December '07 Newsletter

Black Canyon City finally cooled off and got some rain recently. For months we've been apprehensively checking the rain gauge, not much to see really since we've had less than a third of our normal rainfall this year. The two-day deluge we received in early December filled our gauge at 6 inches, although the official word was 4.5 inches. The tropical storm out of the gulf got the river running beside our house, and the fierce rain squalls overflowed our hot tub (leaky cover). A highlight of the intense weekend rain was seeing a large camper submerged in the un-bridged Agua Fria crossing on the other side of town. When we got there it had been stuck in the river for several hours and the rising water was gently rocking it. The water continued to rise and eventually came up enough to flip the camper on its side. It must have floated for a short time but only moved 10-20 feet downstream. Arizona has a harsh flooded stream crossing law; we've heard it is $5000.00 fine if you are forced to leave your vehicle after passing a barricaded crossing. And even more if you have to be rescued.

It's hard to talk about fall since we went almost straight from needing air-conditioning to getting out the fleece and turning on the gas fireplaces during the recent storm. We've experienced 80-90 degree days through much of November. Usually we would have the fireplaces on by now to pop the temperature in the house a bit and relieve the early morning chill. Not this year though! Bob decided fall had arrived a month ago and conditioned our evaporative cooler for winter (you have to drain the lines or they freeze over night splitting the copper). Susan was not too happy when the hot days continued for a couple more weeks and the house temperature soared into the mid-80's during the late afternoons. The leaves on the deciduous trees in the streambed haven't changed yet and spring flowers are pretty confused, as some of them tried to bloom.

This fall found both of us in a flurry of activity. Bob was busily programming the DVR that came with our satellite connection for HD movies to watch on the big screen TV. Of course he was doing this from a position on the living room floor while nursing a sore back. Susan was flitting about the neighborhood stretching the limits of volunteerism. Fortunately his back is okay now but it took some physical therapy visits and a host of new or revised exercises to accomplish. Now his left knee is cranky. As others have said "getting old is not for sissies". He has managed to remain in relatively good humor and is in love with that new TV. When he could sit up again, he charged into updating the photos on our website and starting the development of a Photo Gallery. His latest project is updating the accounting software and reviewing the Water District Ordinance. As the Chair, he has been directing this lengthy project but the end of that is in sight.

High Desert Helpers, of which Susan is Secretary, has been claiming more of her time in the past few months. She has helped with several of their fund raisers and has more planned between now and Christmas. Halloween found her clowning at their table along our community's Trick or Treat Trail. Both of us were at the park for Thanksgiving, serving dinner for almost 200 people and helping clean up the mess. She has been a member of the club for a couple of years but Bob became a member last month. This weekend her clown troupe, the Canyon Country Cut-ups will be entertaining the kids waiting for Santa to arrive at "Breakfast with Santa Claus. Mid-month she will be preparing Mexican food for our awards dinner. And then there is the food box distribution to 55-60 needy families in town.

For those of you who haven't been following the progression of the Canyon Country Cut-ups, it is our local clown troupe that Susan started in late 2003. It began with just Susan and BubbleLee, a Sun City friend of a friend who clowned. She agreed to coach Susan and Susan became her joey. After the first parade an acquaintance who had clowned before joined in; then a few of the Meals on Wheels drivers; then the wife of a retired Midwest farming couple; then the husband who collects antique tractors; then Susan's dear friend, Helen; then her dog, Beanie. We could go on and on but the bottom line is we tend to have about a dozen clowns for every parade, on a decorated float pulled by an antique tractor. The group has won 6 trophies now and has a ball getting ready for the events. Last month's Veterans Day Parade netted them the first place non-veteran trophy, of which they are very proud.

