Yes it is January 27 and we are still in flagstaff. No we are not being lazy. As mentioned in the previous post, we hiked to the Arizona Snow Bowl (ski area) and hitched a ride the last 15 miles into town since we were low on supplies. During our few day layover we did major food shop for the next 13 days plus 6 days (going into a box and shipped to Roosevelt Lake Marina to be picked up around March 1st). We had also decided to switch to a tent rather than the tarp and bivy sacs. We found that when it is below freezing the breathable bivys don't breath, the condensation just freezes, inside, making our sleeping bags wet. Also the tarp, while being good shelter, does not keep out the wind. Tarps and Bivys are great when its warmer but not below freezing. So we purchased a new light weight tent (4 lbs, about the same as two bivys and a tarp). Also the day before we were going to hit the trail again, Bob did an equipment inspection and found the frame sheet in his pack to be snapped in two. Not sure when or how, but still not good. So we also purchased a new pack.

Feeling quilty about hitching a ride and skipping the 15 miles from Snowbowl to Flagstaff and with the second big storm of the winter coming we dicided what better way to have a shakedown hike and test the new equipment, than to hitch a ride back to snowbowl for a two day hike in a storm back to Flagstaff. Yes we intentially tried to camp in a major storm. But the storm was a day late and we had beautiful skies and temperatures for the whole two day affair. The warmer temps did make the already laid down snow wetter making for slower snowshoeing (you know those big Fenderbergs of ice that build up in your tire wells , picture those on the bottom of the snoeshoes). We still made good time with 5 miles the first day around the mountain and 10 miles the next day, down the mountain and through the hills back to Flagstaff.

The tent worked wonderfully and added just enough warmth (we still boil a nalgene bottle full of water to put in our sleeping bags). Plus set up time went from 1/2 hour to 5 minutes with a lot less cussing. The only draw back is we went from a 12 x 12 foot tarp shelter to a 3 x 7 foot tent. Can you say claustrophobic? Bob loves his new pack, which is working out better than his last one anyway.

So the late major storm. We arrived in Flagstaff to a beautiful sunset and spent the night at the James again (we might have to start pitching in on rent) hoping to get up the next morning and start hiking out of town in the morning. We awoke to a snowstorm with the biggest wettest flakes you ever saw and it just turned to rain. 100% chance of snow and rain today and tonight. Tomorrow goes down to 40% chance, so we will start hiking tomorrow.

Flagstaff usually doesn't get major snow until february and march if any at all. Some years Snowbowl is only open for a week. So all this feets of snow is really a trip for us. About two more weeks of hiking and we should be dropping off the Mogollon rim into warmer temps and little snow exept for the few mountain ranges we go up and over.

Hopefully tomorrow we head south of Flagstaff to Walnut Canyon (a sweet canyon with indian ruins and such) and make our way over the next 5 days to Mormon Lake for a qick bite to eat and a "we're OK" check in with the family and then 8 days to Pine for another big food shop resupply.

Google earth users should go to our map page for a link to google earth AZT.

We now sit in the comforts of the Jame's household with 200 miles of the AZT complete. The section from Grand Canyon to Flagstaff included a wonderful warm week in the Canyon with Bob's brother Jesse, a couple of frigid nights in the pinon pine and juniper woods of Babbit Ranches, and some very snowy nights near the San Francisco Peaks.

Jesse made his way down to Phantom Ranch in the big storm that left even the pack mules out of work for 2 days, the trail erroding too quickly too  safe travel. We left the Ranch with a tear in our eye and big bag of cookies (thank you Vicki!). We hiked to the Grandview trailhead for the next week. The snow was down below the tapeats in some places, a rare occurance. The AZT officially goes up the Bright Angel, south to Tusyan, and east to Grandview Lookout Tower. We prefered hiking inside the canyon over to the Lookout Tower, instead of on Forest Service roads. It was warm and we had a lot of fun exploring the drainages and teaching Jesse about the Canyon on our way to Horseshoe Mesa.

Out of the Canyon, Jesse took us around to shower, do laundry and pack for the next leg of our journey. 4 hours and a wonderful meal later, we were camped in the snow ready to head to the San Francisco Peaks. By day 2 we had left the Ponderosa forest behind and were down lower in the pinon pine and juniper country. This was very cold, with a bitter wind and rough walking. Some nights, we felt like giving in, but when the sun shone on our beautiful faces the next day, we once again found the courage to keep going. We soon got our first glimpse of the Peaks. With our goal in sight, we ratched on our bonnets, buttoned up our dresses, and kept on truckin'. So we walked like this for a couple of days, nothing but the coyotes, roadrunners (watch for falling anvils), and some cattle.

By day four we were back in the Ponderosa forest, with the Peaks now larger than life. This is my journal entry for that night: "Tonight finds us at a campfire in a meadow as the waxing moon shines down upon us, reflecting off the snow on Mt.Humphrey. I'm not worthy of spending an entire night in such a beautiful setting. Ahhh. Today we entered the land of basalt and lava flows, ponderosa pine, owls, turkeys, and racoons. It was a warm sunny day, we hiked with short sleeves! We did put the snowshoes on toward the end of the day. The bright moon has been a pleasure to hike under, as the transition from the golden glow of the sun to the blue light of the nearly full moon happens so smoothly that one barely notices night has fallen."

