 |
| River Map |
Thursday, April 28, 2011
61 Days To Go
TL Report: Busy with final project for graduate school, so no blog this week. Here's some links for those of you who are planning on visiting the So Rim before the trip and a river map. See you next week!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
68 Days To Go - Fern Glen
TL Report: I spoke with River Permits this week about changing the GCNP entry passes for the exchange hikers to the correct date of July 3rd. They were, as ever, very accommodating, and will be sending them to me this week. I will send them out to the girls when I receive them. Kathy, Don and Gus, you won't need them when you hike out as you will already be in the Park.
Just got my trusty old 90 degree offset wooden Silver Creek paddle back from being sanded and redipped. It looks like new and I am excited to take it back to the canyon.
Also: A big THANK YOU to Kelly Fischer for your help with my new blue Shred Ready helmet, it is gorgeous, and you are the best! xxoo
Tribe: We are almost 2 months out. Have you:
Last of the Great Unknown - Preview from carpeybiggs on Vimeo.
Mileage This Week: River Mile 168-170: At River Mile 168.5 on river right, up near the top of the Redwall, is the Fern Glen Arch.
This arch is best seen looking to River Right will running Fern Glen Rapid, class 2 (out of 10), a 3 foot drop.
At River Mile 168.6 we will stop and hike beautiful Fern Glen Canyon. There is a large beach here and an easy walk into a deeply shaded slot canyon in the summer. The hike is a short one, only about a 1/2 mile, but the shade will be welcome and a rare treat in this section of GC.
Equipment/Camp/Info Check: GC cactus flowers in bloom. Lovely.
 |
| Fern Glen Canyon chockstone |
Just got my trusty old 90 degree offset wooden Silver Creek paddle back from being sanded and redipped. It looks like new and I am excited to take it back to the canyon.
Also: A big THANK YOU to Kelly Fischer for your help with my new blue Shred Ready helmet, it is gorgeous, and you are the best! xxoo
Tribe: We are almost 2 months out. Have you:
- Called your MD about meds and a Tetanus shot? What am I talking about? See this blog entry.
- Gotten all your equipment? See this equipment list.
- Made your reservations for after the trip? See this post.
- Organized shipping your stuff to Flag? Check out the email I sent you.
- Bought a river guide book (and you will want one!)? Amazon link .
- Worked on your feet to avoid Tolio? See this post.
- Bought (if you don't already have some) and broken in your river shoes? See this post.
- Thought of any questions? Email or call me!
What the Grand Canyon forums are chatting about this week: Check out this great video of a 30 day river trip whose emphasis was to explore 22 slots that required rappelling, climbing, swimming, etc. This video is a preview of a more extensive movie that will come out in Fall 2011.
Last of the Great Unknown - Preview from carpeybiggs on Vimeo.
Mileage This Week: River Mile 168-170: At River Mile 168.5 on river right, up near the top of the Redwall, is the Fern Glen Arch.
 |
| Fern Glen Arch |
This arch is best seen looking to River Right will running Fern Glen Rapid, class 2 (out of 10), a 3 foot drop.
 |
| Fern Glen Canyon |
At River Mile 168.6 we will stop and hike beautiful Fern Glen Canyon. There is a large beach here and an easy walk into a deeply shaded slot canyon in the summer. The hike is a short one, only about a 1/2 mile, but the shade will be welcome and a rare treat in this section of GC.
 |
| Fern Glen |
 |
| Harvey Butchart |
GC History: Fern Glen Arch (above) is also called Alamo Window. It was named by Harvey Butchart (1907-2002). Butchart was a mathematics professor who was well-known for his hiking exploits in and around the Grand Canyon. Over a period of 17 years Butchart hiked the entire length of the canyon, making him the first person known to have done so. He didn't wear hiking boots when hiking in the canyon, but inexpensive work shoes from K-Mart or Sears.
Upon moving to Flagstaff in 1945, he began exploring the Grand Canyon. After hiking most of the main routes, he began to explore unofficial routes and animal trails. He was eventually credited with discovering over 100 rim-to-river routes within the canyon. In 1963 he completed the route along the entire length of the canyon.
 |
| Butchart's shoes |
Upon moving to Flagstaff in 1945, he began exploring the Grand Canyon. After hiking most of the main routes, he began to explore unofficial routes and animal trails. He was eventually credited with discovering over 100 rim-to-river routes within the canyon. In 1963 he completed the route along the entire length of the canyon.Butchart kept a detailed log of his explorations, which would eventually reach over 1000 pages. He recorded 1024 days spent in the canyon, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) walked. In 1997, Butchart compiled his notes and published Grand Canyon Treks: 12,000 Miles Through the Grand Canyon (right).
Thursday, April 14, 2011
75 Days To Go - National
 |
Limestone patio at National Canyon |
What the Grand Canyon forums are chatting about this week: Check out the nesting Eagles below. The link showed up on the GCPBA forum, and my family and I have been watching them for a week.
