Adventures
Moosonee or Bust ~ Friday July 2, 2010
TRAVELLED/ ESTIMATE: 9 km/ 25 km TOTALS: 64 km/ 151 km
Woke up to a thunderstorm and heavy down pours …just great. NOT going to make miles today.
The rain ended just before noon, so we packed up. We wanted to complete the Long Rapids portage – 2.8 km, by the end of the day. Plus, there were two short portages before Long Rapids – it was going to be a long, hard day.
NOTE: We did each portage five times. 1) with your personal gear, 2) go back empty, 3) with the Group gear, 4) go back empty, 5) with the canoes.
The four young guys next door were on the water before us …how surprising. Once in the canoes, we headed up stream. Todd wanted to check-out the Thunderhouse canyon from water level. It was awe striking. Normally, there would have been ten to twelve more feet of water in the canyon (and at times thirty or forty more feet of water), but we would have missed all the exposed rock formations. It was beautiful …and dangerous. We had little or no control in the currents, so after being tossed into a couple of rocks the size of Vanna, Dave and I left. Todd got some pictures, then he and Carl left.
Sunny, bright day with a light breeze from the north. It was a perfect day to be walking the canoes over the rocks in the dry swifts. We got lots of practice.
Since we got such a late start, and we were generally lazy, we decided to skip the first portage and run the rapids. Besides, the “young guys” would have run the rapids. It was a time saving decision. Due to the low water conditions, the first rapids were reduced to a swift and very manageable.
With this new “Time Saving procedure” and inspired by the “Young Guy method”, we decided to run the Stone Rapids. Just think of all the time we were going to save by not doing the 700 meter portage. The first part of the Stone Rapids was just a dry swift, but we managed to scrape through without leaving the canoes, then …HOLY SHIT !! The second part was a full fledged, raging rapid !! Todd and Carl disappeared out of sight in seconds. They shot the rapids like a bullit. I figured they must have been half way to Moosonee. Dave did not want to shoot the rapids. I said come on it looked like fun. Dave said no …he invoked the “Granny Claus”. I still wanted to go, but Dave was my partner, so we headed for the left bank …the River had other ideas. We fought the raging current, bounced off a few rocks, but we finally got the canoe to the left bank facing the wrong way. Out of the canoe, trying to wrestle the canoe out of the grip of the current, so we could go see how many light years Todd and Carl were ahead of us. Just then Todd came running over the rocks “Don’t go down the Rapids, don’t go down the Rapids !!”
Apparently, just out of our sight, was a two foot waterfall which emptied into a pool of water where Todd and Carl buried their canoe. The pool of water probably saved Todd’s and Carl’s lives, because beyond the pool was a six or eight foot waterfall that crashed into three huge boulders. NO soft landing …just death and injury.
The official Portage was on the right side of the River. We were on the left side and a raging river in between. We were going to have to make our own portage. I WILL NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT A GOVERNMENT BUILT PORTAGE AGAIN IN MY LIFE. Climbing up rock faces with gear strapped to your back, down rock faces, through mini ponds, dropping down into holes just to have crawl up the other side, dropping canoes and gear down a crack just big enough for two canoes so we could get back to the water …SHIT !! I was exhausted. Plus, this time saving move cost us about four hours … DOUBLE SHIT !!
Back on the water. Back into boulder fields. Back looking for water.
Finally at Hell’s Gate. Two huge rock pillars where the River runs between, Long Rapids begin, and so did the long, wet, muddy, swampy portage - NOT that I am complaining. 2.5 km to the worst and only Campsite. 2.5 km with my personal gear, then back empty. When I got back to the River, I was done. I had nothing left. Lying on the River bank, I asked Todd and Dave to leave me a box of matches and just leave me there. They laughed and took all the matches.
Thank god Dave took a Gear bag. It was my turn(s) to carry a Gear bag, but I could not do it. I barely made it back with a Food barrel and whatever gear I could hold in my hands. Zero energy. Only will and stubbornness got me back to the Campsite. I died. I was ill with exhaustion. I could not even swallow water. Dave and I had requested potatoes and bacon for supper back on the River, so Todd made potatoes and bacon. I was too ill to eat, but after requesting the meal I decided I should try. I could not chew my instant mashed potatoes. I think I swallowed the bacon strips whole. But after a couple of hours, my energy returned and I was enjoying my night around the camp fire until the mosquitoes chased us into the Tents.
I slept well that night.
Dad
Read MoreMoosonee or Bust ~ Thursday July 1, 2010
TRAVELLED/ ESTIMATE: 10 km/ 24 km TOTALS: 55 km/ 126 km
Woke up to a clear, sunny day – wow !! There was a light breeze from the north, but nothing like the northerly gales we have been experiencing. TODAY we make miles.
The usual Boulder fields. The usual picking our way through …looking for water. The usual dragging the canoes over the rocks from time to time, but still we were doing good.
