I am holed up in a coffee shop today after we just had a meeting this morning to go over important info for the coming project, payroll stuff, future projects, insurance and other logistical info. The snow started coming down just as our meeting began and it isn't supposed to stop until Saturday or Sunday which pleases me greatly. I just bought new backcountry telemark touring skis and boots and am stoked to get out there in some badly needed snow. This storm means we may not be able to make it to our scheduled project at the Grand Canyon as the roads will probably be closed and the trail would be far to dangerous to get down to our worksite. So we may do some classroom training here in Flagstaff, which is fine by me as this means I will get to learn how to telemark ski in powder rather than hardpack cause I am sure I will be taking some spills. The downside to staying in Flagstaff is that I do not get free food for 8 days. So the ideal situation is that the storm is not so bad that we can drive to the Grand Canyon and stay on the Rim and shovel snow. That way I can take my skis still, get free food, and go back to the canyon. However because of today's national holiday, and tomorrow is a holiday for the Canyon, we won't really know until Wednesday morning.
I went for a 60 min run Saturday and found some sick cave-like bouldering spots just a few miles from our house that are sheltered from snow meaning we can climb there year round. Saturday night we went out to watch a live band, Run Run Run (indie rock band from L.A.) at the Monte Vista Lounge. The opening band was terrible, but Run Run Run was pretty awesome. Even better was we befriended an older couple who is good friends with the owner of the lounge which earned us free drinks(Jager shots, Belvedere Vodka martinis) all night and an invite to the older couples' mountain lodge 30 miles north of Flagstaff. I may even be able to get Life on Mars a gig there this spring should they be interested in making the trip down here.
So yeah, that's the rundown. I'll post again once I actually know the plan for the next project. I hope everyone enjoys the nice weather as much as I will!
I apologize for the length, but as you can imagine 8 days in the Grand Canyon gives you some material to write about. The first half of this essentially the first day, while the next half is a rundown of a typical day. To go into great detail about each day (which I could easily do) would be far too tedious for the reader I am sure. I have/will post a picture album with captions for even more detail. pictures here
After a hectic first couple days in Flagstaff we finally left early Wednesday, January 6th for the Grand Canyon, albeit with a few hiccups in the process. We were up at 5am packing and eating and getting ready for the 6am pickup and departure time. Van didn’t show until 6:25. Even after packing up all the stuff the supervisor (who had driven from San Diego late the previous night) had forgotten some essentials at the office so we stopped to pick them up. We also forgot to hook up the trailer lights so we stopped to do that a few minutes later. Then we got a call that we were missing a person (one of the assistant supervisors), but luckily he would be driven on his own and we wouldn’t need to do a u-turn and lose another hour.
Our van pulled into the South Kaibab Trailhead after the 90min drive at which point we unloaded our gear and took our food to the mules who would be packing it down for us. I had been planning on filling up my water bottles at the top of the trail only to find the water shut off because the pipes were frozen which left me with 1.5 liters for the 8 mile hike down to camp. Not ideal. Then when it’s time to hit the trail we realize when we packed our food on the mules we forgot to leave out lunch for that day which meant no food of substance besides a handful for granola bars. Luckily I bought my own supply of trail mix the day before so I was better off than most.
After a short stretch session, which I was to soon learn would be a common occurrence, we finally got on the trail around 10:40; a good deal later than planned. Luckily the weather was nice and we headed down the icy trail. The first couple miles had plenty of snow and ice so we used small crampons to keep from slipping off the edge. Then the trail turned to mud for about a mile where the snow was melting, which was just annoying, but finally the trail dried out close to the halfway point and all was well.
For the majority of us this was the first time we had been to the Grand Canyon so we took our time and enjoyed the views, which of course were superb. After eating lunch at Mormon Flat (many of the features in the Canyon have religious names) we headed deeper into the canyon. About 2 miles from the bottom (around 2:20) we came around a bend to find a woman in serious pain lying on her back in the middle of the trail. It didn’t take long for me to realize what the issue was as her right foot was bent way too far around to the outside in a very unnatural way indicating a broken foot/ankle. Her 3 companions and even she was oblivious to the severity of her predicament. We had passed an emergency phone about 30 min prior so I volunteered to run up and call it in as there was no way she was making it down the last 2 miles. After racing up the trail for about 10 min I came upon a member of the park service trail crew who had a radio; saving me the extra distance to the phone. We hustled back down to the woman and after some debate on the radio they called in for a helicopter. The majority of our group headed down to camp while 4 of us stayed behind to assist. I went down to a small plateau 1/3 mile down the trail to make sure a landing area was clear and keep other hikers away. After what seemed like an eternity (the helicopter flew by numerous times) it landed and the others carried her down on stretcher with bike wheel on the bottom, loaded her up and it flew off. We would later find out the woman had broke her ankle/foot in 3 places.
