GCHBA Volunteer Service Project - in Grand Canyon NP / Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Ass. (GCHBA) / Yet another VIP (Volunteer In Park) Adventure
(April 1st to 7th, 2019)
Text © copyright by Rob; and Photos © copyright by Rob Jones
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Bunkhouse Bop Across The Canyon:
GCHBA Volunteer Service Project - in Grand Canyon NP / Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Ass. (GCHBA) / Yet another VIP (Volunteer In Park) Adventure (April 1st to 7th, 2019) Text © copyright by Rob; and Photos © copyright by Rob Jones |
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Co-Adventurer VIPs: With Barry B., Dan E., Rob J., Roger S., and Tim W.
Ranger Elyssa S. is our fabulous NPS coordinator/contact and project director.
I am the humble Grand Penultimate Co-Poobah of GCHBA Volunteer Service Projects.
GCHBA is Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Ass.
VIP is Volunteer In Park.
This volunteer service project was supported by the NPS people who put the "Service!" in NPS; and by the members and Board of the GCHBA (Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association). Thanks for your stewardship of our precious public lands.
camera: Panasonic DMC-ZS60
Note: the opinions in this report are not necessarily those of the GCHBA or its Board.
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ERM = Energy Required Miles. A mile is added for
every 500' elevation gain or
loss. It's a very serviceable method of estimating energy required miles. ERM was initially used in Trails
of the Tetons (long out of print) by Paul Petzold, founder of NOLS. It's a wonderfully useful concept and
application. Add one mile for each 500' up AND down to distance = ERM. I use ERMs to calculate what the actual
day is like. It's a very serviceable method of estimating energy required miles. Remember, however, that the
ERMs are estimates because they depend on GPS satellite coverage and math functions.
Day 1: Condor Corridor Cruise. Looking Sheepish on the South Kaibab. Rim
to Phantom/Bright Angel (BA) via the South Kaibab Trail. 8 miles, down 4500'. ERM of 17.
"Scientists have discovered that the shape of an animal's pupils is related to whether it is hunter or hunted.
Approaching the basement rocks, we see the green pea soup River.
Into the BA/Phantom area, we enter a different world, possessing a touch of wild character with a jarring concession sprawl.
Bunkhouse deluxe, lovely shower. Yes, it's the Phantom NPS Bunkhouse, the one we painted and worked on last Fall.
Link to the report about - Navajo Brown, All Around.
Seeing Ranger Jeff and Sjors, the permanent volunteer, we discuss the ways of Phantom. Jeff is busy overseeing a
12-year old who walked in front of his family, all the way to the PR Ranger Station. His family was on a day hike and is
now back on the rim, and most likely quite upset. Jeff will walk this explorer out of The Canyon at the end of his tour,
tomorrow morning. This leaves Sjors to check the BA Campground and pick up other tasks. A Master VIP he is. Later, it's
time to outline tasks with Ranger Elyssa.
Using ERMs does not account for the 'texture' of the route or trail - that
is, rocky, boulders, no trail, slimy mud, etc., yet does help approximate the route.
See more information about ERMs at the end of this report.
Tim, Dan, Barry and I enjoy breakfast at Maswik, contemplating our trip into The Canyon.
Roger is hiking in via Bright Angel (BA) Trail to leave food at Indian Garden (IG) for the trip out later in the project.
Next, the bus to the South Kaibab trailhead.
Down the South Kaibab, the crowd clogs.
Condors! high above the Toroweap Limestone ridge. Lovely leading edges of white on the
wings; flying planks. Ancient vultures returned to their ancestral terrain. (Condors have historically nested in the
high caverns and openings in the Redwall Limestone.)
Tim points out that hints of ephemeral Cheyava Falls can be seen across the River, nestled
along the Clear Creek gash.
Link to a previous Cheyava adventure
Brittlebush sprinkle gold among the red rocks. Red dust of Hermit Shale coats the boots
and adds complementary color to slate green pants.
A shaggy, molting female Bighorn Sheep (ewe), lightly colored, grazes on flowering mormon
tea, an ephedra. What a photo opportunity, and there's enough time for a short video too. Later, Bill Sloan, NPS Sheep
Researcher, tells me that this is indeed a pregnant sheep and Bill guesses her location within a rock layer. Impressive.
Now, that makes me feel sheepish (embarrassed) about knowing very little about Bighorn Sheep. And, how come the horizontal pupils?