We came across the Warning sign for the Thunderhouse Falls portage and eventually the Portage itself. The Portage was a little rough, but doable. So, we carried our personal gear to the Primary campsite. Dave read to us from the Portage Guest book while we waited for Carl to catch up. {People said there was great fishing ?? – we had no water in which to fish. People had been there in January – ARE THEY CRAZY !!} We checked out the Campsite – it was BEAUTIFUL !! It was like someone’s garden. Benches around the camp fire. Stone tables. Wow !! This was the best Provincial Park campsite I had ever seen in my life.
We checked out the Thunderhouse Falls – it was BEAUTIFUL !! A series of three falls through a narrow, twisting canyon. Just gorgeous. We decided to stay. Apparently, this was Todd’s plan all along. Dave and I had thought that we would only stay at the Falls for lunch, then move on, but it was just too beautiful not to stay and enjoy it. A 10 km day – 8 in the water plus 2 by portage.
Set up camp and the Clothes line – most of the Laundry actually got dry. I finally had a DRY sleeping bag !! We explored. Todd took videos. And we eventually moved over the canoes.
Early evening four young men, early 20′s, came through. The first people we had seen in five days. They had canoed almost to the Falls, broke through the bush, then took the Portage to the next Campsite (there were three Sites). They had knocked 1.5 km off the Portage – that took balls !!
Later that evening, a couple from Atlkokan dropped by the Site – more people !! They were full of information – some of it useful. They were inheriting the local trap line from Fred who is 79, so for the past eleven years they have been coming here to maintain the area. They were responsible for our beautiful Campsite. They had only seen the water this low once before, gave us insight into the rest of the River, and an early out – Moose River Crossing. THERE IS NO WAY, we are going to take an early out !!
A clear, a little busy, slightly crowded night. Looking forward to a dry sleeping bag.
Dad
Read MoreMoosonee or Bust ~ Wednesday June 30, 2010
TRAVELLED/ ESTIMATE: 22.5 km/ 24 km TOTALS: 45 km/ 102 km
Woke up to non-rain. Yes, actual sunshine. Maybe today we will make some miles.
We were packed up and about to load the canoes, I went back to the Campsite to do the final walk-around and to pick up any odds and ends. There sitting on his unfolded sleeping bag was Carl, surrounded by all his belongings, picking his toes or something …only in Carl world. We were ready to get on the River and here is Carl picking his toes NOT packed !! FUCK !! I found out that Todd was frustrated by Carl too.
Mixture of sun and cloud, and cool, but the main factor was the wind. The wind was very strong and from the north. So strong that at one point waves were coming in the boat. Plus, the canoes are keel-less and easily turned by the wind. It was going to be a work-out and an interesting day. Also, my first day as a pirate.
Boulder fields were the theme of the day. Another day of searching for water. Dave and I agreed to play it safe – the Granny method for running the swifts. We walked any chute that looked like trouble. It worked. We spent most of the day in the canoe on top of the water rather than under it. Also, a huge sand bar that we dragged the canoes over. In all, a safe and productive day.
We found a giant Campsite that seemed unfinished. Felled trees everywhere, and dry. It was like a forest fire waiting to happen. We were careful with the camp fire that night.
A clear, cool night.
Dad
Read MoreMoosonee or Bust ~ Tuesday June 29, 2010
TRAVELLED/ ESTIMATE: 0 km/ 25 km TOTALS: 22.5 km/ 78 km
Rain. We woke up to rain. What ever happened to our clear, starry sky ??
Todd let us sleep in. Really, what was there to get up for ? Rain ? Cold, dreary rain. There was vertical rain. Horizontal rain. Diagonal rain. Rain in waves. Rain in sheets. Huge down pours. Little mists. It even stopped raining for short periods, then it would start up again. There was thunder, but we saw no lightning. Just cold, wet, wetter, wettest rain.
We moved the clothes line next to the fire. A lot of the clothing had been semi-dry, but no more. Dave spent most of his day cooking clothes over the fire making them dry …drier.
Dave had spit his pants. Too much muscle ? Todd spent a good portion of his day sewing up Dave’s pants. After seeing Todd’s sewing job, I was looking forward to cutting myself, so Todd could sew me up.
Carl spent his day in Dave’s tent.
I gathered firewood. We had gotten most of the dry wood the day before, so a lot of what I got was marginal.
Afternoon naps all around. I slept well despite my sleeping bag being even wetter than before.
A cool, but drier evening.
What a wasted day,
Dad
Read MoreMoosonee or Bust ~ Monday June 28, 2010
TRAVELLED/ ESTIMATE: 4.5 km/ 24 km TOTALS: 22.5 km/ 53 km
The rain had stopped sometime during the night, but the trees were still dripping. It was a cool morning, I could see my breath when I stepped out of the Tent, and my semi-wet sleeping was no incentive to stay inside.
Todd was up first. He had made a fire, coffee, and oatmeal/ porridge for breakfast. I had not had porridge since I was a child – I quite enjoyed it.
