One thing I have noticed on this trip is that I plan ahead way less than I thought I would. I seem to be happy just looking at what is up ahead of me, doing a little poking around on my maps. Perhaps I do a little research on the internet. Then I just go, and figure out the rest when I get there. That was not going to work out for me today.
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After my morning discard discoveries, I finish a good lunch. Now, it was time to travel up Signal Road, behind the hill and find the other mine my topo map said was behind there. What would I find back there?
For my second day here, I had resolved to check out the second mine on my map, having been chased out of the area by bad weather the previous day. But there was to be other strange discoveries this day as well.
I leave the Grand Canyon reluctantly, not only because I am leaving behind such a natural wonder, but that I am going on to my last travel leg – heading south towards Phoenix and my return home. I had no plan beyond that, due to lack of internet signal. I decided that I would head towards my “plan B” site from my planning to get to the Grand Canyon, then south on the 93. Once I had some Internet, I could plan more specifically.
Returning to the rig from my Sunrise view of the Grand Canyon, I pack three bottles of water. I also pack my three heavy lenses, lunch, rain gear, map, bean bag tripod. Ugh, this pack is heavy. Ditch a lens? But it’s the Grand Canyon… Although my 70-200 F4 is a top notch lens, I’ve got a 18-135, do I really want to schlep this thing around for the little extra reach? But it’s the Grand Canyon! When am I ever going to be among this kind of grandeur again? The lens stays, we will see how much I like it when I’m hiking back up the canyon carrying all this gear.
I decided today that I was going to see the Grand Canyon at sunrise, then do my walk down into the canyon. One of the rangers had advised that Mather Point was a good place to see the sunrise. So I manage to drag my ass out of bed early, an extraordinary thing for what I hoped would be an extraordinary sunrise.
I woke up early, well, early for me. The inside of the RV was just beginning to lighten up, telling me it was around 7am. I lay there for a few minutes, thinking I might get back to sleep. Then I thought about what I was going to do today – I was going to see the Grand Canyon. There would be no more sleep for me, time to get up and go!
I had been camped for over a week at Bouse Y. I had hiked as many of the hills as I had wanted to hike. I had been with a great group of people. But, it was time to move on, at least if I wanted to get away from the impending race crowd. I had a general plan: head north.
You will note after my last posting, I turned right at the fork to head to the mines. The fork to the left led to something called a “Retort Oven” on the map. What could this be?
It occurred to me that I could use some topographical maps to see what kind of things of interest were in the area, and how I might get to them by foot. There is an app for that.
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