the canyon

January 6, 10 am... I am about ready to head down South Kaibab trail headed for a two night stay at Phantom Ranch. I'd made the reservations months ago, and this date was the only opening for two women, two nights, in a bunk house... the days we had to take... but in retrospect, this was the perfect time to go...

the views are spectacular... but it is the Grand Canyon after all...

Lots of snow on the trail at the beginning. We did not wear crampons but both of us had our poles... and on the South Kaibab there wasn't much ice, so the poles did nicely...

okay, more views... the colors, the shadows.... and the thought that this is where we are heading.

We begin the second big down hill... see the steps? My knees begin to talk to me but the steps do not turn out to be as problematic as I'd thought... at least not yet...

these mini-microcosms fascinate me... the moss, the ivy, the little cactus all clinging to a rock... three feet away there is too much sun, not enough water for these to survive.

the last stairs... toward the end I suggested Stacey just throw me down the hill... every step was painful and the grunts and groans while genuine also made us laugh...

The bridge!!! Flat land at last!

Little did we know it was still over a half mile to Phantom Ranch, a clean bunk, a shower and dinner. I took a bottom bunk, Stac, God bless her, took a top... the cabin had mice(go figure) and I am freaked by mice, so slept not-so-soundly that first night... none attacked me, and by the second night I wouldn't have cared.

Two of out bunk house buddies suggested we hike to Robbin Falls, 7 miles up the North Kaibab the next day and we decided, after being assured that the trail was very gradual, that we would do it.

The trail was a pleasure! No steps, the beautiful Bright Angel Creek, fly fisherman here and there along the way to wave to....

This raven and his buddy did not want to cooperate with me... there is a dead deer here and the two of them were feasting, beaks red... but I had to get away and use a zoom and so you cannot see much. For me there is something wonderful here, not gory, the deer was dead, the ravens clearly could not have killed it, but they could eat it. The deers death became useful. It's life full circle. The deer died and the ravens were hungry. Almost poetic.

I was surprised when we came out of the canyon and entered a marshy area full of willow and reed.

and then the marsh turned into this broad valley full of vegetation... here it looked more like a hike through the Superstitions, than the Grand Canyon...

Finally, after a scrambled trek up a steep hill we came to the turnoff to Ribbon Falls

ooooooo.......

ahhhhhhhhh........

again, these little ecosystems that thrive amaze me...

we have to get back... it is 14 miles round trip and dinner is sounding pretty good...

8:30 am.... goodbye Phantom Ranch, little deer, bunk house buddies, dinner friends, fellow travelers, beautiful creek.....

goodbye river, goodbye rocks.....

hello Bright Angel Trail....

up again into the snow... the steps here, while up, and therefore easier on the knees, were big, and the trail rutted and slick....

And finally, we are out... tired, sore... and within twenty minutes of this photo shivering with cold...

but I'm going again. Maybe every year... I still cannot stand and walk without hobbling for a bit and I know I will go back again and again...

knitting

My needles have been still for well over a month. The project I had begun had come to a dead halt. If I ever finished the Intarsia bolero I'd begun, I probably would never wear it... and so, I've pulled the needles, bagged the yarn and moved on.

I'd purchased this Adirondack yarn last fall. It was on sale and I could not pass up buying everything they had left on the shelf.... the colors were luscious. I have two hand dyed colors, one called Cinnamon, the other Foliage ... and the colors in the twisted hanks are so similar that one of the foliage's was marked cinnamon... but laid out next to each other I could see the difference.

I thought the colors blended well until I balled them....

Seven skeins, 250 yards each, wound into balls... suddenly the colors didn't look as affable.

This picture (taken in my kitchen sink) shows the differences better. One skein cool blues and pinks, the other warmer greens and reds...

My friend Nat, when I asked her about the colors, suggested I do every-other row a different color.... easy enough as I'll be working in the round....

But now my question is... after doing a swatch, I don't know that I like the stockinette stitch... I think there might not be enough texture to create interest... on the other hand, a garter stitch all over might just be too much.

I'm working from two similar patterns, I'm going to make some adjustments to length, I've done all my measurements and figured the gauge... I think I am ready to cast on and begin. But before I go beyond the first few rows I'll need to make a decision... gulp