We are very committed to staying active and in good physical shape. So we eat right and exercise.
Hiking has become a favorite form of exercise. But sometimes there isn't enough time for a good trail hike. Luckily, Pima County has a well developed system of paved urban trails for hiking and biking. We can walk out our front door and access the trail without having to drive.
While walking on these trails, we encounter far more bicycles than walkers. We talked about how important bikes were to us as kids, before we were old enough to drive. We both rode our bikes everywhere.
Well, long story short...we got bicycles. And, as the saying goes, you don't forget how, it's just like riding a bike. Of course modern bicycles are more complex. Ours have 21 speeds. Remember when a three speed bike was exotic?
And safety. When we were kids, cars were not equipped with seat belts, and bicyclists never dreamed of wearing a helmet. Well, now we are older and wiser, so we use both.
But what if we want to take our bicycles with us when we travel? We need a rack to fit on our truck. Except, when we travel, we usually pull a fifth-wheel trailer. So, we need a rack for that. Voila! There is a hitch receiver on the back of the trailer, and it is the same size as the one on the truck. Problem solved.
Today will be the first time we load the bikes on the rack and drive to a trail access point. We have been just putting the bikes in the bed of the truck. We can't just ride out the front door and access the trails on bikes, because there are areas of soft sand that, while easy enough to walk through, are not conducive to riding. On our first bike ride, I fell when the front tire tried to continue straight, while I tried to turn right.
We push farther each day. We are up to fifteen miles and will exceed that today.
Did you know that the muscles you use to walk are not the same as the ones you use to pedal a bike? Did you know that bicycle seats and your butt are not instantly compatible?
So, yes, there are some sore points. But, what fun!
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Making up for lost time
It is a sad commentary on my dedication to this forum that my last entry was three months ago. One would think life has been dull in the interim. One would be mistaken.
Following Thanksgiving we packed the truck and headed for New York. This is only the second time we have driven there. The first was preretirement when we delivered Greg's car to him. He wanted to have a good used rust-free car from Arizona. He flew out here and bought it, but didn't have enough time off for the drive. Since we love a good road trip, we agreed to the delivery.
This time, we had rented a nice cottage in Chappaqua for thirty days on AirBnB. We wanted to spend Christmas with the family without being underfoot for the whole time. We loaded the truck with everything we needed, plus several large tubs of stuff Greg had left behind when he moved out. He now lives in a house bigger than ours, so we decided he should store these things himself. Plus, we thought his kids might enjoy some of his childhood treasures.
So we set out. We watched the weather forecasts closely and chose a northerly route for the eastbound leg of the journey. As an added benefit, we could stop to see Vada and the kids in Iowa, friends from Air Force days in Ohio, and friends from Skagway in Pennsylvania. Good visits with all three made for an enjoyable cross-country trip.
Scenery-wise we were not disappointed. We didn't expect much visual stimulation on the Nebraska-Iowa portion, but were pleased at seeing thousands of migrating geese, both in the air and on ponds.
We were also treated to glowing branches in the tops of leaf-bare trees covered in frost and lighted by the rising sun.
Our timing was perfect as we reached Vada's just as the kids were coming home from school, but unfortunately had to leave before Matt got home. Still, it was dark when we crossed the Mississippi at Davenport.
Our time in Chappaqua was perfect. We were minutes from the kids by back roads, and minutes from the city-bound train by foot. We transported grandkids to and from school and activities on numerous occasions. We volunteered (I think Greg volunteered us) to help with a holiday event at A's school.
We were guests at a number of great musical performances including Tomoko's faculty recital and one of her student's senior recital. We got into the city several times and attended many Broadway shows and had an unforgettable dinner in Brooklyn with Manhattan's skyline across the East River.
After Peggie's birthday, we went to Philadelphia for a few days to visit Casey's BFF. We left Casey there. We toured Independence Hall and saw the Liberty Bell.