It was a semi-clear day and the north wind was cold. A good day to make miles …or 4.5 km.
There were eight swifts divided into two sections. Dave and I dumped the canoe three times. The second time being the worse. When I bobbed back up to surface, I was greeted with a canoe in the face. I lost my hat at this point. Dave was clinging to the canoe and being pulled left. I too was at the mercy of the currents, but travelling right. I tried to stop. I put my feet down – they just bounced off the rocks. I kept going. I tried to grab different rocks with my hands – I was not strong enough to hold on. I got a “road rash” from my right elbow to the palm of my right hand …in a river ? The knuckles on both my hands were bloodied. I was being dragged, out of control, until the river got bored and dumped me in a pool. The canoe had gotten wedged against some rocks and Dave was still hanging on. I swam over to Dave. Todd too was in the water and coming to the rescue as always.
As we unloaded the canoe, the water was surging and boiling all around us. We lost a few things – Dave’s paddle (rescued by Carl), my bag of ropes, but worst of all Dave’s tent !! It was going to be a very crowded and interesting two weeks without Dave’s tent.
The three of us were about to wrestle the water filled canoe through a huge water chute to shallower water when I yelled over the roar of the rapids ” Whatever you do …don’t scratch the canoe !!” We all burst out laughing. Canoe humour.
We got the canoe to shallow water, when Dave saw it. Todd and I could not see it, but Dave did. It was his Tent. Teetering on the lip of a rock about to be swept away by the current on either side of the rock was Dave’s Tent. The Tent should have been far away. The Tent should have sank. But the Tent waited for Dave, and only Dave, to rescue it. It was a miracle !!
We eventually found my long, heavy duty rope which became our primary clothes line and an important part of our camping family, but the other ropes, my hat, and whatever else we lost were gone.
We stopped for lunch at the Campsite on the Brown Rapids portage. We thought about staying the night and maybe a chance to dry out, but the north wind seemed to be funnelled through the Site. We could not stay here. Both Todd and I were cold. Despite the warmth of the River water, we had been wet too long and lost too much body heat.
We reached the next portage around the Kettle Rapids in less than an hour, and the Campsite was suitable. Between the ongoing wind and part time sun, we began to dry out and warm up.
It was a cool, clear, starry night. We even watched the Moon rise. Good, the weather was finally cooperating.
Dad
Read MoreMoosonee or Bust ~ Sunday June 27, 2010
TRAVELLED/ESTIMATE: 12 km/ 24 km TOTALS: 17 km/ 29 km
Cool but dry morning. We were going to make miles – Dave and I making ours in the water.
Todd and Carl became canoe partners for nine days, meaning Dave and I were together in the other canoe.
Despite the low water issues, the water was down at least a foot, the scenery was beautiful and the River water warm. Boulder fields were ever present, the Swifts dry, and the Rapids less than rapid, add to that a strong north wind in our faces, we had to work for every foot of River.
Despite the low water flow, Dave and I lost control in the Rapids and dumped the canoe – twice. As soon as Todd noticed us in the water, he jumped ship and joined us. Once the canoe is wedged against the rocks, you need to empty the canoe of its load on to dry ground, then wrestle the water filled canoe to shallow water where it can be emptied. Reload the canoe and back on the water.
We only lost one bag that day, though it took us several days to figure out what we lost – it was the Garbage …oh well.
Wet – we stopped early in an effort to dry out. Dave spotted a former Park campsite and we took it. The River had washed away the approach to the Site, so you had to climb the Bank to get to the Site. Being the tallest, I stood at the bottom of the Bank to past up the gear, I asked Carl to stand at the top and I would past the gear up to him. I grabbed the first bag turned and Carl was gone – Carl was looking at the trees, his fingers, or maybe his toes …whatever Carl does when he is in Carl land. I was NOT impressed.
It started to rain – perfect. We got the Tarp up, then the wet Tents under the Tarp, clothes lines, and us. Not much drying that night. Dave and I discovered that cameras do not like being underwater and you cannot depend on Zip Lok bags. (I had to pour the water out of my battery compartment.) Though my MP3 player worked great.
So the wetness begins,
Dad
Read MoreMoosonee or Bust ~ Saturday June 26, 2010
TRAVELLED/ESTIMATE: 4.9 km/ 4.9 km TOTALS: 4.9 km/ 4.9 km
Even though I was up before 06:00. Even though I had packed the night before. Even though I let most of my personal hygiene slide, I was running late.
To make things worse, I could not find the Garbage. I had smartly collected all the Garbage into one bag, not wanting to return to rotting garbage, but I could not find it in the apartment or outside. SHIT !! Finally, I gave up and just left.
07:13 – I was running thirteen minutes late. Got to Todd’s after 07:30 – LATE !! Todd was a machine. All Todd’s personal equipment and the Groups’ bags by the Van in 17.3 seconds. (21.7 seconds if you include kissing wife Tammy good bye.) Found the Garbage packed in the Van.
