Packing, Packing, Packed.

I’m surrounded by a strange juxtaposition today. Outside there are big soft flakes of snow falling slowly to the ground. They settle atop the spruces and cover the boot prints in the old snow. The temperature is 7 degrees here at my cabin, and I’ve spent the past day or so packing for river trip. Dry bags, pelican cases, wetsuits, sleeping bags, and life jackets have been folded, stuffed, packed, unpacked, repacked. Now, stacked in an all-too big pile near the front door are a camera case holding the photographic gear for the trip: 1 body, 17-40f4L, 70-200f2.8L, 1.4TC, 1 flash, an ultralight tripod, and assorted CF cards, gels, batteries, and other accessories. All of that stuff will be transferred over to the Pelican case once I hit the river. The duffel holds clothes, dry bag, life jacket, safety gear, sleeping bag and the rest of my personal gear. So I think I’m ready for the Grand Canyon.

Have I mentioned that yet? I’m going down the Grand Canyon. My friend Hugh Rose (http://www.hughrosephotography.com), drew a personal permit for the canyon this year, and I managed to wrangle my Dad and I slots on the trip. So we’ll be joining Hugh, Patrick Endres (www.alaskaphotographics.com) and a group of other folks for the trip. Hugh and part of the group are already on the river, they started a few days ago at Lee’s Ferry. My Dad, another rafter, and I will be hiking down the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim on the 27th to rendezvous with the group at Phantom Ranch. From there we will spend 18 days floating down the Colorado, through the biggest of the canyon’s rapids, and out to Pearce Ferry at the head of Lake Mead.

As you might expect, I’m excited about it, but it isn’t quite real yet. Fortunately, that is about to change.

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