Two weekends ago I headed up to the Grand Canyon and did about 30 miles of hiking in it. The first night, I started a night hike of the Kaibab, Tonto, Bright Angel Loop at 8 PM, Finishing about 2AM.
I planned on a second night in the canyon, but on the way up the Kaibab I was offered a ride back to Flagstaff, so I took the definite ride. The next day I did a 12 mile hike up Mt. Elden by Flagstaff, then wrapped around the northwest side toward Buffalo Park. Hiking in the dark I missed Buffalo park, but ended up in a neighborhood off 4th St, so I caught the last bus back to campus.
This weekend started off with a nice 12 mile hike from Campus to Fischer Point in Walnut Canyon National Monument. Kristin and I hiked down Sinclair wash from campus, hooking up with the Arizona Trail at the impressive I-40 underpass. Neither of us brought food, so we made a "run for the border" and did a one mile round trip to Taco Bell. After a bunch of somewhat bad food, we headed back to the trail. Near the I-40 underpass we met two other "hikers" heading into the woods with a large plastic container, that they were taking turns carrying that was big enough for a small body. Kristin asked these two toothless guys who looked sketchy as heck what was in the box, and they said a tent and they were camping. I said beautiful day for it, and have fun, then we passed. My thoughts they were carrying their meth lab in to make some along the Arizona Trail.
After leaving these guys, we continued onto dirt again, splitting away from the road the AZT was using that led to a wastewater plant. The trail led steeply up about 200 vertical feet before leveling out in the Ponderosa forests. Soon though se were in fire damaged forest, and large bulldozers with chain saw type things on the front were working around us cutting down trees and caring 6 or 7 at a time to larger piles.
We hiked to Fischer Point then returned back to Flagstaff after dark. The last two hours of hiking was under the nearly full moon, that was so bright out in the Ponderosa Pine forest, that we didn't use our headlamps.
The following day I left with NAU Outdoors, an outdoor school associated with the Univeristy for a trip to the Mazatzal Wilderness. This 12 mile overnight trip was a course to receive a certification from the Leaven No Trace foundation, to educate others on LNT principles. We parked at a Arizona Trail trailhead then headed into the Mazatzal Wilderness for the night. Each of us had to previously have studied an aspect of Leave No Trace, and teach it to the other students. I picked Dispose of Waste Properly. Good times were had by all.
Next weekend I may go to the Grand Canyon Thursday night, or just possibly hike around Flagstaff for 60 miles or so. I might even hike down to Sedona from here and back. Sunday though I'm heading to the Flagstaff Eastereggstavaganza, an Easter Egg hunt sponsored by Flagstaff Parks and Rec. My Parks and Rec instructor, Dr. Hammersley helps run the hunt, and will give extra credit for volunteering. So it looks like I can still do a two nighter before the hunt. Thus continuing on my training for the Appalachian Trail.