On our way back home, we stopped in Asheville, NC for a look at Biltmore Estate in full Christmas regalia, and a tour of the arts district. Then we headed west for a visit with Peggie's brother, Jerry, just east of Nashville. After that it was just a long drive home. Texas is way too big. We skirted Dallas/Fort Worth on a loop freeway, but were in urban traffic for over an hour. There was a bad accident on I-10 just west of El Paso that took an hour to get around. Since that was the only such event on the entire 6,000 mile trip, that is not bad. (No one was badly injured, but a truckload of lumber was scattered across all lanes)
The best part was coming home to a completed remodel of our kitchen and downstairs bathroom. All new everything. And it was all done while we were gone. It did take us a week to unbox all the stuff and find the right places to put things. We found all kinds of stuff we just didn't need anymore. I think six boxes to Goodwill, and two trash and two recycle barrels. Not bad for 28 years in the same house.
And just as we were almost done with that, we stumbled on a (nearly) new fifth wheel we wanted. Ours was 17 years old, and while still in good condition (we lived in it last summer) we worried that expensive repairs were about to be needed. So we had to take everything out of the old trailer, and put it in the new one. You've all done that when trading in a car, but this is like moving from house to house. So we have done a lot of packing and unpacking in the last few months.
Oh, that can be my excuse for not posting! That IS my excuse. Good one.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
It Was....
Fantastic, Amazing, Wonderful, GRAND!!!!
The Grand Canyon. We say it all the time without thinking about the adjective in the name. It is just the name of the place. But when you experience it from the inside, the adjective takes on its original meaning. The place is truly on a grand scale. The sheer size of it. Hundreds of square, no, cubic miles. It is deep, wide, and long. And old. Very, very old.
The top layer of rock at the rim is older than dinosaurs at 270,000,000 years. The rocks at the bottom are 1,000,000,000 years older. The Colorado River carved it out beginning more than 5,000,000 years ago. Now, the Canyon is widening faster than it is deepening. In another five million years it will only be a little deeper, but will be twice as wide.
Peggie and I, along with brother-in-law Dave planned our trip for most of a year. We applied for camping permits and were denied. So we applied again and got three days and two nights below the rim. Dave has been hiking for years, and this was his sixth Canyon trip. Peggie and I began training less than a year ago and researched and purchased gear. We got a trainer to design a hiking-specific workout routine to build up the muscles used in back-packing. We took local hikes. We spent the summer in Colorado where it is cool enough to hike in summer and became acclimated to higher altitude. We honed and refined our packing to minimize weight.
Then our assigned date arrived. November 3rd.
We picked Dave up in Cottonwood and drove to Mather Campground on the South Rim. We drove through torrential rain with a forecast suggesting snow by morning. We got a break in the rain long enough to set up camp. It snowed lightly overnight. Cold, but not bitterly.
Down we went. And down, and down, and down on the South Kaibab Trail. Not far along is a place referred to as Ooh-Ahh Point. It is when you get your first panoramic look into the inner canyon. It could have been called Oh, Wow! Point. In modern vernacular is would be OMG! Point.
We pulled ourselves away and continued down. The descent is 4860 feet in 6.1 miles. The first view of the Colorado River is deceptive. It appears to be just a long rifle shot away. But we can't travel that path. The next time you see the river it is within pistol range. But the trail goes a different way. Finally, after hiking 10 of the 6.1 miles, the river is close enough for a professional outfielder to throw a rock into it. It is still more than a mile by switchbacking trail. Which is 5 miles for your tired, sore feet, legs, and back. After hours of one foot in front of the other dogged, determined descent, you are within spitting distance of the powerful Colorado. But its 100 feet below, and 300 yards of trail to get there.
By the way, it is important to note that firearms are prohibited in the National Park, so don't try the rifle or pistol shot. It is illegal to disturb the plant and mineral resources, so no rock throwing. Spitting is permitted, but check wind direction first.
At the end of that first week of hiking, we came to a tunnel that leads to a bridge across the river. It was built in 1928 and still feels solid. Bright Angel Campground is just on the other side of the river. You just need to coax those twenty pound feet to carry your hundred pound pack past the ruins of an ancestral pueblo, past ranger housing, three tenths of a mile to the campground. That is now an actual total distance of 6.4 miles. We did it in 6 hours, arriving at the camp before 3pm. We got set up in time to attend a ranger talk on the geology of the canyon at 4, at Phantom Ranch.
It was full dark at 6:30, so we went to bed. Exhausted. And excited.
