Grand Canyon Hikers Symposium - April 8th

[hikeaz]

Grand Canyon Hikers Symposium



Saturday April 8, 2006



9:00AM to 5:00PM



Shrine of the Ages, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park


Contact: Tom Martin 928-556-0742 weekends, 928-638-4053 weeks, 928-638-2551

work











The Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association, in conjunction with the

Grand Canyon Field Institute, will be conducting the first ever Grand Canyon

Hikers Symposium, at the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim.

The event is free and open to the public.



The purpose of this symposium is to share hiking and backpacking exploits
and explorations in the Grand Canyon, as defined by the geographical region from Lee's Ferry to the Grand Wash Cliffs, rim to rim.

Each of the 20-minute presentations may include a hike or overnight backpack

on the corridor trails and surrounding area, historical trails such as the

North and South Bass, Tanner, Grand View, and any number of canyon routes.


The presentations are as follows:



CHBA Hikers and Backpackers Symposium



April 8, Shrine of the Ages


9:00 AM Introduction, ground-rules, any schedule changes, other, introduce first speaker



9:15 AM Dave Mortenson, 1968, First known ascent of the Cranberry Canyon Route, multi-night backpack


9:40 AM Tyler Williams, 2001, Upper Shinumo Creek slot canyon, multi-night backpack with technical climbing


10:05 AM Glen Rink, 1996, A second ascent of Grapevine Buttress, a Grade V accessible from the river



10:30 AM Gene Fowler, 2005, Rim-to-Rim in the Summertime, day hike



10:55 AM Mike Mahanay, 2004, solo from Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry,
multi-night backpack



11:20 AM Allen Doty, 1989, Climbing Mount Sinyella, mulit-night backpack
with technical climbing



Lunch

1:15 PM Scott Baxter, 1975, First ascent of the Marble Tower. Day hike with technical climbing


1:40 PM Dana Kaleta and Judy Krause, 2005, A 30 night Grand Canyon trek, multi-night backpack


2:05 PM Bob Packard, 1981, When things go wrong, Kwagunt to Lava Canyon, multi-night backpack


2:30 PM Dr. Tom Myers, 2004, following Harvey to Wotons Throne, multi-night backpack


2:55 PM David Gancy, 1958, First ascent of Zoroaster Temple


3:20 PM Doug Nering, 2005, Exploring the North Bass to Hakatai trail,
multi-night backpack


3:45 PM Rim-Rim Maverick, 2005, Rim to rim in 10 hours, 40 minutes, at 79 years young, day hike


4:10 PM Mike Anderson, 2005, Archeological discoveries on the North Bass
Trail, mutli-night backpack


4:35 PM Tom Martin, 2002, First known ascent of Clay Tanks Castle, day hike with technical climbing and overnight with river support







Participant Bios







Mike Anderson



Michael Anderson, Ph.D., earned his doctoral degree in history from Northern

Arizona University in 1999. He has been a researcher and writer of canyon

history since 1990, a teacher and guide for the Grand Canyon Field Institute

since 1993, and Grand Canyon National Park’s trails archeologist and

cultural resource specialist since 2001. Mike is the author of four canyon

histories, all published by Grand Canyon Association: Living At the Edge,

Polishing the Jewel, Along the Rim and A Gathering of Grand Canyon

Historians.







Scott Baxter



Although Scott’s adventures in Grand Canyon have been few, they have been

good ones! Like hiking with Harvey Butchart and Bob Packard in 1973 when

they managed the first ascent of Swilling Butte. Scott hiked with Harvey

many years later on Harvey’s carrier-culminating Shanley Springs hike. Other

highlights include the first ascent of the Marble Tower, a successful “hole

to hump” run from Phantom Ranch to the top of Mount Humphries with Allen

Williams, a Zoroaster Temple ascent with the late great Dugald Bremner, and

several enjoyable, if not harrowing, climbs with Al Doty.







Elias Butler



Arizona native Elias Butler took his first backpack trip in Grand Canyon at

the age of 10, and his first river trip at the age of 12. Now a photographer

and writer, he enjoys getting out whenever possible to explore off trail.

One of his more memorable treks was retracing a Paiute trading route down

Kanab Creek, across to Matkatamiba and out Havasu. Lately he's been

finishing work on a biography of Harvey Butchart with co-author Tom Myers.







Alan Doty



Alan Doty developed an interest in hiking in the Grand Canyon at the time he

transferred



to Northern Arizona University in 1966. Alan’s interest in the Canyon was

also inspired by association with other hikers he met in the NAU hiking

club. Alan’s interest in climbing Grand Canyon peaks came after his first

climb of Pollux Temple in 1969. Shortly after that climb, he met and

developed a friendship with Harvey Butchart and did several hikes and climbs

with Harvey. It was Harvey Butchart’s enthusiam which influenced Alan to

continue hiking and pursuing Grand Canyon summits.







Gene Fowler



Gene has been an active Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association

member since May 2000 participating in several service projects. Gene’s

Canyon experience is approximately 330 days and nights below the rim mostly

on non-corridor trails. Gene’s main claim to fame is hiking to the rim on

several GCHBA service projects to provide ice cream for the participants.