If you can't see it below, go directly to the website, these Bald Eagle parents and hatchlings are amazing.
http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/index.html
 |
| National Canyon |
Mileage This Week: River Mile 166-167. At river mile 167, we will make camp 14 at National Canyon. After a dinner of Spaghetti and meatballs, we can hike up this side canyon about a 1/2 mile to some fine limestone patios, running water and deep shade in the summer. This is a long canyon running almost 20 miles up to the rim. We will need to be careful of hiking here due to the risk of flash flooding.
In the morning it's a breakfast of pancakes and Canadian Sausage. Relish it , it's one of the few hot breakfasts we have on this trip!
 |
| Limestone curves-Nat'l Canyon |
 |
| Mouth of Nat'l Canyon |
 |
| J.W. Powell |
GC History: At this point on Powell's first expedition he wrote:
"Our rations are still spoiling; the bacon is so badly injured that we throw it away. We now have only musty flour sufficient for ten days and a few dried apples, but plenty of coffee... We may be compelled to give up the expedition." -Powell Report, August 1867
Equipment/Camp/Info Check: Yellow backed Spiny Lizard.
 |
| Spiny Lizard |
DISTRIBUTION: The Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard ranges across northwestern Arizona at elevations ranging from about 500' to about 5,000'.
HABITAT: The Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard is found in desertscrub. It is often encountered along riparian corridors. It basks on the branches of trees or on fence posts, wood piles, boulders, rock piles, and packrat nests.
BEHAVIOR: This diurnal lizard is often heard before it is seen as it scratches and claws the tree-bark en route to the opposite side of the trunk or branch. It flees down into the inner tangles of pack rat nests, rock crevices, or burrows when threatened. It has strong jaws and often bites when captured.
DIET: Prey consists of a variety of insects including ants, beetles, and caterpillars. It also feeds on spiders, centipedes, small lizards, and some plant material.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
March 2011 Condor Update
Mar. 26, 2011 - Condor Update from Grand Canyon
Hello Condor Enthusiasts—
Population numbers from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, as of February 28, 2011:
World Total: 369
(This is down one since December 31; a breeding-age female condor from Baja California, Mexico, who was being treated for lead poisoning at the L.A. Zoo, died there on January 7.)
Captive Population (including birds temporarily in captivity): 179
Wild Population:
190
California:
97
Baja California, Mexico:
20
Arizona/Utah:
74 (counting #122 in Phoenix for lead treatment)
73 now: following 1 mortality in March.
See "Sad News" below
As of February 28, 32 eggs had been laid this year in the four captive breeding facilities (the L.A. Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, the Oregon Zoo in Portland and The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho). Five eggs had been confirmed in the wild in California: 2 each in southern California and Pinnacles National Monument, and another in the Big Sur area.
Arizona news (from conversations with Peregrine Fund staff Chris Parish and with Eddie Feltes in March 2011):
Male 122/tag 22, who was expected to nest again this year in the Tapeats Creek area with female 210/10, was transferred to Phoenix on January 19 to be treated for lead poisoning by Dr. Kathy Orr at Liberty Wildlife. He has recovered nicely, and will be returned to Vermilion Cliffs tomorrow, and re-released in another week. #210 has not re-mated, and there is just a slim chance that this pair could still produce an egg this year, though it’s unlikely.
As of March 3, just one egg was thought to exist thus far in Arizona, and it’s still the only visually confirmed egg although others are now suspected. This nest is a repeat performance by the trio of condors 241F/41, 193M/93, & 243M/43 on the east Kaibab plateau. Their nest failed last year, and hopes are not high that they will succeed this year unless they settle out into a single pair. But for now, all three birds are taking turns incubating and all appears to be going well.
Sad news from Eddie Feltes: Six-year-old female 366/C6 was recently found dead of unknown causes (lead was ruled out) on the Kaibab National Forest north of the park. She and male 203/03 are suspected to have had an egg in a nest cave in the Deer Creek area of Grand Canyon National Park. 203 is still spending a lot of time in the cave, but cannot possibly succeed in incubating alone.
Another recent disappointment: Eight-year-old male 299/99 recently showed up at the release site in poor condition and tested high for blood lead level; he was held and is undergoing chelation. This is all too common an occurrence among condors in the wild, but is especially disappointing in this case because he and female 343/A3 appeared to be on the verge of nesting in Zion National Park in Utah! They’d been seen regularly courting and mating in the vicinity of Angel’s Landing, and had shown interest in 3 different potential nest caves in that area. #343 is being held at Vermilion Cliffs too, to avoid breaking up the pair. But their odds of breeding this year are now much reduced.
Other suspected eggs:
Female 133/33 and male 187/87 seem to have produced an egg in a new cave, in the Pipe Springs drainage, just west of Yaki Point. This cave is visible from a spot on the rim just east of Mather Point! (Expect a call for nest watch volunteers sometime soon.)
Female 314/-4 and Male 287/-7 are suspected to have laid in an unidentified cave in the Redwall limestone in the vicinity of the Great Thumb (well to the west of the developed part of the South Rim, but within Grand Canyon National Park). This pair courted last year too, but never showed signs of an egg.
