Saturday, May 8, 2010


Hiked to Supai as assistant for GCFI. Day one we talked about the Sinyalla Syncline and found the Havasu Springs Fault. It cracks the Redwall and allows the spring to gush out. The 2008 flood scoured the campground and made two new water falls, whilst drying out Navajo. The campground used to have some semblance of privacy with all the trees, but they are dying or gone.

Camped at the end of the campground. Day two hiked up Carbonate Canyon to the old mine and wandered around inside. Day three we climbed down Mooney and hiked to Beaver. The old ladder on the high route is gone, so there is a rope of dubious origin. One participant didn't like the rope, so I took him on the low route. Saw some lost kids on an incorrect high route (they had been cliffing out quite a lot) and turned around. The real route was below them, and much easier.

Day four went to see the Pillar of Gold: a brecca pipe that was advertised as the El Dorado of the Grand Canyon (it wasn't), ate real food in the village (if Supai tacos are real food), visited the museum, and hiked up Carbonate to find some fantastic fossils.

Day five we hiked to the village and dropped off the people who were coptering out. I filled water and started walking out with Marce. We started picking up trash (a lot of that) until we each filled a big bag. Never saw the people ahead of us. We kept walking, and walking, and never saw the others. Thought: boy, those girls are moving! Stopped in the last shade for a drink, and the others caught up! They got lost in the village and were hiking hard to catch us!

Managed to pick up a dollar bill in the village, and then on the trail out I found two twenties. Talk about Canyon Karma. Paid for our lunch at the Snow Cap.

1 comment:

Russell O said...

Great to see that the Graffitinator is still hard at work!! I had the opportunity to assist Bryan Bates as WFR(or as I call it"swamper mule boy") on his Hermit to BA hike the same week as this posting...was a great week to be in the Canyon! It is wonderful to see that you are working with the GCFI...the Canyon needs more people like you...kudos!
Russell Ownby