Back on schedule and off to Dave’s. We would have been on time to Dave’s, but we drove past twice. Finally at Dave’s, we discovered Carl’s many little bundles and bags, and Dave was not quite ready. (They made me look good.)
Finally, on the road, a little late, but going. The trip to Cochrane was pretty uneventful. We ran over some black, mole-like animal the size of a rat on Hwy 64. We saw another one on Hwy 11, but managed not to kill it. We stopped for gas, Vanna was not used to hauling two canoes on her roof, four men, and a few hundred pounds of equipment – you could watch the Gas gauge drop. I could not get over the amount of farm land in New Liskeard – Wow !! Plus, Dave brought his lunch because his other lunch was at home on the Stove. (Another wife Tammy appreciated finding Dave’s lunch two weeks later.)
Finally in Cochrane and Terry “Johnny Bait”, our Outfitter, found us before we completed the phone call. Dropped Terry’s truck off at home and on to Mattice.
Terry a retired Beer Store worker – 35 years. Apparently,he still supports the Store. Terry did not like silence, so he filled in the silence with details of current River conditions and weather – VERY DRY, current events, and stories from forty plus years ago when he worked on building Hwy 11. We even got the “Johnny Bait” story.
Mattice, a village on Hwy 11 almost to Hearst. We drove to a park in town and the Missinaiba River. Unloaded the Van (Vanna said thank you), and loaded the canoes. Terry hung out waiting for us to get under way. Terry took our group picture, then we all waited for Carl to put on his diving boots. (Terry called them his Tinker Bell boots.)
In the water …with a little effort. The Water was low. Carl and I got stuck on the rocks in the first swift for a moment, but were soon on our way. (A little foreshadowing.) It was a warm, sunny afternoon and it took us over an hour to get to the first portage, Rock Island portage, and our first campsite.
The vacation has begun.
Dad
Read MoreHavasu Falls – Trip Round-up
Havasu 2010
When Sam returned from Arizona earlier this year and showed us pictures and videos of Havasu Falls we all got really excited about making this trip happen. Bone was definitely the driving factor and motivator. Brian was first man on board, and I was the man who need to see a bit of a plan before stepping up.
Here is a chronicle of how things shook out. In summary, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Day 1 – Kingman, AZ via Las Vegas
We all committed to this trip at different times so Sam ended up taking the morning flight, while Brian, Bone and I took a late afternoon flight. I realized on the way to the airport that I forgot to pack hiking shoes and a hat, probably the two most important things required for a hike in the desert.
On arrival in Las Vegas, the trio picked up a 2010 Ford Focus and were off to find Sammy. At first we were a bit irritated because he was nowhere near the airport, having stowed his bags at the Mirage for the day since he arrived in Vegas 8 hours earlier. We were in town for only an hour or so we decided to cruise The Strip and soak in the Vegasey goodness.
We picked up Sam at the Mirage. He was juiced, smelling of vodka and Jack Daniels had already played a lot of blackjack. He told us the stories of his first 8 hours including the usual Sam-in-Vegas karma philosophy that involves significantly over-tipping people. So far he was up already and karma was good going into the rest of the trip.
On the way out of Vegas we stopped at Dicks Sporting Goods for Hiking shoes and a hat. I added the Merrell Chameleon 3 Ventilator GORE-TEX shoes and the Columbia Omni Shade Bora Bora Booney fishing hat to my gear repertoire. I have to admit that these pieces were vastly superior to what I was planning to wear and both made this trip much more enjoyable.
We left Vegas at night and the ride to Kingman was really just a highway with dotted lines in the middle for scenery, but we did get a great night-time look at the Hoover Dam. We made a food stop in Boulder City at Jack In The Box for sliders for Brian, Bone and myself. We asked Sam if he was hungry but he just started talking to himself about a pallet of something needing to be delivered.
When we approached Kingman, Sam woke up and asked when we were getting food so we stopped at In-N-Out for some burgers and fries, animal style.
We stayed in two rooms at Motel 6 on Andy Devine in Kingman. This was really a great hotel, very clean and right on Route 66 between In-N-Out and the Basha’s grocery store we were hitting first thing in the morning.
By this time it was about midnight so we hit the hay.
Day 2 – Hualapai Hilltop
We got up at 5:30am, showered and out the door to get groceries. We had a loose plan of what food we needed, but we really made the final menu standing inside Basha’s. After getting back to hotel by 6:30am we got everything packed up and were able to get on the road by 7:00am.
We decided to stop for breakfast at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs before hitting Indian Road 18. Lucky we did because that was the laxt chance for food until Supai. Expectations were low going in, but it turns out that the make the BEST breakfast steak and eggs ever. I’m talking about a proper 8oz steak, grilled to perfection. Great service, and they really cater to hikers in that they prepare bag lunches for those making the trek to Supai.
Shortly we were on Indian Road 18 on the final stretch towards Hualapai Hilltop. We climbed up to over 5,000 feet of elevation through every type of weather possible.