Female 253/53 and male 223/3 seem to have laid their 5th egg in four years in the river corridor within Marble Canyon, in the Soap Creek drainage within Grand Canyon National Park. It is suspected that at least some of their previous failures may have been due to ravens raiding their nest when the incubating parent was taking a brief break. This year they have chosen a new nest cave that seems to have less raven activity around it, so perhaps this will be their year!
Female 280/80 and male 234/4 have been seen frequently courting and mating around Plateau Point. Still no sign of a nest, but they have laid in the past below Buddha Temple and it is expected they might lay in that vicinity again sometime soon.
Most Eligible Bachelorette, female 316/16, an eight-year-old female who has still never mated, has been spending time with five-year-old male 423/E3, but there has been no sign of courtship, and he is on the young side for breeding. In the meanwhile, Most Eligible Bachelor, sixteen-year-old 123/23, who has fathered several chicks but lost mate 127 to lead poisoning last winter, has shown no signs of courting anyone this breeding season.
Last year’s Vermilion Cliffs fledgling, #558 (soon to receive tag 5) is doing well. He or she has fed about a dozen times on calf carcasses at the release site, but is still being fed by parents male 114/tagless and female 126/26. That pair has been observed courting and mating, and briefly showed signs of possibly having an egg in their usual nest cave. But with 558 still being fed and still showing up in that nest cave, it is unlikely that they will breed successfully this year.
Incidentally, the proffering of calf carcasses (still-born dairy calves and unwanted male dairy calves from several organic dairies) has changed a bit recently. Carcasses are still put out every three days at the Vermilion Cliffs release site, but instead of scattering them about artfully, they are placed in the release pen just as when trapping is being done. Coyotes have discovered Vermilion Cliffs as a source of food, and had been dragging off the carcasses during the night before the condors even saw them. The prevalence of coyotes meant danger to the condors, as well as a waste of good meat, but this seems to be solving the problem for now.
Three male condors have not been seen since December or early January: 420/20, 459/59 (the 2007 Vermilion Cliffs chick), and 331/31. They haven’t been written off yet, but could at some point be listed as missing and presumed dead.
I e-mailed Kathy Sullivan of Arizona Game & Fish Department about her continuing efforts to eliminate the use of lead bullets on the North Kaibab in Arizona. She responded with the following on March 4, 2011:
The free ammo program and gut pile raffle were both implemented again last fall. We had 87% voluntary participation from Kaibab hunters in 2010. We’ve had 80-90% participation for the past four years now!
We’re also continuing our outreach efforts full speed. I worked a non-lead ammo booth at the Sportsman’s Expo in PHX last weekend (contacting just under 1,000 hunters and shooters). I will also be staffing a non-lead ammo shooting booth at Game and Fish’s Outdoor Expo in PHX the last weekend of this month (also expected to reach ~ 1,000 people). Utah is also working on voluntary lead reduction efforts. UT Department of Wildlife implemented a non-lead ammo rebate coupon program last fall: if hunters bought non-lead ammo and sent the UPC symbol to UTDWR, they were mailed a $25 rebate check. Results will be presented next month.
Until I have more news….
Marker
Ms. Marker Marshall
Park Ranger--Interpretation
Grand Canyon National Park
.
Hello Condor Enthusiasts—
Population numbers from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, as of February 28, 2011:
World Total: 369
(This is down one since December 31; a breeding-age female condor from Baja California, Mexico, who was being treated for lead poisoning at the L.A. Zoo, died there on January 7.)
Captive Population (including birds temporarily in captivity): 179
Wild Population:
190
California:
97
Baja California, Mexico:
20
Arizona/Utah:
74 (counting #122 in Phoenix for lead treatment)
73 now: following 1 mortality in March.
See "Sad News" below
As of February 28, 32 eggs had been laid this year in the four captive breeding facilities (the L.A. Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, the Oregon Zoo in Portland and The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho). Five eggs had been confirmed in the wild in California: 2 each in southern California and Pinnacles National Monument, and another in the Big Sur area.
Arizona news (from conversations with Peregrine Fund staff Chris Parish and with Eddie Feltes in March 2011):
Male 122/tag 22, who was expected to nest again this year in the Tapeats Creek area with female 210/10, was transferred to Phoenix on January 19 to be treated for lead poisoning by Dr. Kathy Orr at Liberty Wildlife. He has recovered nicely, and will be returned to Vermilion Cliffs tomorrow, and re-released in another week. #210 has not re-mated, and there is just a slim chance that this pair could still produce an egg this year, though it’s unlikely.
As of March 3, just one egg was thought to exist thus far in Arizona, and it’s still the only visually confirmed egg although others are now suspected. This nest is a repeat performance by the trio of condors 241F/41, 193M/93, & 243M/43 on the east Kaibab plateau. Their nest failed last year, and hopes are not high that they will succeed this year unless they settle out into a single pair. But for now, all three birds are taking turns incubating and all appears to be going well.
