Down in the Valley, the valley so low,...

I should really know better than to post about my excitement of an upcoming hike. Do things always turn out worse than you expect? As I reread my post: “The weather is uncertain.” What an understatement! I landed in Phoenix Tuesday night in 107°, and Thursday night near the Big Ditch I froze my hammocked hiney under a frosted tarp. When I got to the grand canyon, it was drizzling, snowing a little, and you couldn’t see much from the top.

Oh now I see what I came for! It cleared up a bit before sundown(?), which had really cool effects on the rock structures below. It would light up one structure while fog, mist, or shadow was all around the rest, like a spotlight was on that one tower of rock.

After a freezing night, I went hiking dressed for heat and a few showers. And looked at the Canyon first through the sleet, which gave way to snow. And I never knew where the thunder came from… I know to be scared of it in the mountains, but what does lightning do in a canyon? A where do you go for safety? Up? Or down? The white spots on this shot are sleet or hail or something in between.

I hiked most of the Rim Trail in varying degrees(!) of precipitation. After visiting with a crew that had just come up the South Kaibab Trail in a hail/sleet shower, I decided to look.

Yup. There it is. I put some arrows on it so that you might see where I had won a lottery to gain a permit to traverse this trail down into the canyon and stay the night somewhere off to the left in the picture. This looked a little scary to me, what did I do? Go down for a closer look.

So far so good. So I went:

So I went there. By the way that big red rock is NOT right by the little people you see; it is probably a half mile away, as the condor flys. It is a big cliff on the other side of those rocks. I climbed on them to take pictures. I don’t have a fear of heights, but I learned that I have a fear of depths. You can’t believe how steep ALL of the canyon walls were. They look steep from the top, but they look really steep from down below.

This is the climb out of the South Kaibab Trail. It’s called “The Chimney”. The ranger told me so. It was steep. My legs told me so.

Anyway, I went back to the Backcountry Office and got the weather report. I cancelled out. Then I drove out through a blizzard, and then rain in lower elevation.

It is an amazing place. Someday I’ll go back with a better camera/video crew.

Getting ready

Part of the fun of the big hike is the anticipation of the adventure… this week I get to go to the Grand Canyon! Mostly this is an adventure into the unknown:

I have no reservations for backcountry permits, lodging, or anything. This is tied onto a business trip to Phoenix, so I didn’t have a year to plan for it. Even though it is late in the season for Grand Canyon, I will have to hope for a last minute cancellation to get to stay the night down in the canyon.

I will be hiking alone. That is not unusual for me, but it contributes to the mystery.

The weather is uncertain. I would like to hike as light as possible, but the weather forecast changes daily. It also changes dramatically, based on where exactly I will be: the temperature is typically 10 degrees lower on the north rim than on the south and 30 decrees lower than the bottom of the canyon! As I write this, the temperature is 78 on the north rim, and 103 in the bottom. But by the time I get there, it will cool off and maybe rain. OMG! 30% chance. High of 81 down on the bottom, a low of 34 on top.

I am tough, strong and flexible. Or that is what I will discover. I might be old, weak, and miserable. Regardless, I will see the most fantastic scenery God ever created. During the course of the next week, I will know whether the greater beauty is the Grand Canyon, or the view from my king-sized air-conditioned bed of my leafy green front yard.

Psalm 31

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
6 I have hated those who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have known my soul in adversities,
8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a wide place.
9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
10 For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11 I am a reproach among all my enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
Fear is on every side;
While they take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17 Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
Let them be silent in the grave.
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.

A Journey Begins. . .

. . . not with a single step, but with a map.

Otherwise, you're already lost. Note that I speak from experience. This movement fails to qualify as a journey, since it has no goal, no time-table, and no end. Therefore, it has no possibility of success.

Of course, neither can it fail.

So here goes, a rambling of mediocrity. As soon as I think of something to write, I will.