Friday we hiked to Three Mile Rest house and out. Some rather nice young people on the trail. They had apparently been informed that uphill has the right of way, and they did not shortcut the trail or write their names on the rocks. The girls were a bit loud, but I have a personal theory that young women are incapable of talking at less than a shriek. They were heading for the River and back, so I hope they did Okay.

On the way out we waited for the mules and one of the riders comforted me: "Don't worry; you'll make it". All I really need in life is to be patronized by a mule rider. What does one say? How would you know? So could you if you tried? You and the mule you rode in on?

Saturday and Sunday we joined a Geology Class from Mesa Community College and hiked in and out of Roaring Springs on the North Kaibab. Nice bunch of kids, and talented instructors. I was the only one to find trilobite tracks, even though Dr. Bob dismisssed them as "subtle". Jealosy is an ugly thing, Dr. Bob.

We made it out very quickly, and while waiting at the trailhead were inundated by rim to rim runners chain smoking cigars. When they started talking politics, we hiked back down aways to wait for our group. I tried to get a nap, but everyone who came by asked if I was all right.

Robert made me a "I aten't dead" sign (which isn't funny for anyone but a Terry Pratchett fan) and I obviously should have had it on me.

Hiked to Skeleton Point yesterday with a couple celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. A nice change from the BA.

Met Keith Green at Skeleton. He has been a ranger here since Powell came through, and he was on his way to Phantom Ranch for a few days. He told us the whole story of Skeleton Point. I knew some mules went off, but Keith had a lot more detail.

It seems that in the 20's, mules were tied together with slip knots in case one decided to go off the edge. A wrangler got tired of the knots parting when they weren't supposed to, so he tied the mules together with real knots. While coming down the first switchback in the Redwall, the mule he was riding started losing it and going too fast. The mule behind got pulled in, and the mule behind that, and so forth until the string was careening toward the cliff. The wrangler took a dive and the mules went off the edge.

On the way out we got to critique other hikers. My favorites were the two young ladies below Cedar Ridge with spaghetti topped shirts, purses, and one half liter of water stuck into one of the lady's waist belt. I kept watching for them to return and never saw them. Of course on the BA, they would have water and probably meet a ranger to two to advise them. On the Kaibab -- nada.

Monday through Friday did a rim-to-rim for the job. Tough work, but someone has to do it. Weather perfect, group perfect.

On the way out Brad comes running down the BA and meets us. Continues to Three Mile, then runs past again.

Today went bike riding on the Rowe's Well Road and environs. It is nice to be on a trail where one doesn't meet runners or hikers. I always slow down or stop, and they often yell at me anyway because a mountain biker ahead of me ran them down.

Took the GCA tour of the boat collection. The boats are now stabilized, except for the Esmeralda and the Little Red. All they need now is a place to put them... When they were in display in the courtyard at the Visitor Center, they were abused by the weather and filled with trash by the tourists.

They include Kolb's Edith, the first kayak, the sportsyak, the Stone Boat, the USGS Glen, Rust's canoes, the Georgie, the Music Temple, the Esmeralda, and the Little Red. One boat is on display at the Canyon View Visitor Center. Safely ensconsed behind plexiglass so no one can throw cigarette butts into her.

Sept 13

Today is Grand Canyon Association Members' Weekend. I attend Bruce Aiken's talk and then take Mike's Canyon trivia quiz. I get 19 out of 21 correct, but I can't win the prize because I am a professional. I have the same problem when the Phantom Ranger does a Grand Canyon Jeopardy program: I am not allowed to answer any questions unless everyone else misses it. Although there is usually at least one that I do get to answer.

I had an issue with one of Mike's questions: how many overnight hikers in the Canyon each year. He said 30,000, and I thought it was more than that. According to the National Park Website it is 40,000, so I only missed one and a half questions. So, ha! Still don't get the prize, though.

During lunch I hike to mile and a half. I am almost never on the trail this late in the day, so to amuse myself I count hikers. On the way down, I pass or meet 109 hikers. On the way up, 246!!

Four million people visit the Canyon every year, and it is said that ten percent of that number hike at least a mile below the rim. Apparently most of that traffic is on the Bright Angel.

Sept 11

Another o-dark thirty hike to get a workout in before work.

This time two dudes start down immediately after us: we are being followed. Who are those guys, anyway? Probably headed for the River or the North Rim.

I've done one rim-to-rim in a day. Back when I was in college, a bunch of us started from both rims and exchanged car keys in the bottom (my idea). I received my key from Jim and asked him where he had left my car: at the North Kaibab trailhead or at the lodge?

"Neither", he replied.

"Oh," I said, calmly. "So where exactly is my car?"

"I came down the Old Bright Angel Trail instead. "

"And you were going to share this with me when?"

So the one occasion I did a rim to rim in a day, I hiked an extra four miles and came out on an unmaintained trail. So there.

Usually there is no one on the trail this early, but today we meet dozens of people on their way down. Some with day packs, some with backpacks, some with musical instruments!? Oh, yeah, the music festival is under way. As is Members Weekend for the Grand Canyon Association. All them Canyon lovers just can't stay away, I guess.

Today is Nine-eleven. I'm sure everyone who saw the footage of the World Trade Center figured that they and all other Americans would always hold this day in reverence. I'm sure that's what people thought about Pearl Harbor Day, too, and does anyone even remember when that is? I remember when I was in college, a disgraceful "Pearl Harbor Memorial Wet Tee Shirt Contest" at a local bar. Not to belittle Nine-eleven: just to point out that memories fade.

