly, is kind of like the Grand Canyon word Kaibab – that’s my excuse. There’s not a lot to tell about qabab either, except that it is more commonly spelled kebab. Shish kebab. We all know what that is and have probably enjoyed those seasoned pieces of meat roasted on skewers with vegetables stuck between them.
What I would really enjoy writing this post about is this A
to Z exercise of researching my coming adventure. It has been so helpful to me, as I learn
ahead of time about the things I will be seeing and experiencing.
In some ways, it has dispelled the fear of the new and
unknown. I have looked at the details of the trails I’ll be walking. The
history of the buildings, the inhabitants of the area, the development and
tourism aspects, the geography – all of it is a bit familiar now. I’ve thought through all the travel
arrangements and rehearsed mentally what each day will be like. Some of it may
turn out differently, but I at least know one way it could turn out.
The only unusual and unexpected result from my posts has
been comments from friends and relatives who are now worried about me going on
this hike. I am having to explain why I
would want to do such a thing. The husband looks at me and says “you’re not 25
anymore, you know”. It’s like people are
thinking I’m going to run my wheelchair off the edge of the trail. I’m not going to start having second thoughts
about this – that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
And as long as my Q word is unrelated to the Grand Canyon hike, I thought I’d post a couple pics also unrelated to the Grand Canyon. They are from my first extended hike on the AT with four lovely young women. Now that was an adventure. The first one was taken by the gentleman who gave us a ride to our starting point (we hiked back the 30 plus miles to our car). Our packs were so heavy, and we were so “green”. I’m sure he thought we would never make it. But we did.
Julie, Maura, me Esther, KimMe in my dork costume.
The countdown has started, 24 days to go… I CAN’T WAIT. Well, I can, but you know what I mean. Just sayin’…
Phantom Ranch is an exclusive place that I have been hearing about for years and have always wanted to visit. Exclusive it is, because there is a quota on how many people can get reservations there or in the campground in a season. There are no other places to stay in the canyon, except for hikers who have back country permits to pitch a tent elsewhere. There is a lottery reservation system and it has a 13 month advance timing. If you are randomly chosen and your requested dates fit open accommodations, you get to stay. If not, you start over. This one of the reasons why only 1% of the millions of visitors to the canyon in a year will get to stay at Phantom Ranch.
The ranch is at the bottom of the canyon at the intersection of the Bright Angel Trail, the Kaibab Trail North and South, and the Colorado River. The buildings were designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter (what happens when your parents can’t decide what to name you) and built in the early days of tourism to the canyon. They are really beautiful stone and timber buildings that almost disappear into the surroundings. When the designs were approved the plan was to name the buildings Roosevelt Chalets but Ms. Colter said “not if you want to use my design”. She had already named it Phantom Ranch and that’s what it stayed. The rich and famous rode mules down the trail and stayed there, sometimes for weeks. There are cabins housing from 2 to 10 people, and 2 dormitories for males and 2 dormitories for females. Dorms have five bunk beds each and a common shower and restroom.
Meals are served at the Ranch by reservation also. They are rather expensive but that is understandable when you realize that almost everything that comes and goes to the ranch has to do it by mule. Breakfast goes for about $24 and the early seating is at 5:30 am. If you like to sleep in you can catch the late seating at 6:30 am (hmm…). My food will be carried in my pack to the campground by mule so I have no reservations for a meal at the canteen, but I may stop in to buy a postcard or a drink while I’m there.
Bright Angel Campground where I will be tenting for two nights is only a short walk from Phantom Ranch. On this “in between” day we will be doing some day hiking along the river and some side canyons. I’ve heard this is supposed to keep us from getting stiff and sore before the hike back up to the rim again. We’ll see.
Oh, what shall I wear (that doesn’t make me look like a
dork)?
I have photos of all my most memorable hikes. Most of them
were taken by me so I am not in them (before selfies) but the ones I am in are
always a little embarrassing. Some people look really cool when they’re hiking
(and that is SO important) but me, not so much. I just don’t look like I know
what I’m doing.
This hike might be different, although I’m not going to bet
on it. I’ve had time to prepare and get some real hiking clothes. I justify it
more on the practical side so I don’t appear totally vain and superficial. The
right hiking clothes do make a difference in comfort, and I have listened to
people talk about comfort a lot.
