August 1

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August 5

  In 2008, I short day hike with John Eastwood and his friend Jim.  John wanted to cache some water on the Tanner Trail for his daughter Erin's upcoming canyon backpacking trip.  We left some water near the 75 Mile Canyon saddle and some here, near to where the trail tops out above the Redwall.  Hat tip to Chris Forsyth on this spot, which we had used in May of 2008.  It was a hot day, but the light overcast helped quite a bit.  We even did get some light rain on the way back.  We started down at 6 a.m. and were back to the rim at 3:30 p.m.

August 6

  In 2000, I did a rim-to-rim day hike, south to north, with John Eastwood.  [I'm pretty sure it will be the last!]  I left home at 4 a.m. and we were on the trail a few minutes past 6 a.m.  We were at Phantom before 9:30 a.m. and despite it being very hot, this hike was going well.  But, hiking through the "box" wiped me out.  We dragged ourselves into Cottonwood at 2 p.m. and stayed there for an hour and a half.  [The photo is of Ribbon Falls with just a touch of sun shining on the water.]  John was doing well, but I was still suffering from some heat exhaustion.  We were at the Aiken's residence at 4:15 p.m. and despite there being a light rain I was still just shuffling along and feeling ill.  The trek up the North Kaibab from here took six more hours and somewhere above the Supai Tunnel my nausea caught up with me.  I felt a lot better then, but our day was still not done.  I had gotten one of my students - Becky Pallack - to drive over to the North Rim to pick us up and drive us back to the South Rim so we could pick up my truck.  She was well-rewarded, although I doubt she would have offered to do that again!  I'm pretty sure that we did get back to Flagstaff before sunrise.
  In 2008, I did a day hike with colleague Russell Crook down the South Kaibab to Cedar Ridge.  Coming back up you get this great view of all the switchbacks in the Kaibab limestone.

August 7

   In 2011, I drove up to the North Rim to do a short day hike into Kwagunt Hollow via the Sowats Trail.  My notes read, "Hot! Hot! Hot!"  And, so it was.  I got this picture from atop a neat little "sky island" on the Esplanade where I was poking around.  I found trash, perhaps from an old cowboy camp.  I left my home in Flagstaff at 6 a.m., was on the trail at 10 a.m., back up to the rim by 4:30 p.m. and back home at about 9:30 p.m. making it a full day.  More on this hike and photos at my web site here.

August 8

   In 1983, I did a R2R2R over the course of 27 hours (north to south to north).  I went up the BA and met up with Sally Sulkoski (?sp) for a little dinner and a ride out to the SK for the return trek.  [I think she was managing the Yavapai Cafeteria at the time.]  I did well until my return at/about Cottonwood.  Somewhere near there I laid down on a big rock and fell asleep for four hours.  Once awake and up, I was fine the rest of the way to the rim.  [No photos.]

August 9

   In 2012, I hiked down the Grandview to check if any water from our monsoons had filled up O'Neill Spring, which is off the west side of Horseshoe Mesa (shown in the photo).  Alas, bone dry.  I had cached two frozen liter bottles on the way down and they were much appreciated on the way up as the heat was getting to me.  But, up in the Coconino we finally got some clouds, then rain and then lightening.  One bolt struck very close to two hikers a switchback ahead of me and it was so loud it knocked me down to my knees.  The three of us huddled together at an inside switchback for about a half hour while the storm slowly blew away.  The full story and more photos here.
   In 2001, Cara Lynn and I took our first little hike together on a day trip up to the canyon.  While sight-seeing along the East Rim Drive, we hiked down the Grandview about a half mile.  [No photos.]

August 10

   In 2007, I did a hike with Bill Ferris down the South Kaibab, across the Tonto and up the Bright Angel.  We were on the trail at a bit past 6:30 a.m. and back out at 5:15 p.m.  Here we are on the Tonto approaching Burro Spring.  Nice shade here but usually little/no water.  And, Pipe Creek is only about fifteen minutes away.  [Afterwards I wrote up a critical blog and letter to the local paper on our experience with poor service - here.]

