Stock site near Phantom Ranch, Wednesday, May 23.

Stock site near Phantom Ranch, Wednesday, May 23. 

[From campground about 3 miles to South Kaibab trailhead, mile 690.6, 7191 ft To Bright Angel campground stock site, 697.9, 2507 ft. Walked about 10 miles, descent abt 4700 ft. ]

Shifting point of view. 

Dear Trail Friends,

I slept well (despite repeated needs to replenish the air in my air mattress) and woke up at 2:30 and finished my morning chores - breakfast drink, putting on shoes and socks, packing up a few items that were still during from yesterday’s laundry, deflating and rolling up air mattress, taking down and folding up and stowing tent, repacking pack - and started my hike at exactly 3:30am. I enjoyed the rim walk very much. Photo 1 (left to right, top to bottom) is my attempt to share with you the gradual passage from darkness into light while walking along that - and here the words really do apply - awesome and ancient Canyon. 

I was a little slower than I had hoped and arrived at the trailhead at 5am - just as the first bus arrived unloading what appeared to be a tour group. The group as it turned out was hiking rim to rim ( or back to the south rim, I don’t remember) in one day and ended up getting ahead of me. In fact after awhile I found myself hiking in total solitude with only a very rare encounter with hikers passing me. Those who passed were all doing a lot more than me, hiking to the bottom and back up to the south or north rim in one day. Two runners were doing a “double cross” - to the north rim, then back down and up to the south rim, all in one day. 

I loved the hike. I found myself thinking I could do this hike every year. It amazed me just as much as when I did it for the first time last April. Photo 2 is a collagevof scenes hiking down. 

Photo 3 is a collage from when I sat in the shade to let a mule train pass. No sooner did I get up than another one came along, this one carrying packs rather than people. I was really annoyed that they stood a while in the shade - where it was not possible to pass. Then as they passed me it occurred to me what hard work it was. “Those mules are doing some heavy lifting,” I said to the man leading them. “They are the great athletes of the Grand Canyon,” he replied. My resentment turned into gratitude - thinking how the mikes carry stuff down and back and make the life that goes on at the Bright Angel Camp and at Phantom Ranch possible. I congratulated myself on practicing an essential social skill - shifting point of view. 

I thought a lot about my little rant yesterday about being called an “ancient lesbian.” I considered deleting it, then decided to leave it in because writing it led to deep reflection as I walked and helped me imagine multiple points of view. And multiple stories, for example me as the beautiful young lover and me as the ancient lesbian having fucking dreams about my friend (who would I imagibe rather be cast in the role of fucking partner in the dreams of attractive young men. ) I remembered Chris in Sicily saying there are many contradictory stories and they are all true. 

I think for me practicing social skills is practicing living with the multiple contradictory stories that we human  beings create about each other and ourselves, and the multiple contradictory feelings. I do not expect nature to always be consistent or predictable, yet I so need practice in the skill of living with the fact that human beings are not. 

Photo 3 collages my experience, tucked beside a shady rock, watching the first mule train pass. 

Photo 4 shows the mules carrying stuff not people who helped me recognize the value of practicing shifting point of view S a social skill. 

When I reached the bottom I discovered my Facebook friend Barry was here, resting sore legs for the climb tomorrow, so I will be sharing the stock site with him. We spontaneously decided to splurge on the Phantom Ranch steak dinner (I didn’t realize how big a splurge til it was time to sign the credit card receipt) tonight. Really silly since we both have plenty of trail food. I decided it’s my celebration of completing the Arizona Trail - maybe better to celebrate now just in case I don’t actually finish. 

Barry and I are both relaxing in the shade in this area between our campsite and Phantom Ranch lodge (which are quite close together). Photo 5 is Barry. 

I went into the cool, empty ranger station and used the desk there to attempt a repair of the mattress (I poured a capful of water on the old repair and it bubbled lustily, confirming that the suspect was guilty as charged). I am suspicious my repair will not hold but feeling confident (hopeful?) that if I need to I can make another more effective repair tonight in the tent. 

Just a couple more photos I want to share. Photo 6 I liked the lizard-like slither shape of the century plant blossom. Photo 7 I liked the glow of evening light on the canyon wall reflected in Bright Angel creek (which runs into the Colorado and along which I will be walking as I start out tomorrow). 

One of the things I love about hiking is the way your point of view shifts. Yesterday I was on the Canyon rim looking down. Now I am on the Canyon rim looking up. If I could only take the same delight in shifting point of view when I’m practicing social skills. 

Before our steak dinner at Phantom Ranch (did I tell you Barry and I signed up for the dinner? Actually I found it a little disappointing but was glad I tried it) after an hour or so of lying sweating in my tent unable to nap, we went to sit on benches in the shade. A young Ranger was giving a jeopardy style trivia game about the Grand Canyon. When he asked what place 6 miles up from the bottom was where Zuni myth described the emergence of the people, I knew: Ribbon Falls. From sacred pilgrimage to Trivia game. Shifting point of view, practicing social skills. I actually enjoyed the trivia game though mostly I think I enjoyed the shade. 

I am sweating again in the tent. Hope I can sleep tonight. Once again I hope to wake up at 2:30 and start walking at 3:30 - it will be even hotter tomorrow, and though a gentle ascent (the hard climb will be Friday) still a climb. 

I hope you sleep well. Tomorrow we go to Ribbon Falls - the place where the people were said to emerge - out of a darkness in which, unable to see one another, they would step on, defecate on, spit on one another - into sunlight. I do not feel as attuned to that pilgrimage (though in fact I think practicing social skills is a slow persistent practice of emerging out of darkness into light, learning to see other people and not shit, spit or step on them because I can’t see them.). 

See you on the trail.