Trekking the Camino Days 1-5: Travel, Madrid, Roncesvalles, St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, Zubiri

May 13//14/15/16/17

If you're just joining (hopefully a few friends and family members of students on the trip), my name is Kellie and I'm one of the faculty members leading the 2024 Camino de Santiago trip, along with my colleagues Jeff (History professor) and Deya (Spanish professor). I teach Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL). We are traveling with 24 Westminster students/alums and will be completing el Camino Frances (the French route) over the next several weeks. While Deya and Jeff have both done the Camino multiple times, I'm a first-timer, as are most of our students. Worth noting is that for the first time ever, I am backpacking with a laptop specifically so I can blog about this experience, but so far, I've been dropping the ball!

Apologies in advance--this first post has a lot to cover, so it's gonna be a lot of who, what, when, where and probably not a lot of puns or obscure Rick and Morty references. Try and contain your devastation. What I'm trying to say is that it's not my most well written post, but what it lacks in style, form, and substance, it makes up for in--I have no idea, but I spent way too much time trying to come up with something witty, so we're just going to move on!

I was gonna do a post about our travel day (May 13-14), but I'll skip that to say that we all made it to Spain safely and heavily sleep deprived.

May 14 - Madrid

We arrived in Madrid around 8:15am and collected a few more students who had different flight itineraries. Once our group was complete, we met Alejandro, our guide, who gave us a combo bus/walking tour of some of Madrid's major sites of interest. We checked out the Plaza de Toros (bullfighting arena) and Santiago Bernabéu, a.k.a. the home of Real Madrid. Real Madrid will be playing Dortmund in the final of the UEFA Champions League while we are in country, so our group is excited to watch the game on June first when we're in Portomarin (Galicia). Alejandro was a fantastic guide with tons of knowledge and charisma. I will say that at this point, I hadn't slept **at all** for two days straight, so some of the morning was a little...foggy for me.

In front of La Plaza de Toros.

 Santiago Bernabéu

After the tour, we said goodbye to Alejandro and dropped our bags off at Hotel Mediodia, our lodging for the next two nights. We weren't able to check into our rooms for a few more hours, so we turned the group lose to get some lunch in Madrid. And this is where I made the BIGGEST NEWBIE TRAVELER MISTAKE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE.

Y'all. I have been leading study abroad programs for 10+ years. I am borderline obnoxious about "the safety talk:" don't flash cash around, walk in groups, carry your backpack on your front, keep things zipped, don't keep things in your pocket, keep your head on a swivel, etc. Well, I was served a very, very large dose of humble pie this day. While waiting on folks to make a decision re: where to eat, Jeff and I sat down at a local cafe. After reuniting with the rest of our group, we decided to relocate to this super cute restaurant that was a 3 minute walk away from our original location. Upon sitting down at the new restaurant, I realized I didn't have my phone and my fanny pack (situated on my front) was totally unzipped. I tried pinging it using my Apple watch--no dice. No naturally, I concluded that I had been a victim of petty theft and it was my own fault. This was especially annoying as I had just spent $480 on phone repairs the week before to make sure I had a functioning phone for the trip. Also, after spending this money, I was informed that we did, in fact, have cell phone insurance <beats forehead on table repeatedly>. Anyway, back to Madrid. 

Deya offers to accompany me back to the orignal restaurant (although I had already walked over there to check the table and of course didn't see my phone). In true amazing Deya form, she starts interviewing all the other tables to ask if anyone had seen a cell phone. At this point, I have reached radical acceptance that my phone is forever lost, I'm going to have to buy a burner phone in country in order to communicate with our group, and that I'm out $480 on a cell phone repair that served me less than half a week. Not great. Lo and behold, one of the restaurant managers comes out and, in Spanish, basically says to Deya (and I'm paraphrasing slightly but not by that much: "is your friend's head attached to her body? She acted like a total tourist. We could tell she was a tourist by her hat (note: I was wearing a fedora, not a baseball cap!). She needs to be more mindful of her belongings. When we saw her phone on the table, we collected it because it would have been stolen immediately." And all of this is true. I was deeply, deeply shamed and also very appreciative. Everyone gets one major tourist flub up per trip. I just happened to use mine ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIP. Total amateur. Lesson learned. Phone returned.

Spain posts will have a lot of food photos. Anchovies in tomato sauce.

