Korea - Being There

Remember the first time your child brought home some drawing from school? You of course respond with glee to encourage their artistic creation in hopes the next one will be even better. I remember those days. I have a file somewhere with the collected results.

When my 20 year old son Travis said he was going to Korea for a few weeks, I thought it atypical. I knew he had met some Korean exchange students who invited him to visit, but several weeks in a foreign land with no specific objective? Still, we each need to find our own ways of expressing ourself, and I gave him points for defining his own path.

When he got back I asked about his experience. He said very little. I asked about pictures. He said he was working on it. I backed off. That was months ago.

A few minutes ago I got an email with this You-Tube link. I was expecting a few snap-shots, but I was wrong. I think Travis has captured the reason, reality and result of an immersive experience in a foreign land. This is definitely Korea from HIS perspective.

All of those practice drawings from second grade have paid off.

OK. I'm sure I'm biased, so tell me what YOU think .

Travis in Korea

Keep me grounded. Leave a comment with your conclusion.

Wood Cutter

You meet the most interesting people in the most unlikely places. Is there a correlation?

An and I spent last Thanksgiving at Saline Valley hot springs which is on the north-west edge of Death Valley. There's always a big pot-luck and music afterwards. Plus, it's a great time of year to hike the desert.

After 40 miles of bad road, we got there just in time for dinner. As we were chowing down, An whispered, "I know him", indicating a guy with a long pony-tail. She said she first saw him on the beach at Tahoe and thought he was cute, but never never introduced herself.

As it turned out, he sat down at our table and we started talking. Well, maybe talking is not the right term. His manner of speech was more like spinning a yarn or entertaining around a campfire. He's good at telling a story.

He said people called him Wood Cutter because he got well known at Gold Hill (near Virginia City) for helping people get their wood in for the winter. He said he could axe a seven foot round into firewood faster than two guys with an hydraulic splitter - and he'd proven it. This was quite a claim, but he definitely had the body for it. He had lived in Gold Hill working one of his several mining claims between his gigs as a wilderness guide and doing logging or prospecting.

He also said he had been taking his bus to Burning Man for years. He was very candid as to why. He said he liked all the titties, and went to the Burn to get girls to make titty prints on the side of his bus. He said he especially enjoyed applying the paint before the print. Yep, nothing subtle about Cutter.

As he talked (or spun), you got the idea this guy was as far away from the modern world as one could get. After one story, I suggested he was born a hundred years too late. He corrected me and said, 200 years. He didn't mess much with modern stuff, nor did he eat sugar or processed foods. He said he felt that way most of his life, but stopped eating sugar when he was 11. Book learning wasn't that important either. He preferred the DOING of things as opposed to it's study.

In his early twenties he got permission from the land owners and built a cabin at Fuller Lake in the mountains near Reno. There he lived off the land for over three years. He grew and raised all his own food except for seasoning and some grain which he bought in town.

He made all his own clothes from the hides of what he killed. He smoked the meat when he had more than he needed. He of course kept a garden for fresh greens and had fish from the lake. He took odd jobs now and then for the little money he needed - I think about $300 a year as I recall.

This was all back in the seventies and early eighties. Here was an original Hippie - well, at least in some respects. He used to ride his horse into town for supplies. He had a path all figured out along the railroad and would actually tie up his horse at Raley's on 7th street. If these stories weren't total bullshit, this was definitely an interesting guy.

Later that night we were all in the hot-tubs and this much older lady told Cutter she wanted a juicy story this time. So he told one about a girl who heard he was living up in the woods and wanted to board a horse with him. At least that's what she said. She got her truck stuck trying to get up his road, but hiked in anyway, and found him at the lake. She stayed for nearly two years.

Of course I've left out the best part of THAT story, but the details were not lost on this older lady. As it turns out, her son had brought her out from England to show her the wild west. Saline was a good example, and she was having a great time with characters like Cutter around. In the face, this lady looked for all the world like Charles Laughton, and sounded like him too.

The next morning at sunrise, this Laughton-looking-lady re-told Cutter's story word for word with each juicy detail included. OK, maybe their clothes became a "kit" and "knickers" were mentioned instead of panties, but the feel was definitely there. Here was another great story teller. Here was another unlikely person, in an unlikely place. I do so enjoy serendipity.

Cutter listened to his story re-told without objection. OK, maybe he was a bit shy, but he didn't seem to mind someone else stealing his story. The subject at the hot-tub then turned to hiking. Cutter said he was ready. An and I also knew another friend there named Kenn who wanted to hike. We agree to meet at Kenn's camp to start. When we got there, Cutter had arrived but was still as naked as he'd been at the tubs. He said he liked to hike in the nude - it kept his tan even. What the hell, we headed out.



The hike turned out to be quite a climb - over 5000 feet and I don't remember how many miles. Cutter was in good shape and lead the way. An kept up with him and they talked non-stop. Kenn and I were a bit slower that day and brought up the rear.

By the time we got back down to the desert, it was getting hot and Cutter talked An out of her clothes too. Kenn and I followed suit (or is that absence of suit?) and got naked as well for the last two miles. This was a first for the rest of us and quite exhilarating. Besides, now we were ready for the shower a the springs. Back in the hot-tub, it was time for another story from Cutter.

When he was nineteen, he decided he wanted to see if he could make it to the Pacific Ocean with nothing but his horse, his rifle and a bed roll. He headed north out of Reno but quickly discovered, the hunting was lean. All he found to eat the first few days were blue-belly lizards, but it kept him alive.

He talked of finally getting into the timber and finding better game. He tried to avoid people and towns. He also talked about trying to go around farms and ranches, but sometimes having to cut a fence to get his horse through. He of course always repaired them behind him. Leave No Trace, or at least not much of one.

After a few weeks he had crossed the Sierras and was headed down the other side when he heard a strange noise in the trees. It was a young girl reading a book and having a private moment. He had seen a ranch house about a mile away and figured she was from there. He made some noise to warn of his approach and stopped to talk, but stayed to listen. They got along well that afternoon, and she began to sneak out at night to visit him where he camped not far from her dad's ranch. His story at this point was of course more detailed than I've included here, but the result is the same. I imagine to this girl, Cutter was right out of a western romance novel.  After a couple of days, he just pulled her up on the back of his horse, and they headed west.

Apparently, the departure had a bit more planning.  She left a note for her dad, but he was still pissed. Cutter said the girl was over 18, so he didn't understand what the guy's problem was. Cutter's a very primal sort of guy.  He doesn't always appreciate the subtle concern a parent might have in this situation. In any case Cutter didn't intend to stay around long enough to find out. They rode off. Cutter said this guy drove up and down the roads for several days trying to catch them, but was easy to avoid on horse-back. After a few days he finally gave up and went home. I guess her dad was at last convinced there was nothing he could do about his daughter's seduction.

Cutter and the girl continued west again. Near Chico they met someone who wanted to buy Cutter's horse, so they took the money and bought tickets for Hawaii, where Cutter found a job stacking dry-wall.  After a few months, the novelty wore off.  The romantic honeymoon was over. One day the girl flew back to California without him. Cutter moved back to Reno shortly after that, but never saw her again.

Yes, Cutter's version ended this fast too. Strange how a story of wilderness survival ended on Waikiki. It reminds me of how quickly Mark Twain went from "Roughing It" in Nevada to enjoying himself in Hawaii - all in one book.

So what do YOU think? Are Cutter's stories true? Or just tall tales?

In any case, the four of us did two more hikes that first weekend. An and I have done a couple of others with Cutter around Reno since. We all disagree on various topics, but have become good friends. Cutter still comes by to tell his stories now and then.

And I believe them.

Well, mostly.

Unlikely friends come from unlikely places.

Keep an open mind.

SO Nicely Stated... Ursula Le Guin sends a cry from the heart

Her Response...

Burning Man: Fact & Fiction

You've probably heard it before - "Every year, media coverage of Burning Man gets it wrong."

As a matter of fact, EVERYBODY gets it wrong...

Mainly because there is no "right". Media or not, everyone's experience is widely different. Even two people walking across the playa side by side will often reach disparate conclusions. So much of what we experience is dependent upon your own history and values, our view is drawn by our interests. That's part of what make Burning Man so interesting.

