61 Days Out – crunch time.  The fear of not being Canyon Ready gets sharper each day, and I have begun watching the GC Back Country news updates for trail conditions and water supplies.
We have had a very wet winter here in Arizona, with both rain and snow at the Grand Canyon. They put a statement out this week that the N. Kaibab Trail (b/n Roaring Springs and trail head) has been damaged.  A rain storm in January accelerated the snow melt which led to rock falls and mud slides. The trail is open and passable (UGH), but they warn hikers to plan on degraded conditions and loose rocks until mid-May when they expect to complete repairs.
Expected repair dates + winter is not yet over = Be Ready For Iffy Trail Conditions
Make sure you know how to correctly use your hiking poles, and that they work. Be careful with twist lock poles, and consider an external locking pole if you notice they are slipping.
If the trail is still damaged we might be relying on our poles for safety not just stability and power, and we don’t want our poles to fail one mile down !!
See you soon
