Grand Canyon 2009
"Yep
as you guest it, we are taking are small group of peeps in the depths of
despair this year. For GC 2009 we are taking Tonya & her new man Randy,
Malcolm and Chris. We some how convinced these guys that the canyon is a good
time. So far they have fallen for everything else and still stick with us,
might as well take them here. We will post the story as it unfolds and the
final notes will be the ones to read. Our trip falls July 9 - 15, but really it
has already started, route? yep same as before, down the South Kaibab trail to Bright Angel campground (day 1), Bright Angel to Cottonwood (day 2), Cottonwood to the North Rim and back to Cottonwood (day 3), Cottonwood to Ribbon Falls and on to Bright Angel (day 4), Bright Angel to Indian Gardens, Plateau Point and back to Indian Gardens (day 5), Indian Gardens and out to the South Rim and breakfast (day 6).
April notes:
Training goes from the gym to the hills. The gym can only get you so far. Gives you a nice strong balanced start for the gack that lies ahead. This month we start to hit the stairs, hills and trails. April = gear purchasing, plane tickets and permits. Along with food and electrolyte testing, muscle building and medication for the head for those of us who need it. If I get through the training... again... I'll be better off than any other time I've gone... because we get to do it with some of our greatest friends. What an experience this will be for all of us. We will either be stronger than ever, or we will hate each others guts. I guess its all about the same though... good friends, good times, and a good place to be.
Here is our outdoors training for the canyon: Stair climbing downtown Portland - April 11, May 2, 30, Kings Mountain (Tillamook State Forest) - April 26, 2,546 gain in 2.5 miles, 5 miles rt. - afternoon trip, Forest Park trails - May 9 afternoon or 10 am trip, Dog Mountain (Columbia Gorge - Wa side) May 16, 2,762 gain in 3 miles, 6 mile rt., Mt Defiance (Columbia Gorge - Or side) 4,960 gain in 5 miles, 12 mile rt., June 14, early am trip, Forest Park trails - June 20 afternoon or 21 am trip. We may toss in a mid week evening trip up to Forest Park. Let us know if that sounds like it might work for you.
Seems that Malcolm and Chris are a quick learn on stairs. Understanding that they aren't all one hopes that they are, agreeing that they are "easier and harder than they thought". The day after we spent doing stair time, I if I may quote... one of my dear friends, he says "yah I don't feel it as much in my quads and hams as much as I thought, ... but just standing here is killing my calves." And Summer's stair chant is always quite amusing, thought I was going to cry laughing. Ohhh yah the good times start right here. This will be a great year.
April 16, - Last night I read over my notes from canyon years past, turns out that I pretty much wrote the same thing as the other years with minor adjustments. Noted a few coincidences through each year. The canyon is always hot, spits rain (but who cares at 100 degrees - HELLO!), you sit in the creek and feet get water logged, but hurts and the pain killers are NEVER strong enough. So why do we go? Dunno... I think it is a new definition of masochistic. I mean really, we all have to be or we would never do it over again let alone the first time.
July 1, notes - We are all chomping at the bit, totally stoked to go! we'll most of us are... I'm trying to keep my head on straight. Check list has been gone through, all gear has been purchased, almost all food grabbed and the gear swap is underway. All we need to do is pack it and get on the plane. Its been quite a ride to get here. Lots of hikes, emotions, last minute changes and personal franticness to get in the way. BUT I guess its all part of what the canyon is about. Whatever training we wish we had done ... or thinking we wanted to do ... well its too late now. Now is time to EAT food and get our bodies all stocked up on nutrients so that we can go deplete ourselves in 120 heat. A of right now the weather report is looking at "A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100." Nice to see consistency over the years. This usually means we are looking at 120 in the sun, 100 in the shade... usually this report is off, give or give a little less 20 degrees. No matter how you look at it, it is hot and anything over 100 is just even hotter and it doesn't really matter because it is just HOT! And who really cares if it were to rain because it's just HOT and the rain evaporates by the time it hits the ground anyway and if it were to get us... YAHEEEEEE maybe it will cool is off a little bit. (ok I'm done now)
2 weeks ago we did our Mt Defiance trip, that was great! PAINFUL, but, GREATLY painful. goodness! we decided to go the reverse route... uaaa YEAH NOT DOING THAT AGAIN! that hurt! Was quite beautiful.
NOW onto the beast itself...
July 7, - DOWN TO THE WIRE! WE ARE ALL FREAKING OUT AND PSYCHING UP!!!
Lots of last minute phone calls and sidebar conversations on temperature, driving and food. Wednesday morning we will be leaving the house bright and early to catch out 7:00am flight, getting in to Phoenix and driving for 3 hours with good quality bonding. Phantom temperatures are keeping true to each year we've gone. 110 air temp (shade) which means 120 in the sun. 10% chance of thundershowers, that is something we almost have come to look for, believe me when it is that hot you want it to rain to cool things and you off.