Ceviche. One of my favorites.

After lunch, we checked into the hotel and had a few hours of free time before walking the group to La Plaza Mayor, where there was a huge concert and community gathering going on as part of the Fiestas de San Isidro. Super fun atmosphere for all ages. Lots of food and dancing and general good-time-having. Jeff, Deya, and I found a place to grab some tapas and people watch before calling it an early evening.

Festival stage at La Plaza Mayor

Westminster Camino faculty

May 15 - Madrid & Toledo

On Wednesday, we had breakfast at the hotel and hopped aboard a bus for a 50 minute ride to Toledo. I'd love to give you a history of Toledo in my own words, but I am pressed for time and not that smart, so I'm going to borrow this brief description from UNESCO:

Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history. Its masterpieces are the product of heterogeneous civilizations in an environment where the existence of three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – was a major factor.

The group outside of Toledo

Toledo--what a beautiful city!

Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL) and Outdoor Program  (OP) students representing!

Y'all. I had done no research on Toledo prior to our arrival, so I had no expectations, but I gotta say, this place is RAD. For example, I didn't know that Toledo was once the sword making capital of the world. We got to watch a blacksmith work on a blade. 

From Artesenia Morales:

"After the Reconquista, Toledo emerged as the greatest sword-making centre in the world. The technique used for the Toledo sword had a “soul of iron”, consisting of a steel blade that concealed a wrought iron strip inside it, thus preventing the steel from bending or cracking."

Sword-making demonstration

Such a cool experience to witness firsthand. After the sword making demonstration, we got to see a damascene jewelry-making demonstration. Learn more about it and see examples here.

Once our group had finished the sword and jewelry making demonstrations, we met up with Luis (I think that was his name?) for a walking tour of the historic city. I would love love love to be able to recall all of the fascinating history that Luis shared with us, but there was too much to be able to list and contextualize effectively. I'll say that the mixture of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish influence on the city and especially the architecture was fascinating. One of the most interesting parts of the tour was la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, which is a modern university that has several programs housed in restored historic buildings--it was super cool to see the mix of old and new.

Walking tour of the city

Inside the university

More views of the city

We also got to see The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (Spanish: El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz) is a 1586 painting by El Greco--WHOA!! It was especially fascinating because this painting was painted for this specific site--it hasn't been moved. I'm sorry to direct you to Wikipedia (shame, Gerbers, SHAME!) for more context for the painting, but it is definitely worth the extra context.

El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz

Let's see...what happened next...lunch at a cute little cafe, back on the bus, back to Madrid. 

More food porn.

We ended our evening at Tablao de la Villa, a lovely restaurant and flamenco theater. The flamenco show was fantastic--it's a style I can really get behind. Lots of fast, powerful movements and some stomping. Because who doesn't like a well-timed stomp?

Flamenco dance and music

Spanish Potato Salad (Ensaladilla Rusa)

May 16 - Madrid to Pamplona to Roncesvalles & St. Jean Pied-de-Port

1) Happy birthday to my partner, Kjarsten!

Today felt like a day of planes, trains, and automobiles, but it was actually just: train, bus, another bus, another bus. 

We took a high speed train from Madrid to Pamplona, from which we boarded a bus to Roncesvalles, a super cute little Spanish town near the Spain/France border and our home for the evening. After dropping all of our bags off at a hostel, we boarded another bus to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, a super cute little French town just over the border and the place where we would become "official peregrinos" (Pilgrims) by virtue of registering our trek on the Camino. While waiting for the pilgrim office to open, Jeff, Deya, and I stopped at a cafe to have some lunch--I mention this because I am going to LOVE every lunch on this trip. Bread. Meat. Cheese. The three main food groups. It's the best.

Walking around St. Jean

Jeff and me

View of river in St. Jean

Other side of the river

Students waitng outside the office to get their pilgrim passport

More students waiting for their pilgrim passport

Getting the passport--it's official!

Got our passports, took another bus, and returned to Roncesvalles to settle in for the evening. We had dinner together in the hostel and then about half the group (myself included) stayed the night in our first Albergue. It's kind of like hostel except that it is only open to peregrinos. Lodging was pod-style; one large open room with bunk bed pods (4 people to a pod) and community bathrooms at the end of the hall. It was fun, and folks are noisy. Before going to bed, we all attended the Pilgrims Mass, where priests (Catholic) blessed us and other pilgrims about to start their journey.