This year the Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association invited Bob to present at their October second annual symposium, providing us with a good excuse to visit one of our favorite places, the Grand Canyon. We hadn't been to the South Rim for several years so it was nice to briefly visit the viewpoints and attractions. For his topic, Bob chose the ill-fated Boy Scout adventure that so many of you have heard about over the years - down the Walter Powell Route and up the Salt Trail. Bob had never worked with Microsoft's PowerPoint before so this gave him the opportunity to stretch his skills beyond the old fashioned slide show we are more accustomed to having. He scanned 70 slides or so, spruced them up with Photoshop, and hacked his way through PowerPoint. The resulting presentation was 117 MB (the photo files were created for the huge screen in the Shrine of the Ages, not web viewing), which was unsuitable for adding to our website. With some more fiddling using Adobe Lightroom he was able to come up with a web version that those of you who have backpacked with us are sure to enjoy.

The look of our home is changing this year. When we bought the property it was landscaped with three pines out front. Our understanding was each was a living Christmas tree that was planted by the previous owners after holiday seasons past. One was 20' tall, another 15' and the smallest was about 10'. They really grew fast in the eight year period before we became the owners. Unfortunately an almost decade long drought has been killing pines off in the high country at prodigious rates. The trees dry out and then the oozing sap, their natural defense against bark beetles, declines. Huge areas of the Arizona high country have mile after mile of dead pines and there are genuine concerns about the next summer fire season. Apparently they migrate to new wood each spring. Unfortunately for us the bark beetle came to Black Canyon City this year.

While the cacti are looking plump from the recent heavy rains, our pine trees are rapidly circling the bowl. Before we left for Minnesota in late July we noticed the intermediate sized pine was struggling with some needle dieback, but the other two looked quite healthy. We returned from Minnesota to find the smallest one dead. Extended drought, no summer monsoon season again, and a blown apart sprinkler connection dried the trees out leaving the door open for bark beetles to do their dirty deeds with a vengeance. No amount of water seems to be helping now. The two larger ones have steadily declined this fall and we believe we will be practicing our lumberjack talents within a few months. We lost our lemon tree last year and the loss of the pines this year will revert our property to low maintenance desert vegetation. The largest trees around our home will soon be Mesquite and Palo Verde.

Scott, Tennille, and our grand dog Hudson will be visiting right before the holiday. Our neighbors with a fenced yard and one year old Sharpei have graciously agreed to host Hudson so he won't be confined to the garage. Christmas Eve we have been invited for a Mexican feast at the home of the couple who makes the High Desert Helpers' Thanksgiving Dinner. Christmas Day we will join another group of friends at their home for a potluck dinner and fellowship. After Christmas we plan to make a trip down to rendezvous with Susan's old roommate Kym and her family who will be visiting more family in Sierra Vista. While down in the area, we also plan to cram in a visit to Kartchner Caverns as we have yet to see the most recently opened room.

Wishing each of you and yours a joyous holiday season!

2008 River Permits and Trips:

It's time to begin thinking about river permit applications again. We're certain that most of you realize that a river trip is impossible without a permit and that the dynamics of obtaining a non-commercial permit for a launch date requires active participation by many. Most of these lotteries require interested parties to submit an application during December or as late as the first couple of weeks of January. You can find the lottery application specifics on our website.

Since we will be traveling in Mexico in early March and coming home directly afterwards to organize our April Grand Canyon trip, we probably won't be rafting the Salt River this spring even if it has great flows. The change from a waitlist to a lottery at Grand Canyon resulted in some friends of ours acquiring an eight-person permit for early April 2008 trip. Unfortunately the key people, Ted and Mary Bruning, are not able to join the trip. So as one of the alternate permit holders, Susan has her first Grand Canyon permit in perhaps a decade. While this sad/happy event puts us on the river next year, it offers little hope for others to join us since the space is already taken by people with equipment and experience. We want to do a first half of June, two-week trip on the Middle Fork-Main Salmon River if someone we know obtains a permit. If you get one, we sure would like to go if you have space. If you have a permit and need help organizing a trip, you can count on us. We know a lot of folks with gear and experience who would love to get back on a Middle/Main Salmon trip. If you want to join us on a rafting trip next summer, PLEASE assist with the permit situation by entering the Middle Fork lottery.

