Back in the Office 732mi

Looking back on my trip, I would say it was a 3-part adventure.  Part I was riding the Harley between Nevada, Phoenix, and California.  (Yes, California!  I missed a turn-off and ended up in the Mojave Desert!)  Part II was seeing the amazing Grand Canyon.  Part III was the arduous 8-hour climb back out of the canyon.

I met lots of good people on my travels. Folks on the trail I shared rations and stories with.  One for example was Doug, a 65 year-old man who works in the local hospital. He was on a shift when a young man was brought in after attempting suicide at the Canyon by driving his car off the cliff.  The car landed in a tree hundreds of feet down and he escaped with just scratches... if that's not a message to keep living I don't know what is!  Then there was Ernie who took 20 minutes to file away my Harley key so it would work again (though would take no money from a fellow biker).  And let's not forget Mandy the Ranger who advised me not to hike back out in the heat of the day, but since I was determined to do it anyway, she taught me to change into a cotton shirt so I could soak it in the creek to keep me cool and refreshed while I hiked out.  WHEN I take this journey again, it will be with a cadre of friends, and we will make the trip more of a pilgrimage than a grueling marathon.

Besides having great pictures and memories, I carry with me some pride knowing what I can put my body through.  20 miles of hiking up and down 6000+ feet over 13 hours straight was something I had not prepared for.  I finished it with a smile, but also with a dozen foot blisters, deep boot abrasions on the high ankle, bruises on the hips and sore shoulders from the heavy backpack straps, and a toenail that decided it would rather just fall off than endure any more stresses!   But don't be turned off to the trails... you too can do this and in a more sane way.  If you are reading this, you are cordially invited to join my posse for next year's return trip!

And what's more, a $100 camera and a Grand Canyon hike can turn a Schmuck like me into a professional photographer...

Back at the top

Sorry all, I had no cell signal for any of the trail. I have tons of pictures I will upload in a day or two

So they say not to hike alone. They say not to hike between 10a and 4p. They say not to go all the way down and all the way back up in one day. Over 700 people have died in the grand canyon hiking. I say a big FU to it all.

I hiked alone, all the way down and back up today, I started back up at 10 and got to the top a little after 6, alive. So careful telling me what i can't do, it might have opposite effect.

My legs are cramping and exhausted, my feet are blistered, shoulders need a massage like you wouldn't believe. But my smile is healthy as always. So who's coming with me next year?
(-:

Head of the trail

Here we go, top of South Kabib trail. Long way down!

Route 66 Road Kill Cafe 185mi

About 100 miles from the Grand Canyon Park and belly is rumbling. Thought I'd get a nice salad from the Roadkill Cafe, but surprise surprise, they didn't scrape any salad off route 66 today. Oh well. Eats are eats are eats.
Cooled down to just 90 now. Might have to change into long pants by midnight at this rate!
Country music playing at the restaurant and ice tea served in a mason jar... Nice local ambience!

Ready for bed, with some difficulty

Well I found the place OK, but I have no idea if I am allowed to sleep here. Oh well, I will be up and out by 3:30 so I guess it will be OK.
My tent is kind of a joke. I forgot how it assembles, and it is dark outside. It is relatively "together" amd I am set fir sleep.
I wish I could get a picture of the night sky. There are more stars than I have ever seen. I may have to sleep tomorrow night without the tent so I could doze off under the stars. Night all.

Close call with ruined trip 250mi

Cycle dealership didn't tell not to leave the key in the ignition when I ride. It bounced out, ricoched off my leg at 90 MPH, and tumbled onto the highway. I pulled over and after 3 passes at searching the road I found it! Trip saved, or so I thought.
The key got run over and bent. I stopped at the next exit and straightened iy with a pair of pliers from a fellow biker. But it still didn't work!
That means I can't get to the gas tank, my tent and sleeping bag, not even mu coat... And the temp is dropping quickly.
I had enough gas to get to a Harley Dealer 20 miles off my route. They didn't have any blank keys and it takes 10 days to order one. Shit!
As I was planning to leave the bike there and go back to Vegas with a rental car with my trip ruined, the nivlce guy there started filing away at my key. Long story short- he fixed it! On I go with an hour delay!

Mohave County Jail 100mi

Just a few miles from the county jail, I have clear sailing. 90 MPH is a nice gentle breeze. Only danger out here is riding off the road with my head spinning 360 degrees around watching scenery I have only seen in HS geography class and the movies.
Stopped for gas not knowing when the next town might be. Wishing my kids were out here with me to experience America. I think I will be touching on Route 66 soon.

