During the period of 4/13/89 to 4/17/89, Mike Collins, Chirold Epp, and I backpacked from the South Rim to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and then back to the South Rim.  This was one of the most memorable activities I have ever participated in.  Two weeks earlier, I drove my Fairmont wagon to Granite Hills Ranch where we had a shakedown hike.  Since I have never been backpacking before, I learned some things and also culled some gear.  I decided my sheet plastic bag cover was too heavy as are telephoto lens.  We tried out some food items and menus to select for our trip.  We saw some wild pigs, turkeys roosting in trees at our campsite and then departed before daylight as a thunderstorm was approaching.  Stopping by Bill Deiterich’s in Cassie, I got my lighter weight sleeping bag.

At Granite Hills, the waist belt on my pack would loosen as I walked.  Thinking that I could fix the problem by doubling the belt in the buckle, I figured I could get by.  This was a mistake as I had to keep tightening it all of the way across the canyon and back.  The weight of the pack is not a problem as long as the belt is tight and thus keeps the load off of the shoulders.

Carol Deiterich had gotten us some square plastic water bottles which hold ~ 1/3 gal.  These are light, fit nicely into a pack, and can be tied to belt loops if desired.  In addition to 3 of these bottles, each of us carried a smaller bottle in our fanny packs for immediate use.  Mike had a Quaker State oil bottle, Chirold had a mouthwash bottle, and I had a ½ liter bottle I had gotten in Copenhagen in 1974.

Our food, not counting eating at Phantom Ranch, consisted of Lipton dried meals, canned meat, pudding, instant oatmeal, poptarts, tang, lemon drink, instant tea, hot chocolate, trail mix, dried fruit, granola bars, peanut butter, honey, and crackers.  I used plastic tubes to carry the honey and peanut butter.  A square plastic Tupper Ware box protected my crackers and was easy to fully pack.  We had two small stoves: a propane and a Peak One Coleman.  Both worked well, the propane probably weighs less.

I carried a 3 pound sleeping bag.  Since we had excellent weather, it was more than adequate.  I carried three survival blankets, one for a ground cloth and the other two were taped together for a shelter.  The shelter never left the pack.  Carrying minimal clothes, I had a warm coat, spare undershorts, shorts, extra socks, long sleeve shirt, sweat shirt, and a poncho.  These, together with food, a small first aid kit, matches and a lighter, a Blackmax flashlight, line, grey tape (to repair shelter etc.), soap, tooth brush, water purifying pills, stove (Chirold carried the fuel), bowl, pot, cup, eating utensils, plastic bags (to carry out trash), camera, film, note book, sewing kit with scissors, etc.; I was fairly well prepared and had to carry less than 35 pounds.  Although the sewing kit was not used, the scissors were used by all to cut up moleskin, which is also an essential item whose use should be expeditious.

To help keep track of where things were located in my pack, I prepared a stowage map of my pack showing where items were placed.  I drew the map in my notebook.  This was really handy as I dig not have to dig through my entire pack to find something and then try to remember where it had been stowed.  After getting started, it became apparent that the camera was cumbersome in my fanny pack, thus I hung it on the pack frame post at the top of the backpack.

The descriptions below are in two forms: a trip log written on the trail and daily summaries.  The trip log for all intents and purposes, including grammatical errors, is exactly as recorded on the trail.  Daily summaries were written at the end of each day.  A significant amount of material has been added to the summaries from later notes and from memory to better capture this magnificent experience.

Distances (miles) and Elevations (feet):
0.0 -  7200  -  South Kaibab Trail Head
1.5 -            -  Cedar Ridge
2.9 -            -  Tonto Trail Junction (Tippoff)
2.0 -  2400  -  Colorado River Bright Angel Camp
5.8 -           -  Ribbon Falls Bridge
~1.2 -        -  RT to Lower Ribbon Falls
~1.8 -        -  RT to Upper Ribbon Falls
1.5 -  4000  -  Cottonwood
1.4 -          -  Tapeats Narrows
.8 -  5200  -  Roaring Springs Spur
1.1 -           -  Needles Eye
.9 -            -  Redwall Bridge
.9 -            -  Supai Tunnel
1.8 -  8241  -  North Kaibab Trailhead
6.9 -            -  Cottonwood
7.3 -            -  Bright Angel Camp
4.7 -  3800  -  Indian Gardens Camp
3.0 -  3781  -  RT Plateau Point
1.6 -            -  3 Mile House
1.5 -            -  1 ½ Mile House
1.5 -  6860  -  Bright Angel Trailhead
50.1 miles