We arose in time to help ourselves to free coffee at Phantom Ranch, eat, pack up, and set out for Indian Gardens Campground before 8. We were in no hurry, as it was only 5.1 miles to climb 1200 feet. Literally, a walk in the Park. Aches and pains of the day before were quickly worked out as we began using a completely new set of muscles to climb, rather than descend. The trail follows the river for a while through rock that was created over a billion years ago. Amazingly, it doesn't look a day over 50 million. Of course, until a million years ago, or so, it was covered by over a mile of other rock, so it is newly exposed to the eroding of wind and water.
After the fairly easy part of the trail, we reached Devil's Corkscrew. Does the name suggest the difficulty? Uh-huh. But here is the good part. At one point I suggested a sit-down break. (As opposed to a stand-still-and-catch-your-breath break.) This part of the trail is in a side canyon about 200 feet wide. I took up my binoculars and scanned the far side for wildlife. Seeing none, I relaxed. Then, I spotted a Desert Bighorn Sheep standing atop a rock, on the skyline, posing for Field and Stream. I swear she hadn't been there ten seconds earlier. Then, with all three of us looking, we spotted first one, then three more lower on the hillside. One of them was the classic ram with fully curled horns. Magnificent! We watched as they grazed on shrubs and began descending to the creek about 200 feet below. We were surprised at the noise they made knocking loose rock down ahead of them and clicking their hooves on bare rock. When we heard voices of other hikers coming from above, they froze in place and became almost invisible. Eventually, a dozen or so hikers and a mule train came by and the sheep assessed the danger as minimal, and continued on down for a prolonged drink. We also moved on.
Indian Gardens is quite lush compared to the rest of the trail. It has a flowing creek and full grown cottonwood, mesquite, and willow trees. Deer wander fearlessly among the campers. Squirrels sometimes sit up and beg, but signs warn against feeding them, lest they bite a finger. (That is the leading injury treated at Grand Canyon Village Clinic.) I turned my back on our table down at Bright Angel the day before, only to turn and discover a raven trying to help himself to some boiled eggs we had in a bag. After setting up camp, we set out the 1.5 miles to Plateau Point. This is prominently visible from many of the rim view points. You get a spectacular view of the river and trail below, as well as rim-to-rim views above.
Once again, we hit the sack at dark, and slept twelve hours.
We left Indian Gardens before 8 and started up the remaining 4.5 miles of trail. This is the hardest part. Not only because it is the third straight day of hiking, but it is brutally steep, climbing over 3200 feet. The push begins at Jacob's Ladder, a set of switchbacks climbing past the three mile rest house. It is three miles from the rim and provides drinking water and toilets. A mile and a half further up is another rest house, followed by the steepest leg of the climb. The temperature had been dropping as we climbed. At this point the snow from the day before was frozen on the ground, which was hard as rock, and the puddles were glazed with ice. Until a mule train came along, after which, all the puddle ice was broken. Those mules just step wherever! And poop wherever, too. Watch your step! Near the top of the last switchbacks we met more casual hikers just down for a brief experience of the canyon. Some carrying cups of coffee from the snack bar. In the last half mile we finally walked into sunshine for the first time that day. We had been in rim shadow for four hours. We hit the top in just under five hours. Not bad!
We opted to head straight to Cottonwood for a celebratory dinner, stopping only in Tusayan for a beverage. At that stop, we were a little stiff and sore. Stopping for gas in Flagstaff, we stretched a bit, but were less sore. After hot showers at Dave and Margie's we felt downright spry.
Coming home today, we are proud to say we are feeling good. All the workouts and training and practice hikes paid off. It wasn't easy. But it sure wasn't impossible. We will go again. Right now, we are thinking April, when the weather again will be not too hot, not too cold.
The Grand Canyon. We say it all the time without thinking about the adjective in the name. It is just the name of the place. But when you experience it from the inside, the adjective takes on its original meaning. The place is truly on a grand scale. The sheer size of it. Hundreds of square, no, cubic miles. It is deep, wide, and long. And old. Very, very old.
The top layer of rock at the rim is older than dinosaurs at 270,000,000 years. The rocks at the bottom are 1,000,000,000 years older. The Colorado River carved it out beginning more than 5,000,000 years ago. Now, the Canyon is widening faster than it is deepening. In another five million years it will only be a little deeper, but will be twice as wide.
