May 2012
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| Dee Dee & Lorraine |
After
several months hiking every hill or mountain I could find in the Phoenix/Mesa
area, it was time to leave Apache Wells and head for the Grand Canyon on our
way home. At the last minute I was able
to get a bunk at Phantom Ranch, after a year of trying, so now I could just
make two day-hikes down and out the next day.
Molly drove us around to the North Rim the night before and after
dropping me off at the trailhead, she returned to the RV at the South Rim. Right after starting the hike I met two
great ladies, Lorraine and Dee Dee, who were doing the same trip. Although it wasn’t planned, we hike the
entire trip together. Come to find out,
they were neighbors at another Cal-Am park only a couple miles from Apache
Wells.
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| Coconino Overlook; North Kaibab Trail |
The
hike was long, but the major factor was the heat. It was 102 degrees when we reached Phantom Ranch and they said it
was over 130 in the sun that day. We
started out at an elevation of 8292’ at 8:45 am and were at Phantom ranch at
4:30 pm at an elevation of 2419’. We
all ate a great steak dinner and retired after a ranger talk that night.
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| Crossing the Colorado River |
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| Last tunnel, South Rim |
Early the next morning, after breakfast, we hit the trail at 5:15 am. We crossed the Colorado River on the Silver
Bridge, walked along the river trail for several miles and then started
climbing. At 8:00 we stopped for lunch
at Indian Garden. At Three-Mile House,
I called Molly who was at the trail over-look and could see me at the shelter
waving. After two hours I was at
One-and-a-Half-Mile House, and I called Molly again to update her on my
progress. The ladies fell back at this
point and at 1:50 pm I reached the last tunnel. Molly had walked down and greeted me with a cool drink and took
my picture. It was then just a short
hike to the trailhead at 6809’. We
waited for Lorraine and Dee Dee and had a cold drink waiting for them at the
top too.
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| Overview of North Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails |
Molly
and I stayed at the South Rim RV Park for another day and then headed back to
Oregon via Las Vegas, Reno, Susanville to I-5 and then back to Troutdale. We stayed the next several months at the
Sandy Riverfront RV Park to be near family and friends.
