grandcanyon08

Wet bed

Blog kitt decided around 07:09 on 27 July 2008 to publish this:

Andy: "Wow. That doesn't look appealing."

Me: "What does it look like?"

Andy: "A wet bed sheet."

At dinner yesterday evening, Tracy offered the suggestion of wetting our bed sheets in the river before going to bed. Both Kris and Andy did so. I opted to stay dry. I'm not sure either of them slept better last night for the wetness, as it also rained last night. A lot.

Kris, Andy and I had put up the tent before we went to bed. It had sprinkled a small bit last night, so we knew that rain was a possibility. It hadn't, however, rained enough to send us into the tent. Last night, we put up the tent just in case. We had also decided, based on the amount of wind in the Canyon at night, and how much sand said wind kicks up, that we were going to choose sleeping locations based on wind protection. We looked for areas where we were downwind of a large rock, outcropping or bush, and used our tent for wind protection in the other direction.

Last night, however, it rained. Not just the spattering of the night before, but full gusto, big drop, Arizona monsoon rain. I had jumped into the tent still dry, but Kris and Andy waited until the rain was really coming down. I then insisted they put the rain tarp on the tent, which we had neglected to do last night, so they were even wetter when they finally came in.

Before the rain began, the sky had cleared and I managed to see the black sky with so many more stars than I normally see. I managed to see the new constellations I learned on the plane flight over, though I didn't recall their names, as well as draco and a few others I did recognize.

We were camping at the 118 dune camp, which is in Steven's Aisle, after rafting though some big rapid yesterday.

Small? Big!

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 08:45 on 27 July 2008

I'm more than a little entertained about the way that the canyon forms not only on a big scale, but also on the small scale.

As the waters receded from the dune we camped on, it created small sculptures and carvings that looked like the big stuff.

And the big stuff:

Right length

Blog Instead of being asleep at 11:27 on 27 July 2008, kitt created this:

Andy commented to me last night that the lower half seemed the right trip to go on, the right distance to go.

He wouldn't like the 7.5 mile hike out of the Canyon, which happens at the end of the Upper Canyon trip. The same hike where 45 minutes out of Indian Gardens rest stop, which is 4.5 of 7.5 miles into the hike DOWN, we met the Upper Canyon group coming up. A boy of maybe 16 in the group asked us how far to go to the next resting spot, so I answered that we had travelled the 45 minutes down, and they had about 75 minutes to the next resting spot. He looked at me in complete disbelief, to which I though, "Oh, kid, you have a long way to go to get out."

So, the Upper Canyon trip was out.

Doing the full canyon trip would take two weeks to complete. At that point, Andy commented, going home would be hard. Going back to the same job, the same life? Very very hard, as he would want to just stay in nature instead.

So, yeah, the Lower Canyon trip?

Best choice.

Lessons!

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 11:53 on 27 July 2008

Yes, this trip is more than just a float down some of the best brown-water rapids in the country. It is also an opportunity for learning, not only of the rock formation and geological history, but also of water resource allocations and the unrelenting abuse of nature by humans.

We also had a group circle where we all introduced ourselves to each other. It was an opportunity led by Charly, one of the guides, for us to "merge tribes," instead of having an us-versus-them sort of dynamic. I don't know how much it helped, but at least I know everyone's names now.

Stayed behind

Blog Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 13:25 on 27 July 2008

Started today on the river in the paddle boat for the two miles on the river until the morning hike. We walked up a dry creek bed for maybe 150 yards, before coming to a section that required rope to continue. The mountain goats of guides that we have ran up the face of the canyon end, secured a rope at the top, and had everyone head up after them.

The rope climb involved putting your feet on the walk and resting backward so that your body was about parallel to the ground, and walking up the wall stiff armed.

Kris made it up with a little difficulty. Several other people had some trouble, but everyone who tried made it up to the top. I decided not to go, and handed Andy my camera, asking him to take pictures, please. Kris had already told me he didn't want camera duty, so he didn't get it.

Andy did a great job with the pictures.

I didn't go. I chose not to go, sure, but I was definitely frustrated with myself for not going. Honestly, I was too scared to go. What a stupid reason not to go. I stayed back with Pam and Adam, the parents of Michael and Sonya, all from Boston, and Erin, whose sister shimmied up the rope in the blink of an eye, Greg, a trip assistant and Pat.

I spent the time lying on rocks, munching on one of my luxury items that Kris bought me (also known as "peanut M&Ms"), and reading the book Sunk without a Sound. Tracy told Kris and I the story about Glen and Bessie Hyde, who tried rafting the Grand Canyon in the thirties and were lost. Their boat was found with items in it looking like they had just walked away from it. Andy found the book in the trip library, and I kinda snagged it from him.

The book mentions a "Glen Sturdevant," who was the Grand Canyon Park naturalist in the twenties. He died in the Colorado River back in 1929. I wonder if he's the namesake of the Sturdevant Falls in Pasadena. I'll have to look that up when we get back.

Update: Apparently not. Wilbur M. Sturtevant from the 1890s instead.

I really need to learn how to do some rock climbing. This lack of both confidence and upper body strength is both retarded and unacceptable. Seriously.

Ant bean

Blog Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 13:26 on 27 July 2008

After the hike today, we had lunch before setting out for the afternoon. I had started walking back to the boats before Charly and Sam came up the side canyon to get us, so I was able to hurry back down to the beach and have firsts before anyone else started having seconds.

The lunch serving table was set up next to a nice comfy rock that would have been perfect for sitting, if not for the red ant colony entrance directly next to the rock. Standing within even three feet of the hole meant that ants would be crawling along your feet and up your legs to get to that burrito thing in your hand faster than you can say, "Red ant?"

While eating, Kris stood close to the rock, but far enough away to avoid the ants. He warned people thinking of sitting on the rock of the ant hill behind them, suggesting perhaps they might want to sit elsewhere. Everyone did.

At one point, Kris dropped a bean from his burrito, and it landed on the sand in front of him. For small pieced of food, we're supposed to pick them up and throw them into the river. Larger pieces go into the trash if you can't dust them off and just eat them.

Kris waited before picking up his bean.

As he watched, an ant approached the bean. It seemed to be smelling it, analyzing it. It then scurried away, into the ant hole.

Moments later, a swarm of ants burst from the ant hill and rushed the bean. He said they swarmed all over it, presumably to cut it up for food for the nest. He said that it couldn't have been more than 30 seconds between scurry and return swarm.

He decided to leave the bean.