Arches National Park

 If you have never been, you need to go.  That is to the Arches National Park, near Moab in Utah.  It is a very scenic place.  Loaded with tons of natural arches that you can hike around.  Driving back from the Grand Canyon we stopped to take a few pictures of this park that we love, and ended up spending 4 hours hiking around.  There is so much to see, you could spend a few days there.

Moab has so much to offer, if you are a person that loves to be outside enjoying nature.  Canyon Lands is close by, as well as my very favorite place to watch the sunset -- Dead Horse Point.  Fortunately, Moab is only 6 hours from Denver.

our group

This is a  picture of the girls on the trip: Lori, Michelle, Caroline, and Donna. Our back packs were just as heavy as the guys... well, maybe a little bit lighter.  Bob was carrying the entire kitchen.  I think his was the heaviest.  Thank you Bob:))

Petrified wood

There is something about petrified wood that intrigues me. The definition of petrify is to convert organic matter into stone or a stony hardness  by the infiltration of water and the deposition of  mineral matter.  It always looks like a decoration, put in just the right spot.  I wonder how long it has been there. Was it blown there? Dragged there?  How long was it living?  I think we saw this on the Tonto West day hike out of Indian Gardens in the Grand Canyon.

Scenic Byway 128

Driving  the scenic byway 128 in Utah,  on the way to Moab.  The picture doesn't do the color of the rocks justice, it's truly spectacular.  You can get lost in the reflection.

Your laundry list

Thought I would post a list of things you need to bring. The two things you WON'T need down in the Canyon are a cell phone and a lap top.  They are useless down there.  And if I remember right, cell phones don't work that well even up on the South Rim.

1 liter platypus

headlamp

2 hiking poles

camel back inside your backpack

light gloves, fleece headband- for early morning hours

large brimmed hat or ball cap to wear while hiking, the sun can be brutal

sunglasses, with a cord

sunscreen, chapstix

rather than kleenex, I take an old bandana and cut it into thirds as a hankie, seems my nose is always running down in the canyon.

small wash cloth, small hand towel, small soap- I wash out my clothes with the soap every day

toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant

at least 3 pairs of sox

underwear -2

long johns/ hot chilis- or something similar to sleep in

I take a small stuff sax to put clothes in and use for a pillow at night

sleeping bag and mummy pad

zippered long pants and a pair of shorts

2 short sleeved shirts, 

2long sleeve wicking shirts

1 long sleeve Columbia type if the sun is too intense so you can cover your arms

2 under armour bra type tank top style shirts

pair of lite weight camp shoes, I use Crocs- it does feel good to take your boots off at the site

high tech lite weight jacket

plate/bowl/cup/fork, spoon

baby wipes or something like that

At Bright Angel Campground the 1st two nights, there are electrical outlets in the bathroom to charge camera batteries.  And at Phantom Ranch Cantina there are a few outlets, just remember everyone at the campground will be wanting to use them- if they know they are there:)

The bathrooms  separate male/female  have 2 flushing toilets, and 2 sinks w/ cold running water, and a mirror made of aluminum.

At Indian Gardens their facilities are  more rustic. They have 4 toilets, but they are compostable, not flushing.  And there is a water pump system for fresh water to use.  No electrical anywhere.

We usually climb out of the canyon about 2:00ish, put our packs in the cars, because our rooms are not ready yet, and go to the bar for celebratory beers.

After a wonderful shower with running water when we get into our rooms, our dinner reservation is at 8pm at El Tovar where we will continue to celebrate.

Practice setting up your tent

Bob is practicing in the back yard, who knows, maybe he'll sleep out there tonight;)  Hopefully everyone is comfortable with setting up their tent, and blowing up the air mattress, then putting everything back together.  I am feeling pretty good about the food after today.  I spent all day on it:  Cooking, measuring, packaging, labeling, oh yes, and the dehydrator is still going. It will be running overnight, then I'll set it up again for tomorrow. I've taken over the dinning room table with the Canyon  freeze dried food, fortunately we can still eat dinner on the deck.  The food for the Canyon Trip is almost ready. Yeah!!!! Getting excited.  Hope you are too:)  Oh yes, and Happy Halloween!!!

More food

 Made the first pot of black bean chili tonight.  Will dehydrate it tomorrow morning.  Then make another pot, and do the same.  Still have to cook the ground beef/turkey that goes into it and dehydrate that as well.  I think I'm going to bring one of our large car camping pots, so I can do our dinners all at once, rather than the eight of us eating in shifts.  I figure we can put two of our stoves under the large pot.  I'll try that here at home first:))

Here's the last batch of protein energy bars. After they cool I will cut them up then vacuum seal the bars separately.  I need to make the trail mix, but I think I'm going up to bed now.  I am 3/4 into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I have to get reading.

Gran Centenario

 

 This is what we are taking in our platypus.  It just seems right to drink Tequila at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Gran Centenario Anejo is made from 100% Blue Agave, aged for 18 months in toasted American oak barrels. It is light-bodied with mild Agave with toasted wood overtones. The label on this bottle reminds us of a tequila legend: More than 150 years ago, Lazaro Gallardo calls for an angel, in order to hold a watchful eye on his still growing agaves.