Even more exciting is the 2009 Grand Canyon lottery coming up this February. Those of you who can never get on one of those trips now have a significant advantage. If you haven't been through the Canyon on a raft recently or perhaps ever, you have preference. While Susan and I will only have one chance because we go frequently, you can get up to five lottery chances for the same entry fee that we will pay, $25.00. 2009 may seem to be in the distant future but this will be the first time in years that we have absolutely no Grand Canyon rafting plans. If you were counting on us helping you organize a trip some time in the future, this spring is the time to make it happen for you. I'm certain we will be on the river in 2009, the question is will we be helping you organize your trip or traveling with other friends. Check out the NPS website for the February lottery and get your name registered. Even if you are not successful in the February lottery, you become eligible for the many cancellations that will become available between now and 2009.

If any of you have questions or suggestions about any of this, we would enjoy talking to you about rafting, one of our favorite outdoor activities.

2008 MG Trip Plans:

Unfortunately those of you who did not sign up for a trip this fall have pretty slim pickings. We do want to go to Idaho in June. Running the Middle Fork or Main Salmon are both great one week trips. If you help with the permit situation, you will get yourself, some of your friends, and us on one or even both of those beautiful rivers. If no one we know scores a permit, we will probably take our raft and head for Idaho ourselves. We're going boating in June and would love to have some of you with us but . . . .

Start	Finish	Trip Name	Group Size	Comments
3/2/08	3/9/08	Baja Kayak & Whales One Spot Open	14	We will be whale watching off the shores of the Pacific lagoons of Magdalena Bay, the breeding grounds of great Gray Whales. This will be followed by an excellent introduction to sea kayaking that enables us to get out and enjoy the Gulf of California's most beautiful island. The kayaking portion of the trip includes a certified bilingual naturalist guide, single and/or double kayaks, all kayaking gear, camping equipment, and transportation to and from the island (no open sea crossings in kayaks).
4/1/08	4/16/08	Grand Canyon Raft Full	8	The Grand Canyon changed their system of allocating river permits last year and offered several hundred conversion permits in years through 2011 to individuals who were on the old waitlist. A couple of friends pooled their waiting years and obtained a small group permit. We're looking forward to again seeing snow on the rims above us, swollen side streams, and springtime desert flowers.
5/18/08	5/24/08	Canyonlands Mountain Bike Waitlist Only	15	Beginning on the elevated peninsular plateau of the Island-in-the-Sky in Canyonlands National Park, this hundred mile trip is one of the most scenic mountain bike rides in canyon country. For the most part, riding is fast and easy on relatively flat packed sand and sediments but there are some rubble and slickrock sections. Along the way, numerous side hikes offer opportunities to view spectacular scenery, historical sites, and Anasazi ruins. There will be limited space for non-bikers who wish to hike the trails and viewpoints from our campsites and drive our sag vehicles each day.
6/5/08 - 6/12/08	6/19/08 - 6/26/08	Idaho Rafting NEED PERMIT You must make it happen	25	The Middle Fork of the Salmon River originates northwest of Stanley, Idaho, with the merging of Bear Valley and Marsh Creeks. It traverses portions of the Challis, Payette, and Salmon National Forests as it flows 106 miles northeast through one of the deepest gorges in North America before joining the Salmon River. The Main Salmon flows through a vast wilderness in the second deepest gorge on the continent, one fifth of a mile deeper than the Grand Canyon. For approximately 180 river miles, this canyon is more than one mile deep. From North Fork to Riggins, the River drops at the average rate of 12 feet per mile with frequent rapids. It flows through pine-covered mountainous terrain, with numerous sandy bars, and usually has a large volume of water during the spring run-off. Peak flows can occur anywhere from the middle of May to early July. It is a big river and its hydraulics are comparable to those encountered rafting the Colorado through Grand Canyon. A fun two week trip is possible with only a Middle Fork permit provided you pass the Main Salmon launch area before June 19.

If you need more specific information on any trip we have planned, please contact us. We always generate a trip description with itineraries and all of the information one would need to help make a travel decision.

• Additional information, including our reservation and cancellation policy, is available upon request.
• Pre-trip information is mailed to all participants approximately a month prior to the trip.