Burning Man: Fact & Fiction

G-Man has written an excellent rational view of the event - but what he describes is far less than anything I've experienced in even my most boring times on the playa (rare).

What he writes is what I call sanitizing for the media. It's writing a digestible version for the rest of America - to give them a "box" to classify the event. G-Man provides a great service in debunking some of the more simple-minded myths, but in doing so he denies by omission the "it" of Burning Man.

It's understandable. But "it" isn't.

Which is why "it" is so hard to explain to anyone who's never been there. Lots of writers (including me) have tried to capture "it" with candid description of actual events, but until we achieve mind-meld, you'll just have to make do with other people's descriptions or...

Go get some dust in your teeth.

See you on the playa.

Ron Paul As Most Entertaining Candidate

My son Joshua and I spar on politics from time to time. Yesterday, during one of these events, I asked him where he got his news - his response, "The Daily Show". The scary part is he's serious, as is much of his generation. But what are we to expect? He grew up with Matt Stone and Trey Parker. He agrees with much of what he's seen on South Park. And when he drags me down into the details, so do I.

But why the Daily Show? Is most of America so steeped in its own politically correct, conventional two-party formula, that the only way to get through is entertainment? Is this the back door to our political future? Do the ideas of Ron Paul and South Park represent the Hippie movement of this generation? More importantly, what effects will it have on the election? Or the next one? Or the one after that?

This morning my son sent me this email...

"If you believe even half the things you have been telling us for the last 20 years, I don't understand how you could not want this man as your next president. Its time to stop bitching and start a revolution. I have been telling you for years how libertarians would lead the way to a better America. This is the beginning, and I think he can be understood and appreciated by both parties. Ironically enough, the democrats are starting to like him more than Hilary. Hell even John Stewart likes him, someone who has helped discredit Bush with the best of them. Blog it, make a difference. Even if you can only turn one hippy [ie] at least it was a nice effort. Ron Paul 2008! "

Here are the links he sent. Don't worry. They are short but sweet...

Ron Paul On The Daily Show

Ron Paul on The Tucker Carlson Show


And here's a couple more for reference...

Ron Paul on Wiki

Ron Paul in 2008


If you look at web traffic and change in "voting", we haven't seen such excitement since Tiny Tim threw his hat in the ring. The difference is, this Texan is serious. And so is this next generation. That's the point.

I can't say I agree with all of the Libertarian platform, but many of Ron Paul's ideas are very appealing - certainly the philosophy of liberty and what it means personally. Plus I can't help but appreciate Josh's enthusiasm. So there's no way I could deny him this blog post.

Ron Paul IS the most entertaining candidate.

And who knows.

Hippies ideas have had a major impact on our culture and politics over the years.

At least Josh didn't ask me to go video viral with Matt Stone.

Yet.

Getting Blown Off Mt. Shasta

Five years ago this week, I set out to climb Mt. Shasta. This is what happened. Some of you have read the story passed around in email, but most have not, so I decided it was time to post it to the blog.



Getting Blown Off Mt. Shasta
By Rod Coleman
sudden.net at gmail

First, the official version:

Mt. Shasta Wilderness Avalanche and Climbing Advisory
CLIMBING ROUTE ADVISORY
-------------------------------------------------------------
Climbing Advisory, updated June 10th, 2002.

Synopsis:

This past weekend was a doozy with cold temps, snowfall and full hurricane winds! A dozen tents were destroyed with one blowing downhill with an occupant inside! There was also one case of frostbite (wind chill well below 0F), and a rockfall injury resulting in a broken clavicle. Winds hit over 60 mph at Lake Helen and also in Hidden Valley. At times, crawling or rock hugging was the best mode of transport.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Very concise. Here's what it was like to actually LIVE it...



Getting Ready

I'd spent weeks preparing to climb Shasta. Hill climbs. Hill climbs with mountaineering boots. Hill climbs with full pack. Hill climbs with full pack AND mountaineering boots. I also of course made practice climbs with the other members of the team.

There would be five of us. Kathy who had attempted once and failed because of pace and conditioning, but the weather was great. This time she was in much better condition, but the weather would challenge us. That's how it is with adventure.

Mike, her boyfriend, who had climbed lots of peaks in Europe when he was younger, but had been away from climbing for years. He was probably our least prepared.

John was our leader with ten attempts, and five summits of Shasta. His summit rate was twice the average for this mountain where normally only one out of four gets to the top. John doesn't look the type, but when he gets his climbing shorts on, you can see the experience. He has calves that look like Popeye's. He's that quiet kind of hiker who just keeps going.

John also invited another friend of his who was in good shape. His name is Ron and he'd been a Ranger in the Army. He was ultra gung ho and had once taken his two sons (7 and 9) up the face of El Capitan because he couldn't find a baby sitter. Well, you get the idea - never say die. Impressive guy.

Fortunately for us, Ron was now in his fifties and mellowed a bit. My guess is he'd also mellowed a bit in his workouts but still looked like he could beat the rest of us up the hill. And then there was me. No experience climbing. Not much experience with a pack. No snow camping experience at all. The only time I had used an ice ax or crampons was in my first class a few weeks ago.

On the other hand, I DO hike or walk 50 to 70 miles a week. I'm also into the technology and had just read Ray Jardine's book, "Beyond Backpacking". I even bought one of his packs and plan to follow his advise. With no skis to carry (like John and Ron), I figured I should be able to keep up.

As it turns out, I actually got to lead most the way. John had me on the point from the beginning. I found out from Kathy later on, John told her I needed 50 more pounds in my pack. What can I say, I get excited. That's how I do things. I like to get there. Plus John was right, I was ultralight in the pack.

Anyway, I DID prepare. And not just my training. I also read much of "Freedom of the Hills" and the all of the two Shasta books. Then I cross correlated the equipment lists. With temperatures nearing 100 in Redding there was no way I would need all the cold weather gear but the books all warned - take it anyway. So I did.

If you're interested, click through:









I also built a collection of Shasta web links. I must have read 20 Shasta climb descriptions, many of them from people NOT summiting and why they didn't. But none of their stories were like this one. That's why I'm writing it down.

And no, I didn't forget the weather. In general it looked good. But there was a slight chance of showers on Saturday and winds of 20 MPH in town. The wind would be double that on the summit, but that's normal. Most of those pictures you see of people on tops of mountains are taken in the wind. A little wind didn't concern me.

When we got to the parking lot at 6800 feet, it was hot - 92 degrees and no wind at all. Everyone started the hike with a single layer. In climbing mountains (and other hiking) you dress in layers so you don't have to take extra clothing. Everything is cut big. As it gets colder, you simply add layers of different types for changing conditions.

Even when we got to Sierra Club's cabin at Horse Camp (the highest that horses go), it was still in the 80s. This is a general staging area at about 8000 feet. We made our first camp, had dinner and told stories. John and Ron had lots of them.

I was talking to John about emergency ice caves and how some students on Mt Rainier had collapsed their ice cave and died of exposure in 70 MPH winds a couple of weeks ago. He told me about a time a few years back when a group of school kids near Shasta had all suffocated in a snow cave because their vent got plugged. I would remember that very soon.



Lake Helen

The next morning was much colder than expected at 27 degrees. This would make the summit about 7 degrees. It had dropped over 20 degrees from the previous night's low. We were definitely getting a northern flow of cold air, weird for June. The wind had picked up a bit too.

I talked with John and he noted the forecast called for a little nasty stuff on Saturday but he figured it was OK. We weren't planning on a push to the summit until 2 AM Sunday morning. So we packed up and headed for our base camp at Lake Helen, which was at 10,400 feet.

Finally we were doing some real climbing. We had to use crampons right away but the snow condition was good. By the afternoon it got a little mushy but not bad.

The hike was great - blue skies and light breezes. But then we started seeing these wispy clouds streaming off Shasta's peak and then disappearing. There was definitely water in that highest layer of air. As the day wore on, the wispies increased and lowered. Not a good sign.