It was very interesting to watch the helicopters take off and land. Apparently, a pair of choppers are brought in to transport people and supplies to Supai 4 days per week. We then parked and loaded up for the hike into Supai.
The hike in was through sun, rain, hail, but mostly overcast sky. Lunch on the trail was pre-made turkey sandwiches and trail snacks. We had no idea what we were getting in to, but fortunately for us, each of us had brought something that the others had not to make the trip go smoothly. Bone was in charge of tunes, Sam had the garbage bags that we could use to keep our gear dry in the rain and hail, and Brian and I had the food.
I should mention that we each took our own gear by backpack on the way down. Brian had the newest and most technical backpack so he took the most weight at just about 40lbs. I was next around 35lbs, then Sam around 30 lbs. None of us realized that Bone was carrying about 20lbs of sleeping bag, full queen size pillow, and full size towel until well into the trip.
We hit Supai in good time and paid $79 each for entry to the indian reservation and camping site fees for the two nights. The locals were very friendly and easy going. It turns out that Supai is the only place in the US that still receives its mail via donkey.
We got the final weather forecast and it looked like we were in the clear come morning, but had a wet night ahead of us.
On the way to camp we passed Navajo Falls and got our first look at Havasu Falls which at this time was, in our minds, what this trip was all about. We took a couple of pictures and proceeded down past the falls into the campgrounds. By this time our quads were burning from going downhill for 5+ hours and we just wanted to find a place to call home.
By the time we reached the far end of the campsite it was getting dark. brian pulled out his 200 lumens Surefire flashlight so we could see the trail and get an idea of what campsites were available. The campground was relatively empty so we took a site on high ground, near the trail.
We set up camp in the rain. By this point in the day we were all miserable and starting to grate on each other’s nerves. We were tired, we were hungry, we were wet, we were sore, and we had a lot of work to do before we could rest. There wasn’t even a single place to sit without getting soaked through to the bone.
Bone and I started to do tent set up, but Sam needed help with erecting a tarp. What he had purchased was clearly labeled “tarp”, but was not by any definition a tarp. It was a crappy, thin, hexagonal piece of plastic that ripped every time you touched it. I learned never to buy anything with the brand name “World Famous” ever again after trying to erect this piece of crap.
I gave up on Sam and left to setup the tent i had left getting soaked on the ground. Brian took my place on tarp detail. (What the hell is the point of a hexagonal tarp? This piece of shit wouldn’t even have been good enough for a groundsheet for a tent of exactly the same size)
Eventually, we got enough coverage with the non-tarp to be able to make dinner. Here is a picture of the masterpiece:
“PENDING”
At this point, Bone noticed that one of the other sites had a fire and suggested that we make our own fire to warm up a little. I pointed out that fires are banned in the campground at Havasu. He ignored me and started to collect firewood. One by one we all joined in on the search for firewood. It seemed like there had been quite a bit of damage to the trees around the area and it was very easy to find wood that, while soaked on the outside was really dry in the inside. Bone tried to start a fire but nothing was dry enough to start so he headed over to the other campsite and got another camper to bring us some coals to get us started.
The fire turned everything around. Despite the rain and cold, our moods lifted with a little warmth. We laughed about the shitty tarp, huddled around the fire and dried the bench of a nearby picnic table with our asses and warmed our feet. Brian broke out the 96% pure polish vodka that he had smuggled into his pack and, mixed with gatorade powder and the remaining water that we had, passed it around to the crew.
I made dinner of chicken fajitas while Bone made fresh guacamole. We wolfed down dinner and chilled out near the fire as the rain started to let up. The lesson learned by this point was that, when in doubt, fire, food, and polish vodka make everything better. We went to bed when the fire started to die down. It had to be well before 10:00pm which, for a bunch of guys from the EST zone, is pretty late.
Day 3 – Beaver Falls
My new sleeping bag definitely did the trick. The other guys were complaining about the -6 temperature over night but the Merlin -3C held up beautifully. Brian had the same bag as I did, but he couldn’t figure out how to zip it up so he froze most of the night.
Sam and Bone got a fire started before Brian and I got up, and they were reprimanded by one of the locals almost immediately about breaking the “no fires” rule. Sam and I cooked breakfast of omelet breakfast sandwiches on toasted English muffins, accompanied by fruit.
We packed up our day packs, including the tools and supplies for a hot lunch and got started towards Mooney Falls. I took the big pack while Bone and Sam took the hydration packs and Brian went pack free.
We didn’t realize it the night before because of the dark, but we were only 300 yards from the top of Mooney Falls.
The descent to the bottom of Mooney Falls was the most technical part of our trip so far. Vertical drop is 210 feet beginning with a few switchbacks, followed by a steep descent through caves and finishing with a rock climb aided by ladders and chains that are very slick at all times due to the mist coming off the waterfall.