Peggie and I, along with brother-in-law Dave planned our trip for most of a year. We applied for camping permits and were denied. So we applied again and got three days and two nights below the rim. Dave has been hiking for years, and this was his sixth Canyon trip. Peggie and I began training less than a year ago and researched and purchased gear. We got a trainer to design a hiking-specific workout routine to build up the muscles used in back-packing. We took local hikes. We spent the summer in Colorado where it is cool enough to hike in summer and became acclimated to higher altitude. We honed and refined our packing to minimize weight.
Then our assigned date arrived. November 3rd.
We picked Dave up in Cottonwood and drove to Mather Campground on the South Rim. We drove through torrential rain with a forecast suggesting snow by morning. We got a break in the rain long enough to set up camp. It snowed lightly overnight. Cold, but not bitterly.
Down we went. And down, and down, and down on the South Kaibab Trail. Not far along is a place referred to as Ooh-Ahh Point. It is when you get your first panoramic look into the inner canyon. It could have been called Oh, Wow! Point. In modern vernacular is would be OMG! Point.
We pulled ourselves away and continued down. The descent is 4860 feet in 6.1 miles. The first view of the Colorado River is deceptive. It appears to be just a long rifle shot away. But we can't travel that path. The next time you see the river it is within pistol range. But the trail goes a different way. Finally, after hiking 10 of the 6.1 miles, the river is close enough for a professional outfielder to throw a rock into it. It is still more than a mile by switchbacking trail. Which is 5 miles for your tired, sore feet, legs, and back. After hours of one foot in front of the other dogged, determined descent, you are within spitting distance of the powerful Colorado. But its 100 feet below, and 300 yards of trail to get there.
By the way, it is important to note that firearms are prohibited in the National Park, so don't try the rifle or pistol shot. It is illegal to disturb the plant and mineral resources, so no rock throwing. Spitting is permitted, but check wind direction first.
At the end of that first week of hiking, we came to a tunnel that leads to a bridge across the river. It was built in 1928 and still feels solid. Bright Angel Campground is just on the other side of the river. You just need to coax those twenty pound feet to carry your hundred pound pack past the ruins of an ancestral pueblo, past ranger housing, three tenths of a mile to the campground. That is now an actual total distance of 6.4 miles. We did it in 6 hours, arriving at the camp before 3pm. We got set up in time to attend a ranger talk on the geology of the canyon at 4, at Phantom Ranch.
It was full dark at 6:30, so we went to bed. Exhausted. And excited.
We arose in time to help ourselves to free coffee at Phantom Ranch, eat, pack up, and set out for Indian Gardens Campground before 8. We were in no hurry, as it was only 5.1 miles to climb 1200 feet. Literally, a walk in the Park. Aches and pains of the day before were quickly worked out as we began using a completely new set of muscles to climb, rather than descend. The trail follows the river for a while through rock that was created over a billion years ago. Amazingly, it doesn't look a day over 50 million. Of course, until a million years ago, or so, it was covered by over a mile of other rock, so it is newly exposed to the eroding of wind and water.
After the fairly easy part of the trail, we reached Devil's Corkscrew. Does the name suggest the difficulty? Uh-huh. But here is the good part. At one point I suggested a sit-down break. (As opposed to a stand-still-and-catch-your-breath break.) This part of the trail is in a side canyon about 200 feet wide. I took up my binoculars and scanned the far side for wildlife. Seeing none, I relaxed. Then, I spotted a Desert Bighorn Sheep standing atop a rock, on the skyline, posing for Field and Stream. I swear she hadn't been there ten seconds earlier. Then, with all three of us looking, we spotted first one, then three more lower on the hillside. One of them was the classic ram with fully curled horns. Magnificent! We watched as they grazed on shrubs and began descending to the creek about 200 feet below. We were surprised at the noise they made knocking loose rock down ahead of them and clicking their hooves on bare rock. When we heard voices of other hikers coming from above, they froze in place and became almost invisible. Eventually, a dozen or so hikers and a mule train came by and the sheep assessed the danger as minimal, and continued on down for a prolonged drink. We also moved on.
