Arizona teachers are on strike, just because Gov. Dipstick cut funding by about a billion dollars.  He promised a one percent raise this year, then 10% after he is re-elected.  Uh, huh. Anyhow, all teachers walked out Thursday.  Our school voted to stay in, but the ones who voted not to (and lost the vote) walked out anyhow. So why bother to vote?  I put up with all sorts of politicians I did not vote for.

So Friday, we did the highway pickup with NHS and then climbed Red Butte.  900 feet and a little over one mile.  A holy place to the Havasupai, and there are areas on top where one may find worked points.  Apparently it was the place to be to chip out tools.

Saturday down the South Kaibab.  Not as many people as last weekend, but they made up for it in obnoxiousness.  Or maybe since we hiked out BA last weekend, we missed the downhill scene on SK. 

One woman stepped to the side to allow me to come uphill, and a runner tried to cut between us.  "Right of way, excuse me".  I stood my ground.  "I have the right of way, excuse me".  Then a downhill runner hit my shoulder, and yelled, "Take up the whole trail why don't you?"  I yelled back, "Uphill has the right of way!"


About a half dozen kids (10 or 12 or so) were running down full tilt, arms and legs flailing, no control at all.  The trail was fairly crowded at this point.  Brad was rammed into  so abruptly the kid almost fell over.  Brad also got a bruise.  I got hit to the point where the runner was knocked sideways, and I yelled, "Uphill has the right of way!  Uphill has the right of way!"  The adult that I assume was with them also ran past and managed to clip my shoulder. 

We could have stepped aside when we saw them coming, but even if uphill did not have right of way, those kids were moving too fast to be safe,  either for themselves or for other people.  So why should we?  Later we passed an older lady who was moving a bit tenuously.  I shuddered to think of those kids ramming into her or bumping her sideways when they passed. 

I don't want to do a Maverick.  Maverick was a crotchety hiker who would regularly ram into downhill hikers, even if they weren't really in his way.  But these runners who think their speed is more important than other peoples' safety are out of line.  It is tempting to be at the BA in the afternoon when they drag their sorry selves back out. 

I have started thanking hikers who tell me they are going to pass me, and do so safely and politely. 

Sunday we got a late start and just bopped in and out of Bright Angel.  Not crowded at all first thing in the morning.  Probably worse later in the way, but no out of control runners.