The Grand Canyon "Rim To Rim" Part 3 (Hiking In)

Trail head,  North Kaibab Trail...4 am

It felt like I had slept for about 5 minutes, when one of my brothers gives me the “shoulder shake” to wake me up.  I had last checked my watch at about 1:25 am, hoping I would fall asleep....it was now 3:30 am.  2 hours of sleep?   Ridiculous!

I splash some water on my face to shock myself into consciousness. I get dressed, gather my pack, brush my teeth and about this time I hear Dennis emit a sound that was between a shriek and a yell!  Seems our little chipmunk friend had taken up residence overnight in one of Dennis' shoes!   I had to laugh as I haven't put “unchecked” shoes on in the morning since my Army days.

Dennis is pissed. In general, Dennis is either happy or pissed. Right now...he is pissed.  Patrick?  He cant stop laughing!

Dennis tries throwing the shoe up in the air a bit, hoping when it lands, the little Chipmunk will scamper off.   Nope.  Still in the shoe.  He throws it higher...nope.... Seems a bit odd, as they are pretty skittish normally.  After about 5 more minutes of creative “shoe shaking”, Dennis pronounces the little Chipmunk deceased.   It appears the little creature literally curled up and died in his shoe!?

It is sad, and I am initially puzzled by the whole episode?!  However...we have a van to catch!!

We meet our driver and he drops us off at the trail head, which is pitch black.   There is a group of 4 ladies heading out right in front of us, and we decide to give them 10-15 minutes space before we start down the trail.

A short time later, we turn on our respective headlamp/flashlights and head down the trail.  While we make our way down the trail, I am struck by the sound of the steady wind rushing through the Aspen trees.  The sound is probably more pronounced given my sense of hearing is much better at this point, than my inability to see.  (Beyond the light cast by my headlamp)

We can see the trail immediately in front of ourselves, but not much more and it isn't long before we are walking steeply downhill.   I often find myself having to carefully look for my next foot placement as I encounter scattered steps cut into the trail and a less than even surface with each downward step.   We also discover that there are also plenty of rather sizable mule droppings to be avoided!

We continue down the steep, winding trail for about an hour or so, until the black, starlit sky, turns navy blue, allowing just enough light to give an immediate view of our surroundings.  As we move down into the Canyon, the sound of the wind gives way to the sound of a bird that I have never heard before!  I never catch sight of the bird, but I tried to capture its unique, morning greeting.

Bird Song

By this time, it is obvious to Patrick and I, that this steep descent is going to wreak havoc on our less than perfect knees.   I feel like “being careful” slows down the pace a bit, not that you can move that quickly down this stretch of trail anyway.  Whatever.  We round a corner, and find our first water point and a restroom at the “Supai Tunnel”.  The ladies that left before us, are just moving out. 

 We take in some water, replace what we have drank so far and are on our way.  We take the requisite photo of the Supai Tunnel and move on.  It was a nice 15 minute or so rest and we will not hit another water point until we hit the “Roaring Springs” Pump House checkpoint some 3 miles in front of us.

At this point we can see into the Canyon and see the floor.   It is still a long way down and the depth of this Canyon is starting to sink in with me.  We try to take a few photos, but it is virtually impossible to get a wide enough photo to do justice to the view we are able to take in with our eyes.  We stop at a point that looks directly across to a sheer wall about ¼ mile in height. I think it is a suitable place to check out the echo effect of the Canyon!  We yell a few things and hear the resulting 4 or 5 echoes.  Doing this is something I don't think any of us outgrow!  Dennis comments that the ladies ahead and below us are probably concerned about the idiots behind them!

We are making good time and after the first 4 miles or so, the downhill grade loses some of its steep angle.   It makes for a more comfortable walk/hike and before you know it we are nearing the Roaring Springs Pump House area.   It is still a ways off, and we can see the water gushing out of the Canyon wall/floor and hear the power of this Spring that literally provides water for the entire trail complex!.

We are able to see the trail and a foot bridge below us and I spot the 4 ladies that left before us.  They are about half a mile or so in front of us and probably 300 feet or so below us.  We cross the bridge and a half mile or so later, and shortly thereafter we are treated to a dramatic view.  

The trail is literally cut into and along the edge of the canyon walls for a good distance and makes for a hell of a view both down and across the canyon!