David Ganci



David’s first Grand Canyon climbing escapade was a 1958 first ascent of

Zoroaster Temple with Rick Tidrick - in August - complete with home made

angle irons, C-Rations and too little water -highlighted by dehydration,

starvation, heat fatigue and nightime hallucinations. In later years, he

made first ascents of two of the Angel Gate spires with Chuck Graff, a solo

ascent of the east face of Brahma Temple and the first ascent of the

Southwest Face of Zoroaster Temple with John Annerino and Georg Bain. He

plans to climb Isis Temple this year to celebrate his 69th birthday.







Laurent “Maverick” Gaudreau



Maverick was born May 8, 1926, in Ludlow Massachusetts. Maverick has been

hiking and backpacking since the 1950’s in Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

Maverick notes the Grand Canyon is, of course, his favorite place to hike.

Maverick has hiked most of the trails in and out of the Canyon, but most of

the locals know him for his obsession with hiking the corridor trails. This

obsession started about seven years ago, and since then Maverick tries to

increase his previous years rim-to-rim number. Maverick did forty five

rim-to-rim’s last year.







Dana Kaleta



Dana Kaleta's first Grand Canyon experience was a Rim-to-Rim 12 years ago.

She has backpacked all established trails between Little Colorado and Elves

with multiple trips to Havasu Canyon. Judy Krause joined Dana on a

Rim-to-Rim several years ago. Since then, they have returned annually to

spend several nights below the Rim. Last Spring, the two completed a 31 day

trek connecting Tanner, Beamer, Escalante, East Tonto, the corridor, West

Tonto, South Bass, Royal Arch Loop, Elves, and back out South Bass trail.

Clearly addicted, future trip plans include a similar trek of North Rim

routes.







Tom Martin



Tom started hiking and rafting the Canyon in 1967. Since then Tom has

climbed over 70 of the Park’s named buttes, including three ascents of

Vishnu Temple. Tom participated in the first known ascent of Clay Tanks

Castle. Tom’s passion for hiking is matched by his passion for park

advocacy, as he co-founded the Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers

Association and River Runners For Wilderness. Tom has written the Guide To

The Colorado River In Grand Canyon, Lee’s Ferry To South Cove, and Day Hikes

>From The River. Tom is a physical therapist working at the Grand Canyon

Clinic.







Mike Mahanay



Mike did his first hike in the Grand Canyon down the Bright Angel Trail when

he was 17 years old, and could not stop coming back. Mike lived on the South

Rim in the eighties, and has never stopped hiking, preferring the less

traveled routes. Mike has completed a continuous route in the Grand Canyon

on the north side of the Colorado River from Lees Ferry to the Grand Wash

Cliffs, and on the south side of the Colorado River he only need sthe

section from 205 Mile to Supai. Mike is President of the Washington Alpine

Club, formed in 1916.







David Mortenson



At the age of 13 Dave Mortenson made his first hike in the Grand Canyon off

the end of the Great Thumb to be one of the first hikers to visit Keyhole

Bridge. A year later he traveled down the Colorado before Glen Canyon Dam

changed the river. In the 55 Canyon trips Dave has focused on the remote

western half of the Canyon. Only once has he hiked a Corridor trail and

that was to join a river trip. His passion is exploring and photographing

the places nobody sees. Dave lives near Seattle and will start another

backpack after the symposium.







Doug Nering



Dougs first visit to Grand Canyon was to north rim at age 3, and his first

hike to the bottom was at age 12. His first river trip was at 18, and Doug

led his first backcountry trip at age 20. Since then Doug has hiked over 200

days below the rim and rafted Grand Canyon 5 times. Doug hiked with George

Steck and Gary Ladd around Powell Plateau in 1990, which included the Stina

flash flood incident described in Grand Canyon Loop Hikes. Gougs special

interest is re-discovering historic trails and old routes, and is president

of the GCHBA.







Bob Packard



Bob started hiking in Grand Canyon in 1968, where several early hikes were

with Harvey Butchart. Harvey and Bob were colleagues in the Northern Arizona

Math Deptartment. Bob has hiked approximately 550 days in GC and 5500 miles

of the Canyon. Bob has summated approximately 165 interior buttes counting

unnamed ones. Bob’s hikes collectively form a continuous line full length

from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry between rim and river on both sides of the

river. Bob has explored approximately 100 side canyons and has hiked over

100 Canyon hikes with Ken Walters. Bob averages 100 miles/month hiking and

1000 feet elevation gain/day. Bob turns 70 this coming July.







Glenn Rink



Glenn discovered the thrill of exploring Grand Canyon on foot as a teenager.

Glenn was turned onto lesser-traveled routes by George Bain over twenty five

years ago. Glenn and George climbed Isis Temple up through the pioneer

route on the southeast Redwall buttress. Glenn has put his own twist on

Grand Canyon route finding, studying routes when he worked as a Grand Canyon

river guide. Accessing remote climbing and hiking routes by boat has been

key to many of his adventures. Glenn continues to seek unusual plant

records in far-out places in the Canyon, and lives in Flagstaff Arizona.







Tyler Williams



Tyler Williams is a writer, photographer, and most of all a dedicated funhog

from Flagstaff, AZ. Tyler has authored three adventure books including

Canyoneering Arizona, which includes the upper Shinumo Creek route he will

be presenting today. Tyler is also the author of Grand Canyon River Hikes,

and Whitewater Classics-Fifty North American Rivers Picked by the

Continent's Leading Paddlers. He regularly writes and photographs for

several magazines including Paddler, Canoe & Kayak, and Backpacker. Having

grown up in Prescott, Arizona, he has been adventuring in Grand Canyon for

most of his life by hiking, boating, and most recently, canyoneering.