Cruisin' on the Kaibab, September 21st I ended up taking another rest day at the North Rim. Amity, whom I hiked the Arizona Trail with last Fall, is going to be passing through Jacobs Lake on 9/23, and a rendezvous with her would be great. So...another day of sitting on my butt, staying off my feet. I did attend 3 presentations while at the North Rim Lodge: (1) condors, (2) geology, and (3) John Wesley Powell. All were very good and made the day go by a bit more quickly. In addition, I had the pleasure of meeting Ranger Carol Ogburn who gave the condor presentation. She has been a Ranger at the North Rim for 3 seasons after a year of volunteering and is now involved in a wide range of activities at the North Rim. After the Powell presentation (which was put on by the National Geographic Society) Carol gave me a ride back to the campground and then presented me with a bag full of treats and goodies! Quite nice. After saying our goodbyes and thanks, I slinked into the darkness and managed to consume most of the bags contents before going to sleep. It usually takes my body ~3 weeks before it recognizes its caloric stress and then it begins to get demanding...the furnace is needing constant fuel! Anyway, it was a very kind gesture and one both my stomach and I appreciated. Got going this morning and headed northbound along the Arizona Trail heading for Jacobs Lake which is ~52 miles away. Cool, overcast skies have made the hiking along the Kaibab very pleasant. I am anticipating some rain this afternoon, but we'll see what develops. The aspen are beginning to change and their yellow leaves and soothing rustle are always welcome. Currently I am at a `wildlife sipper', which is a small concrete basin that holds drainage and rain water, tanking up with water and taking a lunch break. As I write, a few wild turkeys are gobbling and honking ~10 yds from me. No doubt trying to assess the situation. I've only a few more miles for the day as I managed ~15 this morning along easy trail and old roads. A number of blowdowns between Lindbergh Hill and the North Entrance of GCNP were a bit of a nuisance, but otherwise smooth sailing. After filling up with water I headed down trail and in a few miles passed Crystal Springs, which was surprisingly full and clean. A few hunting blinds were set up within 10 yd of the spring, which I did not find entirely sporting. Eventually I climbed up to the ridge overlooking the northern end of the Saddle Mtn Wilderness, House Rock Valley, and a few of the drainage's that drain the plateau into the Grand Canyon. Good, big country. Shortly the skies opened up for an intense but brief rainshower, which I protected myself from under the dense limbs of a Douglas Fir. After the rain passed, I decided to just make camp despite the earlier hour. I was in no hurry, the views were nice, and the temps would be more moderate on the ridge. Later in the afternoon I noticed two hikers walking along --- a dreadlocked head with a lengthy stride...it must be SloRide! I had exchanged a few emails with Mr. SloRide before heading out. He and Shake n' Bake were tackling the Hayduke from Round Valley Draw to the Grand Canyon before heading on down the AZT to their home in Tucson. Another casual hike to add to their many, many miles of trail walking. We had figured we'd pass one another somewhere on the Kaibab, but you just never know when or where. After friendly introductions, we sat down and shared stories, linked common hiking acquaintances, and talked about a number of outdoor related issues. Happily, they decided to camp for the evening and our conversations continued into the evening over dinner. Just uptrail they had a nasty encounter with an archery hunter while trying to pump some water from Dog Lake. The hunter and a companion were perched in a tree stand, bravely awaiting their kill. As SloRide and Shake dropped packs to filter water, the insults and threats began, the hunters justifying their words with their concern that the hikers scent would notify the deer of a human presence (ignoring the fact that an ATV sat a few yards away). Needing water, and not being too enamored with the unfriendly verbal assault, SloRide and Shake responded with their own defense...public lands, lack of water, kinda thristy, etc...all logical arguments given the situation. Apparently the hunters were in no mood for logic as the verbal assault escalated into threats of physical violence. Not wanting to partake in Deliverance: Part 2, and growing concerned for their safety, SloRide and Shake gathered up their packs and took off after only being able to filter a meager quart of water.! I imagine when someone threatens you physically and has a suitable weapon in-hand to do so, it would make their claim hard to ignore. I was surprised and dismayed to hear of their experience as all the hunters I had met along the road walk to the North Rim were courteous. I was also going to have to walk by the same spot tomorrow morning and was not looking forward to a similar exchange. Anyway, I gave them some water and they were relieved to hear that Crystal Springs was flowing and was only ~2 miles downtrail. SlowRide was also kind enough to offer his maps and notes for the sections of the Hayduke Trail he and Shake had just hiked...alleviating some of my concerns about water and its upcoming scarcity. I've yet to give them a real looking over, but the initial review looks pretty dry from Jacobs Lake to HWY 89A north of Upper Buckskin Gulch. Like the Hayduke founders, SloRide and Shake cached water at the HWY...something I am attempting to avoid having to do. Anyhow, I am looking forward to sleep this evening, as it is my first pine duff campsite since I started this trip...always soft, warm, and a pleasurable sleep. Brian September 22nd After a very restful evening and a delayed start, I hit the trail northbound after our final "goodbyes" and "good lucks" were exchanged. I thankfully made it past Dog Lake without any death threats, just a casual wave to the tree-perched hunter and an exaggerated step like I was making an effort to walk quietly. Although I was considering trying to make it Jacobs Lake today (~28 miles) I knew early in the day my pace was not up to it, which made for a relaxing, albeit dry-mouthed day. I was certain I'd find some palatable water throughout the day, but every tank, sipper, or catch basin I came to had an unappetizing color or scent, thus not taking too much convincing to keep walking. I only started the day with 2 L (after giving 2L to SloRide and Shake) so eating my dehydrated lunch was out of the question until I found some water. So, snacking continuously throughout the day as I dropped into valleys, climbed to ridges, and contoured through lovely stands of aspens, ponderosa, and doug fir, I had the sinking feeling that an energy bonk was inevitable. Sure enough, in the late afternoon I was not feeling too good and the `ol gas tank was empty. Pushing onward despite the discontent roiling in my stomach, a few hours later I came across a large catchment attached to a steel tank. Luckily the hinged lid was unlocked and hoping to see some liquid, I heaved the lid back. Yeah! Water! Shining my headlamp along the surface I scanned for any dead animals or other floating unpleasantries. Seeing none, I got the gravity filter going,fired up the stove, and swallowed the last few drops of water in my bottle. Dinner was served a few minutes later, and cool water graced my lips shortly thereafter. After packing up I headed downtrail for a minutes before the sun set to distance myself from the water source and find a suitable camp. I am happy to report another evening of pine duff comfort... Tomorrow marks the end of archery season and the beginning of rifle season, so I am glad to be leaving the forested portions of the Kaibab for the scrubby pinion and juniper stands of the northern plateau. The intersection to Jacobs Lake is only a few miles away, so tomorrow should be a nice early morning stroll to the Jacobs Lake Lodge, my resupply parcel, and a rendezvous with a good friend. ~24 miles on the day and I saw a few puffy tailed Kaibab Squirrels, and a bunch of deer. Brian Jacobs Lake, September 23rd Cruised into Jacobs Lake after a few hours of easy walking. After a second breakfast, and a few Gatorades, I plan to head over to the RV Park for a shower an laundry. I saw yesterdays paper...can't believe another massive storm is poised to destroy TX... Brian

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