Life Notes in the Margin

We joined AOTC on an 8 mile hike along the Cabin Loop trail, a relatively flat hike. The fog was heavy in the morning which obscured the fantastic views from the rim. It was a 12 mile drive on gravel roads to the trailhead. 4 wheel drive high clearance required for the last 1/4 mile. We had to don rain gear for the first hour or so. There were multiple water crossings and I got a soaker on the first crossing; better to get it over with early. The total time was 4 hours including lunch and breaks along the way. Pack weight was light. Maybe 10-15 pounds all-in.

6 a.m. was the perfect time to start. The temp was in the low 80's and the sun wasn't even over the horizon yet. The five-mile plan turned into a 6.3 mile trek as we added on some of trail 100 to our initial plan. The avg walking speed was 3.0/mph not including rest stops. With fully loaded packs our goal is 2.5mph. This was a great time. Stay tuned for the time and date for hike #2.

Sunday, Sep 16, 6am, North Mountain Preserve at the end of 40 th Street south of Shea blvd (9200 N. 40 th Street). We’ll go about 5 miles total. I recommend at least an empty pack with water bottles. We'll try for 5 miles. The map can be found at http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikphgud.html

We'll use this as a white board for the hike to the Grand Canyon in November. Tips, feedback, planning, calendars, trip diary, pics etc. will be posted here as a central source of information. Hiking the Grand Canyon is a "life list" type of achievement. I lived in Alaska for four years and still, to this day, regret not doing more outdoors stuff (we did a lot, but there was so much more we could have done.). I don't want to take that chance in Arizona. So, I'm very committed to making this hike this year. Who knows when I'll get another chance? There isn't always a tomorrow in this world.