Sad news from Eddie Feltes: Six-year-old female 366/C6 was recently found dead of unknown causes (lead was ruled out) on the Kaibab National Forest north of the park. She and male 203/03 are suspected to have had an egg in a nest cave in the Deer Creek area of Grand Canyon National Park. 203 is still spending a lot of time in the cave, but cannot possibly succeed in incubating alone.
Another recent disappointment: Eight-year-old male 299/99 recently showed up at the release site in poor condition and tested high for blood lead level; he was held and is undergoing chelation. This is all too common an occurrence among condors in the wild, but is especially disappointing in this case because he and female 343/A3 appeared to be on the verge of nesting in Zion National Park in Utah! They’d been seen regularly courting and mating in the vicinity of Angel’s Landing, and had shown interest in 3 different potential nest caves in that area. #343 is being held at Vermilion Cliffs too, to avoid breaking up the pair. But their odds of breeding this year are now much reduced.
Other suspected eggs:
Female 133/33 and male 187/87 seem to have produced an egg in a new cave, in the Pipe Springs drainage, just west of Yaki Point. This cave is visible from a spot on the rim just east of Mather Point! (Expect a call for nest watch volunteers sometime soon.)
Female 314/-4 and Male 287/-7 are suspected to have laid in an unidentified cave in the Redwall limestone in the vicinity of the Great Thumb (well to the west of the developed part of the South Rim, but within Grand Canyon National Park). This pair courted last year too, but never showed signs of an egg.
Female 253/53 and male 223/3 seem to have laid their 5th egg in four years in the river corridor within Marble Canyon, in the Soap Creek drainage within Grand Canyon National Park. It is suspected that at least some of their previous failures may have been due to ravens raiding their nest when the incubating parent was taking a brief break. This year they have chosen a new nest cave that seems to have less raven activity around it, so perhaps this will be their year!
Female 280/80 and male 234/4 have been seen frequently courting and mating around Plateau Point. Still no sign of a nest, but they have laid in the past below Buddha Temple and it is expected they might lay in that vicinity again sometime soon.
Most Eligible Bachelorette, female 316/16, an eight-year-old female who has still never mated, has been spending time with five-year-old male 423/E3, but there has been no sign of courtship, and he is on the young side for breeding. In the meanwhile, Most Eligible Bachelor, sixteen-year-old 123/23, who has fathered several chicks but lost mate 127 to lead poisoning last winter, has shown no signs of courting anyone this breeding season.
Last year’s Vermilion Cliffs fledgling, #558 (soon to receive tag 5) is doing well. He or she has fed about a dozen times on calf carcasses at the release site, but is still being fed by parents male 114/tagless and female 126/26. That pair has been observed courting and mating, and briefly showed signs of possibly having an egg in their usual nest cave. But with 558 still being fed and still showing up in that nest cave, it is unlikely that they will breed successfully this year.
Incidentally, the proffering of calf carcasses (still-born dairy calves and unwanted male dairy calves from several organic dairies) has changed a bit recently. Carcasses are still put out every three days at the Vermilion Cliffs release site, but instead of scattering them about artfully, they are placed in the release pen just as when trapping is being done. Coyotes have discovered Vermilion Cliffs as a source of food, and had been dragging off the carcasses during the night before the condors even saw them. The prevalence of coyotes meant danger to the condors, as well as a waste of good meat, but this seems to be solving the problem for now.
Three male condors have not been seen since December or early January: 420/20, 459/59 (the 2007 Vermilion Cliffs chick), and 331/31. They haven’t been written off yet, but could at some point be listed as missing and presumed dead.
I e-mailed Kathy Sullivan of Arizona Game & Fish Department about her continuing efforts to eliminate the use of lead bullets on the North Kaibab in Arizona. She responded with the following on March 4, 2011:
The free ammo program and gut pile raffle were both implemented again last fall. We had 87% voluntary participation from Kaibab hunters in 2010. We’ve had 80-90% participation for the past four years now!
We’re also continuing our outreach efforts full speed. I worked a non-lead ammo booth at the Sportsman’s Expo in PHX last weekend (contacting just under 1,000 hunters and shooters). I will also be staffing a non-lead ammo shooting booth at Game and Fish’s Outdoor Expo in PHX the last weekend of this month (also expected to reach ~ 1,000 people). Utah is also working on voluntary lead reduction efforts. UT Department of Wildlife implemented a non-lead ammo rebate coupon program last fall: if hunters bought non-lead ammo and sent the UPC symbol to UTDWR, they were mailed a $25 rebate check. Results will be presented next month.
Until I have more news….
Marker
Ms. Marker Marshall
Park Ranger--Interpretation
Grand Canyon National Park
.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Release of condor 241 after treatment for lead poisoning
If you've been following the Condor information in this blog, check out the video below.
Friday, April 8, 2011
82 Days To Go - Tuckup
I also received passes to waive the park entry fees for the Exchange hikers coming in at Phantom. Unfortunately, they are for July 4 and 5th, not the 3rd when you guys will be coming in. I have a call into river permits to see if they can be amended.