Look close, you can see the 4 ladies on the trail next to the cliff!

Some more downhill....and a couple miles later, we find ourselves at the Roaring Springs Rest House.  We greet the 4 ladies that are finishing up their break and learn that they are hiking the Rim To Rim as part of an annual Breast Cancer Awareness event that one of the gals started a couple years prior.  We chat for a minute or two and they depart as we water up and use the very new, clean restroom that is on site.  It is a very nice little Rest House/area, and I feel like I should have looked around a bit more, but we were focused on making decent time along the trail.

   The sun peeks over the top of a nearby cliff and it is starting to heat up a bit and while it is only a mile and a half to the next rest stop at Cottonwood Campground, it seems to take us a bit longer than I expected.   The downhill of this day's hike has started to take a toll on the old knee's and it shows a bit in our pace.

 When we arrive at the Cottonwood Campground, the heat of the day is upon us!  I do not remember the time, but at this point it is hot.  We take a break and get some water and make our way out towards Ribbon Falls.   Wearing a wide brimmed hat really helped keep the sun from baking one's face, but it became obvious that the heat would be a factor when it came to energy levels and pace etc.  My arms would be wet from sweating from this point on, which is OK, as I use that as an "indicator" of sorts.  If one is sweating in this heat, everything is working...if one stops obviously sweating...uh oh...means you are well into Heat Exhaustion. 

 

By the time we hit the Ribbon Falls it was about 95 degree's or so. (Likely hotter, but that is what I remember seeing when I checked)   Just after we arrived here, the 4 ladies were just exiting the trail that led down to the Falls.  We say hello again as they comment on how pretty the Falls were, as they headed back out on the main trail.

Our pace had started to slow down over the past mile or so and when Dennis said he was going to head down the ¼ mile trail to the Falls, Pat and I told him to enjoy the Falls...and we would wait for him to get back!  I figured that there would be significantly less water flow at the end of July, making for a less than spectacular view and I wanted to save the energy.

15 minutes later, as Pat and I sat in the sun...Dennis returned.   He appeared less tired than either of us in general, and we asked him if it was worth the ½ mile round trip.  He said, “nope”!  Oh well!

We headed out again and by this time the heat down in the Canyon was intense.  We were walking slower and the drain on one's energy was significant and unexpected.   The up side of being in the Canyon was that we had lost almost a miles worth of elevation, giving us more air to breathe.  A mile or so later, we found a small outcropping that provided a tiny bit of shade, so we took a break and drank some water. I commented on how it sure seemed like it was hotter than 95 degrees!  I discovered I had cell service as a few text messages from friends asking for updates had popped up on my cell phone.  I decided to reply to one of the texts, with a short video. ( I will try to edit out the bad language/convert the video and include it here later)

The cell service thing reminds me....I found myself using my cell phone camera almost exclusively at this point.  I had brought along my DSLR and a small tripod, thinking I could get the best quality pics possible by using the DSLR.  My energy level was such, that I simply did not want to stop, get the DSLR out of the pack and then shoot a pic or two and put it back!  I would discover that my cell phone cam was simply much too convenient to opt for the hassle of the DSLR.  I think all of the pics on this posting are cell phone cam pics!  I digress!

A mile or so on, we came to a spot where there was significant shade created by a large outcropping above the trail.  Under the outcropping were a guy and a gal, stripped down and wet from a recent dip into the nearby river/stream that ran along the trail.  We decided to break here and allowed ourselves quite a bit of time to dip our feet into the water, wet our shirts and relax in the welcome shade!

It was about this time, I think, that I sadly realized that I might not have picked up every Ibuprofen tablet the night prior...possibly contributing to the demise of our little Chipmunk friend:( Made me a bit sad, but I also couldn’t help but think that the Chipmunk could have eaten any number of things, from a dozen cabins, and just ended up in Dennis' shoe as a coincidence! Yep, I am going with that....and yeah, randomly popped into my head on the trail, thus randomly shared here!  I digress...again!

This stop was the last rest point for us before we would enter”The Box”.  The “Box” is described as a canyon with high, reddish walls in an area that gets direct sunlight from about 10 am until 4 pm.  It is HIGHLY recommended to avoid hiking this part of the trail during those hours as people have been seriously affected by heat exhaustion/stroke and have even died due to the “convection effect” of the sun heating the canyon walls and amplifying the heat along this stretch of trail.