Then there were reports of wind. Soon, we began meeting climbers streaming off the mountain. They were coming down way to early in the day to have made an attempt at the summit. Soon we found out why. Last night Lake Helen had experienced 40 MPH winds, gusting to 50.

One guy who only used stakes on his tent literally was blown off the mountain in the middle of the night. He went about 100 yards down the slope before he was stopped by some rocks. He could have been in much worse condition. He needed stitches but was able to hike out with a Park Ranger. We took note. We would anchor from the high points on the tent to rocks buried under the snow as recommend at these altitudes and under these conditions.

The other reports were of even more concern. Climbers were being being blown off the hill before they even got up to Red Banks. Or indeed, even very far from the base camp at Lake Helen.

John told me "blown off" the hill is when the wind is so high it creates a white out condition from blowing snow where you can't even see your feet. Going on becomes dangerous. Above the cliffs called Red Banks is were you normally find the high winds on Shasta. There's a thousand foot climb called Misery Hill, not for it's steepness, but for it's wind. On Misery Hill, being "blown off" is literally not being able to stand against the wind. This occurs at about 70 MPH and many have had to turn back at only 200 feet below the summit when they get to this most exposed area.

Many of these people coming down weren't even going above base camp. Were they ALL wimps? It didn't look that bad to us. Most said they were turning back because they had such a nasty night at Lake Helen and heard it was even worse on the summit. Apparently, seven out of maybe forty that tried DID summit that day. At least that's what the rumor was. But I didn't manage to talk to any of them.

Not withstanding the funny clouds on the peak, the weather began to improve. When we made camp at Lake Helen it was dead calm with sunshine. Had we lucked out? Had the winds come through early? It was still a little cool for June.

John and his friend were behind us because of their heavier packs and skis. Even Mike beat them to base camp. I got the idea Mike was doing much better than he thought he would. When John and Ron arrived it was so nice, they didn't even bother to set up their tent.

We all had a late lunch then set up Kathy's tent where I went for a nap. I wasn't looking forward to getting up at 2:00 AM even if that was the best time to climb. I awoke to the strangest sound. It was the whistling of tent ropes. I looked out. It was five o'clock in the evening. The others were just finishing the high anchor lines on John's tent. They were just in time from the sound of the wind.

The skies were still blue, but the wind was howling. Then it got worse. I later learned several climbers weren't able to get their tents up that night. We heard one lost his tent altogether (official report - a dozen!). It just blew down the hill. Fortunately no one was in it this time. These orphans bunked with other people.



Noisy Night

We got back in our respective tents, melted water for the climb and later had dinner. The winds kept up. We still had several hours before departure. We COULD get lucky.

But the winds got worse. When I went out to pee, I noticed it wasn't even hitting the ground. It just went over the side of the mountain and kept going. I wondered if I shouldn't have put on my climbing boots before trying to relieve myself in this wind. I didn't have that much traction on the snow. It's how accidents happen. I very carefully walked back from the crest and got back in bed. Soon we were all asleep.

I was in a tent with Kathy and Mike. Kathy was in the middle. I was in John's tent the night before and had the middle spot. It was warm and I made the mistake of bragging about it. Kathy decided THAT was a good idea. She invited me into her tent for our second night. It was a tight fit but we were all on friendly terms. Sardines in a can is a good description.

I didn't sleep well that night but it wasn't the howling wind. You get used to that. It wasn't even the tight spoon with Kathy. That was kind of nice. It was the snow. Not long after sunset, it began to come down, or more accurately, sideways. At first we weren't sure if it was really snowing or just blowing snow off the peak. Later on it became a fine powder. We knew. This was fresh.

The snow built up in drifts. Unlike John's Gortex tent, Kathy's was a three season model with vents at the top. It let in the "fine" snow. If we'd had wet snow, it wouldn't have come in at all, but soon we had a fine dusting all over the inside of the tent. It looked like powdered sugar. Except it melted as we moved around. The bags started getting wet.  That wasn't the worse part. Snow began to drift and build against the walls of the tent. This small two man tent was becoming even smaller as the walls pushed in. It's a good thing none of us are big people. My butt was against this cold wall of snow all night.

My bag is an REI Sub Kilo and rated down to 20 degrees, but the compression destroys the effectiveness of down. It was not a good night for sleeping. Which is one reason I was really looking forward to getting up and climbing.

Now you might think I was crazy, but often when the snow starts, the wind dies down. And this was a north wind. The snow would be light. There was STILL a chance of summiting.

That silly thought was soon put to rest by the howling wind. The snow was light all right, but the wind kept getting worse. We all heard the alarm go off. Nobody said anything. Then the wind died down a little and I said, "Ahhh! Time to go" and acted like I was getting up. Just then the wind howled even louder. I guess it wasn't THAT funny. Nobody laughed.

We knew it was over. No summit for us. While still in sleeping bags, Mike and I both braced ourselves against Kathy and used our butts to push the snow drifts back away from the walls of the tent. This helped get a little more room and keep the cold away. We went back to sleep.

I was relieved in a way to have such a definitive set of conditions for our failure. It wasn't a "maybe" situation. You CAN climb in wind if you rope up, but we had not planned on that kind of climb. We had no rope. Plus these winds were getting near limits even for ropes. And this was base camp! The summit was TOTALLY out of the question. The Park Ranger later told me it was gusting to over 80 MPH (official report said sustained 60 MPH), and that it only got this bad once or twice a year. It had to be well OVER a hundred miles per hour on the summit.



Hunkered Down

I awoke to a heavy pressure on my back. It was quieter and totally dark. Shouldn't the sun be up by now? Was the wind dying down? It took me a minute to figure it out. The tent was mostly covered by a snow drift. And it had collapsed. Actually the walls had just folded in like a fish's puckered mouth. The poles were still in a distorted arc. I remembered John's story about bad air. Fortunately, the vents in this tent were at the top. The air was still fresh but VERY cold.

I pushed on the snow drift. It didn't move. I pushed a little higher up. It moved some. I pushed more. The noise of the wind got louder. There was a little light. Mike was pushing on his side. The wind was howling again. The snow had kept it quiet and dark. We'd been in a naturally-formed snow cave.

Everybody was awake and I needed to pee. I verbalized my need. Nobody said anything. Nobody wanted the door zipper opened. Not even me. I shuffled the double tent zipper around to the top of the door. It was now at least well above the snow, but I would have made a snowy mess escaping, and an even worse one getting back in. What to do? I needed to pee REAL bad.

Time for the Zip-Lock. I got it out of my pack and tested it by blowing into it first - good bag, no leaks. This is a VERY important test as you might imagine. I had to straddled Mike and Kathy's legs to get enough head room in the collapsed tent, in order to get the Zip-Lock low enough to fill.

It actually worked better than I expected. I didn't even get my fingers wet. I zipped it up and slipped it out through the top of the door. It would be an ice cube in a few minutes. And no, I never found it later, but I looked.

Anyway, back to sleep. Well, sort of half asleep. The next clear thing I remember was light on the peak of the tent. The snow had me squeezed against Kathy again. She later told me she could feel the wind buffet me from the tent wall. My ass was REAL cold. I whacked the top of the tent and got a little more room. But not enough to be comfortable.



Escaping

"Shovel time", I said and dressed up - all four layers with Gortex jacket, rubber pants, PolarTec hat, Thinsulate gloves, and of course goggles. I only had the liners from the climbing boots in the tent but they were almost as good as regular boots. They would have to do until I could dig out the shells. We had put lots of stuff under the fly of the tent and it was all in the drift. Fortunately we kept the water in the tent and I had some before I went out.

It was weird. The fly created a protected area which was why the snow drifted so much. Other than the powder around the tent, it was all hard pack and blue skies. The top of Shasta was under a swirling cloud that kept changing shapes. That's where the snow was coming from. And the wind. Right down the mountain.

The wind made it hard to keep my balance but I got down on my knees and open the fly. Half the snow blew away all by itself. The rest I just kind of scooped up and the wind took it away. The head and the foot of the tent were a little more difficult, but I soon had all the snow cleared and was handing gear in to Mike and Kathy. That was a mistake. The snow on the gear melted and things started getting wet.