A quick aside. While they were bringing her down I chatted with the pilot who told me he had just the day before picked up a body out of the canyon (he also proceeded to tell me about all the other dead people he has picked up. He talked about it as if it was like brushing his teeth). On the last day when we got to the rim we found out that the dead body he picked up was from a guy who committed suicide off a cliff called The Abyss (3000 ft straight down).
So, the 4 of us finally made it to camp around 5pm which meant we had gone since 6am with little more than a granola bar and some trail mix and not enough water. We were ready for dinner. We had frittatas which were in no way filling enough so I went to bed with a half full stomach and my alarm set for 5:45 the next morning.
From here on out each day was much like this one with slight changes in menu and work assignments so I will just give a brief run down of a typical day for me. Wake up at 5:45. Stayed in sleeping bag until 6. Put in contacts. Make lunch (which I would learn to do the night before so I could stay in sleeping bag longer). Eat breakfast (often cold cereal and bagel, but if lucky and water boiled quick enough some hot or at least warm oatmeal). Pack bag for the day. Clean up breakfast dishes and head up to the National Park Service(NPS) Trail Crew cabin. We were there by 7 at which point the NPS crew would join us at the makeshift volleyball quart along with the CREC crew (similar to us) and commence our stretching circle. Of course I thought this was quite silly as we were all cold (it was around 40 degrees usually) and just woke up, but it’s part of the pay day so I was down. We would go around the circle and each person had to come up with a stretch. With around 30+ people this took a while and often made for some creative stretches. After stretching the NPS crew leader would go over the plan for the day and hand out the work assignments. On the first day we found out the CREC crew would be working on vegetation control on the North Kaibab so we wouldn’t see them really. Our crew was to be split with the majority working on the lower South Kaibab near camp while 3-5 would go up daily with the NPS crew to work higher up on the S. Kaibab. I was willing to get paid to hike so I volunteered to go up and work with the NPS crew around a section of trail called the Red and Whites which is a steep section of switch backs about halfway up the canyon where there are red and white rocks if you can believe it. So after out work assignments we all departed for our project sites filling up our water bottles or bladders as we left. To get to the Red and Whites takes about 60-65 min from camp if you are moving, or taking your time 70-75 min. I tried to go quick everyday so I could have a longer break while I waited for people. After a 10 min break and quick safety talk the work assignments were further divided up.
One day I did cyclic maintenance (clearing fist size rocks or larger from the trail like the one the lady broke her ankle on, cleaning out/constructing water bars, making check dams, filling in erosion ditches and hammering in rebar).
A couple days I ran up and down steep talus slopes gather large stones for rip-rap that the NPS masons were doing. Rip-rap is essential heavy duty cobble stones on steep slopes that can take the pounding of the mules and resist erosion better.
One day I worked even further up using a rock crusher that the park had recently purchased for $10,000 and flown in via helicopter. Most on the trail crew were skeptical about it as its use is limited to flat areas and there are very few of those on the trail. It is also very temperamental, requiring constant attention. Full service is required on it after each 10 hours. So about every 2 days.
The work day consists of a two 15min breaks (not including the break after the hike) and a 30 min lunch break.Lunch breaks were awesome as it gave you a chance to chat with the NPS guys who had been all over the world and had a wealth of knowledge while enjoying the beautiful scenery. We would end work each day at a time that would allow us to hike back down to camp by and not before 4:30 (when the work day ended). It was not a bad way to close out each day by hiking down the canyon for an hour watching the sun set, although the legs do take a toll from the 2500 feet elevation drop.
Once the sun goes down the temperature drops very fast and the lower work site by camp usually didn’t get any sun which made that work site quite cold. The section of the red and white was always in the sun meaning you could work in a t-shirt if there were no clouds even if it was 40 degrees up there. But once the wind kicked up (and it often would) you could get cold very quick. Overall it was quite a challenge managing your body temperature. One minute you could be overheated and dripping sweat and the next a cold wind would rip through you turning your sweat to ice water. We got no rain the whole time, even though I could see thunderheads looming on the canyon rim at times.
After the first dinner I never went to bed hungry again as the food was good for the most part (the last night was a tuna stir fry which I had to cook. I used 3 onions, and tons of teriyaki sauce to mask the taste, but it was still not very enjoyable. I did eat a lot though). We would be done with dinner usually by 6 and I would find my way to my tent shortly thereafter ensuring a good rest.