The couple that was resting there asked us if we were going to head into the “Box”?  They went on to say that they were going to wait it out in the shade until after 4 or 5pm and then complete the hike to the Phantom Ranch.  Now, I know Pat and I were thinking...”that is not a bad idea”!  On the other hand, Dennis had made 3 reservations for a steak dinner at the Phantom ranch, at 5 pm.  I think it was about 2 pm in the afternoon at this point...and I knew that Dennis would NEVER forgo the dinner reservations!

In my mind I also thought, “the four gals in front of us had definitely hiked thru the Box...so ehhhh”!  We said goodbye to the couple and headed into the “Box”!   The heat in this part of the trail had to be experienced to be believed!  I mean it was HOT!  The heat slowed our pace a bit as it seemed to extract energy from you, even though the trail was pretty much level at this point!   I am not certain, but I think it took us about two hours to finish the last 2 - 2/12 miles...given the breaks we would take when we found shade.  I could not remember enduring this kind of heat...ever.

 In "The Box"

When we stumbled into the outskirts of the Phantom Ranch compound, we were elated!  15 miles, and the last 5 to 6 miles in the hottest part of the day...it kicked my ass!  We had taken 10'ish hours to get to the Phantom Ranch, but this included a few longer than needed breaks, photo stops, sound recordings and the like.  All in all, not a bad day, but a very tiring one!

We checked out the bunk house we would be staying in, marveled at the A/C...and claimed our bunks.   I could have called it a day right there (Pat actually fell asleep in about 30 seconds) but I needed a shower and wanted to change out of my sweaty stuff.  After we all showered, we headed out into the compound and looked around a bit.   I had experienced some “toes getting jammed into” the front of my boots on the steepest downhill portion of the trail, and this caused a little discomfort as we walked around. ( yes I tied my laces tight/know about keeping my feet from sliding forward etc...don’t lecture me!)  The steepness of the trail likely does this to some extent to everyone, so I just kept it to myself.

We went into the Canteen and got a couple of cold drinks...with ice!!!   I cant tell you how good the iced tea and lemonade tasted...or maybe it was just that it was ice cold!  We went back to our bunks as we had about an hour to wait for dinner. I think I dozed off for about 45 minutes...

We readied ourselves for dinner and half walked, half limped over to the Canteen, where we waited for it to open back up for dinner.   We spoke with a Park Ranger while we waited and described the heat we experienced while trekking thru the “Box”.  I told her it sure felt hotter than the 95 degrees reported on the Weather Channel site I had consulted when I had cell service.  She laughed...and told us, “those numbers indicate the temps on the Rims”!   She went on to tell us, “when you hiked thru the “Box”, it would have been 30-35 degrees hotter...about 120+ degrees”.

My first thought was, I KNEW IT WAS HOTTER THAN 95!!!!!!  Then I was glad I hadn’t known, as it might have played havoc with my mind!!  Whatever!  The doors opened to the Canteen and in we went. We were served a fantastic steak dinner with all the fixins.  The steaks were huge...I would guess 24 oz steaks or more...and I had no problem finishing my steak!

Check out the water info on the board, for the South Kaibab Trail

We chatted with the people at our table and everyone shared where they were from etc. We were entertained and informed about the Phantom Ranch the very nice and knowledgeable employee that had also single handedly served all 40 of the guests dinner!  A few things I remembered were: 1. Hiking this trail was not “a race”...enjoy it, take your time...there is no trophy waiting for the person that finishes first!  2.   Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING at the Phantom Ranch, is brought in by mule or horse...and the trash is hauled out the same way!  It is difficult to describe the quaint, rugged beauty of the Phantom Ranch with words.  It is truly something one must experience in person....it is a unique and amazing place...an oasis deep in a Canyon that itself is both beautiful and foreboding.

After dinner, we said hello yet again to the 4 ladies we had shadowed along the trail that day.  They had opted to enjoy the steak dinner as we had.  Seems they had finished their hike less than an hour in front of us and had endured the same heat in the “Box”. (Those are some tough ladies!)   We introduced ourselves and after some talking learned that they were from....of all places...Michigan!?  Talk about a small world!   After a bit more talking, the world got smaller...turns out that one of the gals actually teaches at the same school that Pat's daughter attends!!  Now what are the odds of that happening!!????