I walked out to the crest of the hill. A group had roped up and I was amazed when they headed UP the hill. I later learned they came back in about 40 minutes. Not one person summited that day. I was told this guided group didn't get paid unless they at least made an attempt on the summit. It was a token attempt apparently.

I tried to check my watch temperature, but my wrist was too warm. And if I stuck it out in the wind, the watch got cold REAL fast but the damn thing only updates every minute or two. I got one reading at 9 degrees but that was mostly wind chill and probably not all of that (official was below 0 degrees with the wind chill). It was cold enough that your finger tips went numb in only a few minutes WITH the glove on. I kept pulling them back into the palm of my glove. It helped.

Just then someone was behind me. It was Ron. "We can't get down that slope in this wind", he said. Did he know what I was thinking? I was wondering HOW to get down, not IF. For him it was WHEN, and when was not now.

"Exposed" is how climbers refer to any situation in which if they screw up, they die. Usually by falling. Shasta is not normally an exposed climb. Well except for maybe a little at Red Banks and a few other rock or glacier approaches.

But the storm had changed all that. Under these conditions, if you missed a step going down ANY of these slopes, the wind could drive you down the mountain like a bat out of hell - or into it. You LITERALLY would be blown off the mountain.

Self arrest would be even more critical in these conditions. This down-hill wind also made the slope "steeper" because you had to lean into it. The crampons had to engaged at a steeper angle. It's easier to slip on a steeper slope. This storm was making the whole mountain an "exposed" climb.

I went over to John's tent as Ron got in. He said we should wait a while and see if the winds died down. Ron agreed. Sounded good to me. My fingers were getting numb again. I needed to keep moving or get back in the tent.

When I got back to Mike and Kathy, they were shaking. Mike only had Gortex pants. With no rubber gear, he was getting wet from melting snow. Kathy's sleeping bag was wet too. She had laid snowy gear on it. She at least had rubberized pants.

Mike and Kathy appeared miserable. I was just glad to get back in the tent. Such contrast. It was MUCH worse outside. At this point, I didn't want to go anywhere.

And once I relaxed, I realize Ron might be right. At some point, it could be TOO windy to even go DOWN the hill. I hadn't thought of that before. Damn. And this tent was quickly becoming less that a good shelter.

I told them what John and Ron said, but Mike wanted to talk to them directly. He geared up and crawled out under the fly. Kathy and I scooped snow out of the tent. I began packing up just to keep things dry. Mike came back and we all scrambled to keep the snow out. The drifts were building again.

As I zipped up the door I said, "Nasty out there, uh? You can see how those guys died on Rainier last week when they lost their tent". I was again referring to the news account I gave John the night before. Now it was more real. But it was the wrong thing to say.

Kathy started crying and Mike gave her a hug. I said, "Sorry. Bad topic I guess", but I didn't really think things were THAT bad. It was just an observation. It WAS that cold.

Yes, we DID need to dry out the tent and keep it shoveled, but we could stay here for days if needed. For me being out on that slope was the bigger unknown. Plus there were 25 other people at this camp. And the Park Ranger had a REAL good tent. There were lots of options. This was not yet dangerous. Was hiking out? I wasn't sure. I would defer to John and Ron.



Decisions

We sat there in silence. Doing nothing is no fun in such a situation. "When will the wind die down? What's the weather report?", Kathy asked.

"Let's go find the Park Ranger", I suggested, "He has a radio", thinking anything would help to distract her.

When we got to the Park Ranger's tent, he wouldn't unzip. We talked through the fabric. Now you might think this was rude, but I didn't blame him. His door faced straight into the wind. Snow would fill his tent in seconds. I suspected he had a back flap but it was deep in a drift but no point in digging that out.

He said the storm was to continue through Monday, one more night at least. That was it. That was all he said. Now THAT I thought was rude. What about suggestions? Was it safe to descend? What were HIS plans?

Kathy went to John's tent and I went back to check on Mike. One extra person in John's tent was enough. Kathy returned to our tent in just a few minutes. She said, "We're going down".

Someone told John the east slope was an easier way down. I went to check it out. It looked to have less blowing snow than the main approach as far as I could see, but what was below what little I could see? This was not the way we came up. How steep would it get? How low did we have to go before the wind died?

As I came back to camp, the others were getting their gear together. I unzipped the door to John's tent just enough to talk over the wind. I ask John if leaving was a good idea. He said, "These guys need to get
moving. We'll take it easy".  O... K...

Maybe John was right. Waiting was hell. It could get better, but it could also get worse. And it did. An hour after we left, the storm dropped lower and Helen Lake went into white out conditions. We watched it from below and got the reports later at Horse camp.

Getting the tents down was a pain, but packing up was fast. I think some of our gear got left in the snow. In those conditions, it's surprising how fast you get exhausted. By the time we were packed, I had trouble getting my crampons attached. I also couldn't see because my goggles iced up from breathing. John helped me with the crampons. I got the ice off the goggles.



Decent

Finally we had it all on our backs and headed east. Maybe the wind would die when we got below the crest. We started with long switchbacks which got steeper as we got used to the wind.

John and Ron had their skies sticking up and felt the gusts before we did. They would plant their ice axe and lay down flat on the snow to cut their profile. This "warning" gave the rest of us time to secure our position. We had to "dig in" every few feet. It was slow going, but steady.

I followed John about half way down the hill. The wind was still blowing almost as hard. I kept looking back to keep the others in sight but the blowing snow was getting thicker. At one point Kathy fell but was in self arrest before her ass hit the snow. Mike told me she only slid a few feet. I was impressed.

No one else fell but Mike said he felt like it. He said he had an extra 15 pounds of snow in his pack from the tent and was dead tired. For me the worst part was the sting of the ice chunks hitting my legs. Each one felt like a bee sting. Where were they coming from? They were to hard to be snow.  The wind was so strong it was picking up old ice and blasting us with it.

John had the lead, Ron brought up the tail. Us newbies were in the middle. We worked our way down the hill one step at a time. That's how we got down. One step at a time.

After an hour or so our confidence in our footing improved. The wind died just a little. Once things mellowed out, John told me to take the lead again. I headed out. The bee stings were gone.  The nicer it got, the faster I went.  The faster I went, the lower I got.  The lower I got, the more the wind died down.  I was having fun again. The worst was over. I saw patches of blue as the sun came out at the lower levels. The course was clear. I pushed on and got to the cabin at Horse Camp first.

The wind was now only blowing about 30 MPH and seemed surprising cheerful.  It was still strong enough to blow my ice boots off the bench as I change into my hiking boots. And it was still a VERY cold wind even on the lee side of the cabin. At any other time this would have been a nasty day, but for us it was almost tropical.  We were back to summer.  Everything's relative.

We were safely below the worst of the storm. We cleaned the snow out of our gear and had lunch. Everyone was hungry. We hadn't eaten much since yesterday.  Then we hiked out to the car, drove to town and ordered pizzas. Our appetite came back with a vengeance. Everything was fine. It felt good to be down. Everyone was in good shape.

Over all, it was a very interesting trip. I do regret not getting to the summit. I think I will go back and try it again in one big push. If I leave at two or three in the morning, I should be able to make it to the top before 2:00 PM. At least that way I can predict the weather a little better.

In conclusion, prepare for the worst you CAN'T imagine. A sunny June day in the 90s can become a sub-zero blizzard even at only 10,000 feet.

And take ALL your layers.

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Video

In case you've missed the link to an important video of computer history...

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Video

Live Ink offers better way to read text online

Live Ink is a truly new idea - which is rare these days.

I've been searching for the optimal comprehension column width for years and have reached different conclusions at different times.

Live Ink goes beyond column width to find and display the rhythm of the content. My first impression is that they are on to something here.

It'll be interesting to see how this works out.

Stay tuned

Web Usability Data

(example of bad website)

I'm sure some of you have already discovered this site and assume everyone else has too. But that's obviously not the case. Just look around the web.

I'm impressed with the way Jakob challenges the status quo of writing styles. Or maybe it's that I agree with many of his usability points.

In any case, if you do any web design, this site is worth your time.

useit.com: Jakob Nielsen's Website

Dreams of Ducks and Oven Mitts

< There is a modern campaign in progress to capture oral histories before they are lost forever. I'd like to start right here to do the same with email.

