Loved the report. I want to meet Barb Zinn. Thanks for taking the time to
share. -Kam

--- In Grand_Canyon_Hikers@yahoogroups.com, Adrian Jantzi <redhiker03@...>
wrote:
>
> Am now clean shaven and am a little saddened 'bout it. Happened tonight
around 8 PM....a sad thing. You see, the beard thingie happens only when I'm in
the Ditch, the Winds, Collegiate Peaks, etc....
>
> The folks I work with don't know me in a beard so I decided to leave it alone
for awhile just to check response. Kind of fun actually. Imagine the question
"What happened to your face, Ade?" Now imagine the quizzical expressions to the
reply, "I've been in the Ditch sleeping on Big Agnes 6 nights in a row." Being
married, that always requires explanation.....too much fun! Other questions
always come up.
>
> How many times now?.....to which I answer 32 and wishing it were double or
triple that. Wish I could be like Jamie, Rich, Tom, Chris, Doug, Jag, Amy,
Slawa, Kam, etc.......and hike my favorite place WAY more often, or at least
peer in.
>
> Weren't you cold?.....Sure, but after the rain and hail, Darwin Plateau still
offered up incredible views of Dox Castle, Holy Grail Temple, Elaine Castle,
Lancelot Pt, and Sagittarius Ridge. And besides, I found out that a
binder-clipped Tyvek burrito can turn into a wind tunnel when the foot clips get
blown off by 40mph gusts! Couldn't figure out why I was so cold until dawn
revealed the problem....oh well, stayed dry and now have a good story.
>
> Was it rainy?......Yeah, and I loved it. The low-hanging clouds give a very
cool Canyon effect with misty landmarks. Also, blooms, blooms, and more blooms.
WOW! Can't say enough about all the colors and I'm not talking about rock
layers. I don't like hiking in my Driducks....so walls of rainclouds/rain
chased us to the next drainage and then the next, and so on. Tapeats cliffs
always offered up welcomed shelter with little talk and mostly silence.
Serpentine offered up an impressive cliff overhang camp about 150 yards below
the Tonto crossing.....slept with one ear on high volume! Note...my driducks
were snagged many times by those thorny, smallish trees. Now lots of little
holes.
>
> Did you make it to the river?......No. Didn't care to. Am becoming much more
a fan of exploring up-drainage than down. Up-drainage explorations in Ruby and
Boucher were just too cool, each with its own treasure. Some cool hiking
downstream in Turquoise, Serpentine, and Ruby.
>
> What did you eat?......Food. Bagels with PB for two mornings and oatmeal with
nuts, craisins, and brown sugar four mornings. Tuna and crackers, snickers,
cheese sticks....for lunches. Cheddar broccoli rice with chicken (good),
Idahoan mashed pot with chicken and cheddar cheese (awesome), Nutters refried
beans (needed more spice), Pepperoni pizza two nights (really awesome), and one
freeze-dried meal of Wild Beans and Rice with refried beans (definitely not
awesome and forever off the list). All cooking done on alcohol stove (first
time for me) and all very successful. Also, I've been taking jolly ranchers
along for the last several hikes.....love em!
>
> Didn't you get dirty?.......Yeah, So? Slate and Boucher took care of that!
Ruby had plenty of water but too cold during that part of the trip. Not enough
water in Turquoise but cold anyhow. Finally warm by trip's end.
>
> Did you sleep OK?......Slept great on Big Agnes! Too those of you who say
that your new Neoairs are more comfy than my BA.....bah! I tried one of my
hike-mate's and liked it but, really!? It's still a 2.5" air mattress just like
my BA. Am I jealous? Yep. I'll trade 25 ounces for 9 ounces any day!. Now
back to sleeping.....tyvek, BA, sl bag.....pretty simple. The bedroom is to die
for! Finally awoke to clear skies while at Turquoise and had the best time just
slowly waking to a glorious Canyon day. Had to tease my hike-mates while at
Turquoise.....they pitched their tent underneath one of the overhanging ledges,
looking a bit ridiculous. That tent also confined something else that had at
least one of them gagging and wishing he had a setup like mine!
>
> Did you see any other hikers?......Yep, but hardly talked to them. One group
of three told us that Slate had a few small water pools in it. Later that day
when we arrived a glimmer was spotted 50 yards above the crossing.......lots of
running water and many pools up there. Lesson: can't always trust other hikers,
but, maybe they were just quickly passing through from Boucher. Two other
hikers on Darwin Plateau, a group of 4 at Boucher, and one very surprising
delight of a ranger at Boucher (she blew us away!). Her name is Barb Zinn and
we talked bunches. As we became acquainted, I realized I'd NEVER met anyone
like her....EVER! It was truly a pleasure.
>
> What was the best part of the trip?......That's easy. The people I met or got
to know better. The more I hike the Canyon, the more it's about who I meet or
who I'm with, and not where I'm walking. Canyon folks are cool, period! I
seldom meet someone in the Ditch I don't like. People of the trip: Amy Tacey,
Barb Zinn, Darcy Freeman, Mike Yoder, and Cliff Beck......all VERY COOL and
worth getting to know.
>
> Close Seconds to 'best part of the trip'......1)hiking in silence in beauty
2)a little adversity for mettle making 3) munching pizza alongside babbling
Ruby creek 4) sunning in Slate creek bottom and listening to ALL the
birds....the Canyon really isn't silent. 5)Lone up-drainage explorations 6)We
found the 'museum' and it was pretty cool.
>
> The Trip?....The GEMS/JEWELS (the ladies like to call it the JEWELS). My
first time. Very nice Tonto views. Great people. Great hike.
>
>
> Here's wishing you all.......many more happy GC trails......
>
> Adrian Jantzi
>