Lunch with Condor #19
Out in front of the Battleship

Thursday, November 11, 2004

by Dennis Foster

Condor #19 hangs out with me
in front of the Battleship.

Click on any picture to see a larger image.

     I had thought to do a quick day hike to Phantom Ranch, and back, on the South Kaibab trail.  I do that a lot.  It is a nice, challenging, trip, and totally wears me out - 13+/- miles from rim to river and back.  The parking at the trailhead was still "closed for the season."  Aarghhh.  During the busy summer months, only a shuttle bus plies the route out to the trailhead.  During the winter, this road is open and parking is available right at the trailhead.  But, that was still a few weeks away.  So, my modus operandi is to park at a picnic area, along the main road (the East Rim Drive) and walk in.  OK, so that's what I did.  And, when I got to the trailhead, at about 9:15 a.m., there was a sign, stating that the trail was closed.  Double aarghhh.  Why not put that sign out at the intersection, where the road closure sign is located?  Well, I guess that is because that makes too much darn sense!  [And, why not post a sign to that effect at the entrance station?  Triple aarghhh.]

   So, I trekked back to my truck, and decided that I would head off to the Bright Angel Trail, and hike down to the river and back, or, maybe, just to Plateau Point, and back, if I felt I couldn't return during daylight hours.  [While it wasn't cold during the day, after sunset, the temperature falls precipitously.]  I parked behind the Bright Angel Lodge, and soon started down the trail.

    So, off I went down the trail.  Within about two minutes, my safety pin job had run its course, and I was, once again, over-ventilated.  I didn't especially relish the idea of continuing another three miles to Indian Garden.  Time to execute plan B - leave the trail at "2 mile corner" and follow the route out around the Battleship, lunching at the end of the terrace, with a sweeping vista of the Grand Canyon that is second to none.  It had been five years since I was last out here.  Although it is a neat trip, it is not an especially long one.

     The route finding isn't difficult, although it is rough.  Once to the saddle, between the South Rim and the Battleship, the terrain flattens out a bit, and the going is better.  When you have passed by the Battleship, you can easily follow along the terrace for quite a ways.  Near the end of your trek, the terrace narrows dramatically, and is probably no more than thirty feet across when you reach your destination.  I took off my pack, spread out my blue foam pad and arranged my stuff for an extended lunch break.  I started with the sewing right away.

     I hadn't been sitting down for more than ten minutes when a condor - #19 - swooped down and landed about fifteen feet away from me.  At first I was stone still, wanting to enjoy the moment, which I thought would pass quickly.  The bird just stood there, turning completely around two, or three times.  I finally decided that I would risk getting out my camera, hoping that she (ref: Peregrine Fund) wouldn't fly away before I could snap off a couple of photos.  She didn't and I did.  In fact, she totally ignored me, although I do think that she was quite aware of my presence.  She started preening her feathers with her beak, and I thought, "This is a sound that nobody else ever gets to hear!"  With good binoculars, visitors on the rim can usually catch great views of these giant birds.  But, who has ever heard the sounds they make up close?

     About ten minutes passed, and #19 didn't appear to be in any hurry to leave.  So, I slowly began to pull my lunch out of my pack.  Over the next thirty minutes, I had my sandwich, some pudding, and apple and some trail mix.  The bird didn't leave her rocky perch.  She spread her wings out a few times.  Now, that was cool!  Mostly, her neck feathers were puffed up, although when the sun came out from behind a cloud, and it warmed up, these feathers would lay flat, exposing her hairless/featherless head.

     After an hour had passed, I finally decided I had to leave.  I stood up slowly, putting on my pants finally (!!) and gathering up my pack.  Straps in place and a quick check to make sure I didn't leave anything behind, and I was off.  Condor #19 just looked at me a couple of times during all this and she was still there when I left my little lunch spot and headed back along the terrace to the Bright Angel trail.

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