The ground out at Clear Creek was what I expected, not stake-friendly. And my tent requires stakes, 6 of them to stand up. But there were rocks aplenty. So that was what I used. Rocks and my bear line. But since I don't want to cut my bear line, that requires me to go from point to point making ties that aren't cut. Somehow it worked and my tent was standing...all night. The night out at Clear Creek wasn't without it's excitement. I'm used to having to keep my food away from mice, chipmonks, groundhogs, and bears. That's why we hang our food in the east. When we checked in at the Back Country Office for the GC, they said ravens are the worst offender and hanging your food is like making an offering to them. They will peck it clean.
They said the best thing to do was keep it in your tent with you. You've got to be kidding! Rule #1: Don't put your food in your tent. Oh, well, the rangers know best. NOT. I was asleep when I heard scampering around my head. Thinking it was outside my tent, I opened my eyes. "Oh, god! A rat's in my tent!" Well, it looked like a rat when it was inches from my eyes! Yup, a mouse. And he had a treat. And he wanted out. I opened the door and watched him try to find how he had gotten in. It took a few moments and me moving away from the doorway before he scampered out with his treasure. I checked the mesh and couldn't find any holes so he must have gotten in when I had the door strapped open to let in the cool evening breezes. And then I must have zipped him in. Okay, guys. I'm not sleeping with my food. The last time I had my pack in my tent was on the Appalachian Trail when a mouse woke me sitting on my lips. That's not happening again. Were hanging this food. Now I've forgotten what the ranger lady had said about ravens and can only think about getting my food hung from the mice. Roger had brought picture wire just for this job. Let's give it a try. Worked like a charm, or at least looked like it would. By morning we had our proof. Our food was fine and I slept alone, thank goodness this time.
As usual, the guys were up before first light. I always tried to stay in the sack a while longer because I knew I'd just be waiting for them now or later...and I love to stay in bed. Once ready to move, we had to hike out of this canyon, and we knew it wasn't going to be an easy hike. Loose shale, straight up. Let's get it over with. Not as bad as I thought. One foot after the other. Like most things in life, yes? For whatever reason going back is always faster than coming out. Perhaps it's because you recognize the landmarks. And the timing was exactly the same as the on the way out. I counted the "hollers" or mountain curves we had to go in and out of all the way back to where the other guys quit. Fifteen of them, I think. No wonder we were getting discouraged last night thinking this hike would never end.
The canyon looks different when you hike it at different times of day and come at it from another direction. We were now seeing it in morning light on the way back and saw many things that we hadn't seen before. Different rock formations. Different flowers. Different canyons. But the sight was always awe-inspiring.
We got back to Bright Angel Campgroud by 1 pm I think and I stopped at the Phantom Ranch canteen for a lemonade with ICE in it! What a treat. Not much ice in the GC. Took a photo of the thermometer as I passed by and it read 98 degrees. I thought it was a bit warm! The rest of our crew had gotten back at 8:30 am and picked a campsite...one much bigger than our first, blessed be. It was a jigsaw puzzle putting 6 tents on our first site here. Now rest, and talk, and walk, and wander. Lazy, easy afternoons after the hiking's done. And napping.
When we rejoined the other half of our group we found out that Bill's hipbelt buckle had broken and that Edge had improvised a way of keeping Bill and his pack together: tie the buckle closed with a boot lace. Of course, that required tying and untying Bill into and out of his pack every time he wanted to take it off...for a rest, for a pee, for whatever. But since we had a few more days of our hike, what other option did we have?
And that evening we went back to hear Ranger Matt talk about condors this time. If anyone can make a nature talk interesting, it's this guy! What a ham! So we learned about the near extinction, removal, then reintroduction of the condors into the GC. He even demonstrated the distinct, unrecognizable differences between an eagle and a condor soaring above....nothing:^) I get my giggles watching everyone think they need lights to walk back to their abodes. If they'd only turn them off, they'd find out they can see better by the light of the moon. I had to wait until all the cyclops left the area so I could see unaffected by headlights. What a peaceful night deep in the canyon, the walls reaching up high on either side of me. I sat for a moment on a bench by the creek just soaking up the quiet, the spirituality, the ancient memories. I wish I had language to capture the deep emotions I often feel. And this is one of those moments.