El Tovar

Isn't this an adorable Burrowing Owl?  I saw him on the Sarcoma Race/Walk in Plantation Fl on October 24th.  Just wanted to tell you all that I booked our dinner reservations at El Tovar Restaurant for the night we climb out of the Canyon.  It is a great place to 'remember' our life changing hike.

First nights' dinner in the bottom of the Canyon

hey fellow Grand Canyon hikers.  We cooked the Key West marinated Chicken tonight.  I've got to tell you that it was hard not to eat it, but just freeze it. I did pour some of the juices onto Darby's dog food and she readily ate. Thank Goodness, we were cooking shrimp for our own dinner.

Making chicken

Hey gang,

Will be cooking the chicken for the trip in the next day or so.  Bought the kielbasa for the red lentil soup today, put that in the freezer.   Getting close.  Hope everyone is practicing..  It's gonna be fun:))  Happy Trails

The Permit

Here is a look at part of our permit.  Each permit lists the campground and the date we are to be there.   It is wise to make copies and give to each person in your group.  The original must be tied to the outside of someone in the group's backpack.  Over the years we have realized that it is more enjoyable staying two nights at the same campsite rather than packing up every morning and moving on. This way, you have a day of adventure without the large pack.

Protein Energy Bars

Here is the first batch of my protein energy bars.  I'll need to make a couple more pans of these.  This is concentrated energy in one tasty bar, along with plenty of complex carbohydrates to keep us moving on those day hikes down in the Canyon.  These bars are loaded with four kinds of ground nuts, dried fruit(cranberries- golden raisins- bananas), protein powder, oats and honey.

Cashew Chicken

I just finished dehydrating shaved sweet potatoes and carrots that I tossed with Olive Oil, Cumin, Coriander and a little Salt & Pepper.  On the Trail,  after being re-hydrated, this will be part of  a tasty lunch called Cashew Chicken. A flavored tortilla will wrap around these along with mushrooms, cashews, coconut, chicken and a special sauce. Yum.Yum.

Another practice day

Donna was in town this week, so we took her to the North Table Loop Trail in Golden, so she could get in a practice hike with a backpack on before heading back home to Ft Lauderdale.  The wild life didn't let us down, we had at least five sightings of deer as we hiked around the mountain.  Great day.

Beef Jerky

Here is our first batch of beef jerky.  I sliced 2 1/2 lbs of steak 1/4" thick, cut across the grain, with all the fat removed.  Then marinaded it in a mixture of  seven different spices along with soy and Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke for 24 hours.  Dehydrated it for ten hours.  WaaLaa. I need to empty these four trays and let the next batch dehydrate over night.

Mesa Top Trail

We hiked Mesa Top Trail this morning and came across 5 deer foraging for breakfast.  It always makes my heart smile when I see wildlife on a hike.  We hiked for nearly two hours, stopping to enjoy the scenery, which wasn't much until we sighted the deer.  However, these short hikes with the packs are not intended for pleasure, but to build endurance.

 Now about food.   I cooked a spice rubbed pork loin roast, then made it into pulled pork,
and dehydrated it for 8 hours. Finally vacuum sealing it for storage.  It's going to taste wonderful with Red Beans and Rice and sweet corn at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Hmmmm.  Just had a thought.  I wonder if
I could make and freeze-dry  my yummy cornbread. I'll get back to you on that, after I look into it.

Ribbon Falls

This is Bob praying at Ribbon Falls:)  We were hoping we could do a day hike from Bright Angel Campground on the second day to Ribbon Falls, but it's just too far away;  it would be 12.5 miles  round trip.  Coming from the North Rim, it's on the way, but coming from the South, it's 6.3 miles up hill to get there.  Such a beautiful place.

The good news is, there are MANY beautiful places in the Grand Canyon.  I've been pouring over my books and information that I have accumulated since we've started backpacking in the GC.  Just reading it all again is making me anxious.  I can't wait to be there.  Can you see the Rainbow at the bottom of the waterfall in the second picture?

Starbucks to the rescue

Okay people, those who need their Java fix in the morning, are going to be soooo happy with my recent find.  I figured in the last couple of years someone must have come out with a better coffee for camping.  Enter Starbucks Via Ready Brew.  It's an Italian Roast, 100% Natural Roasted Instant & Microground  Arabica Coffee, with no chemicals or additives.  It actually tastes like fresh brewed coffee.

North Table Loop

Today Bob & I practiced with our packs on.  He was carrying 35 lbs and I had 23 lbs.  We hiked a new area they recently created in Golden,  North Loop Trail.  You can just barely see downtown Denver starting to spring up, to the right of Bob, in the distance.

When we reached the top we overlooked Coors Brewery, the largest in the United States.

 

As every good deed deserves a reward, we celebrated at Wynkoop Brewery  with a chili flavored  beer and a reuben sandwich.

