Trip Report on Walking Man Tour 2007-The South Rim

Here is a trip report from the Walking Man Tour 2007.

I left Tulsa at noon on Sunday in the midst of a downpour. This was the beginning of a two-week ice storm that devastated the Tulsa area, but I slipped out (no pun intended) just ahead of it. I traveled down Highway 75 to Dallas and stopped in Calera, OK at the Angus Pit Stop for a late lunch.

Believe it or not, there is Texas style barbecue in Oklahoma!





I went back with the owner to view the pit. He was originally from Mason Texas and moved to Oklahoma to be near his kids.

Here is a shot of the meats, their specialty was tri-tip, a cut rarely seen in Oklahoma. Good food and friendly people, I took some to go.


Traveled on in the rain to Fort Worth for the evening. Took a short trip on the roads near Arlington, reminding me of the years spent at UTA. Went to Central Market for the provisions for the week ahead.





I left Fort Worth at 4:30 am headed down I-20 for Big Bend. As I neared Abilene the roads began to ice and for the next 2 hours I was traveling on slick roads. Fortunately, I was out of traffic and was able to get through with no trouble. By Midland the roads were clear, but the weather was still rainy.

Stopped in Marathon at Shirley's Burnt Biscuit for fried pies.



More friendly West Texas folks and good eats for the week ahead.


By 1 pm I was at Persimmon Gap heading for the Basin and Chisos Mountain Lodge where I would spend Monday night.












Here is a shot of the foliage in the park. Still some color in mid-December.

After checking in at the Lodge, I took off for a short hike to the Window. Here is the view from the trailhead at the Basin.



A tarantula on the trail.



Here is a view of the Window from the trail



The Window




Me in the Window




I met up with two other hikers who were enjoying the view from the Window and they agree to take my picture.

Spent Monday evening in the Chisos Mountain Lodge. Rather rustic, but comfortable and allowed for an early morning start the next morning for the Lost Mine Trail.

I left the trailhead for the Lost Mine Trail at 6:30 am, sunrise was at 7:15 so the first part of the hike was in early morning light. Obviously I was the first on the trail, and I saw no other hikers.

Here is a view of the Window from the Lost Mine Trail

This is a self-portrait from the summit of the Lost Mine Trail. Almost not enough light for a picture. My flexible tripod worked well, however!

Casa Grande from the Lost Mine Trail





Here is the Terlingua Retreat where I stayed. Neat place available from VRBO.com

Since I was going to leave for the South Rim early on Wednesday, I took this picture of the trailhead on Tuesday evening.



Tuesday evening was spent in the retreat and I found myself getting excited about the hike the next day. I woke up at 4:30, but needed to wait for at least 2 hours before starting the hike. Finally, I put on the headlamp and took off on the Pinnacles trail about 6:30 am.

The hike up the trail was rather steep, with many switchbacks, but my pace was good and the wind and clouds were thick. I still broke a sweat in 45 degree weather. I began to wonder if it would be rainy throughout the day.

Here is a early morning shot from the Pinnacles Trail.



The morning was overcast and windy. The hike to Emory Peak was slick in spots as some of the moisture had frozen, but overall was OK. The scramble through clouds to the peak was a challenge, especially with the strong Southeast wind. The overcast blocked any view and so I made a short note in my journal, then hiked back down to head to Boot Canyon. I passed three other hikers who had spent the night on the South Rim.




Here is a composite shot of Boot Canyon. The leaves were still colorful even in the middle of December.



The Boot



I ran into another hiker at the Rim and he took my obligatory shot. Still very overcast so I was afraid that my views from the Rim would be poor.



The primary purpose of my trip to the South Rim on December 12 was to celebrate my 18th birthday of my new life of sobriety. I hiked to an overlook close to the junction with the Boot Canyon trail to have a celebration time, re-hydrate and give thanks to God for my new life.

As I began to write in my journal the clouds began to break up and the sun shone through! I felt that God was smiling on me as I rested in gratitude for his intervention in my life. The rest of the day was in bright sunshine as a reminder to me of God's grace!

Here is a shot from the South Rim with the breaking clouds.



After a rest, I took off around the Rim to join up with the Blue Creek Canyon and Laguna Meadows Trails to head back to the Basin.

Here is another shot from the South Rim.

Blue Creek Canyon

Deer on the trail. I must have been serene, because the deer were not frightened of me. They simply stepped aside so I could pass.

Casa Grande from the Laguna Meadows Trail

The Window from the Laguna Meadows Trail

Made it back to the Basin. 16 miles in 7.5 hours, 5.25 hours hiking time.

This was a grand hike. I was thrilled to be able to complete it and to see all of the sights along the way. I must plan a longer backpacking trip for next year. I have committed to spending my anniversary trips to the South Rim. 2012 will be an exciting time.