Sunday, August 31 - Day 22

Very hot, high 90's all day, and strong crosswinds made the trip more demanding than I needed.  Not much to see today, but we did take a side trip into Tucumcari to see the Route 66 motel, The Blue Swallow, that Malcolm and I had stayed in five years ago (it was July 4 and the owner put on a fireworks display for his guests - but no cannon crackers - "us Vietnam Vets don't like them things").

It's still going strong - "every room refrigerated" - but there are dozens of old motels, gas stations and other businesses that are slowly turning to dust.  The new Interstate was the death knell for a lot of towns along Route 66.

This building was across the street.  Lots of 50's cars sitting around and I saw an auto recycling business that looked like it hadn't changed for 50 years.

The only other attraction that we saw was the Cadillac Ranch, but there are no signs telling you when to take an off ramp and rather than retracing our steps we carried on.  The photo which follows was taken on my trip with Malcolm.

Tonight we're in Tulsa,Oklahoma.  Tomorrow we see the St. Louis Arch.

Saturday, August 30- Trip day 21.

As we started our trip home we still had some neat things to see.  First on the list - Meteor Crater, which is not too far east of Flagstaff.

Somewhere around 50,000 years ago (early in my childhood) a 150 foot wide meteor crashed into the Arizona desert at about 26,000 miles per hour (they didn't have kilometres back then).  It created this hole, which is over 4,000 feet across and was about 700 feet deep originally (now just over 500 feet deep, it hasn't been swept out recently).

It obliterated the landscape for miles around and threw up a debris field around the hole.

Apollo astronauts did some of their early training in the crater.

At the bottom of the crater are the remains of mines where a fortune was lost looking for the vapourized meteorite.  Some pieces were found in the debris field however, and one about a cubic metre was located two miles away.

Next up, we had to make a pilgrimage to Route 66, specifically the Standing On A Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona.

It took a few minutes but we located the brick that Roger had paid to have placed in the forecourt of the park.

And we had lunch across the street in a vintage diner.

Then we were off once again to see the Petrified Forest.

There are acres of petrified wood, and more is being exposed as the surrounding hills continue to erode.

They also have an exhibit of dinosaur skeletons which have been excavated in this area.

The one in the green shirt is actually the grandson of a dinosaur.

The same park contains the area called The Painted Desert.  Hills like these are where the trees have been hiding since they fell in a swamp and were mineralized over time.

We stopped for the night in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Final Push

For the first time on the trip we started hiking when we had planned...at 5 a.m. with headlamps for the first half hour.  Then morning light took over.  Our target is somewhere near those two lights you see at the top.

Looks challenging!

The view below is from our first stop at Three Mile House (three miles left to go).  After one and a half hours I'm soaking with sweat and we're not out in the sun yet!  Temperature is supposedly in the low 70's..........but who can you trust anymore?

We have breakfast at Three Mile House and then press on.

Are we there yet?

We pass our first mules on the trip (they pass us, as per guideline).

It's a lot more satisfying to look back on what you have accomplished, than to contemplate what's left to do!

OK. Just get up Heartbreak Hill and you've got it made!  We're at about 6,000 feet at this point.

Ryan said there were two tunnels......must be getting close.

One more look back.  Three days ago, we started six miles past where you can see up the canyon opposite. Plateau Point is in the middle of the picture - you can see the trail to the point.  Indian Gardens Campground is in the oasis of cottonwood trees in lower centre...that's where we started at 5 a.m.

And we made it!  It's 10:15 a.m.  Just five hours of pain.  Thanks Ryan!  Not too many pictures of Ewen today........Ryan had turned us loose after Three Mile House and the scamp probably beat me to the top by about 20 minutes.

We earned our badge! Although it says "21 miles", with the side trips we made we're closer to 28.

Interestingly, when you reach the top there's a sort of letdown - now what?  The next morning when Ewen and I were enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the hotel dining room and looking out at the pine forest I suddenly felt like I was on vacation.  I realized that I had been on a mission till then.  Mission accomplished!

More to come.....

Plateau Point

Ryan is taking us out on the plateau to have dinner and watch the sunset.  A mile and half each way - thank goodness it's mostly flat ("flat" is a flexible word in the Grand Canyon, as is "mile" and "just around the corner".  The Trompers would understand - it's like "just one more hill").