We continued hiking to Beaver Falls. Trail became much more challenging the farther we went along, hence way fewer hikers.
I found a place where a small spring joins the main river over a small waterfall. I stripped down and had an impromptu shower. The water was amazing because the 19 degree heat of the sunny weather combined with the dark rock over which the spring ran made for a nice warm flow of water. I was able to walk right under the falls and into a 15 foot deep cave filled with the richest green vegetation. None of the other guys were up for a quick soak so I finished up and started to get dressed. Thats when I realized that one of my shoes had been knocked into the river by one of my buddies. The rescue mission was easy, but I was left with a soaker. I was lucky that Sam had brought along some water shoes and I had a spare pair of socks so I could continue in pseudo comfort.
Water crossing became a pain in the ass because we could either take off our hiking boots or find a tricky way to cross using rocks or leaning trees combined with leaps of faith. Eventually, we found a rope swing that was a great place for a break, but decided to push on to have lunch near Beaver Falls.
At this point, we were overtaken by another group of hikers who were planning to hike all the way to the Colorado River. We took the high road, while they took the low road, but eventually they had to come up to where we were as the only viable trail.
At Beaver Falls, there was another group of hikers who had hoped to go to Colorado River, but gave up when they couldn’t find the trail so they just stayed at Beaver Falls. Brian wasn’t ready to get wet so he actually jumped the waterfall at the point where it was it’s most powerful. I watched nervously, but couldn’t help but record the video of it … I debated: if he falls, how long do I keep recording before jumping in to help?
This was our chance to do some low cliff jumping into the river with some solid current. We all jumped, but Brian was the only one who went back for more. Brian was also the only one who could swim through the current without being pushed over the next waterfall. Everyone else left so we had this paradise to ourselves.
It started to rain, but there was a fairly large rock outcrop the we could stay dry under. We decided to make lunch so I set up to boil water to prepare our freeze-dried lunch of sweet and sour pork and kungfu chicken.
“PICTURE PENDING”
Bone suggested a fire and, once again, I said no, but he went ahead and did it anyway and it was the best idea ever! We dried off and ate lunch standing next to the fire, built in a natural fireplace. We shared the meals directly out of the bags and were thrilled with the food.
Once we were all warm and dry we disposed of the fire and started our hike home. We decided to take an alternate route home to keep things interesting. Brian had seen the “low route” while we were up top so we started back up the canyon close to the water’s edge. As long as we stayed between the canyon walls we couldn’t really get lost, we just had to remember that we needed ti head upstream.
Eventually, we came to a place where either we were going to need to get really wet, double back, or scale the rock face to climb up to the “high route”. While the other guys were debating, I took a chance at testing the rock face and was able to climb up with ease. It was about 15 feet of moderate climb, 5 feet of easy climb, and then 10 feet of very tricky climb. In retrospect, this was a pretty stupid thing to do so far away from any type of medical assistance, but we were all able to make the climb and continue our way along the high road. I really want to test my skill at proper rock climbing when I get a chance. The excitement was like nothing I had ever experienced. The hike back to Mooney Falls from that point was relatively easy in comparison.
At Mooney Falls, Brian and I got close enough to feel the temperature of the water and consider going in to get close to the falls. We went back to regroup with the other guys and consider our options. Sam said no way and I was with him. Bone was in, and since Bone was in, Brian was right behind him. Sam and I started up the ascent to the top of Mooney Falls and as I hit the first rung of the ladder Bone told me to stay down and take some pictures, so I stayed behind. The boys stripped down and made their way toward the falls. I got some great shots, but I immediately regretted not being part of the action. I got a few more shots with the camera and then stripped down myself and ran in to the action.
The conditions as you approached the centre of the waterfall were terrifying. We never actually made it to be directly under the falls. The closer we got the more it felt like a monsoon. I imagine this was like what it would feel like to be in the worst storm imaginable at sea. The force of the water splashing off the surface at us left red marks for an hour.
There were a few harrowing moments for me in the water. Brian lost his footing and I reached out to grab what I though was his hand and ended up almost drowning him as I held his foot in the air while he flailed in the current. At one point, I got caught in an undertow and, despite 4 or 5 hard strokes, I was trapped and almost got pulled in behind the waterfall.
We climbed up to join Sam and Bone at a lookout above the most technical climbing area to find that the day was still pretty young and that we had time to dry off before nightfall.
We had a quick snack of Hunts chocolate pudding to regain some energy while we discussed our next steps. We decided to have dinner at the base of Havasu Falls since we really hadn’t spent any time there during our trip. A quick stop for fresh spring water and we were on our way. We played around a bit and took some photos before settling in to make some dinner.
On the advice of a more experienced Multi-day backpacker from MEC, we brought along some extra noodles to supplement our freeze-dried dinner of vegetable lasagna and Italian Pasta with beef. The vegetable lasagna was a huge hit with a little added Parmesan and sliced salami. After having our fill and cleaning up the dishes, we made our way back to camp and pretty much hit the sack around 8:30pm.