The church where the pilgrim mass was held

Pod-style bunks in the albergue

Exterior of the albergue. I think it was a historic monastery?

May 17 - WALK 1 - Roncesvalles to Zubiri (Albergue Zaldiko) - Mileage ~14m

Oh man, if I can get through today, I'll be caught up!

Early wakeup at 6:15am courtesy of the albergue staff. We met the rest of the group at 7am for breakfast in the hostel, put on our rain jackets and ponchos, and got ready to officially start our walk to Santiago de Compostella. Everyone took their packing very seriously and had great footwear, good rain protection, and good backpacks. Well done, team! After making a few minor pack adjustments and taking a group photo, we were off on our first walk with Zubiri as our final destination of the day.

Deya briefing the students before we walk

Look good, feel good

The entire group ready to walk

Students walking the trail

Students walking the trail

We all sort of clumped together over the first mile or so, but eventually folks settled into walking groups that matched their preferred pace. Today, Jeff and I decided to opt for the "Chris-Cline-Send-It!" pace, so we averaged about 3 miles an hour, which is a pretty good clip for backpacking with elevation change and some muddy and rocky terrain. We had a group of student athletes cruise by us at one point and we both had to check our egos and remember that we are not 20 years old anymore (by a lot). :)

We stopped in Viscarret-Guerendiain for a cup of coffee and a chorizo sandwich. 

3 major food groups

It rained off and on throughout the day, but honestly, it felt pretty good and the overcast light made for really good photo taking. The trail was so lush and green today. And we had many, many good views of the Spanish countryside. Lots of sheep! 

Look closely. Lots of sheep!

Walking the trail

Walking the trail

The last mile was a little spicy getting down muddy rocks when we were feeling pretty tired, but we made it to Zubiri in one piece and felt very fulfilled and content with the day. After getting checked in at Albergue Zaldiko, folks were free to explore Zubiri before meeting back for dinner. Which is in ten minutes, so off I go!

The Ditch (Grand Canyon Rafting Trip) Part 11

4/6 Layover Day at Lower Tapeats (134.5)

(written on 5/13)

It’s 3:19am and I’m at the SLC airport. It’s too early to check a bag with a gate agent so I figured I’d bang out a blog post. I pulled my computer out to start typing, only to discover that it was dead, so cell phone it is. I also just discovered that I left my Rubik’s Cube at home and I am DEVASTATED. I really hope there’s an overpriced one in the airport. 

(Editor's note: first thing I bought in Spain--pleased that my Spanish is functional enough to purchase a Cube!)

It occurred to me a few days ago that I am about to be in the position of having 6 more GC posts to compete while starting a new adventure as part of the Westminster University May Term Study Away (MTSE): Trekking the Camino de Santiago (Spain). If you’ve perused my blog prior to this year’s posts, you’ll note that most entries post 2010 are from study abroad programs. But I’m not in Spain yet—gotta get my shit together and finish the GC first! Note: “Get your shit together” was a frequently quoted reference from Rick and Morty. 

We’d quote most of this scene:

Rick and Morty: 

Back to the Grand. Oh man, we’ve reached layover day. Our one glorious layover day on the entire trip. And we made the most of it. While some of the crew wanted to use the layover day to max and relax, upon Captain Brad's recommendation, Doug, Andy, Joe, Brad, Cory and I went out on a hike to see Thunder River, the second largest spring on the north rim. Learn more about Thunder River here.

I'm gonna do a spotlight on Brad before giving him a hard time.

Photo credit: Chris Inman

Photo credit: Cory Inman

I have so many names for Brad. Captain Brad. Coach. I spent more time on Brad's boat than any other boat. At first, when I was assigned to Brad's boat, I was a little nervous because despite 20+ years of river guiding, Brad had never rowed an oar rigged boat. My fears were quickly put to rest. Brad is a meticulous reader of whitewater. This guy knows what he's doing, and he took to the oars very quickly. In fact, he's the only boat operator that didn't swim somebody. All of our boat operators were competent and took their roles seriously, but being in Brad's boat definitely brought me a sense of calm, particularly during some rapid scouts where I really needed it.