Grand Canyon Trip Log

4/12/89 - Got up about 7 AM.  Betty, Casey and I left house for Hobby at 8 AM.  Backpack and ditty bag went through security ok.  At gate counter I left Carol’s camera on floor when I picked up backpack and ditty bag.  The next guy in line brought it to me.  Flew to Phoenix and on to Las Vegas (noon) via Southwest Airlines, 737.  Warm in Phoenix and Las Vegas.  Had 5 hour layover.  Ate hamburger, gambled $4 on slot machines, mostly nickel, (lost it all).  Rode America West Airline de Havilland D8 turbo prop to Grand Canyon airport.  Saw some of canyon from air and took some photos.  The stewardess offered me a Coke to carry into the canyon, I declined saying too heavy.  A girl (Lisa) on the airplane who works at Phantom Ranch commented that that was a wise decision and offered to buy me a beer when I get to Phantom Ranch.  It turns out that even Phantom Ranch employees have to walk in and out; she intended to hike to the ranch that evening.  Chirold, Mike, Glenda, and Diane picked me up at 6 PM right on schedule.  Diane agreed to keep my return airline tickets for me so I wouldn’t lose them.

It got cold on south rim near sundown.  I got my coat out of my pack.  We all watched sunset from the south rim.  We ate supper at the Maswik Lodge cafeteria (I had spaghetti).  (note: Chirold had driven his car to Grand Canyon, with the others, and carried my bed roll, Peak One camp stove (which I borrowed from Bruce Hilty when he found out he couldn’t go with us) and bottle of stove fuel).  We arranged our packs and filled our water containers with bottled water which Mike and Chirold had gotten as there were signs posted stating that the water was suffering from turbidity.  (Later, on the trail, we decided the turbidity was ok.)  I slept in a second double bed in Chirold’s and Glenda’s room.  Slept ok.  Awakened by a loud noise in the middle of the night.  I owed $40 for half of room rate.

4/13/89
5:30   Got up
6:00   Ate breakfast at Maswik Lodge cafe
7:15   started S Kaibab
8:10   Cedar Ridge
8:28   Leave Cedar Ridge
10:20  have come 4 mi
11:11  5 miles
11:15  Panorama Point 3600’
11:34  stopped for lunch in shade
12:00  finished lunch
1:00   Bright Angel Camp
       Walked in Bright Angel Creek and Colorado River
       Walking to sandy beach we literally walked over 2 gals
       (not Americans) sunbathing sans clothes
       Watched some rafters go by
4:00   Ranger geology talk  couple of pseudo intellectuals
       challenged him on stuff obviously they missed the
       point
5:00   ate steak, green salad, green beans, baked potato,
       corn on the cob, tea and chocolate cake. Set up
       sleeping area (foil thermal blanket and sleeping bag)
8:00   called Betty thru MCI operator she said ½ rain and
       cold
8:30   Climbed in sack.  Creek noise loud, moon bright.  Went
       behind hill at 11:11 PM.  Slept off and on, warm early
       till ~ 12 midnight

Day’s Summary - After breakfast at Maswik lodge cafeteria, Mike, Chirold and I went back to rooms.  We got our packs and their wives, piled into their car and drove to the South Kaibab trail head.  The temperature was about 26 F.  After taking photos to document our departure, we departed.  We stopped for a break at cedar ridge, outstanding scenery.  The restroom at Cedar Ridge has an array of solar cells, as do most of the reatrooms, could be power for a vent or telemetry of restroom functionality.  Three miles or so we came to the junction of the Tonto and the South Kaibab trails and just beyond is the Tipoff where the trail gets steep.  In fact, you look for level or even some up some uphill to rest your legs.  I sure am glad that I got in shape by climbing stairs.  Downhill seemed to tax my feet and legs the most, while uphill puts a toll on the pulse rate.  We passed our first mule train along here.

