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GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA
THUNDER RIVER and DEER CREEK
OCTOBER, 1983


INTRODUCTION
This was my second trip into the Grand Canyon. I attempted to put into practice the lessons learned from the first trip. I brought less stuff than before and had acquired a new smaller and lighter sleeping bag for this trip, which turned out to be not so good. The food however, was better than last time. I decided to keep a journal of sorts for this trip, mostly keeping track of our progress and times as we hiked, so the entries are a bit sparse.

Sunday October 2, 11:25 a.m.
Left a cache' of water at 11:25 a.m. on edge of Esplanade. Put canteens in crevice with a note, covered with rocks and marked the spot with two sticks. Marked spot near trail; a circle of rocks with a pointer in the direction of the cache'.

Sunday October 2, 1:40 p.m.
Spent last night on the north rim at Monument Point. Set-up camp, ate and it started raining, and continued most of the evening. In bed at 7:30 p.m. Awoke around 6:15 a.m., broke camp, had breakfast consisting of coffee and a banana. Started down at 8:30 a.m. Took pictures at trailhead. Took break at 10:30 a.m. for 25 minutes. Pulled shirts off, beginning to heat up a little bit. Very steep coming down in some sections. Had to rope my pack down one small drainage; didn't want to take the chance of falling the first day out when we were suffering from wobbly-knee-itis. Made good time up until lunch time at edge of Esplanade, just before trail descends to Surprise Valley. Weather excellent all the way so far.

Monday October 3, 7:30 a.m.
Made excellent time yesterday. After an hour and ten minute lunch, it took only one hour and forty-five minutes to reach the point overlooking Thunder Spring where we took a break and enjoyed the view and sound from the spring. Another half-hour to the campground. Not a soul here. Set up camp by river. Had enchilada dinner. Had visitors; mice.

Monday October 3, 6:00 p.m.
Had scrambled eggs, hash browns, & meat patties for breakfast; so-so. Took hike up river to above confluence of Thunder River and Tapeats Creek. Crossed Thunder River, climbed hillside, dropped down steep slope (where we came very close to being hit by a small size boulder loosened by our careless cross-country hiking) to Tapeats Creek. Followed river up to first little side canyon on the north side. Very pretty. Had a small amount of water coming down short fall into a pool. Continued up river to about halfway to next side canyon, had to climb a sheer wall to continue. Made two river crossings. Water was waist deep and pretty fast; I almost lost it on first try. Came back on south side of river, retracing our crossings. Crossed Tapeats Creek right at confluence of Thunder River. Came back to camp, then went downstream further to bathe and soak up the last few rays of the sun before it disappeared over the canyon walls. Dinner consisted of mashed potatoes & meatballs and corn. Mm-mm.
Notes: Bring more Ak-Mak crackers next time - they're going fast. Also more wine! we're only 2 days in and having to ration supply carefully. Also, I need a chair since I have to hang my pack & can't lean on it while in my bivy bag like Bob can!

Wednesday October 5, 8:20 a.m.
Left yesterday morning at 9:30 a.m. after Grape-Nuts breakfast. Made it to look out point just below spring (where we stopped 10/2 for a break on our way down) in 1 hour. We climbed up the side of the falls as far as we could (meaning we didn't have enough confidence to go further; a four foot gap lay before us with a good 100 foot fall. Although later we saw someone from the river jump that gap and scale a sheer wall to the outlet of the spring with no protection.) We took some snapshots and got ourselves wet to stay cool on our way out. We left here at 12 noon. It took 35 minutes to reach the saddle at approximately the 3800 foot contour. From here we trucked the rest of the up to and across Surprise Valley. We got halfway down the drainage leading to Deer Creek and stopped for lunch at about 2 p.m. Had chicken salad and lemonade. We met some river people who had come up Tapeats, across Surprise Valley, and were on their way down to mouth of Deer Creek to meet rafts that had dropped them off above. We made it to Deer Creek at approximately 4:15 p.m. and spent the next 45 minutes looking for a good campsite, which turned out to be where we had set our packs at first! Dinner consisted of millet barley stew, wine (more next time), and crackers (also more next time). Had some hot chocolate and brandy, a granola bar and retired to bed star-watching. Saw the donut and several satellites. Awoke this morning at sunrise, watched bats flying back to their nest (as I had the night before, watching them flying out from their nests). Had egg breakfasts, set up clothes line and washed dishes. Set off to river for the day via Deer Creek Narrows.
NOTES: Sleeping bag sucks - acts as a vapor barrier - must wear clothes, otherwise I wake up sticky and wet. Zipper no good.