August 11

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August 14

   In 1998, I took my visiting brother-in-law, Bob Stabo, up to the canyon for a day hike down the South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch.  Here is Bob at the Boat Beach just after we crossed on the black bridge.  It was a hot day and I was really feeling it on the way back up, especially in the stretch between O'Neill Butte and Cedar Ridge.  My nausea got the better of me, but not before we actually topped out and were on our way down the road to our vehicle.

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August 20

   In 1983, I did a hike down the Bill Hall Trail to Deer Creek to lay in a cache for a planned hike I had for later in the fall.  I went with Shane, the son of one of our maintenance guys at the North Rim.  He was about 14 and had an odd sense of hiking food - frozen burritos and Cheerios.  But, his dad drove us out to the trailhead and picked us up four days later.  Here I am posing at the top of the descent into Surprise Valley on our first day.
   In 2000, I hiked down the Grandview to check on a route up to Ayer Point (from Hance Creek).  My sister Sue joined me for the initial mile or so, but otherwise there wasn't anyone around.  I found the route - it's obvious - although there is a series of steps up through a band in the Redwall that stalled me for a bit.  Here is the view from the point, looking across the river to Wotan's Throne and Vishnu Temple.  As an aside, in G. W. James' book on the canyon from the early 1900s, he ascribes Ayer's name to what we know of as Coronado Butte today.  And, it was named for Mrs. Ayer, for her enthusiasm in joining her husband on a trek into the canyon in the 1880s.  [He ran a lumber mill in Flagstaff.]

August 21

   In 1983, I did a hike down the Bill Hall Trail to Deer Creek to lay in a cache for a planned hike I had for later in the fall.  On this day I left a big cache, in a five gallon bucket, in Deer Creek and a mini-cache at Fishtail Rapids.  Here is my pack - an old frame Jansport - laying on a rock near the rapids.
   In 1981, I started a three day trip down Grandview to Cottonwood Creek with Sally Sulkoski, who was also working on the South Rim at this time.  [Although my records show I have photos, I can't find any.]

August 22

   In 1983, I did a hike down the Bill Hall Trail to Deer Creek to lay in a cache for a planned hike I had for later in the fall.  On this day Shane and I hiked over to Thunder River and spent most of the day there before camping on the Esplanade.  I made the climb up to the outlet for the spring although there is an exposed corner I had to be talked back around on the way down!
   In 1999, I hiked down the Hance Trail to the river.  It was a clear day, but very hot.  I cached some icy water atop the Redwall for my return.  But, even before ascending the Redwall I was suffering from the heat and followed the bed up to this shady spot where there was a small pool of water at the bottom of an otherwise dry fall.  Even after a couple of hours here I was barely able to climb the Redwall and ended up spending an unintended night in the ravine that leads up to the Coronado/rim saddle where I had left my cache.
   In 1981, I was on the second day of a three day trip down Grandview to Cottonwood Creek with Sally Sulkoski, who was also working on the South Rim at this time.  [Although my records show I have photos, I can't find any.]

August 23

   In 1981, this was the last day of a three day trip down Grandview to Cottonwood Creek with Sally Sulkoski, who was also working on the South Rim at this time.  [Although my records show I have photos, I can't find any.]
   In 1983, I did a hike down the Bill Hall Trail to Deer Creek to lay in a cache for a planned hike I had for later in the fall.  This was the final day for Shane and I as we hiked out and met up with his dad for the ride back to the North Rim.  [No photos for this day.]
   In 1999, I hiked down the Hance Trail to the river.  It was a clear day, but very hot.  Although it was to be a day hike, the heat knocked me out and I spent the night in the Supai layer.  Early this morning I felt fine and hiked out the last 2-3 miles without any problems.  [No photos for this day.]

August 24

   In 1996, I did a day hike in the Hermit area with my sister Suzanne and Tom Kelley's son, Randall.  We got a late start - a little after 11 am - and finished up late in the day, at just past 6 pm.  We did one of my favorite loops here - along the old Erimita Mesa road to the Dripping Springs (or, Silver Bell) trailhead, then down to the springs and over into Hermit Basin and back to the rim via the Waldron Trail, coming out pretty close to where we parked.  It was a pleasant day, not too hot, and we even had a bit of rain while at the springs.  Here, Suzanne and Randall are at the trail junction sign for Waldron and Hermit.
   In 2006, I day hiked down the South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch and back.  I was on the trail before 7:30 am, at the ranch from 10:30 to 11:15, and back to the rim at 3:30 pm.  Great weather for this hike - clouds, breezes and relatively cool temps.  I snapped this photo of O'Neill Butte with my phone camera on the way down the trail.

