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Posted by Joy Hardie on September 10, 2005, 8:17 am
It was so good to hear kind words from you Caveat after so long. And,
since our "plans" were taken off course, we were not able to hike
Paria canyon as you had also suggested. So....as you can likely
guess...my mind is already wandering to going back and "getting it."
I love the canyon lands and have re-walked every step trying to figure
how we could have done things better. And you just gave us the answer
here......an answer the Park Ranger should have told us when we
checked in just hours before heading over the edge.......that it had
been raining for 6 days and that parts of the trail had washed away!!!
Caveat....you know as well as I that I planned for years for that
trip and I was going to ride out whatever criticism I got........and
still will. Because, the only answer is and still can be, we prepared
in every way possible for 2 years, we had a back-up plan (I was
holding reservations for cabins on the rim and loding at Phantom Ranch
with stew & steak dinners etc on the main trails),........but we got
the "GO" sign from the Park Rangers and "Have a nice trip."
So, sometimes in life you just can't know what's on the path ahead
until you get there. And when you do .... and there is no going
back... you realize you have to be brave enough to go forward. That
was the scary part. Everyone faces that in some way or other in life
I think. It's just hard to be the one leading your kids down that
trecherous path .
The kids think I took them on a great adventure. They wouldn't do
it again.
Joy
>Hi Joy,
>
>We just got back from two months of backcountry adventures in the
>Northwest (that's where many of us *Zonies* go when the temperatures
>break 110 degrees here) and found your epic adventure account in the
>alt.rec.hiking group. Sorry for the late reply. Also, my apologies to
>this group for the intrusion -- but you probably don't read that other
>group any more (for which you could not be blamed).
>
>Don't be so tough on yourself about the problems that you encountered
>in the Grand Canyon. Two words can sum-up the reasons for your
>difficulties: monsoon weather. Your trip was scheduled during the
>summer monsoon rain season (you probably had no other choice) and
>hiking in Arizona canyon country during this period can be challenging
>to say the least. The eight-year drought with annual minimal rain came
>to a sudden end this year and the results were pretty dramatic.
>
>In loose sandstone country -- especially in deep canyons like the
>Grand Canyon -- persistent rains quickly flow downhill and scour the
>canyons. The run-offs erase trails and render creek crossings
>impassable. There is no way to predict those in advance, of course,
>and once the ground is saturated, rain quickly turns into walls of
>water that race down those canyons with little warning. And they can
>get big: one wiped out much of the North Kaibab Trail some years back,
>washed away bridges, and destroyed portions of the water line that
>supplies the South Rim. That major trail was closed for a long time.
>
>Those of us who have been backcountry travelers for very long have
>come to understand the perils that weather can present. I've been
>caught in a few flash floods myself over the years. Bad weather in
>these places can turn a nice hike into a life-and-death struggle for
>survival. It's part of the outdoor world and isn't anyone's fault.
>
>The Park Ranger who told you that "there is nothing wrong with that
>hike" four months before you got there was correct. Hundreds of people
>do that trip each summer without any problems. The trails are normally
>obvious and easily followed, and the crossings of Tapeats Creek is
>usually in just a few inches of water. But due to six days of rain in
>the area, what you found was washed-out trails that were no longer
>obvious, trail damage that then required dicey traverses in very steep
>terrain, and flooded canyons with too much water to cross streams.
>
>The good news is that you all made it out despite the numerous
>unexpected dangers. On that route, there are usually people around to
>help when you need it. In such conditions, everyone pitches in to get
>everyone else out of there without serious injury and/or an expensive
>helicopter extraction (there are a lot of those in the Canyon each
>year). There are much worse outcomes in the Canyon very routinely,
>even under perfect conditions. Having worked Search and Rescue for
>many years, I've seen my share of those. It comes with the terrain.
>
>Thanks also for the kind words about my help in the planning stages,
>in the hiking group postings. Unfortunately, there are always the
>opinionated Monday-morning-quarterbacks in that newsgroup who will
>jump at the chance to belittle anyone and unfairly cast blame in an
>effort to make themselves feel important. The positive contributions
>those same people have made the group over time is typically nil. And
>I was more than a little disturbed at the rudeness they showed you in
>that thread. Personally, I don't plan to ever post again there. When
>the trolls take over, and civility deteriorates that badly, there's no
>reason to stay. The backcountry group is much the same now.
>
>In summary, I admire your courage in tackling this very challenging
>hike, but was sad to hear that the weather monster got you. But your
>forthrightness and honesty in reporting the facts can stand as an
>example that others would do well to emulate. You did well, despite
>the serious challenges. Be proud.
>
>
>Caveat
>
>
>
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