Indian Gardens is quite lush compared to the rest of the trail. It has a flowing creek and full grown cottonwood, mesquite, and willow trees. Deer wander fearlessly among the campers. Squirrels sometimes sit up and beg, but signs warn against feeding them, lest they bite a finger. (That is the leading injury treated at Grand Canyon Village Clinic.) I turned my back on our table down at Bright Angel the day before, only to turn and discover a raven trying to help himself to some boiled eggs we had in a bag. After setting up camp, we set out the 1.5 miles to Plateau Point. This is prominently visible from many of the rim view points. You get a spectacular view of the river and trail below, as well as rim-to-rim views above.
Once again, we hit the sack at dark, and slept twelve hours.
We left Indian Gardens before 8 and started up the remaining 4.5 miles of trail. This is the hardest part. Not only because it is the third straight day of hiking, but it is brutally steep, climbing over 3200 feet. The push begins at Jacob's Ladder, a set of switchbacks climbing past the three mile rest house. It is three miles from the rim and provides drinking water and toilets. A mile and a half further up is another rest house, followed by the steepest leg of the climb. The temperature had been dropping as we climbed. At this point the snow from the day before was frozen on the ground, which was hard as rock, and the puddles were glazed with ice. Until a mule train came along, after which, all the puddle ice was broken. Those mules just step wherever! And poop wherever, too. Watch your step! Near the top of the last switchbacks we met more casual hikers just down for a brief experience of the canyon. Some carrying cups of coffee from the snack bar. In the last half mile we finally walked into sunshine for the first time that day. We had been in rim shadow for four hours. We hit the top in just under five hours. Not bad!
We opted to head straight to Cottonwood for a celebratory dinner, stopping only in Tusayan for a beverage. At that stop, we were a little stiff and sore. Stopping for gas in Flagstaff, we stretched a bit, but were less sore. After hot showers at Dave and Margie's we felt downright spry.
Coming home today, we are proud to say we are feeling good. All the workouts and training and practice hikes paid off. It wasn't easy. But it sure wasn't impossible. We will go again. Right now, we are thinking April, when the weather again will be not too hot, not too cold.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
We're Ready!
Yesterday we took our final conditioning hike. Seven miles in the Tucson Mountains. The hike up Wassen Peak, the highest point in the Tucson Mountains at 4687', is 3.5 miles each way and climbs almost 1700 feet. Not exactly Grand Canyonesque, but close enough. We were awed by the variety and beauty of the rock that makes up the mountain. Saguaros in all their variety, as well as ocotillo, prickly pear, cholla, barrel cactus, and jojoba. At the peak we were treated to 360 degrees of view. Kitt Peak to the west, Picacho north, Catalinas and Rincons east, and Santa Ritas south.
The best part was that we could declare ourselves fit for the big challenge next week. We have our packs honed down to just the essentials.
And we were entertained with repeated fly-overs by a 50 year old KC-135 and a pair of F-16s of the Arizona Air National Guard shooting touch-and-goes.
Meanwhile, back at the house, the kitchen/bath remodel is coming together. Tile and other fixtures are arriving FedEx almost daily. Our cabinets are being built, appliances are on order. And we haven't busted the budget. Now, if the schedule can be kept, we will return from NY to a finished project.
Grand Canyon, here we come!
The best part was that we could declare ourselves fit for the big challenge next week. We have our packs honed down to just the essentials.
And we were entertained with repeated fly-overs by a 50 year old KC-135 and a pair of F-16s of the Arizona Air National Guard shooting touch-and-goes.
Meanwhile, back at the house, the kitchen/bath remodel is coming together. Tile and other fixtures are arriving FedEx almost daily. Our cabinets are being built, appliances are on order. And we haven't busted the budget. Now, if the schedule can be kept, we will return from NY to a finished project.
Grand Canyon, here we come!
Friday, October 16, 2015
Home again, for a while
We arrived at our house just after dark, in the rain. We love the rain....but, come on, when we have to unload the trailer?
So we prioritized and brought in just the essentials for tonight. Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun'll come out tomorrow.
Maybe.
On our final Colorado hike, we found a fairly easy, fairly level trail and decided to hike 2 1/2 hours in, then hike back out for a total five hour hike. Good plan. We carried our full packs even though we were not spending the night out. Good practice.