An analysis by researchers from University of California, Berkeley, of 214 species of land animals shows that species with
pupils that are vertical slits are more likely to be ambush predators that are active both day and night.
On the other hand, those with horizontally elongated pupils are extremely likely to be plant-eating prey species
with eyes on the sides of their heads.
As for horizontally elongated pupils, which with few exceptions correspond to grazing prey animals such as sheep,
deer and horses – the researchers found they expanded the effective field of view.
Circular pupils were linked to "active foragers", or animals that chase down their prey." Cosmos: The Science of
Everything, August 10, 2015.
At the coral, I meet Bob Muler. Bob tells all without silly redactions.
According to Bob, t-rump and barr and mcconnell should be held in jail until their trials have concluded
and they have permanent prison numbers. And, no electronics of any kind in jail/prison - allow people
of government interested in helping others (besides the very rich and corporations) to do some good work.
Thanks Bob.
A bit of leg cramping highlights the amount of elevation loss today.
The sweet background song of a roaring and murky Bright Angel Creek closes out a long day. The screen porch on the
Phantom Bunkhouse is exactly the venue to enjoy and contemplate The Canyon.
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Tasks Accomplished List 4-2019 GCHBA (pdf)
(Click the image for the document) | ||
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Day 2: Wall Street Turbulence.
To Cottonwood. 9 miles; ERM of 14.
The day begins with walking the Box, which is cool and quiet
of runners and hikers. The background drone of rapid water soothes.
Wading Wall Creek, a thundering murky mess, drowns most boots.
Tim tosses his tevas back across and I throw my boots; Elyssa making a one handed catch. The
water is swift and one cannot see the bottom as they shuffle across the calf-deep flow.
Wall Street turbulence? Well, it's good to see big bankers
and corporate welfare artists (corporate socialists) in a state of turbulence over the erratic
non-policies and ranting instabilities of t-rump, e.g., trade wars, erratic, damaging tariffs.
We VIPs are happy dealing with Wall Creek
turbulence.
A lone straggly Redbud is blushing its pinkness as we approach
Cottonwood.
A yuge amount is accomplished after lunch, including removing
old display cases and an old bench, trimming trees, applying oil to the info kiosk and amphitheatre
benches, removing stickers from bathroom doors, installing lantern hangers in amphitheater, etc.
See the complete task list. Roger and Matt have a plan for holding the heavy information cases
in place while attaching them - and it works well, resulting in a functional and visually pleasing display.
Barry has carried loppers from PR/BA and trims trees throughout
the area. Tim helps with the clean-up and makes the area look like a proper Ranger Station once
again. The Cottonwood RS (Ranger Station) needs some regular care. The major work we performed
at Cottonwood in 2016 still has the Station looking decent.
Here's the link to
the Cottonwood Rehabilitation Cruise project (click here).
As we creep uphill to Manzanita rest area and Ranger Station at the
end of this long day, bursts of wind propel bits of rain across the rim and onto us.
Getting the hot water heater operational, we enjoy hot water in the
Manzanita Bunkhouse as the wind screams outside and the temperature plummets.
We fail to stay up to hiker midnight, instead collapsing about 7:30 p.m.
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Day 3: Waiting for Bumblebee. More work at
Cottonwood and at Roaring Springs. 4 miles; ERM of 6.
The yellow and black NPS hornet inches into position above the
sling load of old information cases and other junk. Hornet? Bumblebee? Delicately, the bumblebee
lifts the sling load into the sky and loops down Canyon.
We are into another day at Cottonwood, installing information cases,
more tree trimming, lots of stuff. Barry, Dan, and Elyssa are up at Roaring Springs Rest Area
dismantling picnic tables and clearing the place for another garbage load. Dan discovers that
it's easier to rip the boards off the table pipe supports, and proceeds to do so, allowing more
time to cut up the boards.
The trail is surprisingly quiet today, although we do see Roger
from Sheffield, England and a cross-Canyon hiker with cross-country skis strapped to his pack.
Walking back to Manzanita affords expansive views of a clearing
sky above soaring Canyon walls. Lovely.
Dan sleeps on the Manzanita heliport while I am on the deck as
a cool breeze courses down Roaring Springs Canyon and Bright Angel Creek rumbles its background tune.
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Day 4: Phantom Return. BA Boomerang. Manzanita
to BA/Phantom. 9 miles; ERM of 14.
We're lilting down the North Kaibab Trail on a fine Canyon day.
Again, we employ the chained use of Tim's tevas to ford Wall Creek.