Day 4 – Return to Vegas
Getting up and ready to be on the trail for 7:00am was impossible. We split up to fetch water and break camp while making a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee.
Even before we had arrived on our hike into the canyon we had decided that we would do our best to see if we could have our packs hauled out for us by horseback. Lucky for us, a gentleman by the name of Lawrence was happy to do just that for us. We met him at 7:00am and loaded up most of our gear onto the horses backs. We kept a day pack each with Brian taking the biggest load of the day.
We said goodbye to Havasu for this trip and started on the first leg of the hike towards Supai. The first 2 miles went quickly. The day was young, the temperature was perfect, and we had lots of water. In Supai, we hit the generic store and each grabbed gatorade and high calorie snacks. After making some quick Skype calls to let people know we were alive, we checked out with the office and started out of the canyon. The day reached it’s peak and we quickly realized that we were short on water.
After putting a few solid miles behind us we took a break and realized that we had been accompanied all the way from our camp by Casino, the camp dog that we had fed a few slices of salami to days earlier. We didn’t have any water to spare, but Casino was thrilled to share in our lunch if bagels and peanut butter. I was a little worried about Casino not having anything to drink in the now 26 degree heat, but he was way more savvy than the rest of us. He knew exactly where to jump up onto a cliff to find a puddle of sitting water leftover from the rain a day earlier.
We got close enough that we could see reflections off of some of the cars in the parking lot at the top of Hualapai Hilltop and we were reenergized to begin the trek up the switchbacks in the final mile. Nobody said anything about it, but it turned into a bit of a race to get to the top. We were all very close together and we were completely exhausted, but we pressed on to make the top. In the end Bone took a small lead up the trail on the final switchback so the rest of us used the rest of the energy we had left to scale the side of the canyon to compete. In the end it didn’t matter who was first, but the race was exhilarating.
At the top there was a sketchy trailer selling cold drinks. After being in the canyon heat and running out of water, we didn’t think twice about paying $7.50 for 3 bottles of ice cold tap water in plastic bottles. It was so refreshing! It actually hurt to drink it was so cold. Exactly what we needed.
We got on the road pretty quickly and made for A gas station on Route 66. After a quick stop for drinks we debated on where to stop for food, settling, once again, on In-N-Out burger. Next came the Hoover Dam where we saw a pickup truck pulled over and two guys arrested.
One final stop on the road was to try the famous KFC DoubleDown (see Meat is the new Bread), but we were only able to share two sandwiches between four of us.
Arriving in Vegas we ended up staying at the uber-inexpensive Motel6 across the street from the MGM Grand. I was starting on a downward spiral that would see me sick for the rest of the week with cold / flu and the complications that follow, but the other guys went out fast and furious.
Day 5 – Travel Day
I was awakened by Sammy when he hit home base at 4:30am followed by a phone call from Brian at 5:00am saying that he was a mess but that Bone was way worse and that he needed help. I talked him down and he promised to pack his stuff, then help Bone and meet us in the lobby for 5:30am. I got Sammy into the shower and made my way over to the other guys room to find Bone passed out, but completely packed and ready to go and Brian undressed, spooning Bone, with everything from his bags spread across the room. Somehow I got these guys organized and to the airport on time. The trickiest part was trying to get these guys to “lock it up” enough to be permitted to fly. Brian went with the stoic silent approach which worked great. Sammy is always able to keep it together when he needs to. Bone needed constant supervision. Even on the plane he told the story of this trip to a girl that he just met loud enough that most of the back half of the plane heard it. Lucky for us she found the whole thing endearing and Bone had made a new friend to sleep on.
Epilogue:
Sam asked me how far I thought we had travelled, counting the flights, the driving, the hiking, the climbing, and the return and I couldn’t even make an estimate on the spot so I went back later and did the calculations. It turns out that our round trip took us over 8,800 kilometers with almost 50km hiking down and back up almost 3,000 feet of elevation, excluding the trip from our homes to the airport here in Toronto and the miles of walking around the various airports and Las Vegas.
As we were hiking at one point we talked about how we could possibly explain this trip to someone in just a few sentences. I think Brian said it best when he came up with:
- “It was fucking awesome. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Havasu Falls
After months of talking about it, a crew of four of us are going on a hiking / camping trip in the Grand Canyon to see Havasu Falls. If nothing else, the planning process has revived my passion for the outdoors. I realize now that I haven’t been on a multi-day camping trip since my brother and I went into Algonquin Park about 5 years ago. It’s been so long that I had to think back to who I’ve lent my gear to over the years.
Here is our planned itinerary:
-
Day 1: Travel ~ The four of us meet in Vegas and drive part way to the Grand Canyon, stopping for diner in Kingman, AZ
Day 2: Hiking to Havasu Falls ~ Descending 2,400 ft over 10 Miles
Day 3: Bumming around the Falls ~ There are 4 waterfalls near the campgrounds
Day 4: Hiking back out and driving back to Vegas ~ Post trip celebration
Day 5: Travel ~ Back home
None of us are particularly hardcore hikers or campers so we’ve already had a lot of fun with the organization and trip preparation. We even went to watch the Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk film at the Science Centre to get an idea of what we are in for. The final frame of the film was a fade out of Havasu Falls!