So yeah, each day pretty much followed the same pattern. The 8 days quickly came to a close and it was cool to see how well everyone got along and how quickly you got to know people being forced to camp and work at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with them for 8 days. The last night we played a volleyball game with the NPS crew with the aid of headlamps.
We took a different trail on the way up for a change of scenery. I enjoyed this very much as I had gotten to know the S. Kaibab very well over the 8 days. We took the BrightAngelTrail which is longer and many assumed less steep, but not really. It was actually the idea of Sabine(German girl who just became legal(citizen that is)) who convinced everyone it was easier although she new otherwise. She just likes to hike. The first two miles actually just meander down the river meaning we have to climb up even higher on the way out. It is much more shaded too which meant the last 4 miles which are the steepest were also very snowy and icy.
But still as we had no people with broken ankles to rescue it took less time than on the way down. Overall, the trip was a huge success. Each day hikers would stop to talk with us and thank us for what we were doing, which made our job that much easier. After 4 months in the restaurant business this was a welcome relief and I look forward to our next trip. For now I am going to enjoy the falling snow and some good food.
Just like the few days leading to a race are the worst; I have been having the same feelings leading up to tomorrow's 6am departure for the Grand Canyon. I just want it to get here already.
Got up early and went for a 40 min run before our 10am meeting to go over final details. Went around Flagstaff this afternoon to take care of final details like buying a 3 litre camel back bladder, another nalgene. Being able to carry large amounts of water is far more important here than in the Sierra's as there are very few perennial streams meaning you need to carry a days amount of water, which for us is 10 hrs from when we leave camp at 7am to when we get back at 5pm. Luckily in winter we don't need to carry as much water but still 5-6 litres per day. Good news, we have to take in very little besides our clothes and tent as we will have mules which are provided by the park service to carry in our food and tools to our base camp which for us is near Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon.
Signing off for now. Stay tuned for my next blog post in 9 or so days.
Today was the first official day of the program. But I will rewind to yesterday afternoon:
After I posted yesterday's blog I walked around Flagstaff for 5 hours and saw most of the city. It is nice. Since it is sunny the 40 degree weather feels like 60 and a long sleeve shirt is all that is necessary. However, as soon as the sun goes over the ridge it gets nice and cold! I made it home around 5, ate left over pizza and then went with Alison, Ian (an ACE employee), and Sean (another ACE employee) to watch Avatar in 3-d. Movie started at 7:10, we left the apartment at 6:30 to walk there (we walk everywhere). We arrived at 7:12 and the movie was sold out. So we watched Sherlock Holmes instead. I had already seen it but didn't want to waste a 40 minute walk. And the regular price is only $6 as opposed to $9.75 in Davis. The movie was still good, and I felt as smart as Sherlock by being able to see the clues as well as he does. So i highly recommend seeing it twice if you have the desire to feel like an expert detective. Walked back to the apartment and went to bed as we had an early next morning.
Today: Was up and out of the house at 7:30 for the 20 min walk to the ACE office. Arrived and met the executive director and ACE founder Chris (former D.1 runner 5k/10k) and John the training director who is a serious mountain man. We spent the first hour digging out the 15 person van (which made a great impromptu team building exercise) so we could drive back to our apartment as the office is too small for all of us to sit comfortably. It would have been nice if we had known this so we could have avoided the walk...but oh well. From 9:30 til 4pm we filled out paper work, went over rules and regulations, did some training stuff and ate free pizza. Also got a history of ACE and how Chris came to found it and how it works which was fascinating although far too much to summarize now(another time?). We also had a power point focusing on safety while working and the environment. Apparently if the weather is over 120 degrees we will cancel working. That is good to know. And if it is over 90 degrees we will take more breaks. Awesome. So, when I thought I was coming to Flagstaff and it wouldn't be hot I forgot we would be driving to jobs thousands of feet lower where it is sometimes hell. Luckily that's not for a few more months.
Finally we found out that we will be leaving for our first project Wednesday which will be in the Grand Canyon. The details of this project are somewhat vague still, but it sounds like we will be hiking 10 miles to the bottom where it is a nice 60-70 degrees and doing trail work and training. Of course I will be able to tell you more of what this means after I return, but I am nonetheless ready to get out there as are the rest of my fellow companions. Other good news, we return the next Wednesday afternoon. Which of course means: The Green Room special. Also when we return, there will be 40-50 ACE volunteers arriving and most are internationals and from what I have heard they are always a fun addition to Flagstaff life.