"You'll need your snow tires," I note to the AZT (Arizona Trail)
bike packers toting their disassembled bikes up the North Kaibab Trail. There's a banner year of
snow on the North Rim. I'm finishing the Quest to Hike the AZT soon
Here's the link to
all WV reports about the AZT Quest (click here).
As I pass Roger, Tim, and Dan toiling in the BA amphitheater
resetting a sign and pulling weeds, I meet Bob Muler, who relates all the inside news about future
indictments of the vicious narcissistic orange monster; the indictments farmed out to the assorted
state prosecutors. Bob has a pleasant disposition and is an excellent conversationalist, especially
compared to the trumpish buffoon.
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After a visit to the Phantom Cantina for beer and conversation,
we are talking all things Canyon with Sjors and Ranger Matt in the Bunkhouse screen porch while gazing
at several thousand vertical feet of rocks made by time.
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Dinner finds us showered, laundry done, and eating biscotti with tea,
courtesy of abandoned food from the fisheries project. Eat it before expiration. Although a
suggestion, expiration dates keep things moving.
Mike (NPS compost crew) and I work to remove the broken off thorn
of catclaw from my finger, a remnant of the most recent jaunt on the AZT. We also discuss the strain
on visitor experience and Park resources caused by the scourge of rim runners and fast walkers.
Mike notes that the Manzanita porch is infamous for its population
of scorpions, which come up from below the deck in droves at night. Yikes, now I learn about this. Creepy.
All too soon it's time to get to bed after somewhat preparing for
the next day and the trek to IG, Indian Garden, and another work day.
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Day 5: Diggery Do at Indian Garden. To Indian Garden (IG).
6 miles; ERM of 8..
The Condor circles, high above the Redwall. Gorgeous. We've climbed
through most of the basement rocks from the Phantom/Bright Angel oasis; Vishnu Schist, Zoroaster
Granite. Approaching the Great Unconformity, a gap of about 1.2 to 1.4 billion years separates the
basement rocks from the Tapeats Sandstone. Of course, you don't see the gap because by definition
a gap is of something missing. Then the Tapeats Sandstone, holding up the Bright Angel Shale and the
Tonto Platform. Above the Tapeats narrows we stroll, and below in the narrows Canyon Tree Frogs
chortle their Spring courtship song.
Arriving in the IG oasis, we begin to dismantle old info cases and
install new cases. Another arduous task is digging about 10" of wet sand out of the CCC (Civilian
Conservation Corp) rest house in the IG day use area. A recent deluge has coursed down the trail
and into the rest house, bringing along all the sediment swept up during its travels. Diggery do.
Other minor tasks follow into early evening and my old body parts call for a rest. Luxuriously, we
shower, cook, and lounge in the IG Bunkhouse, making this the third bunkhouse enjoyed on this
service project. Deluxe. Bunkhouse bop.
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Day 6: Pointedly to the Point.Plateau
Point and finish tasks. 5 miles; ERM of 6.
The Redbud and Redwall peek through the tasseled rushes
along the path to Plateau Point. An excellent reward for finishing up the tasks organized
by Elyssa is a quick jaunt to Plateau Point. Dan, Tim, and I hike out to Plateau Point
after working most of a day clearing out the CCC rest area, trimming trees, tightening bolts
in the many IG tables, applying linseed oil to the amphitheater benches, and cleaning the
drains draining water from the jungle trail.
Tired. And, feeling remorse about leaving The Canyon tomorrow.
Roger leaves a bit early, missing a scrumptious Ranger Dinner.
Roger goes home to finish the build out of another AZT tool trailer. One of the trailers
is a gate unit, bearing the name "Bil D Gates."
Yes, Elyssa is serving a thank you dinner this evening,
delectable spaghetti and cookie brownie dessert. And, we thank Rangers Elyssa and Matt
for a project well planned and supported.
Dan jokingly says "it's been real, and it's been fun, but
it hasn't been real fun."
We eat on the Indian Garden Ranger Station deck, the deck
installed during a previous GCHBA project, as the sun sets on Brahma Temple and Canyon Bats
flit erratically yet with purpose.
Link here to the deck installation volunteer project.
Saying goodbye to Elyssa and Matt, we go to an early bedtime
in preparation for the high rise from The Canyon tomorrow. When people talk about "high rise,"
the talk should be about big elevation terrain like The Canyon and not some hedge fund manager's
dream and unearned golden parachute.