Wendy, Tammy, Sharon and Karen  (The 4 ladies!)

I told them that I would be writing a blog post about this little adventure and I provided them with the name of the blog, should they want to check it out.  They told us they were staying at the Phantom Ranch the following day, and giving themselves a rest day. (Smart ladies!)  We said our good nights and headed off to our bunk house.  Dennis wanted to walk a bit to see the Colorado River, but even he was too tired to make the ½ mile trek!

We decided that we would want to start an hour earlier than we had planned for, to get a head start on the sun rising the next day.  So, it was decided that we would head out at 3 am....that meant getting up at 2:30 am.....uggghhhhhhhhh...when an I going to get some sleep!   We had all been operating on about 2-4 hours of sleep the last two nights! I half laughed to myself, and half cried! Haha

I reviewed a few of the cell phone cam pics I had taken, stuck my earplugs in (yep, more snoring men...bring earplugs if you do this!) and tried to get to sleep.  For some reason, I just couldn’t get to sleep!  Trust me, I was plenty tired, I just ended up laying there while everyone else around me slept and snored.   I think I faded about 11:30....yep, 3 hours of sleep! Ridiculous!

Tomorrow would come in the blink of an eye!

The Grand Canyon "Rim To Rim" Part 2 (Getting There)

  
We wake up early as the sun rises over the Nevada Desert...earlier than I prefer!  I probably got about 4 hours of sleep, but I figure I can sleep a bit in the car as we drive to the Grand Canyon's South Rim.  Pat grabs some coffee, and we throw our gear into the Toyota Camry rental car and head out.

We will be stopping briefly at the Hoover Dam, prior to making the 4+ hour drive to the Canyon.   It is way too early for me to eat anything so I gulp down some water and it isn't long before we are driving into the Hoover Dam complex.  It is about 6 am at this point and we are the only car/people I see!  We park and take a walk to the Dam, where we look down at the enormous mass of concrete from above....the same look millions of others have and will take...as we stand next to the warnings painted on the cement next to us.

We spend about a half an hour, walking the roadway along the Dam and taking in the bridge that had just begun to be built during my last visit! (2010?)  As the sun crests the distant hills, we feel the obvious heat of the sun and we make our way back to the shelter of our air conditioned car!

 We hit the road, settling in for a long and relatively boring (geographically speaking) drive.  Dennis is driving so Pat and I are free to sleep, but we end up talking about family stuff...inquiries about things one of us may know about, family legends...and general catching up as it has been some time since we were together.

We do the typical fuel stops and grab travel food....Doritos, water, Granola Bars, Oreo Cookies...the usual. It isn't long before we close in on the Grand Canyon.  It is a bit strange because when you get near the entrance of the Grand Canyon, you don't see it.   It is not like a large body of water that you catch a glimpse of as you approach, or a mountain range that rises above ground level...easily seen in the distance.  It shouldn't be surprising since it is a "Canyon", ie...below ground level, but it is interesting in that you just expect to see something!

We wait in line for a bit, pay our fees and find the South Rim Visitors Center and Lodge. We check-in for our Shuttle that will take us to the North Rim and allow us to leave the Rental Car, so we can complete the hike North to South and start back to Vegas.

I walk out to the wall, where again, millions of visitors before me have stood in awe of the Grand view before them.  It is the first look at what we will be traversing and the scale of the hike now becomes more "real".  I hold up my cell phone and take a couple snapshots, hoping to capture some sense of the size/scale of the Grand Canyon.   It is so cliche' and so "beneath me" to photograph such a spectacular view with a mere cell phone camera!   OK, I am typical...one of the masses...I have joined the flock of sheeple!

First look at the Grand Canyon from the South Rim (Cell Cam Pic)

I figure that we will be back at the South Rim and I will have ample opportunity to capture some images using the DSLR I brought along for the hike both during the hike, as well as after the hike when we are back at the South Rim, hopefully enjoying a good dinner!

We grab a quick lunch...hot dogs and the like and we are soon boarding our air conditioned, 11 person van/shuttle.  We will be the only passengers, so plenty of room!  I figured I might be able to relax and get some sleep to make up for the general lack of sleep we have all experienced...I figured wrong.