Panorama Point is high over the river with a good plus interesting view of the Colorado River, the mouth of Bright Angel Creek, ranger station, mule corral, Kaibab Suspension Bridge, Silver Bridge (on Bright Angel trail to Indian Gardens), resting rafters, and female skinny dippers (needed to get out binoculars to confirm lack of clothing).  The trail is generally narrow with usually just enough room for two people to pass.  One side of the trail is most likely next to a steep wall and the other a dropoff.  Thus when stopping for a rest or lunch you have to find a nook or cranny to put your pack and yourself.  Usually there will be a rock or ledge to sit on.  We went through short tunnel on south side of river and crossed the Kaibab Bridge.  Sign at bridge -“This span is 400 feet long and 5 feet wide, it was completed in 1928.  All materials were carried down the South Kaibab Trail by men or mules!  Each main cable weighs a ton.” My understanding is that the cables were carried on the shoulders of many men in single file.

After finding a camp site, we hung our packs on poles provided to protect the packs from animals.  Bright Angel Camp consists of a series of campsites that line the trail that is near to and paralleling Bright Angel Creek.  The park has built small irrigation trenches (~1 ft) that water the vegetation separating the campsites.  Bright Angel Camp is on the west bank of the creek while just across and a short ways upstream is Phantom Ranch.  The water in the creek is cold, so is the river for that matter.

Mike decided to walk to the river, Chirold and I followed.  We got to the river just downstream from the resting rafters (not clear what they are waiting for because it been a couple of hours since we first saw them).  We started downstream and climbing over some big boulders (4 to 6 feet) we encountered the dippers who were now sunbathing and who also had been in the sun for several hours (maybe they saw us at Panorama Point and were waiting for us to come by).  They made no attempt to move as we walked by and on downstream a short way.  I took some photos of the rafters who finally got under way, Collins used my camera to get a pix of the two girls.  On our way back, a conversation with them determined that they were camped at Indian Gardens.  Admitting the water was cold they chided us for not going swimming.  You could tell from their idiom that they were foreigners, however, I had figured that out earlier due to their lack of razor burn.  We went back to camp and then to ranger geology talk.  The talk was interesting, but the poor fellow could not get through it because a couple of yahoos kept challenging him when he tried to keep it simple and occasionally generalized.

We ate supper at Phantom Ranch, which is just across and slightly up the creek from Bright Angel camp.  Outstanding meal, really hit the spot.  There are a several long tables in the dining room and the food is served homestyle.  Saw Lisa, but did not go back to dining room after supper for promised beer.  There are public phones at Phantom Ranch and outside of the restrooms which are just down the creek from the camp.  The phones only work with credit cards, I guess coins are too heavy to carry out.  My MCI card numbers would not work for direct dial so I had to go through the MCI operator when I called Betty from the restroom phone.  She said it was cold and had rained ½ inch, otherwise she was fine.  The moon was almost full and very bright.  The camp ground was in a narrow canyon with high walls thus the moon set when its elevation was somewhere around 70 degrees.  The creek was very loud and takes some getting used to.  Mike slept on the picnic table, as he would do each night, Chirold stayed in his one man shelter that he made and I slept on my air mattress on the ground.  By the way this particular air mattress was extremely difficult to empty and pack each morning.

4/14/89
5:30  Got up
7:00  Breakfast  Wrote postcard Betty and DM/FDDD
7:32  Left Phantom Ranch
8:05  Phantom Creek
11:00 Ribbon Falls Bridge
11:26 Ribbon Falls
12:00 Lunch behind Ribbon Falls
2:30  Leaving Upper Ribbon Falls
3:23  Leaving bridge at Ribbon Falls
3:58  Arrive Cottonwood
5:00  Getting ready for tomorrow’s trip

Day’s Summary - Got up about 5:30 and packed.  Breakfast at 7:00 (turns out they also have an earlier breakfast), eggs, bacon, orange juice, and the best pancakes I’ve ever had (cinnamon ?).  I sat next to a woman her husband and daughter, whom we would see later on at Ribbon Falls.  We picked up a sack lunch from the dining room for our noon meal.  I wrote two postcards (Betty and division office), a stamp on the card says:
        MAILED BY MULE AT
        THE BOTTOM
        OF THE
        GRAND CANYON
        PHANTOM RANCH

The trail follows Bright Angel Creek almost all the way to the North Rim.  The creek is generally in a narrow canyon except for places like Cottonwood Camp.  The trail many places runs along the canyon wall but at times will go up and down with the terrain.  There is a consistent climb, however.  A telephone line, joining the two rims, follows the trail but is fairly unobtrusive as the poles are made of pipe that is painted brown and tend to blend into the surroundings.