Under Armour

This is a front and back view of the tops I hike in during the day down in the Canyon.  They are made by Under Armour, and have a built in bra.  I've worn these down there before and they are very comfortable.  The one on the left, back view,  is pale yellow with orange piping on the bottom edge, and the other is lime green with leaf green edging.  I wash the one I wore that day before I go to bed and let it dry on the shrubs 'til morning.

Practice makes perfect

Hey fellow hikers, the good news is that I didn't feel bad this morning, nothing hurt or was sore. So starting out under weight is the key. I think you would be better off doing a 3 mile hike three times a week with a 20 lb pack  instead of doing an 8 hour walk one day a week.

The clock is ticking

I did a 4 mile hike today with my backpack on.  It was a small hike on the Ralston Trail near my house, so there wasn't any real elevation gain or loss; nothing more than 10'.  My hiking shoes weigh 3 lbs, and I had the pack carrying 20 lbs.  I need to get used to the weight of the pack pulling on the shoulder straps.  I felt it in my hips mostly as I walked, and it's always an adjustment getting used to leaning forward slightly when you have a full pack on.  I attached my hiking poles to the back of the pack, and my camera case to one of the front straps.  Now I need to start adding weight to the pack.  As you can see, I did have some pretty views while I practiced.  This is a reminder that we need to prepare.  Don't let the first time you walk with a full pack be the day we start down.

Dehydrating

I just dehydrated six ears of Sweet Corn.  First I needed to blanch the corn for a few minutes, cool them down and remove the kernels from the cob. I  separated the kernels onto six drying racks.  After 11 hours,  Six ears of corn yields 4 Cups of dehydrated kernels.

hiking

Grand Canyon Hiker girl....Gotta love it,  that's me:))   I wear this shirt with pride.  Looking forward to the fourth back packing trip down to the bottom of the canyon and back.  An older lady stopped me in the store today and asked if I rode the donkey down to the bottom.  I said absolutely not, I've heard that is harder on your body than actually doing the hike yourself.

Fairshare Mug

We just bought 2 GSI Collapsible Fairshare Mugs. The reviews on this were great.  It collapses to a 1.7" disc; the handle folds flat or extends to lock in two positions for eating or drinking; and there is a locking lid, but it's not for storing liquids.  Next is our folding dinnerware by Orikaso .  This is a bowl and plate.  I use the plate for a cutting board as well.

Plateau Point

I could look at this picture all day.  The beauty of the canyon is unforgettable.  This is a short mile hike from Indian Gardens Campground, known as Plateau Point.

This is the titanium cookware we have.  We will probably have to get another set for 8 people. We already have 3 cook stoves.

These are Yak Traks. We will  need them if we get snow on the rim.

Mattress Pads

These are the Big Agnes Pads.  They are 20" W X  78"L X 2.5" thick.   You put your sleeping bag on top of this, and you would never know you are sleeping on the ground. They come in 20 X 72 for those that don't need all that length.  The little pouch they fold up into is sitting  on top. Here are two different styles.  The one on the left slims in at the bottom and top and the other is sort of like a float for a pool.  Both of these require you to inflate through a mouth valve, but they also make some self inflating ones.

A colorful dinner table

Don't forget to get colorful eating utensils, it's much easier to pick yours out of the clean pot.  There are many types to choose from:  titanium, plastic, aluminum.  That goes for the plates, cups and bowls as well.  I particularly like the collapsible dinnerware.  They are easy to pack, however, they don't come in many colors.  I  suggest putting a dab of a contrasting fingernail polish on all your dishes.

My thoughts on cameras

 I love this silhouette photo of Bob 
hiking between two canyon walls.  
We were on the Bright Angel Trail ,
headed towards Indian Gardens.  
The Raven, below, was so stunning
against the blue sky.  Both of these
photos were taken before  9AM.  
Your mornings begin early; you want
to hike during the coolest part of the day.

You never know when you are going to come across that 'Kodak' moment.  For this reason I believe everyone should carry a digital camera.  I strap my camera case to one of the shoulder straps on my backpack. Then I have 
quick access without having to stop and dig it out of somewhere.   Also, with cameras all around,
it insures that everyone in the group will be in the pictures.

The view

Just another view in the day of a life of backpacking and hiking 

in the Grand Canyon.  Try to tell me that when your eyes come upon this site it doesn't change your perspective on life.  There is a bigger picture.

Our tent

Here's our tent.  Very light
weight.  It uses two hiking 
poles for support.  Very cool.

Mule Train

In the Canyon, the mules always have the right of way, whether they are hauling people or  commodities for Phantom Ranch.  You simply find a safe place off the trail and step to the side until they pass.  You'll be amazed at how sure footed they are.

Suspension Bridge

Here I am on the suspension

bridge that takes you over

the Colorado River.  After 

crossing the river the trail 

leads to Phantom Ranch.  

Now you can get an appreciation for  just how long and how high above the river the bridge is.  It's quite a memorable walk. This gives you an idea of the Canyons dimension.

 There were a pair of wild turkeys down in the Canyon.  The Ranger told us the turkeys were blown off the North Rim and were not able to fly up from the bottom , so here they stay.