What the Grand Canyon forums are chatting about this week: Another possible government shut down. Not good for river runners, because if there is a shutdown, any trips scheduled to launch will not be able to so since the road to Lee's Ferry will be closed, and there will be law enforcement there to make sure no one enters. I hope for the folks, who have waited so many years to do this fabulous trip, that the government gets their flippin' act together. Oy Vey.
Also in the Flag news:
Equipment/Camp/Info Check: What are Eddys and why are we concerned about them?
So, why are we concerned with eddys? Because they like to grab rafts, cause chaos and separate rafts on the trip.
Most of our experienced boatmen (sorry, Jim and Mike) will know how to manage eddys on the river. But inexperienced river folks may underestimate the power of swirly eddys. IF you catch a tube in a strong eddy, it will pull the raft in and cirulate it upstream. This can be difficult for the boatmen as it requires a lot of rowing and energy to get the raft back out in the current and can subsequently separate the rafts on the trip. Even in calm water on the grand, I have seen rafts dip a tube on an eddy line and dump out innocently reading passengers (you know who you are) resulting in a pretty scary swim (as their head bumped along the bottom of an 18ft raft).
 |
| Golden Light at Tuckup Canyon |
TL Report: Today I received in the mail our official permit (below). Included in the NPS envelope was the River Orientation DVD that EVERYONE is required to watch. All trip members who are launching at Lees will watch the DVD in Flag at the River house. Everyone hiking in, you will need to do so before you come out to the South Rim. You can watch the four NPS segments on YouTube:
Orientation video 1 Orientation video 2
Orientation video 3 Orientation video 4
Orientation video 1 Orientation video 2
Orientation video 3 Orientation video 4
 |
| Official Permit is here |
What the Grand Canyon forums are chatting about this week: Another possible government shut down. Not good for river runners, because if there is a shutdown, any trips scheduled to launch will not be able to so since the road to Lee's Ferry will be closed, and there will be law enforcement there to make sure no one enters. I hope for the folks, who have waited so many years to do this fabulous trip, that the government gets their flippin' act together. Oy Vey.
Canyon sets closure plan
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS azdailysun.com
Posted: Friday, April 8, 2011 5:05 am
A federal government shutdown due to a budget impasse would include Grand Canyon National Park, a federal official said Thursday.
"We're hopeful there will not be a government shutdown, but if there is, all 394 national parks will close," said Park Service spokesman David Barna.
All nonessential employees will be sent home as well as those who work for park concessionaries.
State Highway 64, which runs through the park, would remain open to vehicle travel, but all hotels and facilities within the park would close, Barna said. All hiking trails, lookout points and parking lots would be blocked off.
If the park shuts down, the gates to the Grand Canyon couldn't simply be closed. About 1,500 people live there and not all work for the federal government. Water treatment and sewer facilities would need to be maintained, and a cadre of law enforcement and security will be on hand, Barna said.
Mona Mesereau, a spokeswoman for park concessionaire Xanterra Parks and Resorts, said it would contact guests in the event of a government shutdown and either reschedule trips, refund deposits or refund any unused portion of their trip.
The Park Service will not, however, search for anyone who is rafting or hiking in the canyon's backcountry, Barna said. "For practical purposes, we won't have enough resources to search for someone."
A weekend closure in April could mean the loss of $110,000 in entrance fees to the Grand Canyon, said park spokeswoman Shannan Marcak. A week of entrance fees in early April amounts to nearly $487,000. The Grand Canyon hits its peak visitation in July with about 20,500 visitors per day.
The closure would not impact access to the Hualapai and Havasupai tribes that call the Grand Canyon home and are outside of the park's boundaries.
Also in the Flag news:
Man banned from Canyon for illegal river run
By DAILY SUN STAFF azdailysun.com
Posted: Thursday, April 7, 2011 9:13 am
The U.S. Magistrate Court judge in Flagstaff has banned a St. George, Utah man from Grand Canyon National Park for kayaking on the Colorado River without a permit.
According to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dean Woods Jr., 24, has been banned from the park for three years while he is on probation for pleading guilty to conducting a river trip without a permit.
According to National Park Service investigators, on July 7, 2010, Dean hiked into the Canyon with an inflatable kayak in the remote Tuweep area. Rangers, working on a missing-person report, found him on a beach on the river. Dean admitted, remorsefully, he knew a permit was required to kayak the river.
The maximum penalty for the offense is six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
 |
| Tuckup Camp |
Mileage This Week: River Mile 162-165. At this point in the canyon, we are just floating along. No large rapids for several miles, but plenty of miles to make down river. After Havasu, it's all about getting in higher mile days while still enjoying ourselves. On river mile 165.1, we'll pass Tuckup Canyon. I don't think we'll hike this one, (we may have spent a lot of time at Havasu), but you never know.