We passed a youth group returning from Cottonwood but just a few others on this part of the trip (north of Phantom Ranch).  I took a photo of a beaver dam on the creek which Mike said was there when he was here before.  On the left side of the trail a bridge to Ribbon Falls crosses Bright Angel Creek near Ribbon Falls.  We hung our packs on the bridge to keep the varmints out.  We took our sack lunches and hike to the lower Ribbon Falls.  Very pretty.  There is a ledge half way up and behind the falls which is easily reached via a foot path.  We ate our lunch of sandwiches, chips, juice, fruit, and cookies on this ledge under the overhang from which the falls start.  A couple of squirrels were looking for a handout.  We hiked back by the bridge and took a trail leading to the Upper Ribbon Falls.  Initially, this trail is steep and slick due to gravel on it.  After reaching a ridge, the trail levels and goes along the falls’ creek and into some trees.  The upper falls are also very pretty.  I took a splash bath, the water is cold here also.  There are Indian ruins nearby, a couple of hundred yards.  Mike found a small corn cob in the ruins which were built into the back wall of an overhang with stacked rocks.  Looking east from the ruins is a meadow, with the falls on the left, a high bluff on the right and the far side of Bright Angel Canyon in the distance.  We left the falls and picked up our packs at the bridge and hiked the short distance to Cottonwood Camp.  We went past the ranger station to the north end of the camp.  There were 5 deer laying down in the group size camp site just across the trail from us.  Our camp site was compact and surrounded with trees or brush.  Chirold and I found spots to bed down while Collins would use the picnic table.  I picked up many pebbles and sticks and then spread out thermal blanket as a ground cloth; I had to anchor it with stones.  After setting up, Collins went to the creek for a bath and I washed my feet which were sore but otherwise ok.  A park helicopter landed nearby and let out some park employees.

With the two meals at Phantom Ranch, it worked out that each of us had to carry two breakfasts and two suppers for three people.  We each carried our own lunches.  Mike had a butane fired stove and I had a Coleman fuel type of stove.  Both worked well and were not heavy.  Chirold carried the fuel for my stove.  About half way through cooking supper Chirold complained that my stove had quit.  I asked if he had fueled it.  He had not, and still had almost finished cooking with just the residuals left after I emptied it at home.  The fuel bottle did not pour very well as probably 20 % spilled.  Its a good thing that the stove was efficient.  Mike’s stove did not use much fuel either as he had a full bottle left after the trip.  It was getting dark by the time we ate.  We got to bed about 8:30.  My bed was under a tree with limbs only about 3 feet over head.  I could see bats flying between me and the limbs over me.  The creek is farther away from this campsite than in Bright Angel camp but it could still be heard.  Being under the tree, the moon is not as bothersome.

4/15/89
5:00  got up
6:26  hit trail for North Rim
7:01  Tapeats Narrows
7:27  Roaring Springs overlook
8:15  Needles Eye ? or Redwall Bridge probably  (cached H2O)
8:30  leaving here (rested)
8:46  3.0 mi from North Rim,
        1.2 from Roaring Springs,
        10.3 Phantom Ranch,
        elevation 6000’
8:58  Redwall Bridge
9:30  met guy on trail who left S Kaibab at 12:05 AM this
morning, he was returning from North Rim
9:40  snack
9:50  Supai Tunnel
11:08 N Kaibab Trail head
12:00 eating lunch at North Rim
12:36 Leaving N Rim
1:45  Supai Tunnel
2:21  Redwall Bridge
2:32  3 mi to N Rim sign 6000’
2:55  back at water cache below Redwall Bridge
3:43  Overlook Roaring Spr trail junction
4:03  Tapeats crossing took photo
4:46 Campsite at Cottonwood varmints got Chirold’s food bag