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Day 7: Full of Biscotti. Out of The Canyon. IG
to South Rim via the BA Trail. 4.5 miles; ERM of 10.5.
Biscotti power urges me up the trail in the cool morning air.
Everyone is out of IG early, bopping out of our last bunkhouse of this tour; Bunkhouse Bop.
Elyssa and Matt are on the trail before sunrise because Elyssa is bound for Moab today.
She is presenting about interpretive procedures to fellow NPS Rangers. Matt is off on
another assignment, I believe a River patrol. Barry is also on the trail early, leaving
Tim, Dan, and me to do the final bunkhouse cleaning and storing of tools. Because Barry
has already dismantled the ceiling fans and cleaned them and cleaned most of the bunkhouse,
it's a cursory task to finish the clean-up before leaving IG.
We leave The Canyon with a feeling that proper stewardship
brings, satisfaction sprinkled with a bit of pride and humility, satisfaction for a job
done well, pride in doing more than asked, humility when considering those public servants
who put the "Service!" in NPS - doing more than we can imagine each day. Thanks all.
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"I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Under the desert sun, in the dogmatic clarity, the fables of theology and the myths of classical philosophy dissolve like mist. The air is clean, the rock cuts cruelly into flesh; shatter the rock and the odor of flint rises to your nostrils, bitter and sharp. Whirlwinds dance across the salt flats, a pillar of dust by day; the thornbush breaks into flame at night. What does it mean? It means nothing. It is as it is and has no need for meaning. The desert lies beneath and soars beyond any possible human qualification. Therefore, sublime." Ed Abbey
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*ERM: Energy Required Miles, are there data to support this
mileage adjustment?
Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education and Leadership
Petzoldt first proposed his theory in his 1976 book “Teton Trails” to
help backpackers plan trips and calculate their energy needs on mountain trails. “Petzoldt defined one
energy mile as the energy required to walk one mile on the flat. He recommended adding two energy miles
for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, so a person hiking one mile and 1,000 feet upward would use the
equivalent of three energy miles,” Phipps said.
Petzoldt’s energy mile theory was just a reflection of the mountaineer’s
“gut feeling,” Phipps said. The theory had never been tested in a laboratory before the study began in WCU’s
Exercise Physiology Laboratory in the spring of 2010, Phipps said.
To determine the validity of the theory, the study measured the energy cost
and perceived exertion for walking on flat ground, with and without a 44.5-pound backpack, and up an elevation
gain of 1,000 feet, with and without the backpack, through the collection of metabolic data, Phipps said.
Twenty-four student, faculty and staff volunteers, including 12 males and 12
females, went through four testing sessions as the research continued into fall semester of 2010. The study
results showed that the additional energy cost for ascending 1,000 feet ranged from 1.34 to 2.02 energy mile
equivalents, for an average of about 1.6 miles, compared to Petzoldt’s use of two energy miles for each 1,000
feet. The range revealed by the study was due to the “hikers” personal weight differences, Phipps said.
“It is remarkable that Petzoldt’s energy mile theory is so close to the actual energy cost measured during our
study,” Phipps said. “In the field of outdoor education, it’s important for leaders to include an estimation
of energy requirements during the planning of hiking trips.”
Phipps said the energy required for hiking up steep mountain trails would vary
for individuals and groups, and the variables of the trail would also factor in, but he recommends that
backpackers stick with Petzoldt’s idea of adding two energy miles for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain when
planning trips.
The Validity of Petzoldt's Energy Mile Theory, 2010
Authors: Maridy McNeff Troy, Maurice L. Phipps
Publication: Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership
Links:
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Tasks Accomplished List 4-2019 GCHBA (pdf)
(Click the image for the document) | ||
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Related Links:
Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association site (GCHBA)
VIP Cottonwood Rehabilitation Cruise:
GCHBA Volunteer Service Project At Cottonwood RS, 3-2016
Bonus Feature from the 3-2016 volunteer project: A Second Ribbon Oasis - AZ Daily Sun 3-30-2016, pdf
VIPs at IG - Volunteering at Indian Garden RS, 2015
GCHBA Gusher at BA - Volunteering at the bottom of The Canyon, 2015
the geology of the Grand Canyon by the NPS
Eaarth - Living on a fundamentally altered planet by Bill McKibben
Other WV reports about the Grand Canyon:
Click here or on the Looking Lizard to go to all WV reports about The Grand Canyon
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More Truth Than Joke:
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