Back to the vintage stuff!

Ok, ok, I realize that I've gone perhaps a little overboard with the outdoors blogs when, after all, the title of my little slice of the blogosphere is "Retro-fy me."  But I've been having so much fun hitting the hiking trails over the past few weeks and have snapped such fun pictures that I couldn't help myself!

Having said that, I want to get back to some vintage-themed blog posts.  I've been watching a bunch of old films these last few weeks and snagged some great albums to review.  I have had to reorganize my vintage jewelry now that my hair is finally back to it's original ash blonde (consequently all the orange stuff I used to wear now clashes horribly but pink, pearls and rhinestones are my new best friends!) not to mention purchasing new clothes for work now that the Old Pueblo is starting to warm up a little.

 But perhaps the biggest and most exciting news of all is that I've bought a ukulele!

Image seen at seagoat musings on blogspot.

Image seen at seagoat musings on blogspot.

Image seen at geschicte der ukulele

The tiny instrument came with a piece of paper with maybe a dozen chords on it so I busted out my music notes and constructed my own chord chart for it.  It sounds really good, especially with some old standards, like some of the songs of Peggy Lee.  Stay posted for an online performance!

Hiking the Grand Canyon

Here follows a journal of sorts of our adventure hiking the Grand Canyon.

January 14, 2012 - I know we are planning on hiking this weekend because, after all, with three full days off why not?  I was a little surprised when Will suggested that morning to head for the Grand Canyon though.  It seemed a bit spur of the moment.  But I was game so we did our best to pack everything we could think of into the Jeep, then took off.  We set up camp at Mather's campground that evening, had some fabulous vegetarian chili at the Maswik Lodge, made some rough plans on what trails to take and how much we wanted to tackle, then settled in for a good night's sleep.

January 15, 2012 - We decide in a fit of optimism to hike all the way to the river and back in one day.  After all, it's only January so it isn't going to be hot, we are in somewhat good shape and, honestly, there isn't any way we could rustle up a camp site at Phantom Ranch at the last minute.  We are vaguely aware that it means hiking the last few hours in the dark, especially as our start time keeps getting pushed up due to frustrations at keeping our camp site another night (I absolutely hate setting a tent up in the dark when it's cold!).  But we have several (not joking here!) flashlights squirreled among us, enough food bars and gu to outfit an army, lots of water, so we are feeling really good about ourselves around 10 am when we start off down the trail.

Bad news for me; there is still ice on the first few switchbacks of the South Kaibab trail.  My adrenaline is pounding through the roof as I try not to slip and either A) break something, or B) slide right off into the vast chasm that is the Grand Canyon.  A tiny part of my brain starts worrying that there is a 40% chance of snow this evening and we still have to climb back out and I'm willing to bet there is ice on the Bright Angel Trail too.

The view, though, is absolutely breathtaking.

Mule train heading up from Phantom Ranch.

This goat was literally 15 feet above where I stood on the trail.  He's staring at all the noise I'm making.

Around 1 pm we make it to Phantom Ranch and I get to dip my tired feet into the Colorado River.  It's absolutely freezing but it feels delicious.  Afterward we grab a couple lemonades at the canteen at the Ranch before we load up our packs and start back on the trail.  I'm starting to get worried about how long it will take to get to the top.  It has taken us three hours to hike the 7 mile S. Kaibab trail and the Bright Angel is even longer at 9 miles.  We joke about begging for a spot with the mules for the night and don't talk about how our calves are already killing us.

We decided to take the longer Bright Angel Trail because of logistics: the shuttle stops servicing the S. Kaibab a full three hours before the other end and we don't want to have to walk back to camp.  The views along the trail are absolutely beautiful, with many waterfalls and tiny oases and a herd of deer that stood just off the trail and watched us curiously as we walked by.

Last picture of the trip.  One of the many waterfalls.  A portrait of sheer exhaustion.

We are really starting to wear out.  Our stops become more frequent and my backpack straps and back are coated in sweat.  We lose our sunlight with about three miles left to go on the trail.  Busting out the flashlights we forge ahead, even as I have to stop and rest from time to time and waves of dizziness and nausea sweep over me.  Will rubs my back and makes me drink water until I'm feeling better.  My lower back is in agony.