Days summary - Hike to north rim has very pretty scenery.  This was a fairly tough hike.  It took us 4 hrs. and 42 min.  to go 6.9 miles and to climb from 4000 feet to 8200 feet.  We left our backpacks on the varmint pole in the camp as we all had fanny packs for our lunch/snacks etc. and tied our water containers to our belt loops.  Our first mile stone was Tapeats Crossing (also called Tapeats Narrows).  There was a sign across the bridge at the crossing which said:
        NO HIKING
        BEYOND THIS POINT
        NORTH RIM ROAD
        CLOSED BY SNOW
        NO FOOD
        WATER OR SHELTER

Bright Angel Creek is dammed up here and there is a cabin which had a small garden, water and a helicopter landing pad. We climbed over the sign and pressed on toward Roaring Springs.  We did not go to the springs but from the trail we could see and hear them across Bright Angel Canyon.  The water comes right out of caves in the sedimentary rock.  On the left you can see a pick up pipe and pump house.  Both rims of Grand Canyon get their water from here.  There is also a cabin and helicopter pad here.  The pad is perched on the side of the canyon wall.  It appears that the canyon forks here with the main canyon coming from the northeast and a tributary coming from the northwest which is the one the trail follows.  The trail seems to be narrower from here on and the canyon walls seem steeper and higher looking both up or down.  We passed some park workers who were cleaning up the trail from the many rocks that had fallen during the winter.  Beyond here, we encountered numerous rocks on the trail, some of which were of good size and, in some places, piles of them completely blocked the way.  Somewhere along here, where the trail is situated on the side of a slope, I turned suddenly, slipped, and almost lost my balance.  It was a good thing that I only had my fanny pack as with my backpack on I would have fallen.
- Moral of story: with a  high center of gravity, don’t make sudden moves. -
The log above indicated some confusion as to where we cached water.  Based on distances from a map I had copied from a bulletin board at Cottonwood and that we were on a saddleback between two walls, I deduced that Redwall Bridge must be a terrain feature.  It was not until we came to Redwall Bridge that I realized it was a man made bridge.  I’m still not sure exactly where we stowed the water bottles.  From here on the canyon really narrows until Supai tunnel.  The trail is on a sheer cliff many places.  At 9:30 AM we met a guy returning from the North Rim who had left the South Rim at 12:05 AM. He intended to make the round trip in 18 hrs.  Sure miss a lot of scenery that way, even with a bright moon.

We walked right up on a deer who had no place to go to get away from us but to move closer to the vertical wall.  We saw several large Redbud bushes.  Conifer trees are becoming common.  Shortly before Supai Tunnel you can look back down the trail, and I mean down, and see Redwall Bridge; a magnificent view.  Just past Supai Tunnel, which is actually a real tunnel the trail passes through, there is a rest/holding area for the mule trains.  From the tunnel you can see the north rim very clearly.  Up until now the trail parallels the course of Bright Angel Creek/Canyon (or its tributary after Roaring Springs), but starting about Tapeats Crossing the trail starts climbing above the creek, by Roaring Springs the creek is well below, after a ways the trail gradually descends to the canyon bottom elevation at Redwood Bridge and then starts climbing again.  After Supai, the trail turns to the left and goes up the side of the canyon.  (note: When I was here last September, I had gotten down to within 200 yds of Supai Tunnel but didn’t know it.  I had seen the mules stopped there and decided to turn around to try to beat them back up the trail.  I didn’t succeed.)

Ponderosa Pines, Pinion, Blue Spruce and Aspen are prevalent.  We are seeing patches of snow in the shaded areas along the trail and have cached more water in the snow.  On the last little bit to the rim, the terrain about the trail spreads out with trees all around (which is the way I remember it from last year).  At the North Rim, the temperature is about 50 F, but is comfortable with no wind or humidity.  There is a lot of snow, ~5 ft, along the road that comes to the trail head, it appears to have been stacked there by a snow blower.  We ate lunch, I had canned deviled ham, honey, peanut butter, crackers and Tang.  A ranger, a friendly older fellow, drove by in a pickup and stopped on his way back to chat with us.  He stays on the North Rim through the winter.  He says the roads stay closed until the roadbed has a chance to dry out, not because of the amount of snow cover at this time (Arizona highway rules).