Nevertheless, it's a walk that's certainly worthwhile!

For those who aren't aware, the matching shirts that Ewen and I are wearing were bought for Malcolm and I after our North Rim hike five years ago.  They have a picture of a slot canyon similar to the one in Jumpup Canyon.  Since Malcolm is now about 6 foot 3 it no longer fits, he kindly let Ewen wear the shirt on this trip. Thanks Malcolm.

In the picture below, Ryan is in the kitchen cooking our delicious salmon pasta dinner.  He is not quite as precarious as it appears - there is a narrow ledge below the rim - but it's not a place I would spend a lot of time on!

It was well worth the trip!

We returned to camp after dark by the light of our headlamps.  A perfect end to the day.

Tomorrow, the steep climb to the rim.

Grand Canyon - Day Three - August 28, 2014

OK, so let's recap.  We have hiked downhill for 15 miles, the first mile in rain, the rest on sometimes muddy trails.  Add a mile or two for the Ribbon Falls detour.  But the temperature has been moderate - just reaching the mid 80's so far.  Our altitude change has been 5,800 feet, more than a mile down.  Knees are shot, other parts hurting, but Ewen is wondering what all the fuss is about.

When I tried to book the trip, Discovery Treks, the company that had taken Malcolm and I on our Jump-up Canyon  hike, refused to take anyone under 16 on a Rim To Rim.  Wildland Trekking agreed (which made me a bit nervous) but followed up with us on our training schedule and were much more professional in their approach.  It turned out as I expected - Ewen had no problems at all and was chafing at the bit to get going when people were dawdling.

So, we're up at 4:30 a.m. and pack in the dark.  We intended to be on the trail by 6 a.m., but the ladies needed to do whatever ladies do so we left at 6:30.  As we leave Bright Angel Campground we begin what will be the toughest two days.

After walking about a half mile we reach the Silver Bridge we will be crossing.

And we cross it.  The bridge was built to carry the water pipe that you can see below.  Tourism went along for the ride.

Our view from the bridge.

And the climb began.

In the picture below, you can see the section of our trail called "The Devil's Corkscrew".  It involved about a 1,000 foot climb in about a mile.  Temperature in the 90's.

This is the colour and tempo that spring-fed streams should have.

We approach our camp-site at Indian Gardens Campground.

The Havasupai lived in this oasis for 800 years until the National Park Service kicked them out.  It is a very beautiful and peaceful place.

Our planned arrival here was for 10 a.m.  Our actual time was 11 a.m.  We hide out in the shade or soak our feet in the creek.  Ewen and I played cards for a while.

Our home for the day.  The backpacks are hung up to prevent ground squirrels, skunks and mice from getting into them (although the Ring-Tailed Cats - a racoon relative - get up there quite easily as we saw one morning before daybreak. Nelson had four snack packs in a net pocket on his backpack and we saw the Ring-Tailed Cats take off with them).  At each camp-site the food must be stored in ammo cans that are provided. Otherwise you lose it.  You may be able to make them out by the picnic table.

Despite our aching bones, we will be hiking out to Plateau Point for dinner, a round trip of three miles.  That will be our next story.

Ribbon Falls

The heavy rains have made the trails slippery and the creeks overflowing with muddy water, but in the afternoon we decide it's safe to make a sidetrip to Ribbon Falls.  It will require fording three creeks before we are able to rejoin the main trail.

Ryan took each one's backpack and sacrificed his body so we could safely cross.

Everyone made it safely, although I slipped and ended up with muddy knees (picture not available - camera around my neck).

But, it was definitely worth it!

You can go inside the conical rock as Ryan is doing..........

Or, walk up and behind it, as Ewen did.

Meal time.

Kitchen

And dining room.

The meal was a tomato, avocado, bacon wrap.  Ewen had seconds.

Our original expected time of arrival at camp was 12 p.m., then 2 p.m.  We reached Phantom Ranch at 4:30 pm., and after Nelson, Mary and Liz took a half hour to freshen up there we got to our campsite at Bright Angel Campground at 5:15 p.m.

We walked another quarter  mile and dipped our feet in the Colorado River.

With the water at 47 degrees Fahrenheit I didn't want to sacrifice any more of my body!  We're downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and the water is released from the deeper part of Lake Powell, thus the cold temperature.

And so ended hiking day two.