Sept 7

Yesterday we mountain biked 4 hours, so we only hike to Three Mile today. Nice new trailwork below Two Mile Corner: thank you trail crew!

Erased Zaco's name at Three Mile. Too bad, so sad, Zaco. If it sounds as though I am mocking you, you are correct.

Passed two commercial groups. I have heard a number of guides tell people that the pictographs at the first tunnel might be children's drawings. I've never heard that theory anywhere else. By the time these kids were five years old, they were contributing members of the clan, guarding the crops and bringing home small game. If they did leave pictographs, they were probably reglious in intent. Of course they also tell people that the red is cochineal, and it isn't: it is hematite. According to the Park Archeologist, and we assume she knows more than these guys.

Picked up a soda can and someone's sweat rag. The rag is understandable. I've lost a few bandanas both out of my pocket or off my neck. The can was hidden in a bush.

When I find trash in the middle of the trail, I figure these people are ignorant. No excuse, but they are ignorant. Ancient curses be on their heads. When I find trash hidden in the bushes or under a rock, they knew they weren't supposed to leave stuff, and they did anyway. So double ancient curses be on their heads.

September 4

Another early start to get a workout in before school. At the trailhead at 4:40 and it is chilly (48 degrees!) and dark, dark, dark. Need flashlights all the way to Mile and a Half.

Rounding one corner something BIG moves across the trail just ahead and of me and just out of sight. Don't see anything with the light. I wonder (hope) if it was a mountain lion. Big horn sheep usually just stand/sit there chewing their cud (if they do chew cud -- must look that up) (Yes, they do. Big Horns are ruminants, and they do chew cud) and stare at one blandly until they decide to move on. I know mountain lions frequent the BA. If they have a deer or mule to chow down on, they sit by the trail, watching the passersby, with no one the wiser. Probably thinking: "Hmmm, that one with the flip flops .. keep on eye on her. She might slip."

We take the Geology of the Grand Canyon class from Mesa Community College every semester we can fit it in. One year the class hiked overnight to Bright Angel Campground and spent two nights at Indian Garden. I was hiking down with Donna, one of the instructors, and told her about mountain lions in the Canyon, and how they have been spotted crossing the black bridge.

Darkness encroached upon us, so I scampered on ahead. Donna (with no light) started seeing lions in every shadow, and by the time she got to the bridge was cursing me soundly. Of course, I came running back with a flashlight once I had my stuff safely ensconsed in camp and realized that the hikers behind me didn't have lights. And we didn't really see a mountain lion.

No hikers all the way down. On the way out it is light enough to see the trail, so we can stash the lights. Lovely alpineglow on the Coconino and Kaibab. Query: alpineglow is at sunset, so what do we call it at sunrise? Wolgenipla?

We meet four hikers just below the rim, all foreign. It is the time of year for Europeans' long vacations, and unlike Americans, they tend to get out and walk. 35 minutes in, 35 minutes out, and it is time to get ready for school.

Monday, Sept. 1

It rained again last night (thank you Hurricane Gustav) and we didn't want to mountain bike because we don't like to tear up the trails, and the West Rim road is still closed. However it was blustery and cool (58 degrees) so we could hike the South Kaibab.

A lot of people don't like the corridor, but I really enjoy the SK. It has gorgeous views and less traffic, human and mules, than the BA. The parking lot is closed, which keeps the crowds down. They used to open the parking lot in winter, but the ranger at Phantom told me that when it was closed, it cut their search and rescue calls more than in half, so they left it closed all year. I suppose if one hikes down the Bright Angel with no clue, one finds water, rangers and emergency phones. If one wanders down the South Kaibab, there isn't much going for them.

Haven't been on the SK for about 5 months. It is too hot to handle most of the summer. It is a little steeper than the BA, but not as much as people think. The BA is 7.5 miles to the river, and the SK is only 6.8. The SK also climbs about 300 feet more, since the BA comes out at the head of Bright Angel Fault. The main problem with the SK is the size of the steps the trail crew installs to keep the trail in place.

It is windy, as is not unusual. A foreign gentleman warns me to be careful at Windy Ridge. I know he is trying to be polite, but I kind of noticed that the wind was gusting to about 30 MPH? I have to remember this summer when I was in Yellowstone. I approached a geyser gazer: a volunteer who spends all season observing geysers and making notes for the Park Service. I had heard a tourist the day before mention that Grand Geyser was even better than the fountains at the Bellagio in Vegas, and I thought she'd think it amusing. Instead she snapped, "I was there: I heard it". I immediately vowed to not come across so dismissively to tourists who approach me at the Canyon.

Skeleton Point wasn't very windy, and the clouds kept the temperature down. The River is flowing brown, as one would suspect from the recent rains. I really, really, really want to get down there again,but it is still way too hot for wimpy little me.

As usual in the Coconino I found someone's name written in the rocks. The Coconino sandstone is so beautiful, and it is the easiest rock to carve in. I took care of this person's bid for immortality in about 10 seconds with a spray bottle and a nail brush. Sorry, Kayla. Next time just write "loser" on your forehead and save us all a lot of time and effort.

We catch up with the outbound mules just under the last switchbacks, which the wranglers call "the chimney" but which I like to refer to as "the toboggan chute". The head wrangler turns around and tells everyone, "This is the finest group of folks I've had out in a long time". I wonder how often he really wants to say, "This is the biggest group of whiners I've taken out in years".

A nice workout, a little drier than yesterday, and pleasant to be on a different trail. We are kind of stuck on the BA until it cools off and/or they re-open the Hermit in November.