About 2 weeks ago I finished my 4th trip to Thunder River. This trip automatically includes Tapeats and Deer Creek since if you are going to get into good enough shape to do one then you might as well do a loop and include the other two destinations.
In 2004 I had a bad experience on this hike and I needed to "kill my demons". To help me do this I recruited close friends, family, and people I respect. Since I planned the trip a year in advance, it was fun to see how the group came together and who actually came. I am grateful for those that did come with me and for putting up with all of vague descriptions of the trip, misleading information, and selective memories that seemed to be devoid of every single "pucker factor" event that we experienced on this trip.
The trip starts at Monument Point/Bill Hall Trail head which is about 35 miles southwest of Jacobs Lake on the North Rim. We had a great group of a diversity of people and hiking levels and experience. All are LDS.
My demons were conquered as this trip was an amazing success. Still there were trials for me and my friends assisted me with these struggles. I rewarded them with great views and unexpected adventures.
We enjoyed very steep trails the first day, followed by day two's narrow trails with cliffs on one side trying to push us off the narrow ledge into the "Alley" that had somehow become hundreds of feet below us (Upper Tapeats campground to Lower Tapeats campground). On day three we enjoyed what I had described to the group as a hike along the Colorado beach, which actually was more like bouldering and technical climbing with packs on as we navigated our way by the dictates of my vague memories of doing this trip before. Deer Creek was the most beautiful with the amazingly narrow slot canyon below, elevated views of the Colorado (and Cory catching the largest fish of his life on the banks). Deer Creek is so tranquil with it's gushing waterfalls and green valley.
Always was I so relieved to get to the next destination without having lost a member of our group. Many times I was sure that members of the group where going to jump me or sucker punch me due to the inconsistencies of what I had described and what we were actually experiencing on this trip. I was elated when their response was light hearted, appreciative, and amazed at what we got to experience. I honestly can't believe my memory had failed me so badly that I had forgotten so many harrowing parts of this trip - the adrenaline was flowing at emergency by-pass levels. I got teased that my memory only failed for those parts because it was so traumatic.
Hiking out proved to be a memory of its own. We got our fannies spanked coming out of Deer Creek and then again as we plodded up the long unending "flat part" of Surprise Valley to spend the night. The next morning we woke up and immediately got spanked hiking up the mighty red-wall. We walked it off on the esplanade and regrouped before ascending the white-wall. Wow!! We actually made good time and were rewarded with corn "scoops" and Pace Picante Salsa - oh that was good! We washed it down with Dr Pepper and were able to enjoy the view from Monument Point knowing we had conquered this most difficult trail. We then stumbled wearily the last 1/2 mile or so to the cars to clean up and head back home, enjoying a feast at Marble Canyon lodge and some tire repair experiences which got us into town around 1am.
Thanks to all that came and for the amazing experience that we shared - you all are awesome!! The trip was epic thanks to Jarret, Darin, Carey, Scott, John, Cory, Jacob, Justin and Ryan.
Andrew "how did I forget all the scary parts of the trail" Brown
In 2004 I had a bad experience on this hike and I needed to "kill my demons". To help me do this I recruited close friends, family, and people I respect. Since I planned the trip a year in advance, it was fun to see how the group came together and who actually came. I am grateful for those that did come with me and for putting up with all of vague descriptions of the trip, misleading information, and selective memories that seemed to be devoid of every single "pucker factor" event that we experienced on this trip.
The trip starts at Monument Point/Bill Hall Trail head which is about 35 miles southwest of Jacobs Lake on the North Rim. We had a great group of a diversity of people and hiking levels and experience. All are LDS.
My demons were conquered as this trip was an amazing success. Still there were trials for me and my friends assisted me with these struggles. I rewarded them with great views and unexpected adventures.
We enjoyed very steep trails the first day, followed by day two's narrow trails with cliffs on one side trying to push us off the narrow ledge into the "Alley" that had somehow become hundreds of feet below us (Upper Tapeats campground to Lower Tapeats campground). On day three we enjoyed what I had described to the group as a hike along the Colorado beach, which actually was more like bouldering and technical climbing with packs on as we navigated our way by the dictates of my vague memories of doing this trip before. Deer Creek was the most beautiful with the amazingly narrow slot canyon below, elevated views of the Colorado (and Cory catching the largest fish of his life on the banks). Deer Creek is so tranquil with it's gushing waterfalls and green valley.
Always was I so relieved to get to the next destination without having lost a member of our group. Many times I was sure that members of the group where going to jump me or sucker punch me due to the inconsistencies of what I had described and what we were actually experiencing on this trip. I was elated when their response was light hearted, appreciative, and amazed at what we got to experience. I honestly can't believe my memory had failed me so badly that I had forgotten so many harrowing parts of this trip - the adrenaline was flowing at emergency by-pass levels. I got teased that my memory only failed for those parts because it was so traumatic.
Hiking out proved to be a memory of its own. We got our fannies spanked coming out of Deer Creek and then again as we plodded up the long unending "flat part" of Surprise Valley to spend the night. The next morning we woke up and immediately got spanked hiking up the mighty red-wall. We walked it off on the esplanade and regrouped before ascending the white-wall. Wow!! We actually made good time and were rewarded with corn "scoops" and Pace Picante Salsa - oh that was good! We washed it down with Dr Pepper and were able to enjoy the view from Monument Point knowing we had conquered this most difficult trail. We then stumbled wearily the last 1/2 mile or so to the cars to clean up and head back home, enjoying a feast at Marble Canyon lodge and some tire repair experiences which got us into town around 1am.
Thanks to all that came and for the amazing experience that we shared - you all are awesome!! The trip was epic thanks to Jarret, Darin, Carey, Scott, John, Cory, Jacob, Justin and Ryan.
Andrew "how did I forget all the scary parts of the trail" Brown
1 comment:
Some day bro, some day!
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