My first backpacking, camping trip.

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Apr 05 2002 2:40 pm

We're about to head out the door to go up north. Tomorrow will be my first backpacking overnighter and also my first step inside the Grand Canyon. I got my pack up to about 35 pounds, and I need to go to Home Depot to find a kitchen sink that will fit in my pack.

Wish us luck and good weather.
joe, you may want to add another drive to the server, - I plan on taking a whole slew of pictures.
Stories and pictures to follow next week.

GTG

BoyNhisDog · Post by **BoyNhisDog** » Apr 05 2002 3:09 pm

Sounds like a blast! Is that the weight before water? My pack is super light until I put the water in.

I recently bought a new pack myself, been out on conditioning hikes and am very happy with it. We are considering the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado later this year.

Good luck and bring back the full report.

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Apr 05 2002 4:52 pm

Have a great trip into the GC, GTG.....But don't trip! :P
And we'll expect great things from you when it comes to a trail description of South Kaibab Trail

And while you're at the bottom, stop in at Phantom Ranch and tell them when I'm there Oct. 4 I expect real, not powdered, garlic in my Phantom Ranch stew!

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Apr 05 2002 6:07 pm

35 pounds, huh? You're halfway there.... In Harvey Manning's book 'Backpacking one step at a time' he tells the story of the guy who said it wasn't the weight that hurt, it was the 50 pound sack of flour in the oven rolling around that hurt his balance.

The canyon is hard to grasp from the top. Your depth of field is too limited. Getting down even a little way is another world 8O . Be careful of feet and knees on the way down, cause you'll need 'em on the way back. Have a great trip, GTG.

Glen, I'll send you a note after I get back from Supai next Thurs. I've got maps and books on the Weminuche, spent a week there a few year back on the C/D. -R

BoyNhisDog · Post by **BoyNhisDog** » Apr 05 2002 6:29 pm

Randy, I'll look forward to it. I have a lot of questions. I picked up a good map and a book in Durango but first hand info is always the best.

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » Apr 05 2002 9:59 pm

I know this is going off the thread of the topic, maybe I should moderate myself, but ...

Glenn, as an undergrad two friends and I did a few days in the Weminuche Wilderness...we did discover that the topos we used (dated in the 1960s) were very inaccurate...I can pull my file on the area if you are looking for info...it is shockingly beautiful!

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Apr 05 2002 11:52 pm

Hope you have a great trip, Todd! Randy is absolutely correct, there's no way you can get a full appreciation of the Canyon until you step below the rim, and the further below it the better. One of the best experiences of my life was watching the sun come up about midway down the South Kaibab! Awesome stuff! It may be your first trip down there, but I promise you, you'll be hooked!

Have fun!

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Apr 09 2002 11:28 pm

That was the best hike I’ve done yet.
I finally ended up with a 38 – 40 lb pack. That’s with water and dinner, dessert and breakfast for six, plus my lunches and snacks for two days.
For none of us ever having done an overnight backpack trip, I would say we did fairly well. We took our time and took about five hours to get from the South Kaibab trailhead down to Bright Angel Campground. I of course played caboose, I like to take lots of pictures and talk to others on the trail as well. We encountered people from all over the world. There were the experienced hikers on their 10th time down in a year, down to the parents with young kids three miles into the canyon with less than a pint of water each.

I had strange feelings at the campsite, - I observed all of the experienced campers and wondered if they looked at us the way we did the families with less than a quart of water for four. I wondered if they rolled their eyes because we all had backpacks from Target, tents ala Target and a gift tent from a mother-in-law over a decade ago. We were all having a great time and the scenery was so beautiful, that I didn’t spend too much time worrying about what others thought about my gear or experience level.

I had to teach everyone about not leaving food in their packs, and then another small lecture about it when I had a close encounter with a ringtail on the pack tree. It was basically him surprising me in the dark as I reached for fresh camera batteries in my pack. I never saw his head, but his tail snaked around every pack before he decided to jump and run.

Ibuprofen and GasX make good neighbors.

We almost got rained on Sunday morning around 1:00 AM God reminded me how to pray when he threw a handful of rain down into camp. I did not really want to deal with stowing packs into already crowded tents.

It’s truly amazing the amount of trash people leave behind in such a beautiful place.

It took us about eight hours out up Bright Angel trail, again taking our time.

If you go, definitely take a walking stick or a pair preferably. My poles saved my knees.