GC History: Check out this compilation (called the Shaman's Panel) of the pictographs way up Tuckup Canyon.
 |
| The Shaman's Panel in Tuckup Canyon - alas, too far a hike for us to see! |
We won't be able to hike as far from the river as these incredible wall paintings, but you can hike to them ( a very long day hike) from the north rim. Here's a link if you'd like more information.
 |
| Eddys can be your friend,.... or not. Getting out of an eddy can be zero fun and exhausting. |
What is an eddy? In simplest terms, it's a place where the current of a river slackens suddenly, or even reverses itself. Eddies are characterized by turbulent circular flow patterns. A whirlpool is a kind of eddy, but the eddies that most paddlers know best are the ones that form on the downstream side of obstructions in a river.
 |
| Eddy Diagram |
So, why are we concerned with eddys? Because they like to grab rafts, cause chaos and separate rafts on the trip.
Most of our experienced boatmen (sorry, Jim and Mike) will know how to manage eddys on the river. But inexperienced river folks may underestimate the power of swirly eddys. IF you catch a tube in a strong eddy, it will pull the raft in and cirulate it upstream. This can be difficult for the boatmen as it requires a lot of rowing and energy to get the raft back out in the current and can subsequently separate the rafts on the trip. Even in calm water on the grand, I have seen rafts dip a tube on an eddy line and dump out innocently reading passengers (you know who you are) resulting in a pretty scary swim (as their head bumped along the bottom of an 18ft raft).
Thursday, March 31, 2011
89 Days To Go
 |
| Moenkopi Rafts - This are probably exactly they type of rafts we'll have. |
TL Report: Exchange folks (with the exception of Lynne), you should all have received email from me last week about shipping your gear to or from Flag. If you didn't get my email, call or email me back.
 |
| Dry bag: you'll have one. |
Today is the 31st, which means our permit is being finalized by the NPS. :-)
 |
| Sawyer's Trip - I think they were helping another trip flip a raft over |
Welcome home to Sawyer, who's March trip to GC left Flag in the snow and looks like they returned to Flag in the snow (?) from the pictures. Brrrr! Here's his facebook status:
We're headed home.
The trip was great. 280 miles is a long way. The whitewater was manageable. We had 16000 for the first 19 days. Lava was huge. No flips for Carol and I. We had one flip in our group at Horn. THE SWIRLIES!!! I had no idea that the flat water would be so complicated.
Met some great people and partied too much. :)
I posted a video of a flip he recorded at Granite on my FB page.
Whats new at Grand Canyon Nat'l Park this week:
Hikers Injured in Rock Fall Incident at Grand Canyon National ParkHere's a link if you'd like to read the entire press release.
Date: March 30, 2011
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Two hikers were injured yesterday in a human-caused rock fall incident on the South Kaibab Trail below the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Mileage This Week: River Mile 158-160.The river is somewhat flat for the next 60 miles with the exception of Lava Falls (river mile 179). The river flows mostly through the Bright Angel Shale, a softer rock that erodes easily. This accounts for the mostly gentle nature of the river.
 |
| Mooney Falls |
GC History: Mooney Falls at Havasu Canyon
There was too much info in last weeks blog to include info about 210-foot Mooney Falls, so I thought I'd run it here. Mooney Falls is the 2nd waterfall if you are hiking up Havasu Canyon. It's about a 4 hour round trip.
It is named after D. W. "James" Mooney, a miner, who in 1882 decided to mine the area. One of his companions was injured, so Mooney decided to try and climb down the falls, and subsequently fell to his death.
One of his companions wrote:
I well remember the trip that Mooney fell. We had been down in the canyon about three days when Mooney fell and was killed, and we had no way to get down to bury his remains till eleven months and a day.
The day Mooney fell we were all down in the canyon except Beckman, and when we returned to camp there was no levity amoung us. Beckman noticed that, and not seeing Mooney he asked about him, and Doheny told him he fell and was killed. The next morning before any of us was up he went down to the cliff to see if Mooney had moved. He untied the rope and tossed it down with his boots and said, this is all the funeral I can give you this time. Mooney, before starting down on his rope had pulled off his boots and asked me to lend him my belt which was a wide one. I have never seen the belt to this day, but Mooney's boots showed us the way to go down and bury him. We noticed the boots on an Indian. We asked him how he got the boots. To make a long story short, Young went with the Indian, who showed him the way he went down - a dangerous trip along a crevice in the wall of the canyon part of the way. Young wouldn't try that trail, but the Indian showed us some little caves, and we made the tunnel through the cliff.
The next year the miners returned along with Mat Humphreys and found the Indian again who showed them a small cave leading into the overhang along the south bank. They made the cave larger and blasted out a slanting tunnel, made the steps, and suspending one of the party on a rope, set a ladder on iron spikes in the cliff below the tunnel. The miners then buried Mooney's preserved, lime-encrusted body on the little island below the falls. Later one of the elder members of the tribe stated that a flood had exposed the remains and Mooney was reburied up on a ledge on the west side of the canyon. The exact location is currently unknown.
 |
| Ocotillo |
Ocotillo appears on the slopes of the river around river mile 155.2. Ocotillo is not a cactus, but each of this cane-like shrubs multiple wands has copious thorns. The wands may be tipped with brilliant red-orange flowers from March to July and will have small green leaves only after it rains.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Happy Birthday to John Wesley Powell, first white explorer of the GC
 |
| John Wesley Powell, circa 1871 |
 |
| Major John Wesley Powell standing erect in his boat, Emma Dean, at the beginning of his 1871 survey of the Colorado and Green river basins. Green River Station, Wyoming, 1871. |
Today is the birthday of the noted explorer John Wesley Powell, the first white person to explore the Colorado River through Grand Canyon.