Two good Burner friends have posted the following to our email list and I think their work needs a site where it can be linked to and live on for others to enjoy. Now I'll get out of the way so these guys can express themselves.>




Greetings Burners:

I'll take advantage of this lull in our conversations here on reno-list to tell you of a revelation given to me in a dream: I was in a large city someplace, waiting for a light to turn green so I could cross the street. Then there appeared on my right a most beautiful woman with a Burning Man tattoo on her chest. It began just below her neck and extended down into her low cut, loose fitting blouse. When the light changed I stepped briskly forward and glanced back to get a better view of this beautiful sight. What I next saw, as I hovered detached above, was my crumpled body laying in the street, just having been run over by a truck. When I looked around again I saw that I was on the edge of a vast sea of life consisting of every type of creature that lives and dies; bats, bugs, birds, bears and a human here and there in the distance. Shortly I realized that this 'sea' was organized as an uncountable number of lines extending in length farther than one could ever hope to see.

I was soon pressed into a line by those arriving from behind and fell in behind a duck and was, in turn, followed by a cricket. The lines moved slowly forward at different rates so different creatures were opposite me in the adjacent lines at different times. In time I noticed that when any type of bird was adjacent to the duck the two would appear to be having some type of conversation using a language that consisted of gestures. I'll call it Birdish. I studied this phenomenon whenever it occurred and over time learned enough to establish rudimentary communication with the duck. What I learned from the duck was it considered us to be dead also and beyond that didn't have any idea of what was going on, but from time to time we exchanged pleasantries as fellow travelers often do. Eventually the head of the line appeared in the distance and each line ended at what I can only liken to DMV clerk's station. As I got closer to head of the line I could see the station was staffed in turn by a creature of the same type as was at the head of the line. When the duck reached the head of the line it and the clerk duck had an earnest conversation by quacking as ducks do, rather than in Birdish, so I still had no idea of what was going on. Presently the duck turned to depart and gave me the Birdish sign for All-Right and strode away with the most pleased expression one could ever imagine on the face of a dead duck.

Encouraged, I stepped forward and found the workstation manned by a not unpleasant human that I can only liken to a DMV clerk. The clerk looked at me for a moment with a friendly face and then, with some type of recognition I didn't understand, consulted the workstation terminal. Then a scowl and a harsh query: ôWhat is your excuse this time?ö At that moment I realized: Holy shit. This is The Judgment. "Er, ah, um, the Burning Man made me do it", I hopefully replied. The clerk turned to the terminal muttering something about slow learners and after a brief consult with the terminal turned back to me and said ôYou are to immediately return as a green tree frog, go get suited up.ö I tried to protest, but before I got the second word out the clerk had morphed into a cricket and emitted a sharp chirp which I interpreted to be "Next!" in the language of the crickets. That's when I awoke.

Now, my friends of the flame, it is clear that we should prepare some reasonable story before our time comes because it has been revealed to me that "The Burning Man made me do it" doesn't work very well.

-Rick Brown







Holy smoke, Rick... nice one. Did you wake up naked with a frog in your hand?

A couple of months ago I wrote a story that is eerily similar to explain the significance of oven mitts to theme camps like Apokiliptika and Labwerks. I read it during the Burncast interview and here again it is submitted for your enjoyment:


Why Oven Mitts?



by Science Officer Mister Jellyfish, August 27,
1974

It was a cold beyond cold. The frost bit into my bones and the core of my being shook with longing as I stood in line for the third day. I was staggering from lack of sleep and malnutrition when I found myself, finally, at the front of the cue.

"How much bread can I have, my family is starving." I said to the well fed official seated at the makeshift wooden table between two armed guards.

"No bread, only mitts!" he barked as he pushed toward me four oven mitts of different colorful designs and flowered patterns. The colors began to whirl as the blackness closed in around my vision. The last thing I heard was his gravely voice shouting "Next!" as the guards dragged me away.

I awoke in the snow and ice to find the cheery mitts covering my hands and feet and was thankful to the guards for saving me from assured frostbite. As I hobbled home, I recounted a speech from our great leader about the blessings and many uses of oven mitts and how they symbolized the united workers of our great society.

Who was I to question his despotic wisdom? It was true that oven mitts had many uses. At that very moment they comforted me as gloves and shoes. One could employ them as a:

*
Holster

*
Vodka bottle cozy

*
Bread warmer

*
Premature baby bag

*
Camera case

*
Contraceptive

*
...and so much more

Thank you, Kernul Killbuck, for knowing that the blessing of the oven mitt is the answer to our longings and a beacon of truth for the people. It is a great honor to myself and the crew of Labw?rks to continue your oven mitt research in space for the betterment of our collective future under your iron rule!

Global Warming Swindle

Originally posted 06-16-07:





With all the press lately, you may have started to wonder if there's anything to this Global Warming scare. I know I did.

Fortunately, I'm old enough to remember the very OPPOSITE was being presented in the early seventies. I also know how easy it is to distort the truth - inconvenient or not.

But since I like to keep an open mind, I sat through "Inconvenient Truth" - all of it.

I was far less impressed than many I've talked to, but I DID find the charts interesting. The next day I spent some time on the net and found lots of data both ways, but nothing very definitive - certainly nothing as well presented as Al Gore's film.

Now that's changed.

"Global Warming Swindle", produced by the BBC, is THE best counterpoint to Al Gore I've seen. It not only starts with very convincing science in far more detail than Al presented, but it also shows the political reasons for the movement itself. It makes FAR more sense than Al's film. I especially liked the final presentation by the co-founder of Greenpeace (who of course has split with most of his fellows).

So if you're as open-minded as I am, you'll watch this film.

It's worth your time.

No matter what side of the issue you're on.

Global Warming Swindle

Thanks Dave.

03-20-15 An Update from Dr Moore, Co-founder of Greenpeace - Why I am a Climate Change Skeptic

05-20-16 EPA's counterpoint:  Causes of Climate Change

02-07-17 When science gains an agenda, it ceases to be science:

A Top Climate Scientist Blows the Whistle on Shoddy Climate Science

03-28-17 An interesting approach to the problem:

How to Change My Biases on Climate Science

If the science is truly "settled", why are there still so many skeptics? And why is Washington DC such a hotbed of conviction? Are people inside the beltway really that much smarter?

"Some opinions don't quite mesh with scientific reality. Just 49 percent of people thought that "most scientists think global warming is happening," the survey found. In reality, 97 percent of all climate scientists agree that climate change is happening and that humans are very likely the cause of it"

04-07-17 Most Americans Believe in Climate Change, Lawmaker Tells Senate


04-08-18 ‘Climate Change’ Gets Its Scopes Monkey Trial

Another interesting link from Dave Orel:

11-05-18 How the Global Warming Scare Began

And from Tom Hoops:

04-11-19 The Truth About Global Warming

12-26-22 “There is No Climate Emergency”

10-03-23 Judith Curry Interview: Climate Scientist Says World Won't End

Give me Liberty or Give Me X

Many assume most Burners are hard core Democrats.

Not true; and I've tried to explain why a couple of times. It looks like someone's done a better job. I've seen the name several times but haven't read any of his books yet.

Brian Doherty's going on my to read list.

Check out the review...

Good thoughts here.

The Unknown Story - Mao

I've never blogged a book review, but this book is an exception. It's not just for how well it's researched and written; Jung Chang and Jon Halliday have done an excellent job. This book's an exception for it's content.

I grew up when Mao was in power. In school we learned he lead "Red China" which somehow was even more scary than our obvious cold war foe, the USSR. Maybe it was because less was known about Red China.

I remember wondering many times what was really going on there, as the limited news out of Red China never made much sense. From their success with AGRIculture, to the destruction of ALL culture I suspected much was not being reported. In this case "much" is an understatement.

This book is amazing. It will stand as one of the greatest contrasts between perception and reality ever written. At the time, and in spite of communism, Mao was presented to me as hero of his people. Nothing could have been further from the truth. This book documents the greatest social mismanagement of all human history. What's even more amazing, it was largely accomplished by one man for one purpose - Mao and to keep his position of power. Or was Mao something more? A true villian?