Brad is a lot like me in that we both talk a mile a minute and our brains are always in overdrive, and man, it was so much fun to get to know him over the course of this trip. Brad is witty and creative and loves what he does for a living. I'm hoping I can bring him in as virtual guest speaker in one of my courses in the future--this guy knows outdoor program business operations, and it was cool to learn about his problem solving processes and visions for growth. He loves sharing his knowledge of whitewater with others. I learned a ton from Brad (hence why I call him "Coach") and I'm excited to continue our friendship. And our Rick and Morty quoting.

********

I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I'm supposed to be writing a book on heuristic traps in outdoor leadership. We got to experience the Expert Halo heuristic trap on this particular outing, and this is where I'm going to give Brad a hard time.

Brad, who had done trail before, said it would be about 500 feet total elevation gain and probably about 2 hours. In Brad's defense, none of us consulted our readily available maps to confirm the plan and/or identify other features on the trail--such as river crossings, waaaay more than 500 ft of elevation gain, and a much longer hike than anticipated. So while our ignorance was a group effort, we still gave Brad some good natured shit over it and awarded him the river name "AllTrails."

I gave Brad an opportunity to fact check his spotlight before I posted it, and in his defense:

"the trail alignment between river and the Thunder/Tapeats Confluence had been significantly rerouted since I hiked it in April 2013. To date, the official NPS GIS data repository for GCNP does not have any data reflecting the new alignment of the trail. I was still a bit off on my estimate of elevation gan but the new alignment requiring climbing steeply from the river on the west side of Tapeats and the two freeform creek crossings were all new to me."

This hike was a top 3 highlight for me from the trip (am I out of top 3 slots?). There was so much varied terrain, a little bit of light scrambling, some run river crossings to trouble shoot, two big horn sheep that absolutely refused to yield the trail, and an incredible waterfall payoff at the end. A two sentence blurb doesn't do the hike or the experience justice.

Cory had Chris’s phone after Cory’s phone fogged up due to a brief dip the first day. Cory received Chris’s phone with 83% charge and returned it dead (D.E.A.D. dead) after taking pictures and videos of everything on this incredible, spiritual, magical hike. Photo credits: Cory Inman

Thought I could use a new faculty profile photo :)

Joe on one of two river crossings

This hike had a few scrambly bits

Views like this the whole time

The crew after team river crossing #2

Andalf the Grand - All shall pass!

Majestic big horn sheep

Majestic waterfall

Majestic friendship

Majestic view

After realizing that the trail was a bit longer than expected; we decided to mix in some trail hop, skipping, and jumping to keep the crew together as we crossed some of the flatter sections of the trail. This was super memorable because it really captured the spirit of the trip to that point: To be free and playful as much as possible. 

I mentioned river crossings. These were unexpected and posed an opportunity for me to 1) get on my high horse about "wet feet lifestyle" because you waste a ton of time taking your shoes on and off before river crossings and it's dangerous and 2) it provided Andy with what might be the best river name of the entire group! Andalf the Grey Grand. For a brief moment, Andy suggested that he wouldn't cross the river and he'd wait for us until we got back--good thing we didn't do that because it would have been HOURS--but after agreeing that "all shall pass" and finding a really big stick/wizard staff, Andy very much embodied the part of Andalf the Grand. Also river crossings that require teamwork are my favorite!

Big horn sheep. Dang. Those things are super cool. And also, kind of scary if you piss them off! We kept trying to give them a wide berth on and around the trail, but these suckers just kept pacing with us. 

The waterfall itself was stunning and totally worth the extra effort to get up there. The cascades of the waterfall were at least a mile long--it's still surreal to think about that much water in the West when it feels very scarce in most of Utah.

I asked Cory to share his perspective:

Sitting at the bottom of the falls was a mystical experience as we peered up at spring water shooting out of two holes in a red cliff deep in the Grand Canyon. There was even mention by someone on the crew that the Supai tribe considers this place like a portal to another world. The mist felt perfect after a long hike and we took a moment to soak it all in as a group. One of the really special things about our crew is that everyone was clearly savoring the experience in their own way. It was refreshing to savor these special, hard-to-reach places with new friends. 