It seems our driver, nice as he was, had aspirations of racing in the Indy 500!  He drove the large and rather cumbersome white van like it was a modern sports car!  Dennis looked back over his shoulder at me more than a couple times as we hurtled uncomfortably close to the edge of the winding asphalt , sometimes just inches from some 100-300 ft drop offs!  It was all I could do to resist the urge to say, "um...we are not in a hurry"!

We drove thru the Navajo lands that border the Grand Canyon and we passed homes and shops along the way.  I think about how sturdy and determined the Navajo people are to thrive in such a rugged and harsh environment.

4 hours later (30 minutes ahead of schedule) we arrive at the North Rim Village.  We thanked our driver (more for not killing us, than getting us there ahead of schedule!) and arranged for him to pick us up at 3:30 am the next morning, to drive us to the trail head some mile or so down the road.

We checked in/got the keys to our cabin for the night, claimed our respective bunks and then went to the nearby snack shop and grabbed some sandwiches for dinner.  

 

 We found a table on the patio overlooking the North Rim and settled in for a simple dinner as we enjoyed the view!

 

We were once again looking out over the expansive Canyon, but this time looking across and toward the South Rim, where we had had lunch just 4 hours earlier!  The sun was getting lower in the sky and we watched as the shadows in the Canyon steadily climbed upwards along the tall towering mesas.

It wasn't long before darkness fell and we retired to our cabin for the night. We we had decided to begin our hike at 3:30 am, to get some miles in before the Canyon heated up with the Arizona sunrise. 

 

Just before we were about to turn the lights out, Dennis is startled by a tiny, fast moving creature darting past him!  We figured it might have been a mouse...but soon discover it is a Chipmunk, likely looking for some free trail-mix or something!  It is amusing, but at the same time, none of us want to be awakened by a critter crawling over us in the middle of the night!

 We decided to secure our packs in the bathroom, as it was without holes in the floor and the door shut tight, unlike the cabin room we were sleeping in.  I also secured my hiking shoes in the bathroom, remembering a few times where a scorpion, spider, or snake had surprised me on some dark mornings in the distant past! (Think Army days)

We all agreed our little friend was welcome and we settled into what were verrrry comfortable and welcome bunks!

I had been dutifully taking ibuprofen for several days and as I dumped several pills into my hand, I dropped a couple on the floor.   I was careful to recover the dropped pills, as I observed our little friend lying comfortably on the couch across from my bunk.  I downed my "too many" pills and stuck my earplugs in to avoid the snoring of my brothers, who had already fallen asleep/begun snoring!

As I lay there thinking, like I always do, (I should be sleeping...ugh!) I couldn't  help but think that 24 hours prior, I had been in Tacoma!  Now here I am, 4 hours from starting the hike into/across, the Grand Canyon. 

Crazy.

The Grand Canyon "Rim To Rim" Part 1 (From Dream to Reality)

About a year ago, I received a phone call from my youngest brother, Dennis.  Since he lives back home in Michigan and doesn't often call, I never quite know what to expect when it comes to the subject/purpose of the call.

After some "how are things?" chit chat, he asks if i would be interested in hiking the Grand Canyon.  Specifically, a 25 mile hike from one rim of the Canyon, down to the floor of the Canyon, across and back up the other rim...appropriately called, the "Rim To Rim".

I would learn that he has imagined completing this hike for years and had decided to quit thinking about it and simply do it this year.  His plan was to get a reservation at the "Phantom Ranch", that serves as a midway point and an overnight rest stop for the hike, allowing us to use a bunk house so we wouldn't have to hike in any tents or camping gear.  The problem with this, is that it is a VERY exclusive place given its remote location and the limited space it offers to hikers.

The Phantom Ranch is unique enough to require its own Blog post, but I will briefly touch on it.  It is a small group of buildings, set up near the Colorado River and the Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  It is completely supplied by mule/horses...read that again...because if it is man made and its there, (or needs to go out) it is accomplished by mule or horses.  The compound has a couple of "male and female only" bunk houses...approximately 20 bunks total,  (10 per bunk house) and a small Canteen which serves as general store, meeting place and dining room.  There are also several cabins within the compound that can be reserved as well.  The bunk houses have running water, a shower, a bathroom and are air conditioned.  There just aren't many bunks to be had, thus...the exclusivity!

