The Great Grand Canyon Adventure

Dave Nelson eats lunch about two thirds of the way into the canyon. Thousands of vertical feet yet to go....

The gang who ventured into the Heart of the Earth in September, 2005 are, from left: Tom Sahs, Tom Byerly, Arran (yes, just Arran), me, Dave Nelson, and Dave Yegerlehner. Dave Y is the master who took all of these photos. Click on photos for enlargements.



The view from the South Rim at sunset.







Dave Yegerlehner and I. We're on the Tonto Plateau on the north side of the canyon, on the second day in the canyon. The Tonto Plateau is a large shelf on both sides of the canyon about halfway down -- more than two thousand sheer feet from both rim and river.












Dave Nelson and I, down by the Colorado River, about a vertical mile down and eight or nine miles of trail distance from where we began at the South Rim early that morning.

When bad jeans meet nice girls

Here's a nice photo of Kathy and me in her backyard back in August. I apologize for my retrograde jeans fashion. They belong to a moment that lasted about five minutes in, say, 1988.

Skylights and Fires and All....

I'm getting ready to put in skylights in my bedroom and living/kitchen area. This is no small business: cutting big holes in your roof during the rainiest season on record in order to let a little light into a cave-like, if pleasant, space. We have to drill core samples in my roof to make sure there are no hidden reservoirs of seepage that could lead to problems later, like major leaks and unintended waterfalls. While I'm up there I have to decommission my swamp cooler unit and switch to the heater. To wit: last evening I had my first fireplace fire of the season. 'Twas as toasty and cozy as you can imagine. (Sketch above of Ratty at home before a warm fire is by Jonathan Wiltshire.)

Book Covers, covered

Here's the cover of the latest book, coming out in Spring 2006. I will not realize any profits on this one, but at least my name is on it. Enjoy.

Old Trip Pics, Still Viewable Here....

Here's a link to my pictures from the Catwalk hike a couple of years ago.


Here's a link to my pictures from Canyonlands last year.

The Posts of Christmas Past

Yeah, a nice picture of K and me at Christmastime in Arizona. We're sporting formal attire because we went to church -- something I hadn't done in, well, decades. Mazeltov.

New Blogging Stage

Moved my blog to a new location. This is easier to update and doesn't require a lot of maintenance on my part -- perfect for my low-friction lifestyle, designed for maximum enjoyment and minimum roadwork.








Photo from the Lost World Behind My House

Recently took pictures out behind my place. This will give an idea of just how rich the landscape looks in central New Mexico in early fall, before the leaves begin to turn.



Stay tuned for Grand Canyon pics from my recent foray with a group of friends down the South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch and then out again via Bright Angel Trail.