(Still Cory): I also had a funny experience after spending some time mediating near the waterfall as others headed back down the trail. As I was wandering back to catch up with the crew that had headed down, I came upon a solo backpacker who I hadn’t seen before on the river or anywhere else. I asked the backpacker if he had figured out a way to get to the top of the waterfall where the water was shooting out of the cliff side. The backpacker said there was, it just required one exposed move with a big jug handhold. Thinking to myself that was a bit of risky move for a solo backpacker, the next thing that happened was even more surprising. After sharing his free solo experience, the backpacker suddenly asked “Hey, are you Cory?” Having never met this person, I was pretty shocked and briefly felt like I was meeting some messenger from some place. Turns out the backpacker had just run into the rest of the crew, but perhaps I was in just a bit of a mystical mode after my meditation near the bottom of the falls. 

(Back to me) We just sat there at the waterfall for a while, savoring nature. Did a light scramble to get an even closer view of the falls. I was especially grateful for the opportunity to spend time with our mini group of Doug, Joe, Cory, Brad, and Andy. 8ish hours of trail time gave us all an opportunity to connect with the people who didn't regularly ride on our boats. Dinner; pesto pasta, Italian sausage, garlic bread.

Okay, so...this will be the last Grand Canyon post for a while because I'M IN SPAIN!! I'm going to document our Camino de Santiago experience in mostly-real-time, but I WILL come back to the Grand Canyon to finish up. Cheers!

The Ditch (Grand Canyon Rafting Trip) Part 10

4/5 Lower Blacktail (120.7) to Below Tapeats (134.5)

Moving downriver toward Lower Tapeats camp
Photo credit: Cory Inman

I'll get into the daily play-by-play shortly, but before that, I have a few random mental tidbits that need a home, and this post seems as good as any. And I apologize in advance that there is some colorful language in this post because I can't talk about the f*cking staples box without referring to it as the f*cking staples box. Sorry for disappointing you, parents. You raised me better.

Feel free to skip the first section if you just want to hear about how awesome Joe is or what we actually did on the river this day.

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1) I thought it was worth putting in the blog a response to a question that I get pretty regularly. 

"Kellie, how was the trip?"
I respond with some version of: "Amazing. Best outdoor experience of my life. Possibly best experience of all time. I came back a changed person."
"What do you mean by that?"

• I thank the sun every day.
• This probably started on day 1 or 2 of the trip. It was cooooolllllld on the river (and in the water...) when we were in the shade. Any time the sun would pop out from behind a cloud, or we'd turn a bend in the river and enter sunlight--immediate warmth and relief. And we'd thank the sun. I think this is just an example of one way I feel more gratitude in my daily life and try and express it outwardly. It's a ritual that reminds me to experience joy and appreciation in little things. 
  

"Thank you, sun!"

Photo credit: Cory Inman

• My priorities shifted.
• I care about my friends and family and being outside. I mean, you'd think those things would have been true before the trip--and they were--but not at this level. I definitely trimmed the fat of "things I spend time worrying about" and it feels really nice to pour the extra energy into my relationships. I hug people more (FSU folks are probably shitting a brick right now reading that) and they are big hugs. I tell my friends I love them. I **hope** I can continue to be a better listener (My friend Ty once gave me the advice to "be interested, not interesting" and it's always resonated with me even if I didn't act on it especially well.). I want to show up for people the way they show up for me.
• I really like finding joy in things. And sharing joy (now the UGA folks are probably shitting a brick because I was not exactly Ted Lasso during my professional tenure there). And trying to feel really present--using all of my senses to "feel" experiences, rather than just go through the motions. I will say that since being back, I'm not nailing the "being present" goal. Something I need to work on.
• This sounds really great, and it is. Total net positive. But my performance in school has taken a colossal nose dive and I am genuinely worried about shifting my priorities a little too much at the expense of eventually having to go back to work and do a job. And I want to do my job well. I really like my job! It's one thing to shift priorities. It's another thing to completely lose focus and become undisciplined. I'm working on finding the right mix.
• I am deeply intrigued by the way that people eat Pringles. 
• This has now become a topic of conversation / experiment in nearly all of my social spaces, both on the river and off the river. And I am PASSIONATE about it. Let's start with the basics:
• There is a "more flavorful side" and a "less flavorful side" of a Pringle. Why folks would put the LFS toward their tongue is beyond me.
• I don't want to say that biting a Pringle in half is a serial killer move, but like...convince me that it's not. 
• I don't want to be a hypocrite. I lived my whole life thinking that I ate Pringles the "right" way, which is obviously:
• horizontal
• MFS in first
• chip in the mouth all at once
• one chip at a time
• I've since learned that this is, in fact, not a standard approach to eating a Pringle. I'm doing my best to open my mind to other possibilities as others have been accepting of me, but it's a steep hill to climb.

