Step 16: Moving On Up In The Canyon

My latest project to the canyon involved a change of camp location. However this was unknown to all of us including our supervisor until we were already halfway down to the bottom of the canyon. Since it is getting warmer the tourist season is really kicking in and all the campsites at the bottom were full leaving no room for us. We were able to spend the first night down there, but the next morning we had to pack up camp again and load the mules and move camp 2.5 miles and 1800ft higher up the canyon to a place called Tipoff. While we didn't have the luxury of running water(all water is now packed in via mule, so we must conserve), or flush toilets like down at Phantom Ranch we had other luxuries which far outweighed running water of nice toilets. The park service trail crew had camped here at the end of 2009 and left most of their supplies there which we were then able to take advantage of. This included a $6000 everest basecamp tent, a gas BBQ grill, and a stove that boiled water crazy fast that they called the Master Blaster and sounded like a rocket each time you fired it up. The best thing of all was the seclusion and lack of tourists around. Here is a picture of our camp: and check out all the pictures at this link

From Grand Canyon March 2-10

as you can see from the picture the camp is quite exposed. The wind rips through this part of the canyon and was often 30-50mph. After our first day of work we came back and one tent had the rain fly ripped off and another was about to sail away but had one stake left holding it down.


The Master Blaster in action

While we camped here the park service trail crew was still down at the bottom and because of liability we cannot work without one of them around to supervise. This meant we had to wait each morning for them to hike an hour up to our camp giving us an extra hour to sleep and also at the end of the day we got off an hour early allowing us time to explore the surrounding areas. As long as the weather wasn't terrible, which it often was during the 9 days we took advantage of all the extra time. Including going for a 60 min run, hiking up to a natural arch overlooking our camp, exploring side canyons, and taking an old miners trail up to our worksite. There was also a California Condor nest just above our camp so we were treated to daily sightings of them circling way overhead. Additionally camping higher up in the canyon afforded us new spectacular sunsets and sunrises each day and because we were not constricted by narrow canyon walls sleeping under the stars was spectacular.

another nice sunrise

hike to work via old miners route. We climbed up the hillside on the right then traversed left once we got to the base of the wall to the gully and came out in the notch

Mule carcass on the miners route. when they die they just roll them over the edge.

Our crew eating lunch in a cave during a rainstorm.

Natural arch above our camp.

on top of the arch

view of our camp from the arch. It's in the bottom left corner.

rainbow on the way down to camp

Our work this time consisted of doing more rip-rap stone construction as well as trail maintenance on the worst section of trail. A couple of days we had to stop early because of hazardous weather, including the last day when a snow storm forced us to stop at noon.

start of the snow storm which canceled our last day of work.

We will be going back tomorrow for another 9 day hitch and after that project we will be changing gears to a new location. While the details of this are unknown rumors are flying around that we will be going to work on the Pacific Crest Trail in southern California, east of Bakersfield.