Neal Stephenson referred to Mao as, "Buddha's evil twin", which makes a lot of sense if you think about his looks, nature and the impact on history.

Mao makes the French revolution look civil and fair. Mao makes Hitler look reasonable. Mao even out-murdered his mentor, Stalin, by a wide margin. And he does it all by maintaining his political hierarchy largely through intimidation - this was no conspiracy of fifty, or even five. FEW around him actually agreed with his actions for any significant period of time. But he managed control in spite of more rational minds at hand. This was the genius of Mao and probably the ONLY thing he did well.

I started this post to note some of the things done by Mao or at his direction. Some of these might be considered "spoilers" if you plan to read the book, which you should. If so, stop now. If not, you've been warned...

You've probably heard, Mao was responsible for over 70 million deaths. The book will detail why, when and where this was done, as well as how this was calculated - fascinating. Here are a few examples...

Mao deliberately sent thousands of his OWN soldiers into probable death simply so HE could be the first to rendezvous at the Russian border. He did this for political reasons. And those troops who DID return were made to dig their own mass grave before being executed and buried in place. This was all done to take a political competitor out of play.

Mao also personally defined methods of torture and enjoyed watching them being performed on large a scale. Many were old favorites from history such as death by a thousand cuts, red-hot rods forced into rectums and various other forms of death using water and weights.

He also helped develop new ones, like stuffing gun power into the sinuses of the subject which then were of course, lighted. Or forcing people to eat things not normally digested until they died slowly. In some cases people were kept alive for years so they could learn of their family's fate before meeting their own.

And there was no safety in being close to Mao - just the opposite. Those closest often went first. His own son fell in love with a girl Mao originally brought to court for himself - when she was 12 years old. At first Mao refused to let them marry, but relented and let his jealousy take another course.

A few months later his son was sent to the active Korean battle front where he was quickly killed. Mao then continued the relationship with this daughter-in-law not telling her until years later her husband had died not long after their honeymoon. You'll have to read the book to learn what he did to his other children and wives. I'll warn you, it's not nice.

But let's put aside death for a moment. After all, Mao learned from Stalin that if you keep the numbers up, death is just a statistic. Shit happens when you run a government.

Actually, the bigger crime was probably done to those who LIVED. There were HUNDREDS of MILLIONS living on the EDGE of starvation for YEARS on end so that Mao could send their grain to Russia in exchange for weapons and weapon technology. Literally 38 MILLION people died so Mao could buy the technology to build an atomic bomb which was never used in anger. How's THAT for a Zen weapon? It was WAY more effective at killing people than the two wimpy bombs we dropped on Japan. Oops, I'm back on death.

Other amazing elements of Mao's policy is how he separated couples and families for long periods on a massive scale while not allowing communication with loved ones. It's hard to understand WHY he would do this, but Chang and Halliday show the reasons. And it makes a weird kind of sense. Well sort of, some of the time. The rest of the time Mao just comes off as a wacko with WAY too much power. Taking away each family's wok? Nothing to cook anyway.

Another one of my favorite books is "Hawaii". In one section James Michener describes the hardship of common life in 19th century china. What he described is paradise compared to what Mao created for his "People" in this modern age.

These people were made to sleep outside with no shelter for long periods. In some cases women literally went naked for months at a time because of lack of clothing. Many died of exposure, but the ones who lived, didn't live well. Modern America has NO CLUE about hardship. This book will give you a taste of what humans can endure. It will also allow you to appreciate how easy it can be to turn your back on life, when even endurance becomes a luxury.

This book tells so many secrets on so many levels it's really hard to believe. But what's written seems to be pretty well documented and the detail is amazing.

I've finally discovered what was happening in Red China as I grew up. I never could have imagined it. This book may be the key to never having this happen again. We can hope. Or can we? I wonder what's REALLY going on in North Korea right now.

But that's another post.

If you're interested in China, this is a must read.

Netflix Contest Winning Entry : Link from IMDB

(first posted to Sudden Technology 10-09-06)



Netflix,

I'd like to commend your efforts to improve Cinematch.

But haven't you overlook the obvious?

While you're waiting for some geek to improve Cinematch by 10%, there's a solution that will MORE than DOUBLE the effectiveness of movie search for Netflix.

Let's take this design from the top...

What's the most powerful tool in any search? That's right, the human mind. And when the object of the search is as personalized and subjective as a movie, even when the human mind is wrong, it's right! Take care to keep the customer in the loop.

What's the next most powerful tool in any movie search? That's right, it's IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base). A simple Netflix button on each IMDB movie page would dramatically improve search and selection for Netflix.

Face it guys - Netflix may have a nice site, but it doesn't even get close to what IMDB will do. It's time to mash something up.

IMDB is not only good with movie data, it's actually one of the best (and fastest) examples of TRUE hyperlink searching on the Internet. It's made the Kevin Bacon game kid's play.

Even if you only consider the simple searches by director, cast, crew, or title, you can get around quicker than any other comparable collection of data in the world. EVERY industry should have such text-based search tools.

IMDB is so quick and easy, I've even used it as a spell checker. When I can't immediately find a word in the dictionary, I do some free association with a movie title containing the word. If I can't remember the actual title, I simply cross-reference to one of it's actors. IMDB is THAT fast. IMDB is THAT effective.

And when you consider IMDB's Keywords, user ratings and compound searches, things improve by another order of magnitude. IMDB's Keywords are what Netflix's Genres SHOULD be. It's where you can find thousands of user-defined topics with the movie selections listed by user-defined popularity. Keywords are worth more than 10% all by themselves.

And don't forget the Power Search for when you want to get technical with complex searches. If you can't find movie data on IMDB, you're not likely to find it ANYWHERE on the Internet.

OK. So lots of IMDB movies won't be on the Netflix list. Button data would be a powerful indicator of what to stock next. And it would still be worth it for the ones that are. It would be so nice to click a Netflix button then go on searching at IMDB with no Cinematch splash screen interruption (hint).

Yes, I already copy and paste the IMDB movie title to Netflix for queue additions, and it works fine. But why not make that step automatic? This feature would be FAR more useful than a 10% improvement in Cinematch any day.

And no, I don't work for IMDB. It's just such an obvious solution, it deserves a blog post.

So, get over to IMDB with a busload of lawyers and geeks. With Netflix's volume, there MUST be a reasonable link fee solution. The rest is just standard technology. And don't let NIH (Not Invented Here) get in your way. Do it before one of your competitors does.

And if you still want to give away some money...

Make the check out to Sudden Consulting.

Thanks a million.

Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim

(first posted to Sudden Lifestyle 10-21-06)



01 Path to the Other Side

Each year I set out to do some type of extreme hike or climb. Several have failed because of weather or other reasons. Here's what happened this year.

The plan for this hike began with a visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in May of 2005. I happen to buy a "Rim to Rim" tee-shirt but didn't feel right wearing it until I'd actually walked it.

The standard approach for a Rim to Rim hike is to take two or three days, but that requires a campsite - 30,000 apply each year, only 10,000 win the lottery. The odds didn't seem good. But that's just an excuse. If you've read about any of my other hikes, you'll remember I like to travel light and fast, so that was the plan. My objective would be to do the whole thing in one day. After reading other day crosser experiences, it seemed like a reasonable challenge.

My first plan was to drive to the North Rim (the highest side), hike the North Kaibab Trail south to Phantom Ranch then take the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim for a total of 24 miles. After spending the night in a hotel, I would take the shuttle ($70) back to the North Rim and drive home.

Now 24 miles is not an extreme hike, but rough ground and a steep hike still made it a challenge, sort of an upside-down mountain climb. It should make for a fun and certainly beautiful power hike.

When I told An about it, she wanted to hike it too. So I reserved shuttle tickets for two and a Holiday Express room through Orbitz on the web. About two hours later I discovered the gate to the North Rim didn't open until the day AFTER I'd planned to hike, and more importantly the day AFTER my hotel reservation.