Off river shot of Pringles--henceforth our house will always be prepared to test people

Okay, so that's the short-ish version of how I've changed. And I am really happy about those changes.

2) The Staples Box

I think I briefly mentioned camp systems in an earlier post, or at least explained that our four rafts each had a job based on how they were organized and packed. Great system set up by Canyon REO. Truly. Super dialed and easy to follow--would replicate it again on future river trips. As a reminder: kitchen, produce, groover, majority of camp boxes. And within each of these large systems are smaller systems. I really should spend an entire post breaking down the kitchen system, but for the sake of time I will just focus on one element of the kitchen system: the f*cking staples box.

Overhead shot of the kitchen boat

Photo credit: Chris Inman

The kitchen system has a bunch of boxes. There's the camp box containing dinner/breakfast/lunch dry goods. There's the commissary box that contains pots, pans, cutting boards, dutch ovens, etc. There's a utensils box that contains larger items like ladles, spatulas, tongs, etc. (but not actual utensils like forks and knives--or maybe those were SUPPOSED to be in the utensils box and we messed it up on like...day 1 of the trip. That's probably what happened.). We had a spice box. It contained spices. 

Editor's note: While writing this post, I found the actual packing list of what was in the utensils box:

Okay, I was right! No actual forks/spoons/knives. This was, on occasion, a little confusing for our crew.

And then there's the f*cking staples box.

Now, when you hear the term "staples" in the context of a kitchen (not an office supply store), you'd assume it would have some combination of the following:

• salt, pepper, sugar, oil, general condiments (ketchup, mustard), maaaaybe vinegar, baking powder/soda, corn starch, honey, and maybe a few other GENERAL STAPLES that I'm forgetting.

Our staples box had all that, to be sure. And then it also had things like...capers. Cans of black olives. I can't even remember all the weird shit that was in there because I've blacked it out from my memory.  

Editor's note: As with the utensils box, I was able to track down the actual list of what was contained in the staples box. And this is where I get to feel especially sheepish, because the staples box, at one point, actually did only contain staples. This, erm...mishap...is on our crew. Within the first 30 seconds of the trip, somehow our staples box started containing...other items...and it just kept growing and growing until the staples box was this super heavy box of NON-STAPLES and it was a disaster to open every time.

Nowhere on that list is "capers" or "black olives." I stand corrected and deeply shamed. I'm sorry for all of the hurtful things I said about you on the trip, Staples Box.

********

Now back to the trip! Well, almost.

Time for another crew spotlight! Joe!

Photo credit: Chris Inman

I had the opportunity to ride down with Joe from SLC to Lee's Ferry. We didn't know each other prior to the ride down, which could have been a recipe for 7+ hours of awkwardness, but Joe is such an approachable and caring individual that 1) it felt like no time at all, and 2) I came out of the car ride feeling like I had at least one more friend to start the trip. There's a lot about Joe that is impressive--he's a badass rafter/climber/skier/general recreationalist, but there are few qualities in particular that I want to highlight:

1. I like to think I have the best dad in the world, but if my dad wasn't my dad, I'd want a dad like Joe. Joe's style of parenting was so special to witness on this trip. It is obvious from the minute you meet Joe how important his family is to him. Joe is not a helicopter parent. He wants his kids to make decisions, to take reasonable risks, to build independence. But he is there to support his kids with love and encouragement every step of the way. And we got to experience this directly in watching Joe interact with Rio on the trip. Joe makes it a point to let the folks in his life know they are loved. And with Joe, you feel it.
2. You don't become a badass rafter/climber/skier/general recreationalist without practice and preparation. If Joe wasn't making one of us laugh with one of his stories from a forgotten era, he was studying the river map. Mentally planning out his approach to a rapid. Like, when this guy is focused, he is FOCUSED. It's something I want to model in my future approaches to physical challenges.
3. Joe is an absolute hoot. This guy has seen and done a lot in his life, and he has a "character building story" for many of these experiences that had the whole crew cracking up. What an absolute legend. Thanks, Joe, for being a part of this experience. Can't wait to see that framed picture of you at the waterfall in your bathroom when you have us all over for dinner  :)

*******

Okay, to the river!