Ranger nights we stay up later than usual, but the guys were up before dawn. And off we headed to Cottonwood Campground, halfway up the North Rim at 6 am. It's always about
beating the heat in the canyon. We only had temps in the 90's, mostly low 90's and that was about 15 degrees below normal. How lucky was that? Pretty darn lucky, I say! This day's hike was wandering mostly along the Bright Angel Canyon as it winds its way north. Often it seemed we should be coming the end of the canyon and around a bend and it kept going.
The highlight of the day was getting to Ribbon Falls. We chose hiking the trail instead of going over the bridge and it gave us a chance to do some creek wading. The cool water was refreshing to our overheated bodies. And then the falls! What an unbelievable sight. The water pours down from above and hits a large multi-story thumb shaped rock thats covered in moss. The photo hardly does it justice.
The creek that formed from the base rolled down over the rocks making a delightful bathtub in which to cool off. Stay or go?
The campsites get taken up quickly and we get left with too small a site for so many tents. Better get going.
Cottonwood campground is a wide spot on the trail. There's a ranger's house there, but she's not around. There's a 4 door outhouse and pumped in drinking water, and sites, mostly without shade. Arrgghhh! We find a small one with a tiny bit of shade at this early afternoon hour and we move the picnic table into the shade. The site for 7 or more campers is open, but the ranger's not around to ask if we could take that. So being the law-abiding citizens that we are, we don't. Edge and I decide that this is a great place to sleep tentless, or cowboy camp. I don't want to think about the scorpions I've been told scurry around at night...so I don't. What a beautiful night sky with more stars than I think I've ever seen at once. This is my favorite way to sleep. Truly out under the stars.
The hardest climb of the hike is going to be the last day. It's going to take quite awhile to get up to the north rim. Longer for some of us, so we decide to get as early a start as possible. 5 am. We shot for it, but ended up breaking camp at 5:30 and many others were already on the trail. Now we're climbing out of Bright Angel Canyon. Up and up and up...all day. And it's getting hotter and hotter. Today for the first time, the clouds don't come rolling in later in the morning. No reprieve. We've broken up in to three groups and I'm in a group all by myself. Which is okay with me. I'm ready for solitude. I put my iPod on and start grooving to my tunes. But I get so emotional seeing these awesome views, hearing tearjerking music, and feeling tired but happy from the strenuous climbing...I start to cry. Oh, no, some people are coming down the trail. Don't want them to see the tears. They'll think I'm crying because the hike is too hard. I'm crying because I'm happy and sad all at the same time. Happy because look where I am! Happy because I'm with wonderful new friends. Happy because I'm hiking. Sad because my life is in an upheaval. Sad because I don't know where I'm going. Sad because even though I have friends, I'm all alone, disconnected, afloat.
Oh, no, mule tracks, mule poop, mule pee! What a mess they make of the trail. Up and up, from shade spot to shade spot. Rest, then hike on. Up and up. Is that the reflection of a car I see? I think it is! Is that the top? I'm out! Yippeee! What a fabulous hike!
I'm so glad our new friends, Chris and Aaron, will be giving us a ride to the campground up here. The sign says 1/2 mile, but it's more like a mile and 1/2. Liars! And here they have huge campsites, but limit the tents to 3. Go figure! Must be a different bureaucratic office than the one that manages the campgrounds in the canyon. And the lodge with gift shops, restaurants, etc. is another mile away with no shuttle. The North Rim is not a hiker friendly place in my estimation. You need a car up here. Oh well, we'll manage, and we do.
Almost missed a highlight up here, Bright Angel Point. Luckily Chris said it was one of the top views of his hike, so Edge and I checked it out. This narrow, white rocked ridge line reaches out into the canyon with incredible views on each side of this peninsula about 1/4 mile long. It definitely got my vertigo riled up, but I wouldn't have missed it. We were able to see the Bright Angel Canyon and where we hiked out the last 2 days.
Getting home from the North Rim is not an easy trip. Four and 1/2 hour bus trip to the South Rim, 2 hour car ride to Flagstaff, two and 1/2 hour car ride to Phoenix, one hour shuttle ride to the airport, and 7 hour flight home. Whew!
And now I'm resting up for Iowa and RAGBRAI.
Step Lightly, Bag Lady