This was truly my favorite hike so far and I plan on trying to go back this fall.

I hope Randy, Mike and crew have at least half as much fun as I did. Pictures to come soon.

GTG

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Apr 10 2002 6:58 am

Sounds great, GTG! Looking forward to the photos and a first hand report when we do the Roger's Canyon Trail.

Paintninaz · Post by **Paintninaz** » Apr 10 2002 7:35 am

Congratulations GTG!! I bet the trip was awesome

I hope to some day work up to learning the backpacking essentials and make the trip down too. Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

paintninaz

ck_1 · Post by **ck_1** » Apr 10 2002 10:14 am

[quote='GTG']I had strange feelings at the campsite, - I observed all of the experienced campers and wondered if they looked at us the way we did the families with less than a quart of water for four. I wondered if they rolled their eyes because we all had backpacks from Target, tents ala Target and a gift tent from a mother-in-law over a decade ago. We were all having a great time and the scenery was so beautiful[/quote]

Hey GTG - Glad you enjoyed it, though I knew you would...when I first started backpacking, I had the same thoughs...I remember being in Rocky Mountain National Park putting up a tent in a snowstorm and having difficulty...there was a guy who obviously was an experienced outside guy who watched us on and off as we struggled. I was glad he didn't come over to help...I think I learned from doing it myself..so, I can totally understand your 'strange feelings'...and you are right, we do look at newbies...but not the same way as we(you and I) look at ill-prepared hikers...looking at newbie backpackers..I end up thinking about that day in Colorado, and I just kinda smile to myself...it's a totally different feeling than when I see people in the canyon who shouldn't be there or should be more prepared.

Sorry for my rambling...glad you enjoyed the house of stone and light!

BoyNhisDog · Post by **BoyNhisDog** » Apr 10 2002 4:43 pm

Good hike GTG. The quality of the gear does not make a difference in the experience or quality of the hiker. It is nice to have good gear but there are some awesome folks out there with less than you. I'm looking forward to your photos.

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » Apr 10 2002 8:03 pm

Well Done GTG, Well Said BoyNhisDog

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Apr 10 2002 10:25 pm

Well here's the pictures for the trip down South Kaibab Trail. The pictures from Bright Angel Campgrounds and Bright Angel Trail will follow soon.
{ invalid link removed }

I'll add my comments to the trail description soon as well.

GTG

Paintninaz · Post by **Paintninaz** » Apr 11 2002 7:58 am

GREAT pictures GTG!!!

Keep 'em comin'!!!

paintninaz

Dragon188 · Post by **Dragon188** » Apr 11 2002 1:32 pm

Sounds like you had a good time GTG. I remember my first over night backpacking trip, especially since I got stuck with all the water. There is no better feeling than when you get to camp and can drop a 50 pound pack off your shoulders.

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Apr 11 2002 2:35 pm

Great Group of photos, GTG....but only 123??? You musta run outta batteries! :P
If this was the good old days of film, GTG's film developer'd be driving a MZB!

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Apr 11 2002 5:11 pm

Hooli, I shot well over 350 pictures in the two days we were down there. The first 123 are the ones I gleaned from the trip down. Bright Angel Campground pictures and Bright Angel Trail pictures are yet to follow. I think I only went through four set of batteries.

GTG

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Apr 11 2002 10:40 pm

My set of pictures from Bright Angel Campground up to the rim of the canyon are uploaded now.
{ invalid link removed }
Check them out if you have time. Camp pictures soon.

GTG

nealz · Post by **nealz** » Apr 12 2002 10:36 am

Great job GTG. A backpack trip in the Canyon is pretty much a trophy hike IMHO. And going down the South Kaibab is still my favorite way to get into the ditch.

Don't worry about your newbie status as now, you're a veteran of the GC. I've told this story here before but I'm reminded of an encounter on the South Kaibab I had a few years back. My buddy and I were coming up the South Kaibab very near the spot of your photo #22 (great pix BTW) when we ran into two Italian tourists who were headed down in Gucci loafers - no socks, long dress pants, silk shirts and each with a can of Pepsi. Talk about newbies! Carumba?!

The Canyon really is an amazing place and it gives me a sense of local pride to see folks from all over the world enjoying what we have in our back yard. Glad you're back just fine and praise God for trekking poles and moleskin, eh?

-Nealz

My first backpacking, camping trip.

My first backpacking, camping trip.

GC Trip

Re: GC Trip

Pictures

Photos

More pictures