Actually, sorry y'all. Not a whole lot to report on today. We had a few read and run rapids, and rowed Bedrock (7), Deubendorff (7), and Tapeats (5). I don't remember anything especially profound about any of these rapids. No swimmers, no flips, almost certainly some fun. We made camp at Lower Tapeats. It was a pretty rocky camp and I remember it being comically windy while we were setting up our tents. Dinner: Creamy Quinoa Primavera with Chicken <-- I remember this being super tasty!

Oh snap! I just realized we are about to have A LAYOVER DAY and the next post is about Thunder River! Stay tuned! It gets good!

Andy and Brad and Skullcrusher the Unicorn
Photo credit: Chris Inman

Making camp at Below Tapeats
Photo credit: Cory Inman

Lower Tapeats Camp
Photo credit: Cory Inman

View of the river from camp
Photo credit: Chris Inman

The Ditch (Grand Canyon Rafting Trip) Part 9

Sunset view from a Tapeats overlook at Lower Blacktail Camp
Photo credit: Cory Inman

Before getting into what will be one of my favorite memories from the trip, I want to give a shoutout to my friend and former student Morgan. Morgan is an OEL graduate who just got off a 26-day trip on the Grand (I'm so jealous of her layover days! Ha!). I'm disappointed that our itineraries didn't allow us to actually meet-up on the river, but it was fun to think of Morgan being on the river at the same time as our crew. 

Morgan, a truly cool bean.
Photo credit: Morgan Nicholson

Morgan and I recently caught up via phone after her crew got off the river. She told me about her amazing trip experience and crew, and what was especially striking to me is what a competent and confident outdoor educator Morgan has become. In addition to being an exceptional human who has a knack for building strong interpersonal relationships, Morgan rowed most of the major rapids and had greasy lines through them all. Morgan, you are an inspiration--I am so proud of you and I want to be like you when I grow up. Well done.

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4/4 Emerald (104.4) to Lower Blacktail (120.7)

I’ve been excited to finally get to this post. So many fun experiences on this day, and after Carnage at Crystal, a day of fun was both welcomed and needed.

But before that, a spotlight on Chris!!

Photo credit: Cory Inman

Where to start with Chris…such a fun presence on the trip. Chris is an out-of-stater (he represented Kansas City football every day of the trip, I think!) and is also part of the ATL crew. Chris and I spent a lot of time in the bow together, so I feel like we have an especially close bond. Lots of shared experiences involving cold water (and one of the swims!). The start of Chris’ trip was a little rocky--he got very sick with a fever in the first 48 hours of the trip, and as you might imagine, being out of your “normal” environment and swapping that with pretty extreme environmental conditions while feeling like garbage is pretty suboptimal.

That said, Chris is an absolute champ. Despite the obstacles, he stuck with it, and speaking on behalf of the rest of the crew, we are so glad he did. Chris has so many wonderful qualities, but if I had to choose and describe a few, I’d include the following:

• He has a huge, HUGE heart and cares deeply for the folks around him. It is so, so evident. For example, after finding out about my personal interest/hobby in Texas Hold ‘Em, he surprised me with a lovely backcountry poker set that he found at one of our stops on the way home. It was so touching and I can’t wait to use it in the field, and by “use it,” I mean “beat everyone until I end up in heads-up poker where I will absolutely crash and burn.
• His sense of humor is fantastic. It’s subtle and clever. A lot of folks might miss it if they’re not listening closely. And many puns, which is the most superior form of humor.
• Chris always looks for ways to contribute to the group, whether that’s joining the cleaning crew, DJing the campfire party, or offering a word of support. He’s always looking out for others.
• #1 trip documentarian. Thousands of fantastic pictures that I am so grateful to have to remember this trip.
• Lastly, Chris was a phenom with navigation. He constantly had our point position pulled up on his phone to confirm our location on the river, which was especially valuable before running significant rapids. It also led to his river name: GPS!

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We started the morning off running Emerald (5), Ruby (5), and Serpentine (7). I was proud of our crew for not letting the events from the previous day shake our confidence or our focus. We ran these rapids without issue and there was much rejoicing.