We talked to some guys had left the South Rim (S. Kaibab) at 3 AM and got here about 11:30 AM (20.6 mi).  One of those guys lagged behind and didn’t get to the rim until the others started down.  Being determined to make it, he looked exhausted when he arrived.  They all intend to get back to the South Rim today.  Usually when we would stop for a while, I would wash and check my feet.  As there was no water, except what we were carrying, I washed my feet in the snow, cold but worked.

Having photographically documented our presence at the North Rim, we started back down the trail.  Again using the timer on my camera, I took a photo of us standing on a rock overhang with the Bright Angel Canyon in the background.  I took some, what I consider spectacular, photos showing the steepness of the canyon walls with the trails etched in them.  Tying Carol’s camera on the bridge railing and using the delay timer, I took a picture of the three of us behind the “trail closed” sign at Tapeats Crossing.  We could see trout in the pool of water here.

When we got back to Cottonwood, Chirold discovered that a squirrel had gotten into his pack and got into his food.  Not too much damage to food supply, but it did chew a hole into his pack.  My hands became somewhat swollen, but recovered.  My feet were a little sore and I got a small blister on my right big toe, no big deal.  I thought I was drinking plenty but liquid out seems low.  I will carry tea to drink tomorrow.

A helicopter landed again today to let out some workers as it was too windy to land them at Roaring Springs.  And if I’m not mistaken, on both days, Mike was taking a bath in the creek when the helicopter flew over and landed nearby.  I washed my socks.  After supper, we hit the sack.  I could see a small furry animal running on limbs on the other side of the tree I slept under.  Just beyond (30 feet), several mule deer were browsing.  Mike had to throw rocks at one near him to be able to get to sleep.  I got up in the middle of the night (midnight or so).  The temperature was comfortable, the wind was calm, and Bright Angel Creek could be heard roaring in the background.  The light from the nearly full moon colored the surrounding bluffs and mesas silver-blue and making them very prominent, almost surrealistic against the starry sky.  Awesome, peaceful, humbling.

4/16/89
4:30  Got up
6:19  Left camp
6:50  Ribbon Falls Bridge
9:47  .8 mi to Bright Angel Camp
9:56  Phantom Ranch/ Bright Angel Camp
12:20 Leaving Bright Angel Camp
1:09  Leaving river - Colorado River Rest House
3:22  .3 miles to Indian Gardens
3:40  Indian Gardens
5:30  Left Indian Gardens for Plateau Point
7:45  Returned from Plateau Point

Day’s summary - Got up at 4:30, ate peaches and cream instant oatmeal, packed up and hiked to Phantom Ranch.  We could occasionally see trout in pools and where the creek from Ribbon Falls joins the main creek.  I tried to get a photo of Mike crossing a stream crossing the trail from the east, a little blurry.  I did get a good picture of Mike and Chirold on one of the couple of unnamed bridges that cross the creek.  The going along here is easy, generally down and we made good time.  I found a couple of samples along the way.

We stopped at the snack bar at Phantom Ranch, where Chirold got some film.  A young fellow from Australia, who looked like Pinky Nelson, had just jogged down from the South Rim and would run back up today as he had a plane to catch.  We hung around Bright Angel Camp near the creek bridge closest to the Colorado River, washed feet, ate lunch and relaxed.  I called Betty from the same phone and again had to go through MCI customer service.

Leaving on the Bright Angel Trail, we crossed the Colorado River on the Silver Bridge which is about a half mile west or downstream from the Kaibab Suspension Bridge.  It too is a suspension bridge and I got a photo of the Kaibab Suspension Bridge from it.  The river seemed clearer and perhaps lower than it was on 4/13.  The trail, which has deep sand in some places early on, parallels the river on the south side and climbs some before turning left into a narrow gorge.  Before entering the gorge and losing sight of the river below, we could see some people exploring the river bank and then saw a raft with supplies and one fellow negotiating the rapids in the river.  Along here I got a good photo of the folded rocks (mostly gneiss) of the Inner Gorge of the Grand Canyon, the formation is very angry looking.

