The rest of us stayed in camp and tried to get some sleep in the remaining two tents. It was then that I discovered by sleeping bag had gotten wet so all I had to keep warm was the towel Kirk had loaned me. I was laying there on my dirt covered pad fading in and out of sleep, mostly just tossing and turning because I was so cold. I was awakened at 2 a.m. from my semi-conscious state to the sound of rushing water nearby. I asked Jen who was laying next to me if I could borrow her flashlight to see out of the tent and sure enough the small stream which had been running through our camp since that morning was growing larger, and larger. We got up and moved our tent out of the way of the stream and then some Indians came through with flashlights telling us that there was going to be another flash flood. Mary came down from the cave and in an overly zealous move broke down and put away the tent we had been sleeping in. I think so that it would be easier to transport if we needed to get out of there. Kirk and Greg also woke up and moved their tent, and then we all sat at the picnic tables and watched as the water consumed our campsite.
We decided not to evacuate but to let the flood take us. I was wondering what the end of the world would look like and this seemed about right. Earlier in the day we had thought things had been bad but they would get better, and that is where optimism will get you... Sitting awake at 3:00 in the morning watching as a flash flood sweeps through your camp.
Kirk and Greg made cocoa to drink as they watched the flood and the rest of us, Nicole, Jen, and I each took a bench of the picnic table and tried to get some sleep, though it is hard to sleep on 6 inches of wood and I kind of wished my little sister had not broken down our tent.
When morning came most of us had had it and we decided to hike out that morning. The water was still brown with no sign of it going back to the crystal blue and we really saw no point in staying. Though Matt, Chas, and Ellie decided to hang out at the cave and let their things dry before hiking out.
As we hiked out of the canyon we came to a bridge which was covered, covered in foam and bubbles from the raging water. It was then I decided we really hadn't been in Havasupai, but a magical land with rivers of chocolate milk and bubbles up to your head.
At first our plan to hike out in the morning was a good plan, a plan that seemed like it would work. It was cool outside for the first three miles and then after that we were in the canyon which was pretty shaded. Everything was going pretty well until about the 7th or 8th mile when we began to run out of water and the clouds parted and the full heat of the afternoon sun began to beat down on us. At one point I had to give them all a pep talk to keep them going, I said,"In many ways our hike today is like our journey through life. Full of ups and downs, mostly downs. At one point you'll feel it's not worth it and probably want to kill yourself, but if you were going to do that you should have done it about five miles back." They rallied nicely and my friend Greg, who is a self-admitted germaphobe, was nice enough to let Kirk and I squeeze water from the mouthpiece of his camelback into our mouths, but after awhile this didn't reall work and all we could do was get drops of water out into our parched mouths.
We somehow reached the bottom of the switchbacks and all sat down to conteplate our demise, and then something amazing happened. More amazing than the land flowing with chocolate milk and the magical six foot piles of bubbles. Greg became so exhausted that he didn't care about germs anymore and he let Kirk and I actually suck water from the mouthpiece of his camelback. I really think he was near death at that point. After that it was simply a matter of stumbling exhausted up the switchbacks and eventually we all made it out.
more tomorrow...
2 comments:
Is it sad that I'm laughing out loud at all this?
Ah, Rebecca, I missed you/your blogging!
No, it's not sad. We were all laughing the entire trip.
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