June 8, 2005
Day 22: Day Off at Phantom Ranch
Rutha is such a sweetheart! Even though she was as tired and stiff as the rest of us, she got up and set up breakfast. Cynthia had worked here a few years ago - so she got right into helping out the staff. I was pretty done-in. My legs were just stiff as boards. Most years I do the 14-mile, downhill stretch in two days. Rutha and Itty wanted to do the river loop. I said that I would walk down to the river with them, but would just hang out there.
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Phantom Ranch is an amazing place - nestled in the cottonwoods along the banks of Bright Angel Creek at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It gets up to 115 in the summer and shouldn't be taken lightly. People have to be evacuated out by helicopter all the time. Even this morning Delia, a park ranger, was having to set up an evacuation. When I was here a couple of years ago, a guy didn't make it.
So I sat in the shade and took in my surroundings - green and blue and red - trees and sky and rock walls - accompanied by the splashing of the creek as it rushed towards the Colorado River. When Rutha and Itty got back, we went down to the creekside and spent the day catching up on old times. We had a lazy lunch and a lazy afternoon in the backyard. Itty and I played a game or two of chess at the canteen. And, of course, we had the required lemonade.
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Rutha had the evening shift so I helped her reset tables. Then we had the best chicken tortilla soup I've ever had. Itty was eating as if there were no tomorrow. Rutha had to bartend until closing, so I hung around - cleaning up - and generally pestering her. The manager was sweet on Itty - Itty probably didn't even catch on - but Rutha and I giggled like teen-agers.
Then we sat up until well after midnight - talking about us, our journeys, Caring for our Moms with Alzheimer's. Stretched out of the sofa together - we talked about New Zealand. We talked about Wyoming. Boy, I sure do miss Rutha.
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