Powell was born in Mount Morris, New York (1834). His father was an itinerant preacher, and the family moved around constantly, a habit that Powell kept. As a young man, he spent four months walking across Wisconsin, and he traveled by boat down much of the Mississippi River. He fought in the Civil War, and he lost an arm in combat, but it didn't stop his adventures.
He is most famous for exploring the desert Southwest: he traveled down the Colorado River, and explored what are now Zion, Canyonlands, and Bryce National Park, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. He and his companions were the first European-Americans ever to navigate the Grand Canyon.
He wrote:
"The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. [...] It is the land of music. The river thunders in perpetual roar, swelling in floods of music when the storm gods play upon the rocks and fading away in soft and low murmurs when the infinite blue of heaven is unveiled. With the melody of the great tide rising and falling, swelling and vanishing forever, other melodies are heard in the gorges of the lateral canyons, while the waters plunge in the rapids among the rocks or leap in great cataracts. Thus the Grand Canyon is a land of song. Mountains of music swell in the rivers, hills of music billow in the creeks, and meadows of music murmur in the rills that ripple over the rocks. Altogether it is a symphony of multitudinous melodies. All this is the music of waters. The adamant foundations of the earth have been wrought into a sublime harp, upon which the clouds of the heavens play with mighty tempests or with gentle showers. The glories and the beauties of form, color, and sound unite in the Grand Canyon — forms unrivaled even by the mountains, colors that vie with sunsets, and sounds that span the diapason from tempest to tinkling raindrop, from cataract to bubbling fountain."
Thanks to Debra Jones for the heads up and the information on Powell. xxoo
96 Days To Go - Have-A-Zoo
Whats happening in GC this week? The NPS are searching for a missing (and possibly downed) home-built airplane. Here's the press release.
Date: March 16, 2011
Contact: Shannan Marcak, 928-638-7958
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – On Sunday, March 13, Grand Canyon Airport south of Grand Canyon National Park received a report from a general aviation pilot of an activated emergency locator transmitter (also known as an ELT).
The airport immediately notified the National Park Service (NPS) because the ELT had been detected approximately 30 miles northwest of Grand Canyon Village in the vicinity of the Fossil Corridor within Grand Canyon National Park. The park's helicopter flew the area in the vicinity of the reported ELT activation, but did not find any signs of a downed plane nor did they detect the beacon. Because no corresponding report of a missing plane could be found, the search was called off at that point.
On Monday, March 14, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) contacted the NPS about a missing person – 47-year old Joseph Radford of Glendale, Arizona. In the course of their investigations, the sheriff's office had determined that Mr. Radford owned a red, RV-6 homebuilt, experimental aircraft which was also missing. In addition, they had determined that Mr. Radford's plane was seen at Grand Canyon Airport shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 11.
Based on radar tracking information from Friday, the NPS helicopter concentrated search efforts in the Scorpion Ridge area, located in the vicinity of the Dragon Corridor, on Monday; and on Tuesday, the park's helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft both flew search patterns in the Fossil Corridor and Scorpion Ridge areas with no success. Meanwhile, the CCSO continued their investigations and began contacting backpackers known to have been to these areas to see if anyone had seen or heard the plane on Friday.
If you believe that you have seen Mr. Radford or his aircraft since Friday, March 11, at 8:30 a.m., please contact the National Park Service at 928-638-7805. (Media should continue to contact the Grand Canyon Public Affairs office at 928-638-7958 or 928-638-7779.)
The latest estimate of the total search area is 600 square miles with the National Park Service leading joint search operations with the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.
We can spend a little or a lot of time at Havasu. There is a beautiful hike all the way up to several incredible waterfalls. The closest is Beaver Falls at about 3 miles from the main river.
Havasupai is a dialect of the Upland Yuman that is spoken by the 569 people (2009 AZ census) on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in and around the Grand Canyon. It is the only Native American language in the United States of America spoken by 100% of its indigenous population.
The village of Supai is the only other place in the US (besides Phantom Ranch) where the mail/supplies/groceries are still delivered by mule. I blogged about this here.
Equipment/Camp/Info Check: Should you wear a helmet or not?
 |
| Hiking up Havasu Canyon |
TL Report: Are we really under 100 days? The original template that I copy and paste to organize this blog is titled 432 Days-To-Go. Wow, time has flown.
 |
| Zero Balance for MOE! |
Check out our latest invoice for MOE with the final balance paid to the right. :-)
Date: March 16, 2011
Contact: Shannan Marcak, 928-638-7958
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – On Sunday, March 13, Grand Canyon Airport south of Grand Canyon National Park received a report from a general aviation pilot of an activated emergency locator transmitter (also known as an ELT).