Source: Monty Python GifGlobe

I don’t remember if I mentioned this in a previous post, but never hurts to mention it again. At this point on the trip, we were in a much more narrow part of the canyon, which meant that the current was faster, allowing us to cover more daily miles. I bring this up because it allowed us to (finally) have some off-raft side quests!

After Phantom Ranch, one of the first significant side quests was Shinumo Creek (109.2). Shinumo Creek is a short hike to a nice waterfall payoff. The water was cold, but it felt great to splash around with the crew. There were some human launches off the waterfall. It was especially nice to feel like we could all take a breath and relax. We were so busy having fun that we failed to get many good shots of the waterfall itself. Editorial staff--if you want to upload human launch off of waterfall onto YouTube, I'll post it.

Brothers Inman at Shinumo Creek

Photo credit: Chris Inman

Peace Up, A-Town Down
Photo Credit: Chris Inman

I've been writing this entry in chunks, and while writing this particular chunk, I'm feeling a lot of feelings so I'm gonna wax poetic for a few sentences. 

Back on the boats after Shinumo. Once again, I wish I could remember what we talked about while cruising down the river, but I can't. And I guess that's what makes these trips special. You had to be there. But it's also hard. I want to remember every detail from this trip, but things are fading quickly and I can't keep up. I do remember that this was the day that we passed Elves Chasm. It was pretty late in the day and we missed the pull-off, so it wasn't meant to be, but I have heard from multiple GC veterans that this is a "do not miss" sidequest. Gives me a reason to go back. And I really want to go back.

The sun was beginning to set behind the canyon walls, so shortly after passing Elves Chasm, we began looking for camps. I believe we were shooting for Hundred and Twenty Mile camp (editorial staff--fact check me on this) and it was taken. As was Upper Blacktail. We were bummed, but Goose encouraged us to make camp at Lower Blacktail, and boy oh boy I sure am glad we did. While Chef Ada and Sous Chef Avery were cooking up a delicious dinner of burgers and baked beans, some of us went exploring around camp. 

Doug and Steve at the end of a nice day on the river
Photo credit: Cory Inman

Chef Ada preparing a delicious feast at Lower Blacktail Camp. Check out that sunset!
Photo credit: Avery Higgins-Lopez

Brad and I enjoying one of my favorite views from the entire trip on top of a Tapeats overhang.

Photo credit: Cory Inman

Cory, Brad and I enjoying a perfect canyon sunset

Photo credit: Cory Inman

This camp was *fabulous*. Brad, Cory and I scampered all over the Tapeats sandstone looking for a good spot to set up for the evening. We decided to sleep out (no tents) on this night because we had great protection from the wind and the cloudless sky meant that we'd get some next-level star gazing. We eventually settled on a sandstone ledge right at the mouth of Blacktail Canyon, and Andy also joined us in this spot. We couldn't help but think of Ranger Jen's warning about sleeping out + bats + rabies and there were a non-zero amount of bats flying overhead, but we decided to risk it for a biscuit. So far, I think we're all rabies free?

Our campsite for the evening
Photo credit: Andy James

Possibly my favorite campsite of the trip...have I already said that about another camp?
Photo credit: Andy James

After dinner, Cory+guitar, Joe, Brad, Andy, and I ventured into Blacktail Canyon, a small slot canyon, on the advice of several river friends because we were told that the acoustics in Blacktail were next-level for playing music. Cory set up shop with his guitar, and we each found a nice flat spot on the canyon floor to lay down and star up at the sky while enjoying a truly-once-in-a-lifetime concert. We were there for hours. After the acoustic concert ended, we had an impromptu dance party (but had to be really careful with our footwork because it was super rocky) that included everything from Blue Swede's "Hooked On a Feeling" to The Fugee's "Killing Me Softly." After leaving the canyon, we went back to our paco pads and stargazed for a long time.

View of the stars while looking up from Blacktail Canyon.
I wish we had photos from the actual concert!
Photo credit: Andy James

Andy touching the Great Unconformity, where 550 million year old Tapeats Sandstone rests on top of 1.6 billion year old Vishnu Schist
Photo credit: Cory Inman

View of Blacktail Canyon during the day.

Photo credit: Andy James

Cory, Brad, Andy, and I enjoying our remaining time in Blacktail

Photo credit: Cory Inman

View of the mouth of Blacktail Canyon
Photo credit: Cory Inman

Every day on the river is a good day. But this day was truly special.