Amazing people and places. San Diego on the horizon

Another 8 days in the canyon and it was a great success. We got some nasty weather midweek in the form of a snow storm. We are camped at under 4000ft so one can never be sure if it will snow or rain there. Luckily we got snow. I forgot how amazing the canyon is during a storm cycle. There are the tell tale winds the day before it hits that threaten to blow you and your tent over the edge of the canyon. The morning the storm arrives is an eery calm and an amazing sunrise as the first clouds move into the canyon.

Storm arriving

While often warmer than usual in the morning the temperature tends to fall during the day as the storms moves down the canyon. As the storm hits the clouds first rest on either rim and slowly climb down the canyon walls before hitting you. Before long you are enveloped in clouds and can no longer see down to the river or up to the rim. Snow starts to fall and blankets the canyon.

Storm settling down over camp

Then, there is nothing that compares to a clearing storm. When the sun first reappears the snow quickly melts and the canyon becomes alive with ever changing colors. Everything is more vibrant than before. Redder reds, greener greens, incredible sunsets and the birds always start to sing. Waterfalls emerge as the snow continues to melt and you wish you could see everything at once.
By the next day, it is a cloudless sky and most of the snow has melted from the lower elevations and southern faces.


Perhaps the only thing better than the weather was the people. In contention for one of the best crews I have had in my 14 months with ACE, I had blast with them everyday all day.

Staying warm afterwork by the heater


Full of energy and life they were a delight to be with and I will seriously miss them all and hope to visit them in their home countries in the years to come and reminisce about the stormy 8 days we spent together in the Grand Canyon.

Great people


After work I was wanting to run, but my calf still wouldn't let me. Instead I found a wonderful place with some very nice rocks with which to make some sort sculpture. After 3 days of work I had completed a 3 layer stone arch. I then removed one layer each day after that and now there is a large single arch standing there in the canyon until nature decides to remove it.

All 3 layers intact

Bottom layer gone

A single arch remains, for how long?


I had been debating all week on what to do with my 6 days off. Ski trip to the north rim? Backpacking trip on the south rim? Mountain biking in Sedona? Go to San Diego to volunteer with the project down there? Or just enjoy time with friends in Flag? In the end my decision was made for me when I returned. My boss called me into his office and asked if I would like to go down to San Diego this weekend to take over the project going on down there. While I love the canyon, the chance to lead ACE's biggest rockwork project ever was an opportunity I could not pass up. So I get my rental car tomorrow and drive down there for 4 days of rockwork. I will then be back to Flag for 6 days before returning to San Diego for 3 weeks more. They are behind schedule and have to finish by April so it should be a fun challenge to get back on track.

That's all for now. I have much to do to prepare for the project.