I’ve already shown you about the weather extremes that are possible in May (in post E) so you know that layering on top is going to be important. I also value things that breathe, dry quickly, and are stretchy to allow me to move. I love pants with good pockets, that will not look dirty even if I wear them all three days, and are somewhat water resistant. With these things in mind here is my list.
2 short sleeve T shirts
1 long sleeve T shirt
1 fleece pullover
1 rain jacket (which I might leave behind if the forecast is for no rain)
1 pair convertible pants/shorts
1 pair long pants
Socks and underwear
Brimmed hat and bandanna
Warm hat and gloves
I already wrote about my hiking boots and socks, but I’ll also take along a pair of lightweight camp shoes to give my boots a rest at night.
Actually, I am going to look like a dork on this hike too,
because I found this awesome hat that I can also wear all summer in Wisconsin.
It will keep the giant mosquitoes and deer flies off my head because it has a
bug net that I can lower for ultimate protection.
Front and back selfie – my awesome bug hat.
Another useful purchase for this hike was a set of gaiters.
These attach to my boots and come up to my knee to keep my pants and legs clean
and dry, and keep debris out of my boots. They are easy to put on and
comfortable to wear. I’ve already tried them out – they are good in the snow,
an added bonus.
Gaiters
So, what do you think? Am I ready? (ready to look “not cool” in this year’s pictures too?)
Eating is a part of hiking that has always interested me. (Actually, isn’t eating a part of almost everything, and what’s not to like about that?) It is challenging to plan for a time when physical demands on the body are great and food is… well, scarce. On this hike, we will have to pack our meals and snacks for three days, carry fuel and gear to cook the food, and make sure we leave no packaging behind. Some of the food needs to be accessible on the trail as we walk. And, of course, we need to carry enough water for drinking as well as cooking. Here’s our plan.
My brother has some “rations”, dried meals, that he wants to use for the nights when we will be in camp. These will be simple, just add hot water and stir, meals that are designed to be high in calories and electrolytes. We know we will be hungrier than usual and the recommendation is to increase our calorie intake by half – 3,000 calories per day at least. Other than these two evening meals I don’t plan to have to heat anything – that will mean less fuel to carry and less time spent cooking.
Dried or dehydrated meals are really great because they are
light. Our guidelines say our food for
the day should only weigh between 1 and 1.5 pounds. If it’s heavier than that,
it isn’t the right food.
The noon meals while hiking will be short stops, so I want
to take tuna or chicken in foil packs, and some kind of cracker. We will also
be snacking on trail mix, nuts, Kind bars, and dried fruit. I tend to like
salty foods rather than sweet while hiking because I know I need the
electrolytes. Sodium is especially important to avoid dehydration (see my D
post for more on that). Another way I’m going to watch my electrolyte balance
is by putting powder Gatorade or similar drink mix in my water. The flavor helps me drink more of it too.
Jumbo bag to be split up into zip-locks and carried for snacks on the go.
Other than the foil packs for the dried meals and the
tuna/chicken meals, I want to repackage my snacks in zip-locks so I don’t have
wrappers to dispose of. I can use the zip-locks to hold whatever trash I do
have to haul out.
Our food guidelines included a few other tips such as:
Include some spicy sauces to add to bland foods
like rice or instant dried beans
Hot cereals are great for breakfast if you have
time to boil water
Dry instant milk, dried meat like turkey or beef
jerky are other dehydrated foods that work well
Granola gives some crunchy variety to breakfast
or snacks
Avoid anything in a can – heavy and you have to
carry it out too
Avoid fresh fruit that will get bruised, or
affected by the heat
Just thinking about all this dried stuff makes me hungry and
thirsty for fresh vegetables and fruit and something cold to drink. And that
brings me to the final part of the hiking experience that I look forward to –
the meal after the return to civilization.
Deprivation heightens appreciation, just sayin’…
I’ve mentioned already that this hike, sponsored by the Grand Canyon Association Field Institute, is titled “Take a Load Off: Mule Assisted Camping 0514”. My brother was being thoughtful of me and his wife, thinking that we would be better off having assistance from some friendly mules. The mules have agreed to carry a duffel bag for each of us which will lighten our load considerably.