As you know, we always appreciate seeing wildlife when we are in the wild. On this day, which was the first day of elk hunting season (we wore bright orange) we returned to the trailhead, loaded up and headed down the mountain. We came around a curve and saw... a bear! Yeah. The second Colorado bear for us, and we were safely in our truck, and didn't have to think about bear spray.
It was a smallish bear who ran up the hillside a ways before turning to watch us.
So we are back home. Have a lot to do, and have to continue our training for the big Grand Canyon Adventure.
So we prioritized and brought in just the essentials for tonight. Tomorrow, tomorrow, the sun'll come out tomorrow.
Maybe.
On our final Colorado hike, we found a fairly easy, fairly level trail and decided to hike 2 1/2 hours in, then hike back out for a total five hour hike. Good plan. We carried our full packs even though we were not spending the night out. Good practice.
As you know, we always appreciate seeing wildlife when we are in the wild. On this day, which was the first day of elk hunting season (we wore bright orange) we returned to the trailhead, loaded up and headed down the mountain. We came around a curve and saw... a bear! Yeah. The second Colorado bear for us, and we were safely in our truck, and didn't have to think about bear spray.
It was a smallish bear who ran up the hillside a ways before turning to watch us.
So we are back home. Have a lot to do, and have to continue our training for the big Grand Canyon Adventure.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Adventures of the Contractor Kind
I'm sure everyone who knows us knows about our battle with the Amana heat pump. After years of wrangling with the contractor, a new guy took over and provided us with a replacement at his cost. It is a Lennox and has worked fine. Except, one feature is a WiFi connection so we can monitor and set the temperature from Peggie's iPhone. We tried to do that on our way back from Colorado last week and it was not working. Turns out that lightning can knock it out. And did. So, once again, we returned from a summer in cool country to a broken heat pump. Frus trat ting!!!
For a horror story about remodeling contractors, you can talk to Greg. We know that story, but we are going ahead with a remodel of our own, anyway. We think we have a contractor we can rely on. He did our upstairs bath/bedroom with no problems, so now we need to do the downstairs bath and the kitchen. Neither has been upgraded since 1987, and we did not go for fancy back then, so their age is showing. We are going to NY for six weeks in December and January and he thinks he can get it done in that time frame. That would be fantastic, as living here with no kitchen for weeks would be very difficult. We are trying to select appliances as they are costly and will have to serve for years. We already know the cabinets and fixtures we want. The counter top is decided. The tile guy came today and he has some ideas and will come back with samples and a cost estimate. Between our Grand Canyon hike and Thanksgiving we will have to pack everything and store it on the patio behind plastic shrouds. FUN!!!
Meanwhile, back in Colorado, we will continue our hiking, sans bear spray, and perfect our gear stowing tricks. We want lots of fall color and no nearby wildfires.
For a horror story about remodeling contractors, you can talk to Greg. We know that story, but we are going ahead with a remodel of our own, anyway. We think we have a contractor we can rely on. He did our upstairs bath/bedroom with no problems, so now we need to do the downstairs bath and the kitchen. Neither has been upgraded since 1987, and we did not go for fancy back then, so their age is showing. We are going to NY for six weeks in December and January and he thinks he can get it done in that time frame. That would be fantastic, as living here with no kitchen for weeks would be very difficult. We are trying to select appliances as they are costly and will have to serve for years. We already know the cabinets and fixtures we want. The counter top is decided. The tile guy came today and he has some ideas and will come back with samples and a cost estimate. Between our Grand Canyon hike and Thanksgiving we will have to pack everything and store it on the patio behind plastic shrouds. FUN!!!
Meanwhile, back in Colorado, we will continue our hiking, sans bear spray, and perfect our gear stowing tricks. We want lots of fall color and no nearby wildfires.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Southwest Colorado
We left the dry heat of Tucson summer for the cool mountain air of Southwest Colorado. We stayed (are staying) at an RV park in Dolores. The park is on the Dolores River and it has a fishing pond where we enjoyed watching a family of river otters when we first arrived.
