Goodness. this is out of date.  I suppose if one is too busy to update one's blog, that is a good thing.
Anyhow, in June we FINALLY did the White Rim on mountain bikes.  Fifth time is the charm.  I liked the east part best, because I am queer for rocks.  Then we took off on a supported ride from Telluride to Moab.  100 miles.  Went to Colorado to mess around Pagosa Springs, right in the middle of a huge forest fire.  Bopped on up to Buena Vista to climb Mt. Yale, then back to the Canyon to lead the North Rim Sampler class for GCFI.

In June we had rain.  Rain and floods.  The Bright Angel Trail flooded out, so I thought, ah ha, the mules can't get down to Phantom Ranch.  So I called and got the cabin with the double bed.  Really cool washouts all along the trail, too.

September did the five day hike into Supai for GCFI.  Two injuries: a broken toe and a sprained ankle.  People, people, people.  Supai is a Grandmother hike.  Fortunately the Supai run a helicopter service for $80.  Though the hikers beat the copter out, hee, hee.

In October I was SUPPOSED  to lead a six-day geology rim to rim, but the Government shut down (thanks, Tea Party) so all we could do for two weeks was bike and walk the rim.  The elk in the Park seemed to think they had finally managed to chase everyone out.  When we met them on the Rim Trail, they would charge us.  A 2,000 pound bull elk, his harem of ladies, and me on the rim side of the trail.  Interesting.  The day the Park opened again, I called Phantom Ranch and got the cabin with the double bed again, figuring that the mule riders had all been canceled.  I love living on the Rim.

Christmas we hiked to Phantom Ranch with Robbie and Renata, Brian, Rachael and their two bitsies.  One three years old, one one year old.  Boy, that brings back memories.  Robbie would scream until he fell asleep, and I would hike as fast as possible until he woke up and demanded, "OUT!"  Christmas dinner at the Ranch is always fun, though.  Two weeks after we went back to the Ranch for my birthday and hiked to Ribbon Falls on the layover.  No one there but us.

Robbie, Renata and me at the Tipoff.

As usual we have been doing our regular down-to-Skeleton and out hike at least twice a week.  Six miles round trip and 2,000 feet.  Over Christmas we hiked to Plateau Point for our long workout.  While we were sitting there (three other people) my phone rang.  Major social faux pas.   I walked out of hearing to answer, and someone had driven up to visit as a surprise.  "We are at Mather Point! Where are you?"  Plateau Point.  "Oh, how far away is that?"  About two hours.  So we missed those visitors.

Today we started for Panorama Point, but Brad's calf started tightening up.  He tried working on the wobble board at the gym, and the calf didn't like it.  So we turned around at the Breccia Pipe.  Why is it when I do something really long, like the Tonto Loop, no one asks where I've been?  But when I do a lousy five mile round trip, everyone asks, "Did you go to the bottom?"  Well, yeah, just not today.

We hiked to Panorama two weeks ago, and just before we topped out two young men asked us where we went, so we said, about ten miles and 3,500 feet.  How long did it take?  Five hours.  Oh, so we can do that.  Well, it is now one o'clock, and it gets dark at five... They waved us off and kept going, thinking, I am sure, "Oh, we will be faster than those two old fogies".  I should have hiked back down at dusk and sold them some flashlights.

Last weekend we ran into a couple on the first switchback who asked, "Does this trail go anywhere, or do you have to turn around and come back out?"  I still can't figure out a good response to that one.

Ribbon Falls on my birthday.