LFairbanks Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 For a week.... Three more weeks till my brother and I venture on our big trip to the Grand Canyon. I have been planning this for the last 10 months and we have all necessary permits and equipment. Water is going to be the key, where to find it and proper gear for treating it. As well as being selective on hours that we travel. Temperatures can reach up to 110 + in the bottom, and can be shadeless at times. August is also Monsoon season. Which can bring heavy rains in the afternoon and flash flooding if caught in the wrong place. It can rain 30 miles away and a flash flood could affect you. I know it doesn't sound like fun to most people, my wife included. Yesterday we did a dry run so to speak. We drove out to the West Desert and did 10 miles in 4 hours. Our trip calls for 43 miles over the course of 5 days. That was with carrying all our gear (50-60 lbs each), as well as taking roughly a half hour break at the 5 mile marker. We did a variety of uphill/down hill and flats to mimic what me may be up against. If anybody has done a trip to the Grand Canyon, please feel free to share your stories. Here are a couple of pics that I snapped yesterday while in the West Desert. Just a pic of where we were yesterday. Looks blah, but there is actually a lot of life in the desert. Saw a few antelope, some lizards and horny toads, and some wierd ants that looked like giant bumblebees with no wings. A baby horny toad that I was able to catch. We of course set him free again. Feets31 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChargerMatt Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Man that sounds so fun. I've told my friends we need to do something like this in the woods but them dang city folk just ain't got no cajones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2hill Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Very cool Chris, I know you have been working towards this for awhile. That desert is way to brown for me, but I have spent 3 days crossing the Okefenokee Swamp in a canoe - much more my speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Slow Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I had a coworker (who has since passed on) do the Grand Canyon raft in-hike out. He was a large man to say the least but survived it. Just be sensible and it will be a blast and something to look back on later in life. If you like solitude with out the heat may I suggest the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. No phones, no motors, no radios, just solitude. If you meet someone on the lake you're on you can simply portage to the next one for solitude. You can hike it or canoe in. We've gone fishing on some lakes and not seen anyone else the whole day, mmmmmmmmmmmm quiet...... Feets31 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golf for Life Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Man this sounds way cool. After a day or two the TV, Internet and communication with the outside world will not bother you. Have a great time and when you return we need to see photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 It's been a long time but I've done the canyon in-n-out twice. Some things to remember: There's water at the bottom. Walking down is much harder on your legs than walking up. You have to pack out ALL of your trash. Gets pretty stinky after a few days. Don't wear new boots. Give them plenty of break-in. If you start feeling your feet (hot spots) stop and care for them immediately. You don't want to get a blister. You've never seen anything so beautiful. Be safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYBEN Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 you are nuts! good luck and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) It's been a long time but I've done the canyon in-n-out twice. Some things to remember: There's water at the bottom. Walking down is much harder on your legs than walking up. You have to pack out ALL of your trash. Gets pretty stinky after a few days. Don't wear new boots. Give them plenty of break-in. If you start feeling your feet (hot spots) stop and care for them immediately. You don't want to get a blister. You've never seen anything so beautiful. Be safe! Roger, what trails did you do? We plan on starting on the south side at Hermits Rest then over to Boucher. From there we plan on going down the Tonto, which parallels the Colorado. There is water in the Colorado, but in all my research it isn't always accessable. There are a couple of places that I have found that drinking out of is strongly discouraged unless in dire need. Those being Salt Creek due to high mineral content and Horn Creek due to radioactivity. We plan on following the Tonto over to South Kaibab and up that out of the Canyon. I posted some info at the bottom, maps and details on each trail. Garbage, I plan on keeping in Ziplocs. I really shouldn't have much. I have planned meals and what not with minimal garbage. Boots, I have two pair to draw from. I already have the pair broken in and ready to roll. Boots topics are a funny subject. Some say to have them a little big due to potential feet swelling. Others say tight fitting to prevent your toes from hitting the end of your boot and the possibilty of losing a toe nail due to the constant downward motion when walking down hill. I have this all figured out. Blisters are a combination of a different problems, feet sweating and improper fit. I do have moleskin and some quality socks. I have heard that vaseline on your feet as well as spraying your feet with antiperspirant help with the issue of getting blisters. I really haven't had a blister in years. Man this sounds way cool. After a day or two the TV, Internet and communication with the outside world will not bother you. Have a great time and when you return we need to see photos. I will be happy to share some photos. It may even motivate some of you to visit. I have seen it from both the South Side and the North Side. My wife when I took her to see it in person, she described it as taking her breathe away. you are nuts! good luck and have fun! The Rangers have told us this as well...lol. We were repeatedly asked "are you sure you know what your getting yourself into?", One even commented that he wouldn't want to do it. But we are both up to the challenge and know we can pull it off. Very cool Chris, I know you have been working towards this for awhile. That desert is way to brown for me, but I have spent 3 days crossing the Okefenokee Swamp in a canoe - much more my speed. It is definately brown here. Not the green you see in Florida. My wife really likes the green you have there, as do I. Canoeing across the Okefenokee was definately a challenge Iam sure. Gators, and big bugs...lol I had a coworker (who has since passed on) do the Grand Canyon raft in-hike out. He was a large man to say the least but survived it. Just be sensible and it will be a blast and something to