Then the snow starts falling.  Yeah.  Let the horror of that sink in.

We hike the last 1 1/2 mile in a snow fall.  It covers up the ice that indeed covers the switchbacks just like on the S. Kaibab so we are literally inching along.  Somehow neither one of us falls and we make steady progress all...the...way...to...the...top.

It's 9:30 pm by the time we stagger into the Maswik Lodge, covered in snow (!) and looking like we're more dead than alive.  We find out the last shuttle ran thirty minutes ago.  After getting down some hot soup and tea, we trek the last mile or so to the campground, pull off our hiking boots and bury ourselves in our sleeping bags.  Will slips and falls in the snow, 20 feet away from our tent; luckily he isn't hurt.

January 16, 2012 - There is an inch and a half of snow covering the entire campground when I blearily crawl out of the tent.  It covers everything; the jeep, the tent, the road.  We can barely walk and already the incredible feat of endurance and monumental stupidity of what we have accomplished is occurring to us.  We have hiked the Grand Canyon, to the river and back in one day and we are damned lucky that nothing horrible happened to us.  Do I want to do it again?  Hell yes!  But in April, when there is no snow on the ground and with a heck of a lot more preparation.  But it was by far the most challenging, beautiful and rewarding hike of my life and I cannot wait to go back.

Empire Ranch Part III

These are the last of the photos, I promise!  In the master bedroom was a series of shelves behind glass holding some of the artifacts the women of the house would have likely used while they lived on Empire Ranch.  Of course I had to snap some pics!

Silk gloves, so thin you can see right through them!

Mesh bag.  Spotted a version like this at one of the antique stores recently.

Hair brushes.

I love these tortoiseshell combs!  And the delicate initials on the back of the mirror? Exquisite!

Empire Ranch Part II

Here are some more pictures from my visit to the historic Empire Ranch.

The Vails, first family to live at the Empire Ranch.

The Boices, the family that occupied Empire Ranch during the 1950s.

The Empire Ranch was the beautiful location chosen for a few westerns, including the Last Train from Gun Hill.

I simply loved this picture.  Sherry Boice raised her family in one of the small homes on the Ranch.

Empire Ranch

January 7 - Continued!

Will took me to an incredible historic ranch dating from the 1870s in the area of the Coronado National Forest in Sonoita.  The Empire Ranch was owned by at least three different families before it was finally sold to the Bureau of Land Management, who is in the process of stabilizing the ranch buildings and creating, essentially, a museum.  Here are some images of the ranch and the people who called it home.

Evolution of the ranch, from foundation to its current incarnation.

Animal pens and partial view of the cowboys' quarters.

Historic photo of the ranch.

Barn, windmill.

The ranch as it stands now is huge, including the original ranch-house which had been converted into quarters for the cowboys and cook with it's adjacent animal pens, an enormous kitchen, a wing just for the children with a large Arizona room for them to sleep in during warmer weather, and the Victorian section which held the living and sitting rooms along with the master bedroom and bath.  Framed by the Victorian and children's sections is a large garden (where the above historic photo was taken) with a brick fountain and the foundation for a swimming pool which has since been filled in.

Jan 7th - The Gabe Zimmerman Memorial Trailhead

Here in Tucson we recently marked the 1 year anniversary of the shootings that took place on January 8, 2011.  Gabe Zimmerman was one of Gabriel Giffords' political aides and lost his life in the shootings.  He was apparently quite the hiker, so one of the trailheads of the Arizona Trail was dedicated in his memory.  Will and I went for the dedication ceremony and hiked part of the trail.  Here are some of the pictures from the days events.

Emily Nottingham (left), director of the Arizona Trail and Gabe's mother.

The new gate to the trailhead, featuring an image of Gabe and a dedication.

Reverse side of gate, with metal art.

Detail of reverse view of gate.

Snake bike rack.

This section of the Arizona trail is extremely beautiful and I highly recommend paying it a visit if you are at all interested in hiking.

I failed to get a picture, but Will and I were also honored to meet none other than Gabriel Giffords who arrived for the dedication ceremony.  It hadn't been announced that she was coming, so it came as a complete shock to us to see her there.  It was an incredible day.