All training is done, now we've been trying to eat, rest and pack. I think I'm just trying to focus on the packing. I still am wondering what it is that is driving me to do this every year... but if nothing else, its just one of those things that you just do... just because...
Ok these are photo highlights from out 2009 trip.
April notes:
Training goes from the gym to the hills. The gym can only get you so far. Gives you a nice strong balanced start for the gack that lies ahead. This month we start to hit the stairs, hills and trails. April = gear purchasing, plane tickets and permits. Along with food and electrolyte testing, muscle building and medication for the head for those of us who need it. If I get through the training... again... I'll be better off than any other time I've gone... because we get to do it with some of our greatest friends. What an experience this will be for all of us. We will either be stronger than ever, or we will hate each others guts. I guess its all about the same though... good friends, good times, and a good place to be.
Here is our outdoors training for the canyon: Stair climbing downtown Portland - April 11, May 2, 30, Kings Mountain (Tillamook State Forest) - April 26, 2,546 gain in 2.5 miles, 5 miles rt. - afternoon trip, Forest Park trails - May 9 afternoon or 10 am trip, Dog Mountain (Columbia Gorge - Wa side) May 16, 2,762 gain in 3 miles, 6 mile rt., Mt Defiance (Columbia Gorge - Or side) 4,960 gain in 5 miles, 12 mile rt., June 14, early am trip, Forest Park trails - June 20 afternoon or 21 am trip. We may toss in a mid week evening trip up to Forest Park. Let us know if that sounds like it might work for you.
Seems that Malcolm and Chris are a quick learn on stairs. Understanding that they aren't all one hopes that they are, agreeing that they are "easier and harder than they thought". The day after we spent doing stair time, I if I may quote... one of my dear friends, he says "yah I don't feel it as much in my quads and hams as much as I thought, ... but just standing here is killing my calves." And Summer's stair chant is always quite amusing, thought I was going to cry laughing. Ohhh yah the good times start right here. This will be a great year.
April 16, - Last night I read over my notes from canyon years past, turns out that I pretty much wrote the same thing as the other years with minor adjustments. Noted a few coincidences through each year. The canyon is always hot, spits rain (but who cares at 100 degrees - HELLO!), you sit in the creek and feet get water logged, but hurts and the pain killers are NEVER strong enough. So why do we go? Dunno... I think it is a new definition of masochistic. I mean really, we all have to be or we would never do it over again let alone the first time.
July 1, notes - We are all chomping at the bit, totally stoked to go! we'll most of us are... I'm trying to keep my head on straight. Check list has been gone through, all gear has been purchased, almost all food grabbed and the gear swap is underway. All we need to do is pack it and get on the plane. Its been quite a ride to get here. Lots of hikes, emotions, last minute changes and personal franticness to get in the way. BUT I guess its all part of what the canyon is about. Whatever training we wish we had done ... or thinking we wanted to do ... well its too late now. Now is time to EAT food and get our bodies all stocked up on nutrients so that we can go deplete ourselves in 120 heat. A of right now the weather report is looking at "A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100." Nice to see consistency over the years. This usually means we are looking at 120 in the sun, 100 in the shade... usually this report is off, give or give a little less 20 degrees. No matter how you look at it, it is hot and anything over 100 is just even hotter and it doesn't really matter because it is just HOT! And who really cares if it were to rain because it's just HOT and the rain evaporates by the time it hits the ground anyway and if it were to get us... YAHEEEEEE maybe it will cool is off a little bit. (ok I'm done now)
2 weeks ago we did our Mt Defiance trip, that was great! PAINFUL, but, GREATLY painful. goodness! we decided to go the reverse route... uaaa YEAH NOT DOING THAT AGAIN! that hurt! Was quite beautiful.
NOW onto the beast itself...
July 7, - DOWN TO THE WIRE! WE ARE ALL FREAKING OUT AND PSYCHING UP!!!
Lots of last minute phone calls and sidebar conversations on temperature, driving and food. Wednesday morning we will be leaving the house bright and early to catch out 7:00am flight, getting in to Phoenix and driving for 3 hours with good quality bonding. Phantom temperatures are keeping true to each year we've gone. 110 air temp (shade) which means 120 in the sun. 10% chance of thundershowers, that is something we almost have come to look for, believe me when it is that hot you want it to rain to cool things and you off.
All training is done, now we've been trying to eat, rest and pack. I think I'm just trying to focus on the packing. I still am wondering what it is that is driving me to do this every year... but if nothing else, its just one of those things that you just do... just because...
Ok these are photo highlights from out 2009 trip.