look back on later in life. If you like solitude with out the heat may I suggest the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. No phones, no motors, no radios, just solitude. If you meet someone on the lake you're on you can simply portage to the next one for solitude. You can hike it or canoe in. We've gone fishing on some lakes and not seen anyone else the whole day, mmmmmmmmmmmm quiet...... Anybody can do it. You just have the right mind set and not panic if you get into a bind. Your buddy at work that hiked out, shows that it isn't necessarily a physical achievement as much as it is a mental achievement. Any how here is a trail description and a trail map. If anybody on here ever has an inclination to do something like this, I will be more than happy to share all my knowledge and resources. http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/backcountry_map.pdf http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Boucher_Trail.pdf http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Tonto-Bright_Angel_to_Hermit.pdf http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/South_Kaibab_Trail.pdf [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2X4U1mQzoE]National Geographic - Amazing Flight Over The Grand Canyon - YouTube[/ame] Edited July 23, 2012 by LFairbanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2hill Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 It is definately brown here. Not the green you see in Florida. My wife really likes the green you have there, as do I. Canoeing across the Okefenokee was definately a challenge Iam sure. Gators, and big bugs...lol Gators, well only about 300,000, and we went in April so the bugs were not too bad - it is in southern Georgia, so it is still a little cool then. And no solid ground for 3 days, but I am a water person, so that was no problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Roger, what trails did you do? Sorry - as I said it was a long time ago. I don't really remember. I'm sure your info is much better than mine. I also went with a friend that was a very experienced guide down there so I really didn't worry about anything. I just followed him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 So Friday is the big day. The one I have been waiting for, for 10 months. My brother and I are leaving early so that we can start fresh early Saturday morning. All of this is going to fit into that red bag on top, believe it or not. I took some pics as I packed it. See below. The heaviest is food and water. The most important as well. Being that it could mean the difference between life and death. Especially water. Just a closer pic of the above one. In this next pic you can see where I consolidated all my food into stuff sacks and what a substantial difference it made in volume. We will have to hang all of our food and anything that has a scent so to speak from trees. The critters tend to chew through your bags if left unattended. We will hang everything with 50 lb fishing line. And here it is all in the bag, minus the camera bags up front. I will carry one. And I have talked my brother into carrying my other. I have some straps that go on similair to a backpack, but hangs from your chest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYBEN Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 nice.. looks like a lot of stuff fit into that tiny bag, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z71_Denali Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 LOOKS LIKE FUN! good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipolley Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Things I have learned back packing. Know where the ranger stations are and how to get a hold of them. If they are NPS, BLM, etc. Flares and signal mirrors are a must. If you can find something that weighs two ounces less buy it even it it costs a lot more. 2 ounces here, 3 ounces there, adds up to pounds you don't have to carry. Batteires suck. Buy the best most light weight you can (from the pic I think you got that covered). Socks, socks, and socks. Motrin, lots of motrin (60 pound packs). Extra plastic clips for your pack. When they break you are screwed. Kindles weigh less than books. And always volunteer to carry the food. The load gets lighter each day. :-) I am jelous of your trip. It is one I have not gotten to do. Have a great time and be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Getting ready to head out the door here shortly. Be back in about a week, and will share some pics. Taking 3 cameras with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue04SSS Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Good luck. Cant wait to see the pics when you return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Slow Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 7-DAY FORECAST Late Afternoon A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Light west southwest wind. Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Sunday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind. Sunday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Monday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Tuesday Night A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Wednesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Wednesday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Thursday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Thursday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Friday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Friday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Saturday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipolley Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Well at least water won't be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralfy Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Make sure you leave someone a map or detailed route of where you will be. Don't wanna be like 127 hours movie haha be safe!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 7-DAY FORECAST Late Afternoon A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Light west southwest wind. Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Sunday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind. Sunday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Monday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Tuesday Night A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Wednesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Wednesday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Thursday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Thursday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Friday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Friday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Saturday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. This is one mistake a lot of people make. They see these temps and think it isn't that hot down there. Those are probably South Rim temps. The inner gorge is 15 to 30 degrees warmer. Grand Canyon Weather | Hit the Trail Well at least water won't be a problem. Water isn't a problem once you get about 9 miles in, atleast this is the case on the trail we picked. The more popular ones have watering stations about every 3 miles. And you think that you can access the Colorado anywhere. It isn't possible. Only accessable at certain points. There are streams to avoid as well due to high radioactivity. Salt Creek I have heard can make people sick as well. Some have drank out of it without any issues. Others I have heard have gotten sick from it. Would only drink out of this if I was completely out of water and it was absolutely necessary. Indian Gardens is a prominent camp ground and is well traveled. So I failed in my attempt but wasn't related to the environment. When my brother and I did our dry run about three weeks earlier it was actually quite a bit warmer than it was at the GC. I started off not feeling right. But thought I would feel better after I started. If I feel crappy on a work day. I almost always feel better going in than staying home. We got about 3 miles in and I needed to puke (sorry for being so blunt). Felt better after that and continued about another mile, so we were now 4 miles in. Continued to get sicker. Couldn't hold food or water down at this point. Had to force myself to drink, due to risk of severe dehydration and the skull and cross bones. I can honestly say that I can see where people just give up. This was probably the hardest 4 miles I have ever walked. It is also incredibly steep in areas on the trail that we picked. While going down into the canyon there are steep sections where your going up hill as well. Which makes for a lot of fun. Definitely not easy. After being home for a couple of days I felt that same nauseated feeling. Which again makes me think I caught something. We made it back out without becoming a statistic, and are going to shoot for another attempt in May. I wanted to go back next month, September, but my brother didn't think he could get the time off. Going to do the same itinerary. This is high on my bucket list. It is definately some rough unforgiving country, but the visuals, especially in person are amazing. I will post up some pics at another time. The below image I copied from the internet and couldn't be closer to the truth. It is really crazy how you walk along those ledges and on one side there might be a 1000 foot drop off. You look at the canyon and wonder where are the trails? How do I get down there? Your basically walking along the edge of the mountain and traversing down the side. Some places are incredibly steep and rugged. Atleast the trail that we picked. Some of the other more popular trails Iam sure aren't near as hard. Below is a pic that I copied again to show an example. I was on this exact trail. I don't consider the whole trip a failure. I got a good taste of what Iam up against and will reserve a hotel room well in advance. They must think that those rooms near the canyon are golden. They average 2-3 hundred a night. We stayed about 50 miles south of the park the night before our excursion. And it was the last available room at that hotel. Any how as I mentioned above I will post up some pics later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegeaney Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 I don't consider the whole trip a failure. Great attitude. Failure would be having a dream and not going for it. Consider it a test run and give it another bid when you feel the time is right. Kudos to you for getting after it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc2hill Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Chris, Sorry to hear the trip did not go as planned, but you have a great attitude about it. Maybe you could plan it again between Thanksgiving and Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Great attitude. Failure would be having a dream and not going for it. Consider it a test run and give it another bid when you feel the time is right. Kudos to you for getting after it. Your exactly right, Mike. The only issue Iam struggling with is waiting another 9 months for another try. Week before Memorial Day, this coming May. Something about this that has drawn me in. Chris, Sorry to hear the trip did not go as planned, but you have a great attitude about it. Maybe you could plan it again between Thanksgiving and Christmas! I would jump right on that if that were a possibilty. You know how it goes that time of year. Things happen for a reason. I will win the battle next time. Still feeling queasy from time to time went and visited the Doc tonight and he gave me some things to try and took several vials of blood. Really not one to get sick, but this has me confused. In the mean time, Iam going to read this book that a co-worker told me about. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Death-Grand-Canyon/dp/097009731X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345523851&sr=8-1&keywords=death+in+the+grand+canyon]Amazon.com: Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon (9780970097316): Michael P. Ghiglieri, Thomas M. Myers: Books[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) Here is just a couple of pics that I snapped with my cell phone. I will post others later. This first one is taken where we got on the bus to go to the trail head. This next one was taken at a stop along the route to the trail head. Notice the rainbow. My brother made the correlation of that book I ordered and this picture. Look at the link to amazon posted above and you will see what I mean. I will post others later. Edited August 25, 2012 by LFairbanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 So here are the pictures that I promised. In this first one you can see the green mountain top in the background. To the far left of that is where we started. This next picture shows where we were at mile 4 at the point that I made the decision to turn around. We were almost to the end of the red hillside (mountain) that you see on the left. Had we of made it to the end we should have been able to see the Colorado River visually. I tried to snap this pic to show a visual of the steepness of the edges, but I wasn't going to get too close. Basically where you see the bushes in the front lower, it drops straight down, like what you see on the backside of the picture. This next picture just gives a visual. If you fall, your done. I told a buddy at work, that only stupid people would attempt this itinerary. I knew what I was getting into however, with the exception of getting sick. Getting that figured out little, by little. Stomach scope tomorrow. Planning another attempt for the week before Memorial Day. This next picture is just a scenic shot. If anybody goes here, the side I recommend to visit if possible is the South side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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