August 25

   In 2001, I took Cara Lynn on her first hike down into the canyon, to Phantom Ranch and back.  We got one of the employees to snap the photo of us in the canteen, by the mail bag and menu board.  It was a hot day and the hike back up was grueling.  We started down the South Kaibab at 6:45 am and were at the Canteen from noon until 2 pm.  Then we hung out at the creek until 3:45 pm.  Cara Lynn started up while I went back to the Canteen to get some ice.  I caught up with her on the long curve below the Tapeats.  On the plus side, we had good moonlight to hike by and topped out at 11 pm!
   In 2002, Cara Lynn, Erik Drake and I did a Hermit-Waldron-Dripping Springs-Hermit loop.  Here they are at the spring making some mud handprints.  We left Flagstaff at 4 am, parked at the BA and caught the bus to Hermit's Rest.  We started down the trail at 6:30 am, were back on the rim above Waldron at 8:30 am and to Boucher's corral at about 10:30 am.  We reached Dripping Springs at noon and stayed until 2:45 pm.  We were back at the Hermit trailhead by 5:30 pm and home three hours later.

August 26

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August 29

   In 1981, I did a very quick overnight hike to Upper Phantom Creek (from the South Rim).  I don't seem to have a journal for this hike, but if memory serves, it was quite hot and all I did was camp out and return the next day.  But, on the route up to Utah Flats you pass by this tree on the opposite side of this ravine seemingly growing out of the rock.  I'm sure that everyone who passes by here notes it.  And, by way of comparison, fast forward 28 years and here's a photo I took (Oct. of 2000) showing the same tree, although it doesn't look all that much bigger!

August 30

   In 1981, I did a very quick overnight hike to Upper Phantom Creek (from the South Rim).  I don't seem to have a journal for this hike, but if memory serves, it was quite hot and all I did was camp out and return the next day.  But, on this day my return was punctuated by some rain creating this nice rainbow as I hiked up the South Kaibab.
   In 1991, Neil Jacobs and I did a neat looping hike down into Crystal and out near Pt. Sublime.  We got a late start on this, our first day, reaching the Shiva saddle in the dark.  Here, Neil is ready to go from the place where we parked his car on the Shiva Expedition road.  [My truck was parked near Pt. Sublime.]
   In 1997, John Eastwood, Doug Brown and Mathieu Brown (pictured) and I went up to do a hike down the Great Thumb Trail.  Most of the day was spent in transit, but we did locate the trail and hike down to the Esplanade.  I wrote up a fuller account of this trip here.
   In 2002, Cara Lynn and I camped at the head of what I call the Big Saddle Trail near Crazy Jug.  This day we took a hike down the trail, passing this old cement trough, a reminder of days long gone.

August 31

   In 1991, Neil Jacobs and I did a neat looping hike down into Crystal and out near Pt. Sublime.  We camped on the Shiva saddle our first night and this day we hiked down the ravine into Dragon Creek where we came across this beaver pond!  We didn't see them, but plenty of freshly gnawed trees were in this area.
   In 1996, I dropped off Craig Bain and Doug Brown at the North Kaibab Trail for them to do a rim-to-rim.  I stayed camped at the Nankoweap trailhead.  This day my dog, Peppyr, and I hiked down the Nankoweap to the broad plateau that led to this fascinating unnamed butte above Seiber Pt.  It's top is in the Coconino layer and the walking here was sandy!  Fantastic views from this spot.  Later this day I met up with John & Kathy Eastwood for another day of camping and hiking around the rim.
   In 2002, Cara Lynn and I camped at the head of what I call the Big Saddle Trail near Crazy Jug.  We did a short hike down the trail in the morning where we got this nice view looking across the Tapeats Amphitheater to Great Thumb Mesa.