Sunday, September 20, 2009

It was cool enough today to hike to Skeleton Point. Haven't been on the South kaibab since May. The trail work is awesome. I told the trail crew it was hard to believe it was the SK. Carried my backpack to get ready for rim to rims next week.

Only had to erase a couple little graffitis, too. Less traffic, I guess.

There was sign at Skeleton to the effect that someone has been stealing signs all summer,and people are missing their turn-around at Skeleton and getting into trouble. If anyone knows where the signs are, tell the Park Service. I would suspect seasonal Xanterra people, if it has been happening all summer.

Saturday, September 19, 2009


Another day, another trip to three mile resthouse. Erased a HUGE panel of spanish stuff: something like "who wants to be on this trail", and then "carlos" and "route 66". Methinks Carlos sas a little lost.

Advised some tourists that, no, the view doesn't change much all the way down the BA unless you hike out to Plateau Point. Some of them opted for that, some turned around to visit the West Rim Drive where views abound. Maricopa Point is a good substitute for the Skywalk, IMHO. It has a 285 degree view of the Canyon, you can see the River (well, a wee bit) and it is free. Also it is not a four-hour drive on four wheel drive road.

The bighorns are hanging around the head of the BA. We've seen them on every hike for the past two weeks. They aren't afraid, either, but the daddy bighorn has been seen huffing his group out of the way if they stay on the trail too long.

Sunday, September 13, 2009


Busy weekend. Thursday might we ran down to Two Mile Corner. Something was throwing rocks at us at the second tunnel: not one of my "danger" spots, so we looked up and there was a bighorn on the cliff. Scampering by it, we ran into a baby bighorn (A tiny horn?). Then mama showed up. Then a few more babies. Then another mama. We snuck around them, trying to stay far enough away that we didn't scare them. They were pretty cool, though. Mama kept glancing up nervously as the bighorn above them knocked more rocks loose. I guess she figured that was the real threat.

On the way back out, there were eight of them, two males, a cluster of babies, and their mamas. One of the babies took a flying leap and knocked down a whole pile of rocks! If it isn't the small boys, it is the wildlife.

Went mountain biking in Prescott, and my front brakes went out at the bottom (fortunately!) of the first big hill. So I had to decide: walk back five miles or ride downhill most of the way with less than half of my braking capacity? The front brakes do most of the work. So I walked down three of the really steep hills and went as slow as I could down the others. I only had to skid uphill twice to keep from losing it. It is amazing how many small uphills there are on the downhill run when you are looking frantically for the next one.

Then Sunday we went to Three Mile. No bighorns, but a lot of backpackers, which aren't as much fun. Between Thursday and today some toads wrote their names all over one of the switchbacks in the Fault Switchbacks, but we managed to erase most of them. Carried out a baggie full of cigarette buttes and a Vibram sole that someone had tried to tape on, but didn't. Do these smokers think the nylon in the filter is going to rot? Or do they just not think? If they thought, I guess they wouldn't smoke.

Sunday, September 6, 2009


Since getting on Facebook I have been remiss on keeping this journal. Hiked to mile and a half after school, then to two mile. If we leave as soon as Brad can get away, we can get to two mile and out before dark. Then today we rode the West Rim Drive. Same old, same old. Hiking at dusk is sure less crowded. Also we get to see the people who went to the River and back in a day, dragging their knuckles. If I were a PSAR i'd be tempted to go down at dusk, just so I could see the guys I warned not to try it, and say, 'Told you so!'.