When I called Orbitz they explained they had a minimum one night cancellation fee so would offer no refund. Then I learned An couldn't extend her days off past that weekend and no other weekends worked until way into June when it would be too hot for a power hike. At least for me doing my first time across. Also I wanted to avoid the mule trains which can only be done at the very beginning or very end of the season.

Fortunately, Holiday Express allowed me to reschedule for October 15th, 2006. With a long lead time, the schedule worked out. Then Dave Orel offered to drive the car around to the South Rim for us. This allowed us to take the South Kaibab Trail instead of Bright Angel. It was steeper, but also shorter which seemed like a good idea.



02 Peter Grub Hut

We did several practice hikes in the Reno area to get in shape. One was up past Peter Grub Hut north of Donner Pass. Another was to the top of Carson Ridge at Thomas Creek. This second hike was nearly as long and had the same altitude gain as our objective. We were ready.



03 Snow-proof Potty


Getting There

When October 12th rolled around, we got packed and headed out. Grand Canyon is a long drive from Reno. To break it up we planned a couple of stops. We saw strange things along the highway which were a good excuse to strech our legs.



04 Shoe Tree



05 Shoe Tree Closeup



06 Horny Gate

Out first campsite was Spencer Hot Springs which is east of Austin, Nevada. Our bad luck started two miles off the highway when we got a flat tire. We still made it to the springs but only just before dark - still, no major harm done.

We surveyed the hot tubs with a short walk. One was WAY too hot and the other was WAY too cold. Valves had been turned up too long or down too long. Unlike Goldilocks, there was no happy medium, so we went to bed early.

We woke up before dawn and found then the cold tub was back to "just right". We enjoyed the sunrise in hot water. Hot springs are a nice way to camp.

After breakfast we stopped in Ely to replace the spare and have lunch. Next we headed to Bryce Canyon for our planned second night. We didn't get settled in camp until after dark and didn't get to see the canyon that night.

This was unfortunate. We never did get to see Bryce Canyon even though it was only two miles away. Bad luck, part two. It began to rain. And rain. And rain. It rained all night. By morning we had lots of wet sleeping bags and spent the next couple of hours at a laundromat drying out.

By the time we were done it was raining hard again. When we stopped at the visitor center, we got soaked just getting across the parking lot and into the building. After checking the weather we decided to head south and try to get out of the storm. Things weren't looking good for the Grand Canyon hike.

It rained hard all the way to the town of Kaibab. We decided to head east, again trying to get out of the storm. It rain all the way to Glen Canyon Dam. We headed south again - yep, trying to get out of the rain. Finally, the rain let up just enough at our stop at Horseshoe Bend to get a walk in. And then the sun came out. Was it over at last?



07 Lee's Ferry


Lee's Ferry

Coming down the hill into Lee's Ferry, a rock half the size of a car had fallen into the middle of the highway. There are often rock falls with heavy rain. The cops were just pulling up. We drove around before they could close the highway and continued to the camp-ground where the sun finally came out.

We learned from the Lee's Ferry rangers, flooding had washed out the water supply for both Cottonwood and Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon. We would have to carry enough water for the complete hike IF the trail was still open. They didn't know.

The past twenty four hours had produced 1.3 inches of rain which was quite rare for this desert. The good news was, the worst of the weather was over. Or so they said. We had hope for a dry night, but we set up camp under one of the campground's metal shelters just in case.

It turned out to be a good call. About mid-night a huge thunderstorm hit with lightning, heavy rain and wind. Doesn't bad luck come in threes?

The rain encouraged us to get up early. Well before dawn, we just wrapped up the wet stuff in plastic and headed for the North Rim. If we had to cancel, I wanted to make the decision at the trail head.

The final drive was dark, wet and the road was muddy. The rain continued. So much for breaking weather. At one point a flash-flood had washed across the road. Off to the side were blinking lights.

A car with five teenagers had slid off the road and high-centered on a berm. We stopped to check, but no one was hurt. Since neither car had a rope and we were in a small Subaru, I suggested they wait for a larger pick-up to stop by. The right truck with a chain would have them on their way in a couple of minutes. Two more cars were stopping as we left. It was a minor problem but just one more side-effect of this nasty storm.

The rain turned to fog as we got higher. The temperature dropped below freezing. At the summit it began to snow. Even worse, the snow began to stick. The probability of this hike happening was dropping by the minute.

Fortunately, the snow only lasted a few miles and the clouds began to lift. Or we began to drop. The result was the same. As we drove on, the road dropped below the snow line. The sky got lighter.



08 Starting Out


Hiking At Last

At the gate we were told there were some washouts but the whole trail was open and the weather improving. They also said water was back on, but in a limited fashion.

Farther on at the trail head we saw just a bit of sunshine through low clouds. It was enough. No matter how it turned out, I was happy to get started on the hike, instead of doing a long drive for nothing. An and I packed our gear and headed out. It was 7:35 AM. We were finally on the trail.

I have a problem with the beginning of any hike. I'm always way too hyped up and often take off too fast. Later I pay for burning my energy too early. In this case there was the added factor of a long down hill, but the mud puddles kept me from breaking into a run. Our pace was fast, but consistent and safe. The trail is mostly sandy or rocky, with no clay.

The temperature warmed fast as we dropped into the canyon. We were in shirt-sleeves but had a back up layer of clothing as well as extra food and lots of water. Even with the extra weight, it was a quick descent. I was concerned that it might be too quick. We passed at least 20 other hikers in that first third of the hike, most of which were crossing the canyon too.

I quickly noticed signs of other hiker's objective. I began asking questions just to verify my observations. Those with heavy packs were headed for one of the camp-grounds or on their way out. They would be doing less than 7 miles for the day, but coming out they would be working VERY hard with all that weight.

The ones with small packs would either be staying in a cabin at Phantom Ranch, dipping below the rim and returning, or day crossing like we were. You could tell the day crossers by how fast they were moving. Rim dippers went slower. Three that day were actually running. They were the only ones who passed us during the decent.

There was good water at Supai Tunnel but at only a mile in, it doesn't matter much. Well, unless you're dry coming out for some reason. The next water was at Roaring Springs which was about 5 miles in. This is actually the source of water for both Cottonwood and Phantom Ranches. A water main runs 8 miles along the trail from there. You can see the access valves every few hundred
feet.



09 Mile Three



10 Mile Four



11 Pack Adjustment

Roaring Springs certainly earned it name this morning. Maybe it should have been name Thunder Creek. We still had plenty of water so didn't bother to stop. Not long after this we met a "Volunteer Ranger". She asked our objective as we went by. We were about to find out why.


Sucker Hole

If you read the Grand Canyon sites, you'll find lots of warnings about descending into the canyon without being prepared and supplied. The warning should be taken seriously.

Back in the early days of aviation there was something called a "sucker hole". It's where the sky is overcast except for one patch of blue sky. For visual pilots (no instrument training) these holes look like a good way to get above the layer so you can get to your destination. The problem occurs when the hole closes up while you're on top and you have no easy way of getting down. Lots of pilots died this way before modern avionics.

The Grand Canyon can be thought of as a gigantic sucker hole in the ground. With a mountain, you work the hardest on the outbound leg. Coming back is easy since it's all down hill. The Canyon is just the opposite. It's so easy going down hill, if you don't save some energy, you might not get back out or at the least be hiking in the dark. Either way, it can spell trouble.

Just before we got to Cottonwood Ranch we found the perfect example of what I'm describing. This first "ranch" (ranger station) is about five miles in and 4000 feet below the North Rim. A hundred yards before we got there we noticed this older gentleman moving quite slowly. He had a younger guy with him so I didn't think anything about it - maybe just on a walk from the Ranch.



12 Cottonwood Ranch



13 First Break

When we got to the ranch and took a snack break, two younger guys asked if we'd seen this old man. I'd already forgotten about him, but An described him perfectly. They were concerned since they'd been waiting a long time for the other two to "catch up". The four of them were on a day crossing like us. Oops - "catching up" in the first third of the hike should have been a warning bell.

Just then the other two came around the corner. Someone offered the old guy a stump to sit on, but he refused heading for a patch of grass instead. At this point his stride was down to about 8 inches on level ground. I don't think he could go uphill at all. He just laid down on the grass and said his legs were too weak to get up.