After the river, the trail goes through a region known as the furnace, so called because the walls seem to focus the heat of the sun and also stop the breeze.  We were unfortunate enough that once we were standing off of the trail to let a mule train to get by, when it stopped.  What a stench.  It is not clear to me how the riders can cope with either the dust or the smell.  We made it past the Furnace, up Devils Cork Screw, which is also aptly named, and on to Indian Gardens.  Feet about the same, still hanging in there.  Indian Gardens is not as nice a camp as the others we stayed in.  It is crowded, has little privacy, and had construction in progress.  There were no hanging poles in our camp site so we had to hang our packs in the next site.  There was only gravel to pitch a tent on.  Mike let me use his foam pad under my air mattress to keep it from being punctured.

We hiked out to Plateau Point before sundown.  From the South Rim, the trail out to the point appears to be flat, while in actuality it has some undulations.  Part of the lodge at the North Rim is visible from here.  The 360 deg view is outstanding.  From here you can see the river 1400 feet directly below, somewhat scarey.  Chirold and I took photos periodically as the sun set.  Several people were out here.  One dizzy gal kept complaining about her fear of heights.  This is not a problem if you stay back from the edge.

We got back to camp after sundown, and ate supper by moon light.  I got in bed about 9 PM. An owl hooted gently most of the night.  I could see high altitude jet contrails in the moon light.  As this had been a long day (15 miles, including Plateau Point), I slept very well.

4/17/89
5:00  Got up
6:20  Left Indian Gardens
7:15  3 mi house
8:09  Sign - 2 mi from Rim
8:25  1 ½ mi house
9:40  Got to Brite Angel trail head

Day’s Summary - Ate more instant oatmeal and poptarts and some of Chirold’s hot chocolate (tongue still sore from burning yesterday on hot chocolate that he had given me, tasted good though).  My air mattress is not designed to deflate, its hard to get air out of it.  We packed up and left Indian Gardens.  It was a slow steady pull, mostly in shade, took pictures, only took packs off 4 or 5 times.  We covered 4.5 mi in 3:20.  On way up, we passed an older woman who was having a hard time of it.  Her husband would get ahead of her, wait a bit and when she would catch up he would start again, not giving her a chance to rest.  Poor form.  Several times we passed a young woman (due to all stopping and starting), who had left her husband and daughter behind on the trail.  Although she had a small pack, she seemed to be laboring.  When Mike asked if she needed assistance, she, evidently feeling somewhat impugned, left in a hurry.  Mike and Chirold let me lead as I was the slowest and thus would not feel obliged to over do it.  On steeper areas, my heart rate would get to 145-150 but would be less than 120 after a minute or -two.

We stopped at the 1 ½ mile house.  We had a snack and again Chirold fed some squirrels.  I dumped some water here as the plan was to get to the rim with as little of load as possible.  We did have both types of fuel left over, but that is better than running out.  Unlike the trail beyond Phantom Ranch, there are a lot of people on this trail, going both ways.

We took pictures at trail head.  We even had all three of us taken by an obliging lady.  As we were a little early, their wives were not there yet so we walked to Maswik Lodge.  We had our pictures taken by Glenda.  When I asked Diane for my airline tickets, there was a short but frenzied search before she located them.

We all took showers and Chirold had his car packed by 11:30.  We drove to Babbit’s store where I got some sandstone art for Betty.  We also went to another shop to look for souvenirs.  We ate lunch at a cafeteria, I had a Coors, french fries and a hamburger.  After eating we drove to Mather Point and to Yaki Point.  We could see the South Kaibab Trail, that we had hiked down, Phantom Ranch and the lodge at the North Rim from Mather Point.  Chirold took me to the Grand Canyon Airport where I caught an Air West Airline’s de Havilland D8 to Las Vegas and then an Air West 737 to Phoenix.  When entering the airplane at Grand Canyon, the “Coke” stewardess, upon seeing me and my pack, asked if I had gotten any rocks as souvenirs.  My answer was that that was against the law.  Upon deplaning I amended my response.

The Southwest flight was over an hour late leaving Phoenix.  I sat with Chuck Shaw’s wife, Connie, on the flight to Hobby.  We arrived at Hobby about 1 AM.  Connie is quite a talker.  I met Chuck Shaw when I was walking out of the lobby.  Betty drove up less than a minute after I had gotten to our agreed pickup point.  When I got home I took dirty clothes out of pack, Betty put them in washer and I went to bed.