4265
#289: WHITMORE CANYON TRIP
Old Hiking Club Reunion
OCTOBER 25, 26, 27, 28, 1998
October 25, Sunday, 1998
While having dinner one evening last summer with Al and Jane Doty, Chuck and Lucinda Johnson, we decided to have a reunion hike of some old NAU Hiking Club members of the 1960’s and I would take em all into Whitmore Canyon. None of them have been there before which surprises me, since I go there a lot. I assumed all my old friends have been there. So the trip was planned for October to fit around various jobs and whatnot. Those on the trip were Susan and I, our daughter Marijka (19 years old; our son Ryan is in Peru with the Marines), Al and Jane Doty, Ed Anderson, Chuck and Lucinda Johnson, and Caroline Kauffman (Tabor). Others were notified but were not able to come.
Come Sunday morning, dark and early, Al and Jane, Ed, Susan, Marijka and I met at the Circle K on highway 89 north end of Flagstaff about 6:00am. Ed lives in west Flagstaff, Al and Jane in Cottonwood, Ariz. Wind was blowing and it was cold with light rain just starting. As we drove north on 89, lightning flashed from time to time. The new 10 mile freeway of 89 had just opened north of the peaks to Antelope trading post. The next section to be done is from Flagstaff to north of the peaks which is still currently old 89 as it has always been. Plans are to make it a freeway to Tuba City. Anyway, it rained off and on until we reached the Tuba City turnoff and then it rained solid with occasional lighting all the way to Kanab, Utah. We went via the Page route and stopped in at the new Denney’s restaurant and ate breakfast and watched it rain and water was flowing off the sandstone rocks. It was really wet and several normally dry washes on the way up were starting to flood. There was heavy rain and lots of flooding on the way over to Kanab. The speed limit has finally been raised from 55 to 65 mph, and it’s about time because everyone can drive near the legal limit instead of over it.
Just as we reached Kanab, blue sky began to show up from the west. Things were beginning to look better, but due to all the rain, we decided not to take the Toroweap Road due to mud, but go over to Colorado City and take the Navajo Trail to the Mt. Trumbull Road. We were to meet Chuck, Lucinda, and Caroline at the old school house in Bundyville between 1 and 2 pm. We were a little late but off we went on muddy roads. It actually got drier as we went.
We arrived at the school house right at 2:00pm and they were there getting ready to go on. Since it is shorter days, we went on south towards Whitmore Canyon. The road is impassable in wet conditions, but it was nearly dry here much to our surprise. We stopped and loaded up with juniper wood about 4 miles down the road. Ed left his pickup at the top of the canyon rim because he did not have 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel is needed further on down. It was cloudy and no wind and rather warm as we drove down into the canyon. Met one man that was a care taker of the bar 10 ranch, otherwise no one else 4266
around. The road below the ranch was in bad shape and severely washed out along the dirt air strip of Whitmore International Airport due to big rains this last summer because last year the road was not too bad. There were even some washouts in the basalt flow section. 4-wheel drive had to be used from here on down.
It’s a slow go from the ranch on down to the trail head which is about 900 feet above the Colorado River. Its 8 miles from the ranch down to the river and it takes an hour or more whether you drive 50 or 5 mph, its still takes an hour no matter what. It was slow and the going was rough, but we all made it down to the trail head about 4:30pm. No one else was there much to our delight and it looked as if no one had been here for several months. It was cloudy and warm, temperature in the low 80’s and no wind, and it was dry. We quickly unloaded the wood of which we had enough to last for three days and set up camp tents. We made supper and then sat around the fire and chewed the fat. A beautiful sunset view up the Colorado River and the river was muddy. A streak of light was bright red and shown on the river and walls up the canyon while it was nearly dark elsewhere. A really pretty sight.
We talked of the old days of hiking in and around the Grand Canyon and who with late into the night. Not many people drive down here anymore and the way the road is washing out it won’t be long before you can’t drive down here anyway. There is talk of making most of the Grand Canyon a wilderness and close off some old 4-wheel roads, but this part of the canyon is not in the park except at the trail head and down to the river. It’s a big mistake making the Grand Canyon virtually inaccessible to all except a few nuts that think they own the canyon and intend to lock it up and keep others out. This road is one of the few that you can actually drive down into the Grand Canyon. I’m in favor of leaving it as is. The few roads on the rims are needed just to reach the canyon.
October 26, Monday, 1998
We all slept in until it got light enough to kinda see. Lots of bats last night. Low was about 65 degrees. Also a few clouds and lightning to the north last night but no rain. Almost clear and calm this morning. There is a south wind up high according to a few clouds and that means possible rain today, never trust a south wind I say, especially in the fall, winter, and spring. We were just having a good time chatting and leisurely cooking breakfast and gradually getting ready for the hike down to the river. While standing around someone saw river boats below on the river we counted 22 small boats. Marijka said they all were parts of a private trip or two. She has been running the river all summer and just got off the river 4 days ago. Marijka grew impatient and packed her pack for an overnight stay down along the river and headed on down the trail. That was a signal for all of us to get with it if we were gonna make the hike in and out in reasonable time today. After much picture taking and whatnot, we finally hit the trail.