I digress...

Dennis tells me that he called in, every day, for God knows how many weeks/months, hoping to simply get a cancellation at the Phantom Ranch because when they come open for reservations at the beginning of the year, they are usually sold out for the hiking season...within a few hours!  Long story short, he said that the last time he called in, he was told that there was a cancellation that had just posted.  He said, "I will take it!" not even initially inquiring as to when it was.

He said that a group had apparently cancelled and he reserved three bunks and three "steak dinners" at the Phantom Ranch, for one night, in late July.  He said he thought it would be a great trip and thought it would be even better if all three of the brothers (myself, Dennis and Pat) could do it together.

The trip would require 4-5 days, as we would fly into Vegas, then drive to the Grand Canyon to do the hike, followed by a return trip to Vegas to fly back home.  We talked for a bit, and I could tell the trip/hike was important to him.  I told him I would give it serious consideration, see about time off and the like, and get back to him in a few days.  In the meantime, he was going to ask Patrick about it.

Now, I have done some hiking, backpacking and road marching in days gone by...some of which were quite difficult/challenging.  Most of the difficult stuff was when I was in my 20's and 30's, and long before my Right knee needed to be replaced!

I had spoken to Dennis' wife about this hike and she confirmed that this was something that Dennis REALLY wanted to do.  She said that he was going to go, whether it was alone or with Patrick and myself!
 
I talked it over with my wife and a couple days later, I told Dennis I was "in solid".  Not long after, I made the round trip plane reservations that would set my commitment in stone. I didn't have to do much else, as Dennis had made the Hotel reservations in Vegas, the Shuttle reservation at the Grand Canyon and the Car Rental to get us there.  It was just a matter of splitting up costs.

After committing to the trip, I realized that the hike would present a few unique challenges that would combine to make the hike more difficult than the distance alone might suggest.

First, the reservation at the Phantom Ranch was for the 22nd of July.  In Arizona, July is well....HOT!  Not normal hot, Arizona desert 100-110 degrees hot!

Second, elevation.  Our hike would start at the North Rim which is above 8,000 ft, take us down 5,000+ ft and then back up almost another 5,000 ft.  It would present a challenge for us "sea level" dwellers for sure. 

Lastly, at least for me, was the poor condition of my R knee.  I know, I know, everyone has a "bad knee".  I hear it all the time too.  My situation is this:  In 1978...yeah I am old...I suffered a football injury that resulted in a knee surgery that removed all of the cartilage on the inside (medial) half of my right knee.  This is not to be confused with modern, arthroscopic surgery that removes a tiny portion, or trims a small piece of cartilage off and leaves you walking out of the Doctors Office a couple of hours later.  (Had that done last year to my L knee...no biggie)

I have had no cartilage between the bony surfaces on the inside half of my knee for almost 40 years.  Short story made shorter, I beat it up pretty bad in the Army with all the running, marching, jumping out of planes and the like and it endured a lot of abuse.  It was always just a matter of time before it would need to be completely replaced.  My Orthopedic Surgeon said it needed to be replaced about 10 years ago.  (then said I was too young and would have to wait?!)

 Looking at the knee from behind

So, I went to my Orthopedic Surgeon and told him what I had planned for July.  He laughed and said, "the good news is, you cant possibly make it worse"!  He recommended I get some Ibuprofen into my system before/during the hike, gave me a Cortisone Injection and said, "Enjoy the hike"!  Thanks Doc.

Sometime later, I learn that my brother Patrick, after some time, has committed to the trip.  In his case, there was concern about his being able to get the time off from his job.  There was also the peer pressure of knowing his "oldest" brother had committed to making the trip!  He almost HAD to go!  On a side note, his L knee is at least as bad as my R knee, but... he is equally stubborn, so Rim To Rim it is!

Ultimately, I think the idea of taking this on as three brothers encouraged each of us to really make an effort to make it work.  It would be the first thing we would undertake together as brothers, since I took them to get fast food while on leave from the Army back in the 80's!

Once committed, I began to consider how best to prepare.  Equipment-wise, I had what I needed...a Geigerrig 700 hydration pack that would also contain spare clothes, a flexible tripod and DSLR, and some "Lara Bars".