Our stated goal was to hike the many trails in the local area in training for our November hike into the Grand Canyon. We are hiking from 8000 feet to 12,000 feet, so the altitude was challenging at first, but we are getting used to it. Climbing 2500 feet in a mile is challenging at any altitude, but, that is what you have to do to get out of the Canyon, so training for it is good. Some of the trails are multi-use. That means you have to beware of horses, bikers, or the dreaded motorcycles. Dreaded, because they all have to go as fast as possible all the time. Luckily, they are also loud, so you can hear them coming. Unfortunately, they are loud, so all wildlife is scared away. Also, they really, really tear up a trail.
We are doing two and three night hikes and refining our packing. At first, we took too much food. Food equals weight, so getting the right amount makes the pack lighter. Lighter is good.
As to the aforementioned wildlife, we have seen deer, elk, coyote, marmot, pika, grouse and cattle while hiking. You can add turkey and bear to the list when you include driving. Oh, yes, the cattle in those mountains are just as wild as any of the native animals.
The scenery is nothing short of spectacular. This, too, is good training for the Canyon. We stop often just to take in the views. Wild flowers! The word "profusion" describes the wild flowers. While hiking between 11,000 and 12,000 feet one day it occurred to me that "the scenery takes your breath away, and the altitude keeps it."
Speaking of taking your breath away..... have you ever been maced?
Well, don't be.
I was accidentally hit with bear spray, which is worse than mace according to the doctor I saw later.
Peggie and I had stopped to filter water to replenish our supply. We were loading up to continue when she bent over and the hip belt of her pack triggered the bear spray canister in her pocket. It was pointed behind her, which is where I was standing. Hearing a hissing noise, similar to a tire rapidly going flat, I turned to see what it was. It was an orange tinged brownish fluid streaming just to my right. I screamed "BEAR SPRAY" and moved left. Then I realized I had been hit. My nose and throat closed off and my eyes burned. Peggie saw what was happening and straightened up, stopping the spray. Then she called for me to get water on my face. I threw off my glasses (not normally a good idea) and leaned into the creek splashing water on my face. When I tried to open my eyes they burned like fire and I couldn't see. Peggie guided me across the rocks in the creek to a grassy area where I could lie down. The canister had instructions to rinse for 15 to 20 minutes if spray got in the eyes. So that is what we did. We used all the newly filtered water and Peggie filtered more, until I could open my eyes without pain and I could see clearly. During the process, I was worrying how I would hike out blind if the rinsing didn't relieve the burning, and what permanent damage would be done due to the delay in getting medical attention. Then when my eyes stopped burning, and I could see clearly, I wasn't sure I needed medical attention. Peggie's cool headedness and common sense took over. We hiked the remaining seven miles faster than any other time, got to the trailer, showered and changed clothes, then headed to Durango, the nearest emergency room. The shower was interesting. As soon as water hit, the bear spray was reactivated, identifying every inch of skin exposed. It felt like a bad sunburn. Peggie discovered that she had been hit some, as well. The fumes made us cough.
The emergency room staff was wonderful. While we were checking in, the triage nurse was notified and came to take us back. His first words were, "I want to hear this story." While he was taking info, the doctor came in, introduced himself, sat down, and said, "I want to hear this story." The doctor and nurse explained what they were going to do and told us that they often treat mace victims because the Durango police use mace to subdue belligerent arrestees. So another nurse came in and carried out the procedure. He numbed my eyes with drops, then washed my face and hands, then used a Morgan lens. It is a large contact lens with a tube attached. Warm saline solution flows through the tube and washes the eye. When we were finished, the doctor examined the eyes and pronounced them healthy. Whew!
Moral of the story: If you are ever threatened with mace, submit. You are going to be arrested anyway, why suffer?
We double washed all of the clothes we were wearing, washed all hardware and everything we were carrying, even took our packs to the car wash and power sprayed them. All of his caused a new bout of coughing. I discovered I had to rewash my face the next day, because touching it caused my eyes to water again.
Second moral to the story: If you have to use bear spray on an actual bear, ask the bear to move downwind first so you don't get back spray on yourself.
Suggestion: take your hikes in the Grand Canyon where there are no bears, and leave the bear spray at home.
Peggie & Bill--Adventures = Good name for a blog.