I have arrived. Apparently our pilot took some shortcuts and made great time to Phoenix allowing me to make my connection to Flagstaff. After a short 40 minute flight north in a small De Havilland 8 (see picture) I arrived in Flagstaff a few minutes after 5. The airport is extremely small and the terminal almost has a log cabin resort type feel to it. I met someone named Adam who looked like he could be one of the other interns. So I asked him and he informed me that he wasn't, but knew all the ACE staff as he was a full time Grand Canyon trail worker for the park service and often worked with ACE. We chatted a bit about Flagstaff and the weather and he informed me there was a bar in town called The Green Room that has 25 cent drinks on Wednesdays. I thanked him for the info and we went our separate ways but I'm sure I'll see him again.
Roommates: My new roommate Casey picked me up in his big chevy truck which had been his home for the past year as he traveled around doing odd jobs in the south west and most recently in New Mexico. He is extremely friendly and it sounds like he has a ton of trail work experience. Once back at the apartment I met David. His brother was a runner for Stanford named Chris Emme. I instantly recalled his name and new he was also a 5k/10k runner. We chatted about running for a while before I ordered a pizza from papa johns. Shortly thereafter another roommate came back from shopping. Her name is Alison. She is from Boston so the cold weather is nothing new to her. She just finished a year long americorp position in the Portland area, but is a relative newbie to backpacking and trail work as she purchased all of her equipment Saturday.
Going Out: We all chatted for a while and thought about going to see Avatar in 3-d but decided to wait as we didn't want to watch a 2hr 40min movie which started at 10:45. Instead Alison and I made the 1+ mile walk to downtown to checkout the bar scene (where Casey had already ventured). We stopped at the first bar we came to. A cool place called Mia's. It had a number of pool tables, a ping pong table and large selection of beers. The final selling point for Mia's was the fact that they allowed dogs in the bar. There were probably 10 dogs roaming freely through the bar and would stop at each table for attention. Another intern arrived right as we left for the bar and he met us there. His name is Jeff and drove down from Chicago (24hr drive, ouch). He plays the guitar and also bought all his equipment a few days prior. The three of us sat at the bar and had a few beers each ($3 Pin Stripe red ale specials). Besides the really annoying man who was making loud noises and reminded me of Ray Liotta's character in Hannibal who ate his own brain, all the customers were very friendly and eager to talk and meet others. We then made friends with the bartender Sarah. She came over to our table and gave us her number and said she would let us know if anything was going on in the future. Apparently she is also a bartender at The Green Room(the place Adam told me about) and informed us the 25 cent beers are actually Sierra Nevada. That sealed the deal. We will be seeing her there on Wednesday night. After making the walk home I proceeded to lock my self in the bathroom. It took me about 10min to get out but we will have to fix that.
It is Sunday afternoon now and I am sitting in a diner downtown eating "The Hungry Man Special": see picture. I need to do some shopping today, maybe go for a run, but most of all explore Flagstaff. In less than 24 hours though I can say Flagstaff is awesome. The people are friendly and laid back. Beautiful scenery. Snow on the ground. Tasty food. That's all for now.
Made it to the airport thanks to a ride from Becky. I must also thank Becky for the amazing surprise party she organized for me and I had zero clue about...
...So now as I wait for the plane which is delayed 30-40 minutes they have just informed us that to speed the process of boarding up we are now encouraged to check our carry-on bags at the gate rather than waist time finding a spot in the overhead compartments. Well I thought that was an awfully nice gesture and even nicer is that they assured us they won't even charge the $25 checked bag fee. So perhaps I will do that as I would love to speed the process of boarding up as my 50 min layover in Phoenix appears to be rapidly diminishing to a 10 minute sprint across the terminal. Hopefully the next entry will be from Flagstaff, rather than Phoenix where I will have to spend the night should I miss my connection.
I have now packed everything I need and will be flying out of Sacramento around noon to Flagstaff with a brief layover in Phoenix. One of my fellow interns will be picking me up at 5 from the airport, saving me a taxi trip. To the right you will see what I have condensed my life to. I will also be sending a box with some clothes for when the snow melts but these three bags hopefully contain anything I absolutely need. ACE will be providing all of the equipment needed like tens, tools, stoves, etc. I was initially planning on renting a car so I could bring more things, but that would be more expensive, more time consuming and less fun so I opted to go the minimalist route which has been beneficial for many Davis thrift-stores as well as friends who will be inheriting much of my things.
I must thank Tim and Jessica Helms for allowing me to stay at their house the last couple months as well as the Notre Dame house who graciously let me stay on their couch after I graduated and my lease ran out. I will miss Davis, but am excited for the new and ever changing horizons ahead.
My next entry should be from Flagstaff assuming all goes well in my travels tomorrow.