That's when the Ranger lady came out and chastised these younger guys for bringing him this far down into the canyon. Apparently the Volunteer Ranger we met had advised them to turn back. But they pushed on instead. Did they think it would get easier?

The old man had been swallowed by that big sucker hole in the ground. His young friend has lead him into it. Even a return to the North Rim would take him until WAY after dark. And that was only IF he got his energy back - which wasn't likely.

I talked to this old guy for a minute. He looked to be about 80, but maybe that's just how he felt at that point. He said he had been "working out" several times a week and didn't understand why he felt so weak. I'm not sure what his "work out" was like, but if he hadn't climbed Whitney and back in a single day or something equivalent, he didn't belong this far down in the canyon.

MOST of the people we met on the trail looked like they were prepared. I've done 35 miles of rough ground in a single day. On another extreme hike I did 51 miles of mostly road in just over 16 hours. Last summer, An climbed BOTH Whitney AND Shasta in the SAME week. I had confidence we could make it. But what were THESE guys thinking?

There wasn't anything we could do, so we left it to the Ranger and the old guy's friends. We got back on the trail. About fifteen minutes later we saw a helicopter coming up the canyon about a hundred feet off the ground. Ten minutes later they flew over again heading for the South Rim. Another Ranger rescue complete. I wonder what it cost the old guy. The rumor is, it's a couple of thousand dollars - one expensive lesson.


Bright Angel Canyon

After Cottonwood the trail got more gentle and we slowed down some. Next was 7 miles of Bright Angel Canyon which is one of the larger side canyons leading to the Colorado River.



14 Still Feeling Good

About this time we noticed someone lost their lunch. No, not like that. I mean literally. First was a sandwich in a Ziploc. Then some trail mix followed by a banana and other Ziplocked food. Occasionally, people dump stuff along the trail just to make their pack lighter; but we guessed in this case a zipper slipped open.

Normally when you find stuff along the trail it's best to put it in some obvious place so the owner can come back and pick it up when they discover it's missing. But not in the Grand Canyon. When it happens here, they are not likely to return any time soon. You just don't know how far back it fell out. It's rare anyone hikes this far into the canyon twice in the same week. It's also likely they had someone who would share lunch. So we picked everything up in the interest of Leave No Trace. Besides, it looked yummy.



15 Bright Angel Narrows

The narrows literally go on for about seven miles with some wonderful views. There were also some side trips but we stayed on the objective - maybe next time. Most of the trail was good, but with puddles from yesterday's rain. You could also see where Bright Angel Creek has been much higher the day before.

We passed more day crossers going our way but then it changed. First we passed fewer people. Then we started encountering day crossers coming from the OTHER way. We had definitely made the halfway point.

There was mud across the trail in a few places but most of the trail was good. One exception was a swampy detour by a spring where the creek had totally washed out the trail, water main and all. I think this part had already been fixed but we saw three guys working on the water pipe a little farther down the trail. There were also water tanks for the mules but they were already locked for the season.

It felt like we should be getting to Phantom Ranch soon, but no. These narrows canyon walls went on and on and on and on and on. Well, you get the idea. These things are subjective. Maybe I was just ready for lunch.


Phantom Ranch

When we did get to Phantom Ranch it was a surprise. I had always thought the ranch was on more open ground so I kept waiting for the canyon to open up. But the ranch is near the edge of the narrows so you come on it fast.

The "Ranch" is really just a restaurant, a bathroom and some cabins with picnic tables. It's all set under some cottonwood trees. There were about 25 people here with more showing up behind us as we had lunch.

The weather was now beautiful with only a few clouds here and there. We found an empty table, got comfortable and had lunch.

We had come 14 miles in 4:40 for a speed of 3 MPH which isn't bad on rough ground. So far only the three runners were faster. But we took a full hour for lunch and may have gotten passed in the process.



16 Dressed to Climb

As we left the Ranch we noticed people were starting to put out tents for the night. It was 1:15. We still had plenty of time.



17 South Kaibab Bridge

At the river, boats were loading for rafting trips. Their approach looked like more fun that the cliffs we were facing. But we had eaten and rested. We were ready for a climb. We had also topped off the water bottles since the rest of the trip was dry going up South Kaibab.



18 The OTHER Way Out


The Hard Part

In any case we were in good shape for the hard climb so we hit it hard - maybe too hard. It's my same old problem. I bolt out of the gate. We zoomed up the steps. An did an amazing job keeping up. In retrospect, she should have held me back some. I kept trying to get her to lead and set the pace but she liked being in back.



19 Gaining Ground

It was quite steep and mostly stairs. Some of it was in the sun so we did a lot of sweating, which was to be expected. What wasn't expected was how fast we were climbing. We were still passing people. And these weren't day crossers. Most had just dipped below the rim or were doing the Bright Angel - Kaibab loop. Still, I was feeling good. And An was keeping up. At least for a while.

20 Bright Angel Bridge

About a third the way up we both began to run out of energy. That's when I started a little game of push hard in the sun and take it easy in the shade. It broke things up nicely.

At halfway on South Kaibab (three miles) we had definitely slowed down. Looking back, it took only 1:15 to get this far - WAY too fast for this type of climb. I didn't even realize it at the time I just typed the numbers into my Treo and kept pushing ahead. Adrenalin can be a dangerous thing.

Soon we were both feeling the "wall" which is similar to what happens in a marathon - but not as dramatic. We stopped and had a snack in the shade. It helped. But we never got our pace back. It now became a grind where you check each switch-back to see how many more there were to go.

And just like climbing a mountain, the top seems to slip ever upwards away from you. But unlike a mountain, when we got to the top of this trail, we would be done. We continued to grind.



20 Bright Angel Bridge

I started noting the color of the layers. I knew there was a final white cap of about 300 feet at the top. We could now see it just above us.

During this time we got passed by about five hikers but passed very few ourselves. One guy passed me and I went into race mode just to see if I could. I passed him again and cleared about a hundred yards before I stopped and waited for An. I'm sure she thought I was crazy. We took another snack break.



21 Down River



22 Down Canyon



23 Starting Point in the far distance (click to enlarge)



24 Up Canyon


End Game



25 Almost Done

Finally we were into the white layer and even though we had slowed dramatically, we steadily gained ground and then passed one more couple who had only come halfway down from the South Rim. They knew where the top was and pointed it out. I think this helped An's attitude. I know it helped mine. It's nice to actually see the goal.

As we approached the top we kept looking for Dave but didn't spot him. I got ahead of An and tried to call him on my phone. I wanted him to drape toilet paper across the trail for An to break through. You know, like at the end of a race. It seemed appropriate after this much work. But he didn't answer. I was sure hoping he hadn't gotten lost. I didn't want to walk an extra three miles to the hotel.

I held back for An and we topped out together with a cheer. And there was Dave with the car right were we planned. No walking to the hotel. We actually had energy left, but you don't realize it until you know you've got it done. An even RAN to the dumpster to throw away some garbage AFTER she'd gotten to the car.




26 Excess Energy

It definitely wasn't as bad as a marathon, but it was close. For power hikes it was my forth most difficult. And that was mostly because of the climb.

In miles it was about 21, in hours it was exactly 9 (plus one for lunch) for and an average speed of 2.3 MPH. But that last three miles had taken over three hours. I should have paced it better. Over all, it was a great hike that almost didn't happen. I think we were both please with the outcome.

I got stiff waiting in line to check in at the hotel. It happens fast when you stop moving. We then got dinner before cleaning up and getting into the hot tub. You don't want to get dressed again to go out once you start relaxing.



27 Tame Elk

The next morning we were a little stiff but otherwise feeling great. As we were leaving, An spotted an elk behind the hotel. I got a picture. It was sun-shining again. But don't worry. Our luck hadn't changed completely. We got rained out one more night on the way back home. It also happened at three o'clock in the morning. So again we got up and took turns driving home.

The camping was wet, but the hike went well. That's what counts. If you plan to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a single day, be prepared. There's no van to pick you up if you crap out, and only an expensive helicopter which can only land at two points along the way.

Enjoy the hike.

And leave me a comment below.