Next day, as the gray skies slowly lit up from the sun creeping along the high canyon ridges, groans echoed at the campsite as aching bodies got up for the day. Evil sun was creeping along the ragged edges of the tops of the canyon walls, premonitions of firey hell for the day ahead. Half of the group decided to hike it out another 7 miles to the Colorado River over at Phantom Ranch and back. But the saner of us decided we were going to cool off in the river for the day and forget about a 14 mile hike. The sun was already filling out the canyon floor as the other party headed out for a hot day on rolling terrain. Dino talked to the ranger and learned about Ribbon Falls about 1.2 miles south of the campsite. 1.2 miles was certainly bearable in light of aching muscles and stiff limbs.
Ribbon Falls falls in thin ribbons, from an opening above down on a domed rock, shag carpeted with soft moss. There are tiny pools on the top of the domed rock and a trickling shower of cool water. The wind tunes the sounds of falling water into a roaring crash against rocks, or a quieter splash straight to the collecting pool below. Earlier, we had met a girl and her companion who happened to have Bomika packs. They were filling up on water at Cottonwood and we just had to ask her about the pack, as only someone in the Philippines would have a pack like that. It just turned out that she was a U.P. Mountaineer from batch '93 and knew Boboy, maker of Bomika packs. Our good friend Boboy had exerted his influence half way around the world as this girl returned to the United States to trek the Grand Canyon from North to South Rim. It was a pleasant surprise and we talked with her some more as she came down from cooling off beneath the Ribbon Falls. We knew some people in common and then they headed out to finish out their day's hike.
We finished out the day at the falls and Dylan swam in the stream four hours. He threw rocks, splashed around, went skinny dipping, slid down the rocks with the flowing water and wondered in amazement at the water skippers. For all his fun and enjoyment, it was all worth the aches, pains, and numb body parts. We took a nap behind the shade of the falls and had a lunch of beef adobe in tortillas. By the time we hit the trail to get back to Cottonwood camp, the afternoon heat had risen to 100º F. The hottest 1.2 miles on foot but it was nice knowing that 1.2 miles was all we would have to go on foot for the day as my mind wandered to the rest of the group 7 miles away and yet to return to camp for dinner and the evening. They were probably sipping down cold beers and bumming smokes off people for the moment they were resting their tired legs, getting ready for another long trek back to their food, tents, and sleeping bags.
9:05 AM | |