Physically?  Well, I knew we would be descending from the North Rim and ascending the South Rim.  This meant a steep downhill for at least 4-5 miles of the first days hike of 14 miles.  What this meant for me was: 
1.  Take a BUNCH of Ibuprofen prior to/during the hike.  (Sorry liver and kidneys..its just a few    days!)
2.  Strengthen my legs, specifically my quads and the structure supporting my knee.
3.  It's gonna hurt.  Steep downhills are hard on knees, healthy or not.

I began a regimen of cycling (stationary/recumbent) on a daily basis.  Not an easy, or pleasant 20 min ride daily...rather a serious, focused program to build muscle/strengthen my legs.  While I was at it, I added a Total Gym workout and stuck with the program for 6 months.  My "hill profiles" got steeper and I got stronger.

 
I chose cycling as it is the best "bang for the buck", given walking and/or running would tear up my knee.  I chose not to do some hard day hikes at altitude in the Cascade Mountains, just prior to the trip, as I did not want to injure or screw something up and not make the trip.  Laziness played a part too!  The workout regimen worked well.  I improved my strength, put some muscle on my legs and my cardio improved dramatically.

I knew there would be no "training" for/acclimating to, the expected 100-115 degree temperatures.  Just have to "suck it up".  I also figured the loss in elevation might be a blessing on day 1, and a curse on day 2.  Which reminds me...we had to do this hike in 2 days vs the preferred 3 days, because we were only able to get a bunk for one night at the Phantom Ranch.  Many hikers take a "rest day" at the Ranch, prior to heading up the South Rim.

The day comes...to board a plane and head to Vegas.  My brother Dennis had booked a show, "Love",  (Think Cirque Show set to Beatles music) for 7:30 that evening.  I would be arriving about noon or so.  Driving to the airport, I get a text from Alaska Airlines.  My flight had been cancelled and I was put on a flight for 9:35 that would get me into Vegas at midnight!  Ridiculous.

Long story short, we drive home and after an angry Sandi calls Alaska Airlines a couple times, I am able to rush to the airport and catch a 5:20 flight, (with about 40 minutes notice) getting me into Vegas just about 7:30.  Dennis is able to swap tickets for a 9:30 show and avoid completely screwing the night up.  My plane takes off from Seattle and it's not long before I look out the window and take the obligatory Mt Rainier photo, from above it's towering summit.

Mt Rainier

The plane ride is uneventful and the landing unusually smooth for Las Vegas!?  I disembark and walk past the slot machines that clutter the Airport, making my way to the cab stand. 

 A short cab ride later and i am at the Mirage and meeting my brothers.  It is a typically stoic reunion, as no one in my family gets excited when it comes to seeing each other...even if it were after 25 years and surviving an Earthquake and the Plague.  God forbid anyone show emotion...That's just us.

We sit down to dinner at a Brazilian Steak House and catch up while enjoying some amazing food!  We decide to get an early start in the morning, so we can run by the Hoover Dam, as Pat has never seen it.  Then it is just a matter of the long drive to the Grand Canyon, so we can make our shuttle check-in before 1:00.  We finish dinner and head to the show.  

 

 We enjoy a pretty impressive Cirque style show, and are taken back in time as the show chronicles the Beatles and the worlds events, as they move forward from WW2.  Particularly good from my perspective, is the sound system and music...loud, but crystal clear and with perfect mid-range that really highlights the vocals!  It's like John, Paul, George and Ringo are right there singing into a mic! 

 

"Pre Show" as there are no cams allowed once the show begins

Its about midnight when we make a short drive from the Mirage to the Excalibur Hotel, where we will stay the night.  (We will come back and stay at the Mirage once we complete the hike)  We take in  some of the Vegas Strip along the way!

 I call dibs on the bed that is right next to the A/C, as I like the cold air literally blowing on me as I sleep!  A bit of small talk and its lights out.

Tomorrow will prove to be a long day.

100 Years

I like this song enough to have practiced playing it on the piano for several years now.  I intended on playing/recording it, and giving the recording (just the music, no words) to my daughter for her 15th birthday as a sort of message...to enjoy her youth and all the discovery it brings.  Frankly, I just never felt I was able to play it as perfectly as I wanted.  Funny thing is...she has heard me playing/practicing it a thousand times!

