Sky Watch Friday - Arizona Sunset

Sunset over Fivemile Mountain
Wednesday afternoon, at the advice of a BLM person at the Paria Contact Station I drove south on House Rock Valley Road towards a recommended hike.

House Rock Valley Road
The 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of gravel, washboard, potholes, big rounded rocks, tall pointy rocks and multiple dried ruts required a 30 minute drive.

The Cockscomb
And that was just to a place to camp, in the middle of everywhere, for free.

House Rock Valley Road
In the morning I still had 4.5 more miles of the same to get to the Wire Pass Trailhead.

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Going Camping

I have the next three days off so I’m going to pick up the slide-in camper in Kanab. That’s Utah. Which is an hour earlier than Arizona. Yes, we’re both Mountain Time, but Arizona doesn’t do daylight savings time. Suppose to be there by 9am their time. Yuk, my day off and I’m still getting up early.

From there I’m going to further explore some of the Grand Staircase Escalante. You may remember I drove through there about a month ago.

A fellow Ranger recommended the Hoodoo Trail.

More good pics when I return.

Hiking Grand Canyon - Day 4

North Rim & Plateau Point
After I had a sleepless night at Indian Garden—I don’t sleep well on the ground—and oatmeal for breakfast, our crew was suppose to wait for the South Rim Rangers to hike down with sandwiches for lunch. They weren’t expected until after noon and I became concerned about how long it would take me to hike the remaining 4.6 miles (7.4 km) 3060 feet (933 m) up.

North Rim, Plateau Point, Indian Garden (green in middle) & 3-mile house
I talked my boss into letting me leave at 11am, as I am the slowest hiker. And good thing, as I met the South Rim folks about 1:30pm at 3-mile house where there is water and toilets.

North Rim & 1.5-mile house
And that put me hiking up Jacob’s Ladder during the heat of the day, which is certainly not recommended to visitors. So glad it wasn’t the high heat of July or August which can easily reach triple digits.



South Rim
I just kept plodding along at my slow yet steady pace and trying not to look up at how far I still had to go.

South Rim
The last stretch is a series of tight switchbacks that traverses the green area between the Redwall limestone walls.

Condors
I was almost at the top when some other hikers pointed out what might be Condors soaring above the canyon.

Condor
Sure enough, when a couple of them landed we could see the radio tags on their wings, just too far away to ready the numbers.

I made it
I topped out on the South Rim at 6pm. The boss arrived 10 minutes later and she’d left 3-mile house at 3pm. Everyone else trickled in within the next hour.

From the top
In the morning at training you could certainly tell who’d hiked as we all walked a little like Frankenstein.

I made it and didn’t even suck air, like last year. So I’m ready to do it again. Who’s with me?

By the way, I didn’t take yesterday’s photo of the Pink Rattlesnake. No one got a picture. The one posted is from the National Park Service archives. I’d never get that close to a rattle snake.

My World Tuesday - Hiking the Grand Canyon - Night Three

Bright Angel Trail to South Rim (this is yet to come)
After arriving at Indian Garden campground I ate and took a rest. All food must be put into the provided ammunition boxes. And we found out why when one, or more, of the overly obnoxious rock Squirrels helped themselves to a candy bar.

Plateau Point Trail & North Rim Grand Canyon National Park
We hiked out the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to Plateau Point for Sunset.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Me at Plateau Point

View west down Colorado River
The river lies 1300 feet (400 m) below and we could see Horn Creek Rapids just before the bend.

Sunset from Plateau Point

Dung Beetle
On the way back under moon light we spotted this dungless beetle. My boss almost stepped on a pink rattlesnake. These are found only at Grand Canyon.

Not my photo
Slept, but not much, on the ground that night. Mostly watched the stars circle round. And thought a lot about the last 4.6 miles (7.4 km) with a gain of 3060 feet (933 m) to top out on the South Rim. But that’s tomorrow’s story.

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Hiking Grand Canyon - Day Three

Breakfast at the bunkhouse
After a decent night’s sleep on a real bed at the Phantom Ranch bunkhouse we enjoyed a great breakfast prepared by my boss and her sister. Then hit the trail about 10am.

Bright Angel Bridge over Colorado River

Two foot bridges cross the Colorado within one mile of each other. Farther east, the Kaibab Bridge leads to the South Kaibab Trail which runs 6.8 miles (10.9 km) along a ridge up 4780 feet (1457 m) to the South Rim.

South Rim Grand Canyon National Park
We hiked the Bright Angel Trail 4.7 miles (7.6 km) and up 1320 feet (402 m), which was only half way to the top.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Mules hauling mail up from Phantom Ranch
Have to share the trail and mules have right away. The worst of that is following along in the dust and avoiding the poop and pee pools. When one mule stops to pee, the rest all stop at the same place. They can poop walking.

The Devil’s Corkscrew – Bright Angel Trail
Back up through the Vishnu Schist which reflected the sun and made for a hot hike. Of course it’s a lot worse during July and August when temperatures easily reach triple digits in the lower canyon.

Yet the views are all worth the effort.

Side-blotched Lizard
After what felt like 10 miles of corkscrew the trail more easily follows Garden Creek.

Desert Plume

Welcome to Indian Garden
Another hiker and I were the last to arrive in Indian Garden camp at 4pm. After dinner we all hiked out to Plateau Point, an awesome over look that I’ll post about tomorrow.