Black Canyon 30mi

Half an hour into the trip and all I have done is ride through beautiful canyon after beautiful canyon. I passed Lake Mead a while back and this pic is of Black Canyon. Once a mighty river carved through here but this us now sandwiched between the Hoover and Davis Dams.
Now that I am getting comfortable on my Harley, the scenery is starting to melt away stress and let in the serenity.
Need to get going though. The 105 degree weather has my kickstand melting into the asphalt!

And we are off!

After a few contract corrections and ride to the right rental location, I am good to go. Nice surprise that my backpack fits into the back luggage compartment.
I will blog mire in a bit once I get some miles under me

Rough start

No, this isn't my bike I am renting. Taxi dropped me off and I find out the rental operation was moved across town 3 months ago. Guess they forgot to tell me!
But I got to see this cool old Indian bike from 1958.
Getting picked up soon to go get my bike!

Do you dare?

Would you expose some of your most delicate and vulnerable body parts to a tangle of hoses, wires, heating elements, valves and pumps that require a special control pad that only your 4th grader can figure out?
Have you ever washed your hands in an "automatic" sink only to be scalded by the water? How does that translate...
Do you trust these private parts to the guy who can't even figure out how to keep his pants pulled up in back while servicing your plumbing? (my friend Dave is excluded from this barb!)
I myself elected to just push down the familiar handle on the side of the tank and all my worries and problems were washed away!

Trails

At dawn on Friday I descend the South Kabib trail. I will leasurely make my way across the Tonto trail and sleep somewhere off of it. At the crack of dawn Saturday I will head up the Bright Angel trail. Once up I will ride the South rim taking in the sights and head toward Vegas that night. I will camp for the night somewhere between the Canyon and Vegas.
I may not be able to blog Thursday morning to Friday noon so don't assume the worst if I go dark. I will say hi as soon as I can.

Sick, just plain sick

Work is going to be crazy busy day and night... But if I get a moment to relax, it will be in my room. 30+ stories above the strip, I have floor lengths windows in every room of the corner suite. I can take a bath and look over the city while watching TV. Or I can lounge in the living room and see a different side if the city. Or I can lie in bed facing out over two sides of the city. And G-d forbid I actually would need to get up? No need, I can use the bedside control panel to open and clothes the curtains ot change the lighting in any room. What an amazing suite! All for about the price of the Red Roof Inn back home.
Maybe the Grand Canyon and that tent aren't so exciting after all!

First leg

Arrived at the airport on time and checked my backpack in. First time in many years I checked a bag - let's hope US Scare doesn't lose it. Both my bags are jammed packed so that I have everything I need for work and play.
My colleague Jeff has arrived at my table in the airport. He and I will share the flight out and some good conversation. Blog later....

Planning this trip has taken more effort than any trip I ever took.  Getting a permit to hike into the canyon was the trickiest.  It seems the time of year I am going and the trails I have planned are the most popular. Since there is apparently only room enough in the Grand Canyon for a few people at a time (grin), I had to be creative to get the Park Rangers to approve my permit.  I wish I were joking!

This is the first time I have ever camped and hiked depending on a backpack.  Likewise, I have never needed to plan on water consumption for survival.  The warnings by the Rangers and all the internet posts and videos were quite clear and even foreboding about carefully planning water intake and refills.  I am a little worried about getting decent sleep since I will need to depend on a sleeping bag with no room in my backpack for rolls of foam or an air mattress to pad my aging shoulders and hips.  Guess I will depend on old-fashioned exhaustion to put me to sleep.

So the schedule is...
Week prior:  Facilitate, moderate and present a 4-day series of training and educational session to the GS1 Community.  Clock-watch for the conference to end in the middle of the afternoon of Day One of my trip.
Day One: rent the Harley and ride all afternoon and evening to get to the rim of the Canyon.  Stopping to take pics often.  Should be 6-8 hour trip starting at about 4 PM.  Find a cozy patch of state lands to sleep.
Day Two: Rise at 4 AM and ride to head of trail where I will emerge on Day 3.  Park bike and take shuttle to head of trail where I will go down.  Start the hike immediately as the temperatures (110s) prevent hiking from 10 am to 4 pm.  I should make it to the bottom by 10 am.  Then short day hikes in the bottom and nap in the shade. Sleep in designated sleeping area that night.
Day Three:  rise at 4 am and start hike out of canyon.  Should finish by 10 am.  Site see that day around rim.  Maybe sleep in state lands on rim, or, maybe ride part of way back to Vegas and sleep anywhere I can find.
Day Four:  finish ride and drop bike off in Vegas.  Head to airport and fly home.
Day Five:  Sleep in and wake excited to go to Mike's graduation ceremony!!

Here is one of the trails I will be on:

I will post my entire trail route in the future so you will know where to send the Medivac if I fail to blog!  I am told cell signals are strong in most of the canyon.  Too bad remote Yardley PA can't figure out how to offer strong signals.

Later y'all, must get back to work...