On our first day we will meet at about 10 am to have our equipment checked over by our guide, and then our tenting equipment, some of our food and clothing – basically anything we don’t need on the descent – will be packed in the bag allowed us. I think our mule train will start that afternoon. I’m guessing they will go down the Bright Angel Trail, cross the Colorado on the Black Bridge and stay the night at Phantom Ranch (see this pic of mules crossing scary bridge). Almost everything that goes to Phantom Ranch goes by mule, including supplies for the canteen meals and goods sold in the store. Duffel transport is a common expense for hikers, especially ones going up who don’t want all that stuff on their own backs.
A lot of people ride the mules to Phantom Ranch too but the
park video says the people getting off the mules are just as tired and sore as
the ones who hiked the trail. Excuse me for laughing, haha. When you don’t ride
for hours at a time as a regular thing, that is exactly what happens.
Our hike guidelines give specific instructions to hikers who
might happen to meet a mule train on the trail. We are to back up against the
uphill side of the trail and wait quietly until the last mule has passed and is
at least 50 feet away. Although the mules are well trained and mostly stick to
business, if they are harassed or startled it can result in an accident. It is
a real shame when a mule is lost off the trail, as you can imagine. And worse
yet if a hiker falls, which is why we are given the uphill side. Lucky us.
Mules have a real history in the Canyon. An old children’s book which I read to my children years ago was “Brighty of the Grand Canyon”. It was kind of a history lesson of the prospecting days, when miners traveled the canyon looking for gold, with a mule carrying their provisions. Brighty, the mule, is the star of the book – kind of the Black Beauty of the mule world. A great book about the canyon, and not just for kids. I loved it. Earlier this month a reader reminded me of this story that she had also read and loved. I’m not sure but I think Brighty might have been a burro (small donkey), which is different from a mule, but close enough for these purposes.
The little corral at Phantom Ranch looks just the same as it
did when first constructed in the 1920’s. I’m hoping to hang out there a little
and talk to some of the handlers because I’m curious about where the mules come
from and how they are trained. I know they are very reliable and sure footed,
which makes them a good fit for terrain in the canyon.
Although I haven’t taken this Grand Canyon hike yet, I have
had to figure out how to get there. I did this quite some time ago to make sure
that my reservations were in place. For
me, the hike itself was quite an investment and I didn’t want to risk not being
there at the right time.
Driving by land is an obvious good choice. My brother and
his wife who live about three hours from me, in Wisconsin, are driving and have
room in their vehicle for all our equipment.
I am flying out and meeting them before the hike and will be traveling
light. Since there are many great places to visit between Wisconsin and
Arizona, including many national parks, my brother will be taking his time and
may do some other shorter hikes on the way.
Flying into the Grand Canyon area usually means going to one
of the nearby cities with an airport – Flagstaff, Phoenix or Las Vegas.
Although there is a small airport in Grand Canyon Village, service there
is limited to private and charter
flights. From the cities, car rental is the advisable travel means. My
brother’s approach will be from the east which meant that Flagstaff was the
most logical choice for me. It is, more or less, on his way to the canyon. We
will meet in Flagstaff and drive to Grand Canyon Village the day before our
trip starts.
Did I make it easy enough to see where the cities with airports are?
Our first day of the hike requires us to be present at 10
am, so we have arranged lodging in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim within
the National Park. It is a small village and has limited year-round lodging.
There are a dozen or more hotels including Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar Hotel,
Kachina Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, the Motor Lodge and Yavapai Lodge. These
hotels have been hosting visitors since the park became a tourist destination
and several of them are quite famous. El Tovar is right on the Rim and built
like a European castle! Lodging is also
available on the North Rim and at Phantom Ranch inside the canyon, which I will
mention in a future post.
My brother was able to get a hotel room, but I was not.
Instead, I have reservations at Mather Campground in Grand Canyon Village. I
will be tenting the night of our arrival, the first night of the hike before
the descent, the two nights at Phantom Ranch, and the night after we return to
the South Rim. Hopefully, I can survive five nights of sleeping on the ground.
My airport nearest my home is 240 miles away in Minneapolis
so I have transportation complications on that end as well. I will probably
travel there the night before the flight and do a park and fly stay at a motel.
Living in the wild of northern Wisconsin has its aggravations…
There is so much more that I could say about getting to the various destinations in the Grand Canyon. I didn’t even mention much about the North Rim or the West Rim. It’s a big place.
I Just Have to Say... 