The Trail is really washed out in places and it would be difficult for a horse to make it down now without a little trail work here and there. Used to be lots of horses on this trail in the 70’s when they were used to haul river people out. We were in no hurry as we look our time and I explained some geology on the way. It was even warmer at the river and it was a pukey milk chocolate color, typical of the Paria River. Marijka was there catching up on sun rays and we all had a great lunch. River flow was kinda low, about 9,000cfs. Clouds began to form and eventually cover the sun, but they were not moving very fast. There was a gentle south or east wind. 4267
A. Chuck and Lucinda Johnson at river below Whitmore trail. CR188.0. Susan's photo. 11-26-98.
B. Lunch at the river at bottom of Whitmore Trail. Al and Jane Doty, Caroline Kauffman (Tabor), Susan and Marijka. CR 188.0. Susan's photo. 11-26-98. 4268
C. Marijka on Tapeats Sandston ledge at Indian paintings near mouth of Whitmore Canyon. CR188.3. Susan’s photo. 11-26-98.
Eventually we walked on down the river and looked at the Indian paintings on the west wall. We went down to the mouth of Whitmore Canyon and some of us, including me, headed back. Two or three went on up into Whitmore Canyon for a ways to look for the book of worms, a slab of Bright Angel Shale that had unusually large worm tubes about two inches in diameter. We all took our time hiking back up the trail and it got very cloudy much to our relief for it was getting quite hot. Late in the afternoon thunder began to rumble around the canyon and over the east rim. Soon a thunderstorm was in progress when we were nearly all back up the trail. The wind came up and it cooled right down fast and light rain fell for about two hours.
Once on top we climbed into our tents and waited out the storm. Marijka stayed down as she wanted to camp along the river. About 4:30pm the rain stopped and the sky began to clear. It had only rained about 15/100, just enough to settle the dust real well. Bit it remained kinda warm, in the 60’s during the evening cookout. As it began to get dark with lots of lightning to the north, Marijka came up the trail and joined us for supper. The tarp she took down was so full of holes that she was getting wet and it looked like it was gonna rain all night. So out she came. Another great evening around the roaring fire. Lightning flashes and thunder were close to the north but no more rain down here. A great day and a few sore knees and ankles. We all knew the feeling of worn out joints now that comes with age, but we sure used em a lot in our younger days, probably too much. Only walked about 2 miles today. High about 82 degrees.
4269
D. Caroline and all at tent in rain. Whitmore Trail head. Susan's photo. 11-27-98.
October 27, Tuesday, 1998
Our 25th anniversary, Susan and I
It did not rain any more last night and it was cool. Low last night was about 45 degrees and clear. Again we had a leisurely breakfast and spent a lot of time goofing around. We walked over to look at the waterfalls into Whitmore Canyon. There was enough rain in upper Whitmore Canyon to allow a small stream of water to come down the canyon and fall about 600 feet into the canyon. A beautiful fall. It took most of the morning to pack up all the camp gear and prepare for the drive out and over to Toroweap where we planned to camp tonight. Caroline and Al and Jane had large tents and they took forever to pack them away. Ed had only his pack and was ready to go in 10 minutes, but the rest took two hours.
A few clouds began to form and they had a westerly movement indicating no rain today, but some wind. A few green grasses were beginning to grow down here for the winter. Other than that, hardly anything grew here. It was a slow go up the basalt flows back to the airport. We made it out to Ed’s truck and Chuck got a flat tire. Other than that, it was no sweat. A few clouds had built up enough to allow some snow showers to the north, but none here. The road was wet and muddy from yesterday’s rain and we slithered around for three miles before reaching the school house, but it was not bad.
We went on up the Hurricane Cliffs and ran into patches of snow from yesterday and it was much cooler up around Mt. Trumbull. We got a little more water at Nixon Spring and some wood for tonight’s fire. We drove on down to Toroweap Campground and poked around looking in the canyon until it got late. We set up camp on the far end of the new campground on the Esplanade. There were a few other people there but not a bother. Again we had a roaring fire under an overhang and spent the evening laughing 4270
about the old days, and it was our (Susan and I) 25 anniversary. We also celebrated Halloween since it was so close. There were no bugs this time like there was a month ago when Marijka and I were here and all the pot holes were filled with water. A great day and not much wind but it began to blow at sundown. We were protected under the overhang. Clouds increased in the night but it did not rain.
E. Marijka at Toroweap Leap rock looking down at Lava Falls Rapid below. Susan's photo. 11-27-98.
October 27, Wednesday, 1998
A cool night, about 40 degrees and mostly clear by morning and no wind. We all took our time in getting breakfast and packing up for the drive home. We spent some time looking around the canyon and taking pictures at Toroweap Leap for those of us that could get out on it. Eventually we all drive back up the canyon and headed out to Fredonia. Once in Fredonia, we said our goodbye’s to the northern group and we headed home over Jacobs Lake. A real nice trip and great to see old friends we’ve know for 30 years. Time does fly. Only hike about 2 miles this trip and lots of walking around.
Colorado Plateau Archives