Our stated goal was to hike the many trails in the local area in training for our November hike into the Grand Canyon. We are hiking from 8000 feet to 12,000 feet, so the altitude was challenging at first, but we are getting used to it. Climbing 2500 feet in a mile is challenging at any altitude, but, that is what you have to do to get out of the Canyon, so training for it is good. Some of the trails are multi-use. That means you have to beware of horses, bikers, or the dreaded motorcycles. Dreaded, because they all have to go as fast as possible all the time. Luckily, they are also loud, so you can hear them coming. Unfortunately, they are loud, so all wildlife is scared away. Also, they really, really tear up a trail.
We are doing two and three night hikes and refining our packing. At first, we took too much food. Food equals weight, so getting the right amount makes the pack lighter. Lighter is good.
As to the aforementioned wildlife, we have seen deer, elk, coyote, marmot, pika, grouse and cattle while hiking. You can add turkey and bear to the list when you include driving. Oh, yes, the cattle in those mountains are just as wild as any of the native animals.
The scenery is nothing short of spectacular. This, too, is good training for the Canyon. We stop often just to take in the views. Wild flowers! The word "profusion" describes the wild flowers. While hiking between 11,000 and 12,000 feet one day it occurred to me that "the scenery takes your breath away, and the altitude keeps it."
Speaking of taking your breath away..... have you ever been maced?
Well, don't be.
I was accidentally hit with bear spray, which is worse than mace according to the doctor I saw later.
Peggie and I had stopped to filter water to replenish our supply. We were loading up to continue when she bent over and the hip belt of her pack triggered the bear spray canister in her pocket. It was pointed behind her, which is where I was standing. Hearing a hissing noise, similar to a tire rapidly going flat, I turned to see what it was. It was an orange tinged brownish fluid streaming just to my right. I screamed "BEAR SPRAY" and moved left. Then I realized I had been hit. My nose and throat closed off and my eyes burned. Peggie saw what was happening and straightened up, stopping the spray. Then she called for me to get water on my face. I threw off my glasses (not normally a good idea) and leaned into the creek splashing water on my face. When I tried to open my eyes they burned like fire and I couldn't see. Peggie guided me across the rocks in the creek to a grassy area where I could lie down. The canister had instructions to rinse for 15 to 20 minutes if spray got in the eyes. So that is what we did. We used all the newly filtered water and Peggie filtered more, until I could open my eyes without pain and I could see clearly. During the process, I was worrying how I would hike out blind if the rinsing didn't relieve the burning, and what permanent damage would be done due to the delay in getting medical attention. Then when my eyes stopped burning, and I could see clearly, I wasn't sure I needed medical attention. Peggie's cool headedness and common sense took over. We hiked the remaining seven miles faster than any other time, got to the trailer, showered and changed clothes, then headed to Durango, the nearest emergency room. The shower was interesting. As soon as water hit, the bear spray was reactivated, identifying every inch of skin exposed. It felt like a bad sunburn. Peggie discovered that she had been hit some, as well. The fumes made us cough.
The emergency room staff was wonderful. While we were checking in, the triage nurse was notified and came to take us back. His first words were, "I want to hear this story." While he was taking info, the doctor came in, introduced himself, sat down, and said, "I want to hear this story." The doctor and nurse explained what they were going to do and told us that they often treat mace victims because the Durango police use mace to subdue belligerent arrestees. So another nurse came in and carried out the procedure. He numbed my eyes with drops, then washed my face and hands, then used a Morgan lens. It is a large contact lens with a tube attached. Warm saline solution flows through the tube and washes the eye. When we were finished, the doctor examined the eyes and pronounced them healthy. Whew!
Moral of the story: If you are ever threatened with mace, submit. You are going to be arrested anyway, why suffer?
We double washed all of the clothes we were wearing, washed all hardware and everything we were carrying, even took our packs to the car wash and power sprayed them. All of his caused a new bout of coughing. I discovered I had to rewash my face the next day, because touching it caused my eyes to water again.
Second moral to the story: If you have to use bear spray on an actual bear, ask the bear to move downwind first so you don't get back spray on yourself.
Suggestion: take your hikes in the Grand Canyon where there are no bears, and leave the bear spray at home.
Peggie & Bill--Adventures = Good name for a blog.
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