The airport immediately notified the National Park Service (NPS) because the ELT had been detected approximately 30 miles northwest of Grand Canyon Village in the vicinity of the Fossil Corridor within Grand Canyon National Park. The park's helicopter flew the area in the vicinity of the reported ELT activation, but did not find any signs of a downed plane nor did they detect the beacon. Because no corresponding report of a missing plane could be found, the search was called off at that point.
On Monday, March 14, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) contacted the NPS about a missing person – 47-year old Joseph Radford of Glendale, Arizona. In the course of their investigations, the sheriff's office had determined that Mr. Radford owned a red, RV-6 homebuilt, experimental aircraft which was also missing. In addition, they had determined that Mr. Radford's plane was seen at Grand Canyon Airport shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 11.
Based on radar tracking information from Friday, the NPS helicopter concentrated search efforts in the Scorpion Ridge area, located in the vicinity of the Dragon Corridor, on Monday; and on Tuesday, the park's helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft both flew search patterns in the Fossil Corridor and Scorpion Ridge areas with no success. Meanwhile, the CCSO continued their investigations and began contacting backpackers known to have been to these areas to see if anyone had seen or heard the plane on Friday.
Today, investigations and aerial searches continue. The focus of today's search efforts has been Bedrock and Galloway Canyons in the Fossil Corridor area.
Joseph Radford is described as a 47-year old white male, with blue eyes, graying hair and a receding hairline. He is 5'11" tall and weighs approximately 190 pounds. His plane is described as an RV6 Kit Built, cherry red airplane with tail number N650RV.
The latest estimate of the total search area is 600 square miles with the National Park Service leading joint search operations with the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.
-NPS-
 |
| The incredible blue of Havasu |
Mileage This Week: River Mile 155 to 157. Ok, I know I've said this before, but there are some extra special places in the canyon, like Nankoweap, Redwall Cavern, the LCR, Elves Chasm, Deer Creek, MatKat, and now we are going to visit another incredible spot.... Havasu Creek.
The water is bright blue from the large amount of calcium carbonate it carries. The calcium carbonate forms beautiful travertine terraces throughout the creek, however flash flooding in recent years has destroyed many of the terraces.
 |
| The old travertine terraces at Havasu before the 2008-2009 floods. I believe this is below Havasu Falls. |
 |
| Travertine terraces at Havasu |
Despite the beauty and apparent clearness of the water, the minerals contained in it means it's not potable.
 |
| Havasu pull in. You may get in, but can you get out? |
Havasu is also called Have-A-Zoo by boatmen since it is an extremely popular spot in the summer. This hike is cool and has many creek crossings. Due to it's undeniable charms, we can always count on a crowd here.
We can spend a little or a lot of time at Havasu. There is a beautiful hike all the way up to several incredible waterfalls. The closest is Beaver Falls at about 3 miles from the main river.
 |
| Beaver Falls |
 |
| Supai Village |
GC History: The Havasupai Indian Reservation
Hiking up Havasu, we will cross from GCNP into the Havasupai Tribal lands.
Havasupai actually means "people of the blue green water". Eleven miles upstream Havasu Creek is Supai village, the home of the Havasupi Indian Tribe. The tribe has called the GC its home for at least the past 800 years. Located primarily in an area known as Cataract Canyon, this Yuman speaking population once laid claim to a land reservation the size of Delaware. In 1882, however, the tribe was forced by the federal government to abandon all but 518 acres of its land. Furthermore, the inception of the Grand Canyon as a National Park in 1919 pushed the Havasupai to the brink, as their land was consistently being unlawfully entered and misused by the National Park Service. Over the next century the tribe used the United States judicial system to fight for the restoration of the land. In 1975, after years without progress, the tribe succeeded in regaining 251,000 acres of their ancestral land with the passage of Congressional bill S. 1296.
Havasupai is a dialect of the Upland Yuman that is spoken by the 569 people (2009 AZ census) on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in and around the Grand Canyon. It is the only Native American language in the United States of America spoken by 100% of its indigenous population.
The village of Supai is the only other place in the US (besides Phantom Ranch) where the mail/supplies/groceries are still delivered by mule. I blogged about this here.
 |
| On the hike to Supai - mule flotsam? |
 |
| If you start at the bottom, you can see the trail up Havasu Creek to the waterfalls, and eventually to Supai. Double click to enlarge. |
Equipment/Camp/Info Check: Should you wear a helmet or not?It's up to you, but most folks don't wear helmets on the GC. The kids will wear one when in rapids, because, well, they're kids. The kayakers will wear them *most* of the time. If you'd like a helmet be sure to bring one with you as they are not provided by MOE. Here's the one I just bought ('cas mine was just chewed up by the local dog when the kids left it out after bike riding down the street.) Its a really comfortable Shaggy helmet from Shred Ready. Mine is blue. Thank you Kelly for your help with this!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