Wednesday October 5, 5:30 p.m.
It took about an hour to get to the river. Narrows of Deer Creek very, very beautiful and very steep. Narrow trails in spots. 60 to 150 foot drops. Waterfall at mouth of creek about 150 feet tall. Several pools in narrows and at bottom of falls at river level. Nobody there for about 15 minutes when 2 kayakers arrived. They had been on river about 10 days. Raft party followed a few minutes later; "Grand Canyon Youth Expeditions". Turned out that one of the leaders was one of the people we met yesterday on Surprise Valley trail. They stayed for about 2 hours exploring the area above falls. They left and were gone for approximately a half hour when another raft party appeared. Popular spot I guess. We went back up canyon to our camp. Weather beginning to look like rain. We had dinner and prepared for rain, digging trenches around tents. The first thunder was heard over Surprise Valley at about 5:30 p.m. We climbed in our tents. Light rain as of now.
NOTES: Tarps & clips to make a porch between our tents when foul weather hits.

Thursday October 6, 1:12 p.m.
Last nights rain was no more than a light drizzle. The storm was gone by sundown. In bed star-watching. Up at dawn today. Had a Grape-Nuts breakfast. Off we go at 8:23 a.m. Steep going out. Lots of stops. We made it to the first trail junction in a reasonable amount of time ( I don't remember how reasonable though. I was to preoccupied with the awesome quietness of that canyon, that I lost track of time). We hiked across Surprise Valley, met with the other junction heading up out of the valley, and made it part way up the Supai (at the very bottom). Here we found a shaded rock and took a 35 minute break. We got there at 10:40 a.m. and left at 11:15 a.m. We met two groups of people coming down. We discussed how glad we were that we weren't going to be down there this weekend. We have stopped for lunch at 1:12 p.m. on Esplanade, having Wylers soup.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7, 7:00 a.m.
After a 1 hour lunch yesterday, it took another 1 hour and 5 minutes to get to our cache'. Bob sneezing most of day, possibly coming down with a cold. We searched for an appropriate camp site on Esplanade for another 45 minutes. Very unimpacted area we camped in. Our campsite was approximately half a mile from the trail, 100 feet lower in elevation, south. Had a spectacular sunset. Dinner was alpine chicken, vegetables, and the usual drinks. Several potholes of water from the storm 2 nights ago. (We stopped after lunch yesterday and filled up my one-and-a-half quart bottle with pothole water. It took a long time, about 15 minutes, to pump the water out, due to much silt and sludge.) Bob thinks he definitely has a cold this morning. We had Grape-nuts, coffee, & Red Zinger tea. Another shitty night in my bag, being sticky most of the night long. Clouds this morning and cool. Rain to east. Good sunrise despite the clouds. Very quiet here - nice. We talk of walking the Esplanade as far as we can see to the south. Discuss air drops. Sipping Red Zinger tea. Mmm-mm. We decide being on Esplanade has more visually to offer than the canyons. We hear thunder and decide to pack up after seeing rain to the north-northeast.
NOTES: Our box of Grape-Nuts lasted till this morning. Same with our coffee (12 cups), and sugar (I had 1 canister, Bob had 1). More granola bars, Wha Guru bars. I cut my finger pretty good last night on my silly razor I meant not to bring along - don't bring it again! Must get bigger planisphere and study the stars. I found it hard to know what your looking at when you don't know what it is. Clothing has worked out O.K. Maybe 1 more t-shirt. Yesterday Bob and I discussed possibility of publishing a small booklet for specific trails. (Backpackers guide to Thunder River Trail, etc.) Sun breaking through now - it feels good. We hear other people on the trail. The colors are changing. I should start packing now.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9, 4:00 p.m.
At home in Glendale. We left camp on the Esplanade at 8:10 a.m. We bushwhacked for about a half hour back to the trail. Steep going up. We made it to drainage where I lowered my pack by rope in 1 hour and 50 minutes. We took a rest for 10 minutes under a ledge. We met a north rim ranger on his weekend off hike into the canyon. Just above this drainage, 100 feet or so, the trail levels off and contours around to where we started in. Steep climb up to the top. Many stops. To east-northeast we see a storm brewing. We discuss how the trip came to a close so quickly. At the top at 11:10 a.m. Another 20 minutes down from Monument Point to the parking area. On our way up the last day and the day before we notice lots of people going down. We decided going during the week was an excellent idea. Bob hiked up with a fever. We drove on forest road 422 all the way to Fredonia. We had a mexican lunch at Nedros. O.K. To St. George, then to Las Vegas. We lose all our money. Leave for home Saturday morning, 10:15 a.m. Arrive 3:15 p.m. Desert beautiful all the way to just outside Victorville. Fog, (smog?), clouds. Welcome back.
NOTES: More instant soups. Natural high dinners very good. Must spend more time exploring one area rather than hiking from place to place next trip.