We are pretty well set for gear at this point. Hiking shoes, tents, sleeping bags are all handles … just a few more little details to iron out and we’re on our way.
I thought I would run down my gear to give you an idea of what’s in my pack:
Backpack: Northern Escape 70L
This is a solid backpack that has been on a lot of hikes over the years. I have no idea where I bought it, but it has multiple compartments on the inside to separate your food from gear and it has loads of straps on the outside to secure things like sleeping bags or tents. At 70L, It’s way bigger than I need for this trip but it’s so comfortable I will just waste the space.
Hydration System: Camelbak MULE
Leftover from my more serious mountain biking days I have this MULE that holds over 2 litres of water. The pic below is the newest model so mine has a slightly different look, but it works great and can easily be work on front when the big pack is on my back.
Camp Stove: MSR Superfly
The MSR Superfly is able to boil a litre of water in 3 minutes. For our purposes, this little beast is perfect.
Sleeping Bag: MEC Merlin -3C
I am stoked about this sleeping bag. It is spec’d to be comfortable to -3C so the 6 degree nights ahead should be a breeze. It weighs in at just over a pound and compresses down to the size of a large grapefruit.
Compression: Outdoor Research Airpurge DryComp 10L
This sack gets my sleeping bag to a tiny size and also allows me to pack my clothes nice and small. The nice added bonus is that it is waterproof so, no matter what the weather on the way in, I have a nice dry change of clothes and sleeping bag.
Air Mattress: Thermarest Trail Lite
This is another component that has been with me on almost all of my trips over the years. At 2 lbs this is a luxury well worth the added weight. You simply roll it out and open the little knob and it self inflates. Just a few breathes make the difference between a soft and hard bed for any comfort level you want. Mine is actually the older burgundy colour, but you get the idea.
Pocket Knife: Leatherman Crater
Two if us picked these up for the trip. At $15 this little guy packs a lot of value. 420HC stainless steel blade and a glass / resin handle make for a lightweight, yet effective, pocket knife. It works beautifully one handed and looks pretty cool to boot.
We are using a small tent that was given to me and a larger tent that we found nearby from Kijiji. The tent is one area that I would love to upgrade, just not for this trip. I’m looking at doing a few solo trips this summer so I am considering buying the MSR Hubba HP as a long term solo investment. It’s a one-man tent, but it is unbelievably light and has been getting great reviews. Unfortunately, no luck so far in finding one second hand and the $349.99 USD price tag is a little rich for my blood for a new one.
Water Purification: MSR Sweetwater Purifier System
I had no idea before today how much I like MSR gear. The Sweetwater Purifier System has been with me for years. The pic below is the 2010 model in black, but I still like my handy white from the early 2000s. I’ve gone through a number of replaceable filters and I’ve never had any problems with this gem.
That’s it for the gear. Of course, I will have some lightweight technical clothing and food to round out the pack weight. My base weight right now, while carrying 2 litres of water, but without food beyond a few snacks and dry food packs is 32lbs. It seems very comfortable to lift and wear, but may be a little heavy for the length of hike and difficulty of terrain that we are facing. I’ve been told that, on a difficulty rating of 1-10, this hike is a solid 7.
The other thing to keep in mind is that there are 4 of us so we will likely be able to spread some of the weight out, given that we are sharing a number of things. I think the other guys should have slightly lower base weights as of today so, hopefully, we can all even out well under 30lbs each total weight.
Count down is on … I don’t think I’ll get much sleep over the next few nights!
Read MoreGeocaching Explained
I got into geocaching in August 2009 and have since been bringing knowledge of the game to anyone who will listen. I started out walking to the cache sites in my neighbourhood, then I needed more range so I broke out my mountain bike and rode out to about 15km from home.
The folks at Geocaching.com have created a great video that explains what this hobby is all about:
I’ve known about geocaching for almost a decade, but never bothered to look for any caches because the traditional way things have been done has been finding the cache information online and then physically going to find the location with a GPS device.
What turned my interest into action was the Official Geocaching Application which allows me to hit a “Find Nearby Caches” button and simply load whatever is nearby.
It’s been great for demonstrating to naysayers. In Toronto, there is always a geocache within a few blocks. It is such a thrill when someone finds their first geocache. I’m glad to be able to say that I’ve given that experience to quite a few people.
One of the reasons that I wanted to buy a motorcycle this summer was to once again expand my range for geocaching. I am coming up on my #100 cache find and I want to make sure that I have a good road trip story to go along with it!
Here is a reference to geocaching in popular culture (ok, maybe not that popular … I mean, I never heard of this movie being in theaters):
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