Years ago, I watched a very good movie that dealt with extreme hardship and the hope of escaping that hardship and confinement, to finally live...to live in a way that recognizes and values freedom and to consciously appreciate the time we have on this earth...and the people in our lives.  One of the lines from that movie (The Shawshank Redemption) was, "Get busy living, or get busy dying".  I have reminded myself of that particular line many times since hearing it.

This song reminds me, in a similar way...to live.  When I hear this song, I hear much of my life being sung about...youth, love, a family, crisis...and most of it is past tense.

It is a sweet tune...speaking to years passing in the blink of an eye, and of a finite life.  I am reminded that we will always remember "15"... but we can never go back.  It encourages me to value all of the years of my life and to live in the moment...and cherish the experiences and people that I encounter on the way to my..."100 years".

Have a listen.

100 Years




 

A Bit Of Magic!

Several years ago, while on a Cruise to Alaska, my wife, daughter and I attended a Magic show.

I have always LOVED magic!  I still watch in awe as Illusionists and Magicians make things disappear, tell me what card I am thinking of, and otherwise outmaneuver my ability to reason and logically analyze things!

On this occasion, we had the pleasure of watching World Champion Magician, Shawn Farquhar, perform an original and truly wonderful card trick set to a beautiful song by Sting.  I knew and loved this lesser known song of Sting's before seeing this act, and it brings a "touching" and romantic feel to this Card Magic.  This has been imitated and "re-done" by others since, but the experience...and the look of wonder in my daughter's eyes will forever cause me to fondly recall this performance.

Prior to his unique "sleight of hand" performance you can hear him say, "It's my favorite...

It is mine as well.  Enjoy.

Shape Of My Heart


 

A Whiter Shade Of Pale

 
The English rock group, Procol Harum, recorded this song in 1967.  The groups name?  It came from the Pedigreed (think formal/fancy) name of a friend's Burmese cat.  Yep, really!

This was an unusual song, with a structure reminiscent of Baroque Music and was based on J.S. Bach's Orchestral Suite #3 in D Major.  Matthew Fisher plays the Hammond Organ and once heard, this song is hard to forget for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost is the haunting Organ Riff that opens and sustains the song.  It isnt often a rock song is based on a Bach classic!  It is instantly recognizable and combines with the rather "simple" drums and unique voice of Gary Brooker, to make the song a "one of a kind".  Second...and no less unique, are the cryptic lyrics that one struggles to make sense of!

The song Hit #1 in the UK as well as Australia, making it to #5 here in the USA.

The song is presented here in it's "Electronically Enhanced For Stereo" album version.  The original was a mono recording and this Album was produced in a manner that tried (Not very successfully) to take advantage of the rather "new" technology of "Stereo Recording".  I recorded it straight off the 1967 Album using my vintage turntable!    Check it out.

A Whiter Shade Of Pale

DSLR Astrophotograph: Orion

After watching a few episodes of "The Universe" on Netflix a few days ago, I decided to lug my telescope downstairs and take a look at the night sky, something I have neglected for some time.  I realized that I missed the quiet, cold nights...my eye "wandering" among the familiar constellations and planets.

I had a quick look at Jupiter and realized that the "seeing" conditions weren't all that great.  I swung the scope around to the constellation Orion and took a look at a few of the stars, as well as the Orion Nebula under the left side of Orion's Belt.  I could make out the four stars of the "Trapezium" within the blurry, gas cloud that makes up the nebula. 

I called it a night and before I went inside, I took another look at Orion.  It is such a large and easily recognizable constellation...it literally dominates the winter sky!  I decided that the next night, I would dust off my Astrophotography skills and grab a decent shot of Orion.

Tonight, I went outside a bit after 8 PM and spent about 15 minutes capturing the necessary "Light Frames", "Dark Frames" etc., (Technical mumbo jumbo...it is not hard to do) that would combine to produce the finished photo of Orion.  After some "stacking" and processing, the photo below was the result.  You can even see the reddish star "Betelgeuse" (pronounced Beetle Juice) at the top left shoulder of Orion!  

 Constellation Orion:  Canon XS, 17-135mm, F5.6, eight 5 sec exposures stacked

 Next time you are outside on a clear night, Take a look up and to the south/southwest and see if you can spot the mighty Orion!