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.

Merry Christmas!

I thought I would post some late pictures of my lovely Christmas tree.  I found it at Goodwill, decorated it with white lights and ornaments, some from my childhood, others purchased from the St. Mary's Auxiliary Thrift store.  My handmade, stuffed Christmas wreath that is hanging on my door was found at St. Mary's as well.

I love my Christmas decorations. They feel so homey and real to me, unlike the bland, uniform Christmas decorations and ornaments you can buy just about everywhere.

 

We didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up.  We made do with what we had and saved our ornaments to use year after year.  The crescent moon ornament above is one my family hung for as long as I can remember. Maybe its the reason why I feel that Christmas needs to feel handmade, salvaged, unique, for it to feel real to me.

 

I really love the baseball Santa ornament.  He looks vintage to me but there aren't any markings to date him.  Stylistically I'd guess the 1960s though.  I gave him to Will because of his love of baseball, but Santa hangs on my tree.

May you all have had a beautiful Christmas filled with friends and family and cheer!  Merry Christmas!

Love,
Cass

Recent news and a reflection on the Great Depression

There has been a lot in the news lately that has gotten my goat, as it were.  I listen to NPR for my national and world news since I don't really trust the television or newspaper medias to tell me the facts without giving it their own political slant.  One of those topics was the speech given by leaders of Germany and France to the European Union about the financial responsibility that needs to be put into effect by member nations.  The other topic was the meeting on climate change held in Duban, Africa.

Does anyone else find it disturbing that our nation's finances are subject to how stock traders "feel" about world events?  That they could be encouraged by the news out of the European Union and thus spur financial growth, or depressed by poor job growth reports, thereby causing the numbers to fall?  I read about the riots occurring in Greece over unpopular austerity measures the government is trying to put into place and I shake my head because of course if their country is that badly in debt why don't they tighten their belts and work their way out of it?  Why are they complaining??  But then I think, how spoiled we in America must be that we are dealing with a similar financial crisis and yet except for Republicans wanting to slash social programs that actually help people there isn't any talk about the American public having to cut back in any way!  Is anyone else disturbed that instead of encouraging that American public to be frugal and save their money for hard times, that all we are getting out of the media is "spend more!" and "tax the rich less!"  Yeah, because those tactics have worked so well in the past!

The climate meeting that took place in South Africa today brought up another facet of American society that frustrates the cr@p out of me; we are the biggest polluters, the biggest consumers, yet we seem incapable of taking responsibility for the damages we do to our planet.  On today's Diane Rehm show, one of the guest speakers on the one hand denied that humans were the cause of climate change, then on the other said that it wasn't a question of whether humans were having an effect, but to what degree.  So it's a matter of degree?  So if we are only a little wrong, a little destructive that somehow that makes it all better?  That we don't have to look for better, cleaner energies because we are only inflicting a little damage on the planet?  Wow, all those scientists must be really stupid.  And this speaker must have friends in our government because that argument gets trotted out every time someone brings up words like "clean energy" and "the environment".  It's too expensive!  It's too much to ask us to change!  And we won't do anything unless China does it too!!  Is anyone getting a mental picture of a whiny kid being asked to clean up their rooms?

I am tired of simply being a consumer, a statistic in the economics that drive Wall Street.  I'm not saying that I'm such a big spender either; a barrista's paycheck only stretches so far.  I shop at thrift stores on a regular basis.  I bike or take the bus instead of paying for a gas guzzling car.  I cook at home far more often than I eat out.  But I admit to eating out a lot, not to mention going out for drinks with friends and buying stuff simply because I *want* it, not because I necessarily need it.  And I've been pretty green too.  Other than the bike and thrift stores and stuff, I donate my unwanted items as much as possible, my TP is 100% recycled (why, oh why, would anyone feel that trees need to be cut down just so you can wipe your rear??) and I honestly try to go to the farmers markets for my food instead of the big box stores.  And none of this is meant to make it sound like I'm holier-than-thou.  I'm not.  But there's a lot more I can do and goddammit, I know it!

During the Great Depression, folks did what they had to to survive.  They grew their own vegetables, canned their harvests, sewed and mended their own clothes, made their own candles and soap, raised their own animals which they used for milk and meat and wool which would be spun and turned into yarn then knitted into warm clothes.  They had countless home remedies and skills that were not only economic and cheap but were also friendly to the environment!  When WWII was on, shortages prompted the government to encourage Victory Gardens, so families would be able to grow their own food.  And while I don't currently live on a farm, there are still some things that I can do that my great-grandparents did.  I can make my own household cleaners out of baking soda and vinegar.  I can make my own facial cleansers out of ground up oats.  My resident librarian just sent me a recipe to make my own shaving soap so I can kiss my aerosol can goodbye for good!  I can bake my own bread, sew my own clothes, knit myself some warm scarves or mittens, re-use glass jars for leftovers.  In the spring I plan on putting some planters in front of my apartment to at least grow some of my herbs for cooking and teas.  As soon as possible I want to move to somewhere with some room to put in a garden and maybe a chicken coop!  What skills I don't have I can learn and while it will both save me money and is good for the environment, it hardly seems like a hardship.  If anything I feel like being a modern, urban homesteader would vastly increase the quality of my life while reducing a lot of the stress of the rat race.

So since I can't get my country to act smart about all this, the sovereign nation of Cassandra has decided to enact some austerity measures and to make some positive progress on environmental policies!  And American economic models be damned!