RAOC Gazette - page 301
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
WALK SOFTLY, WALK SAFELY (Co mini ted from page 247.) The COO UKLF welcomes Corporal Jim Hitchincr into the Corps on his transfer from the Staffordshire Regiment iVhen one of the family joins up, ir's always a great occasion. And that's no exception especially when Gary Mason, son of W 2 Mason of Depot Services, Forward Ordnance Depot Dulmen, was attested by DuImeiTs Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ewens. Gary, aged twenty, who helps run the unit disco, is off as a Plant Operator Mechanic in the Royal Engineers. Having received his first days pay of £8 from the C O , Gary's father promptly bet him the full £ 8 that he'd be back with the Corps before he retires in 1 9 3 4 . offer of a L ride ' from a friendly Califomian and his wife. So on 30th June we had our first look at the Grand Canyon. Not a lot was said—nothing printable anyway—it really does have to be seen to be believed. A camp on the South Rim was soon established and a visit to the Visitor Centre, and in particular the Backcouritry Reservations Office (BRO). provided us with all the information we still required. It was not all good news however; the Spring weather had been dryer than expected, and water sources were even scarcer than usual All trips in the Canyon longer than one day have to be approved by the BRQ. and so several days were spent modifying the treks we had planned originally and submitting them again to the BRO. Meanwhile the urge to go down into the Canyon was too great and a day trip was planned down to Plateau Point and back. The Bright Angel trail is the most well known of all the trails into the Canyon, being the most used and the only trail that is fully maintained. It is however very steep and dusty, and well used by mules, whose natural functions do not improve the footing. The skies were clear, and by the time we reached Indian Gardens, a Ranger manned post with fresh water, the temperature was over one hundred degrees. From there to Plateau Point the trail crosses the Tonto Plateau which is relatively flat and very desert-like. Although the trail and the Point are painfully exposed to the sun, the Point offers an excellent view of the Colorado River one thousand feet below. On the return journey we were given a vivid illustration of the effects of heat exhaustion as an American tourist had to be air- lifted out from Indian Gardens. A few days later, the lessons of that day walk learned, we set off early to descend the Hermit trail. We soon discovered that we had not set out early enough. This trail is unmaintained and much of it had been virtually destroyed by rockslides making navigation and walking difficult. In the Canyon the Park Service recommends that walking is avoided between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm. We were more than a little weary when we finally arrived at Hermit Camp at 1.00 pm, after more than five hours walking. Undaunted (or foolish!) we continued in the evening by following the Creek to Hermit Rapids where we spent the night. Here we were entertained by groups of i river runners' who shot the powerful rapids in frighteningly flimsy- looking rubber boats. Sleeping in the Canyon is quite an experience; the temperature stays well above eighty degrees making tents and sleeping bags totally redundant. Insects and low flying bats combine with the heat to make sleeping difficult, and in an area where rattlesnakes and scorpions live it is amazing how sensitive one gets to noises in the dark. Believe me when a lizard decides to use your sleeping body as a stepping stone it does nothing to help the nerves! After a pretty sleepless night we moved back to Hermit Camp the next afternoon. Walking in the Canyon is the opposite of normal hill walk- ing : the climb comes at the end, after the descent and the heat have convinced your body that it's had enough. By now though we had learned our lesson and we began the climb out of Hermit Camp at the crack of dawn. Helped more than a little by an overcast day we made it to the Rim in less time than it took to descend. This was fortunate, for no sooner had we returned to the camp than the clouds burst open heralding the start of the so-called ' monsoon * season. For the rest of our stay thunderstorms with torrential downpours were frequent if short- lived. After further days of planning, for which the Park Service allowed us to use their own archives, we left on the 13th July to descend the South Kaibab trail. This is the steepest of all the trails into the canyon and offers breathtaking views, particularly of the Colorado. The river was crossed by the 1928 Kaibab suspension bridge: two hundred feet long, one hundred and sixty feet above the river—and only four feet wide. Not very good for vertigo sufferers! The next day's walk was to be the most difficult to date—ten miles along the exposed, barren Tonto Plateau, starting with a two thousand feet climb and end- ing with a similar descent into Clear Creek. Large quantities of water were carried—and drunk—and the group arrived in one piece. As the name implies, Clear Creek is one of the oases of the Canyon, and unlike others is blessed with many Cottonwood trees and other greenery, making it a pleasant place to camp, Lance Corporal Seggie of 4 9 RP Company briefs Major General Farndate, during his visit to one of the unit's Ammunition Depots. — 249 (Continued on page 276.) |
| Book number | R0250 |