Saturday, April 2, 2011

the G.C. and hiking...

When you hike the Grand Canyon, choose a trail, any old trail will do and take along, if you will, a CamelBak. What is a camelbak (?) you ask....Well, let me tell you. A camelbak is a lovely little lifesaver. It is a pack of water that sits on your back with a tube (not unlike a beer bong) which comes around and lays where you can easily place said tube in your mouth and drink the water...A good camelbak also has plenty of space for a rain jacket (weather can always change) and for snacks, a cell phone (which most likely won't work in the canyon anyway) and a camera.
Ray with his CamelBak, taking pictures.

Then start, and start early because you want to be back for a late lunch or dinner.
And take some pictures. Take them on the way back up, it will be your excuse to stop and admire the scenery....
View from the top of Kaibab Trail




















Chase taking a picture of Ray and giving me a heart attack
Ray and Chase walking down the trail.

It is suprising, walking down the trail, the number of "older" folks who are also taking the hike. 
Ray and Chase lagged behind due to the number of "vogue-ing" shots they were taking of each other..(another reason to have a teen-age son invite along a like-minded friend)..













view of the trail


Ray, in t-shirt
It of course gets warmer the farther into the canyon you get.











But the views are magnificent.

Always keep in mind that where you hike down,
you must also be able to return, or hike back up...
Looking down on the trail.


We reached the first way station. We rested, snacked and watched the canyon squirrels scurry about, picking up pieces of detritus, and I do mean, DETRITUS...(why litter?!!??)..There were also the canyon blackbirds which circled and periodically landed. 
Oh yes, a word of note. Bring along a baggie (for trash) and some handi-wipes..the restrooms are Dis-gust-ing!.

First way-station in the canyon. A good place for novices (or those who are time pressed) to turn around and head back.
After resting a short piece, we headed back..or, I headed back, figuring that the boys would proceed at a faster pace walking back UP the trail....

View from the Kaibab trail

And so, I walked, took pictures, stopped to catch my breath, paced myself, kept it steady....took more pictures
Was amazed at the flora...

The great-grandparents grew cactus like this in Missouri (northern no less), in a rock garden..wonder if they picked them up at the canyon???..hm..


Of course climbing back up, the air became colder...and there was still no sign of the boys...


It IS a long way down, still, I climbed some of the rock walls, short rock walls with good foot/hand holds, as shortcuts...in running shoes no less....

View from the top..
Nonetheless, I made it up safely and waited...and waited....and waited for the boys. And visited with the mules of which I took no pictures...until, finally, I saw them at last...walking, and walking and walking up the trail..It was fun seeing other people reach the end (or top of the trail)..Dutch, French, German were the languages heard...and English (that is, American)...
l.-r. Chase, Ray, moi.
A young American took our picture...behind us are the warnings issued to hikers along with a map of the trail. A number of people were doing the 'back country' hiking, replete with empty jugs for gathered water, huge backpacks and walking sticks, not to mention, real HIKING SHOES....

We returned to the car and drove to the Yavapai village to buy souvenirs before heading out of the park, down the highway and on to...SEDONA...

to be continued....

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