The next two days we put our route-finding skills to work as we hiked up and around the mountain. This section of the AZT is one that in not complete, and the going was slow in over 5 feet of snow. But what an adventure it was to hike from one sight to the next, making sure to keep on a southern heading. We did get a bit off track in one of the mountain's canyons. It was a tricky snowshoe around fallen trees and truck-sized boulders, trying not to step in holes that would swallow you up to your waist. But we found our way up and around before nightfall, and only 2 miles short of out destination, Arizona Snowbowl, the ski area atop the mountain. We hiked across Hart Prairie on day eight, with stunning views of the country's second largest lava flow to the west. Snowbowl welcomed us with the best-tasting poor quailty hamburgers and beer we've had in a long time! We got a ride down the mountain to resupply (we were too short on fuel to continue), buy a tent (quick easy setup and extra warmth), and prepare for the rest of the trip.

 

Now we've been on the trail 9 days and have learned and seen a lot. Our hike started with sunny skies, cool temperatures, and about 2-6 inches of snow. Our first few nights were chilly as we were learning how to deal with below freezing temperatures. We battled frozen water bottles and frozen food - that is the food we had just cooked if not eaten quickly would soon freeze. Frozen rice and salmon is not tasty. We figured out that if we prepare our hot meal at lunch time in the warm sun, it is enjoyed so much more. We also quickly learned a few tricks that made a big differnece in sleeping comfort and warmth. Like, how to pick a good camp in a valley or other less-windy area, make a good shelter with our tarp with three sides down to the ground, build a big fire, and sleep with a nalgene bottle full of boiling hot water.


We have been following forest service roads along the Arizona Trail for most of our journey thus far. Due to snowy conditions, road travel is easier, safer, and faster. We still managed to wander off the trail/roads our second day out, but only 2 miles out of our way, we found our way back to the AZT. The detour took us to an awesome camp with slick rock and loads of fallen trees to burn.

Hiking in the snow has been fun, you can see all sorts of animal tracks that you normally wouldn't see. We've seen the tracks of packs of Coyotes, Jackrabbits, Cottontail Rabbits, Mice, and Mountain Lions. We have even seen where a bird of prey has swooped down to pick up a rodent, leaving wing prints in the snow and the dead-end of some small rodent tracks.

On our second day out we witnessed a Mountain Lion hunt. All morning we heard the yelps of hound dogs. After breaking camp, we stumbled upon the chase scene. Atop a hill, looking down a valley, we saw the hunted being chased by at leas 9 hounds. The large Lion escaped up into a cave, where the hounds followed, 3-4 of them able to get inside the cave. We heard the hiss of the Lion as it must have been just out of reach of the hounds. The hunters soon appeared, climbed up onto the ledge in front of the cave, and yanked the dogs from the cave. We were thinking," these men must be crazy!" After the dogs were extracted, the Lion was able to escape through an opening  a little higher up. He then sauntered around the corner, 9 hound dogs and 2 hunters in hot pursuit. We cheered the Lion on.

From Jacob's Lake, we hiked along highway 67 to the Grand Canyon. Day one was a sunny hike on the black top. Day two, the road turned icy, then snow packed. We stumbled upon this awesome empty Forest Service cabin that night, and declared the next day a rest day. At this point, the snow base was 36 inches. We snowshoed the next 3 days, averaging 8 miles a day through the meadows of the North Rim, the snow swirling around us. The day before we were to head into the Canyon, a large storm hit. We awoke to 1-2 feet of fresh powder.

It was a wet snowshoe 2 miles to the North Kaibab Trailhead (see Bob's picture on the "about us" page taken at the trailhead), and then a very wet and cold hike 14 miles to Phantom Ranch.  It was one of the most beautiful and humbling experiences I have had, as water was rushing down every drainage, frantic to find its way to the Colorado River (see picture on our "links" page). There were waterfalls everywhere, some over the trail where we would inch our way under, walking on thick ice slicks above 200 feet drop-offs. Rocks were falling everywhere, as the Canyon errodes most when water lubricates rocks, moving them from their angle of repose. I was ready to jump towards the cliff wall, all senses alert, waiting for a rock to come tumbling down upon me. Just as we were entering the "safety zone," the area away from cliffs and falling rocks, a basketball-sized boulder fell just 6 feet from us. By the time the word, "rock," had left Bob's mouth (Actually more like "Holy S**t, Look at the size of that rock!"), I was flat against the cliff wall. We still had 8 miles to go. This was a death-march style hike and we were welcomed, dripping wet and exhausted to the Ranch by old friends, a hot shower, and a delicious meal.

We are now resting at Phantom Ranch, waiting out the big storm with friendly folks. Tomorrow, Bob's brother Jesse meets us and we continue on.

(Contrary to comments left, Bob Does not have a rash on his bottom. The only pain in his butt is his loving big brother, Jeff.)