Attempted circumnavigation swim of Angel Island (San Francisco Bay).

Under the watchful eyes of Pacific Open Water Swim Co. 

September 8th 2021

~5 miles, water temp 63F-65F (17C/18C) 

I was wearing a sleeveless wetsuit, two swim caps, tinted Aqua Sphere goggles and ear plugs.

liberal application of Body Glide and Vaseline. 

The swim map (Coros watch app).

The meeting time was set for 5:45AM - there was a bit of delay and we finally made our way to Angel Island and started the swim at 6:50AM. 

Swimmer drop was at Point Campbell, the west end of China Cove and I headed east for a clockwise swim around the island. It started off well - the water was choppy but not too cold. I was heading east directly into the rising sun. The views were stunning - the sun's orange glitter path was really mesmerizing. You could see the shimmering shades of orange and yellow underwater.

While I painted this based on one of Bryan's photographs from a Tahoe swim. The sunrise looked just as stunning here in the Bay.

I kept the sun dead straight ahead until we rounded Point Simpton and headed South/South East. There were patches of seaweed that brushed against me and shook me out of my tranquility. The Bay waters are wild and choppy and home to many creatures, I was happy it was only seaweed. Land sighting marks were difficult to find at times due to the waves - but I kept the sun to my left and got glimpses of the SalesForce tower every now and then. Bryan (the pilot) shouted out that I should aim for Alcatraz Island (heading south) and go wide of Point Blunt Rock. The next sighting point was the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, I think the idea was to move out of the eddies created by the Blunt Rock outcrop. 

Sighting direction (From your right to left) South to the city. Aiming for Alcatraz, sighting south tower of GGB, sighting the Sausalito houses. 

I ended up swimming past the Green Buoy off Point Blunt and thought I may have gone too far into the shipping lane! But I knew I was in safe hands. A bit about the pilots on these open swims - they are amazing! Super multitaskers - they had to continuously monitor my progress, check in with the Coast Guard for ship/boat traffic, arrange my feeds and keep a track of the currents! Bryan was the sole pilot on this swim and this was my 5th swim in the Bay with him. Absolute Rockstar!

The pilot signaled and asked me to aim for the houses on Sausalito (I was now heading West) - this was the final westward swim before turning into Racoon Strait. I made that right turn and thought I was heading west towards Sausalito. But for some reason I kept drifting right and swimming more northwest than west (not sure if it was the current pushing me or a stronger right arm pull). That drift cost me some time and Bryan asked me to aim for the rocks just before Perles Beach and go in as close as possible (shallow waters have milder currents). This was to get me out of the flood current that had kicked up a few gears. As I got close to the rocks - I got a bit nervous - I've been cut by sharp barnacled rocks before - so I tried to swim out a bit and away from the rocks! This is where an exasperated Bryan probably realized that I was not going to get out of that flood (he wanted me to go close to the shore - 10 feet from the rocks - as close as possible in order to make that right turn for the home stretch). So after a few more calls of 'swim to the  rocks, swim!!'...he pulled the plug and asked me to get on the boat as I could not outswim the flood current. Ah well! :)

Another 100 yards and I'd have made the turn. But I kept moving away from the shore. That is the power of the flood current.

He repositioned me to the west of Perles Beach and I made the final portion of the swim around Point Stuart and headed Northeast into Racoon Strait for the home stretch. All in all a 9,200 to 9,300 yard swim (about 5.2miles). 

I enjoy swimming in the Bay and even after being repositioned I was happy to jump in and finish the remaining 3,300 yards to get an almost full loop around the island. :) 

Timing.
The yellow circled 500 yard section was where I was on the boat being repositioned.

Feed stops were every 45 mins. That worked out well. The first feed included a gel and my Gatorade drink. The only problem was that the feed was handed out to me in a paddle net and by the time I finished the gel and sipping the drink I had drifted 15-20 yards away from the boat. Swimming back with a bottle in my hand to put it back in the net was a bit challenging. The next feed was the typical bottle tied to a rope - it was easier to drink, drop the bottle in the water and swim - Bryan pulled the bottle back in - that worked much better. Total calorie intake was about 350 total about 150/170 per hour.(sports drink + one Gu Gel).

What went well:                   

1) I had bandaged all the hotspots to stop friction burns. My training swims had given me an idea as to where I'd get wetsuit friction rash. Being a runner, taping hotspots that become blisters is a common experience that helps across sports.

2) Knowing that the swim would be about 3 hours long, my longest training swim was about 2.5 hours. That worked out well. I was not fatigued at the end.

3) Swimming throughout the year in Santa Cruz made me well acclimated to the cold water.

4) Having done a lot of open water swims all year made me comfortable with the chop and wave action of the bay. I had done 4 prior Bay swims with Pacific Open Water Swim Co this year. 3 Alcatraz crossings and a 90 mins swim along the coast of Tiburon.  

5) Sighting was generally fine as long as I had the sun as reference during the rough spots and then it being a clear day all the other sighting points were clearly visible. Bryan pointing the way at other times.

6) We went clockwise around Angel Island - which worked for me as the boat was on my left most of the way - I breathe on the left.

7) Heart Rate was pretty steady as I kept the effort at a reasonable level.

8) I've racked up about 150+ miles of swimming this year (pool and open water). 

 

Things I could improve on:

1) Need to work on getting faster. 1:45/100 yards to 1:50/100 yards in open water. Longer pull buoy sessions add more paddle work. Strengthen arms and refine my pull. 

2) I need to ask more questions prior to the swim start. Maybe carry a printout of the map for a more visual depiction of what to expect. Where to expect the tide/current to switch. What sections need to be faster, wider, etc.

3) Need to understand the currents movement at the start. I knew that low tide was at 7:12am - so had I started at 6:30am I may have made the westward swim section just before the flood stepped up a gear. 

4) Work on feeding during training. 

5) Need to do a blind swim test to check how prominent my right drift has become.   

6) Figure out how to combat saltwater tongue. I've heard of coating it with coconut oil - may give it a shot on the next 3+ hour swim in the Bay. A day later and the tongue is still sore.  

Notes: 

The above pace is not really indicative of my actual swim pace. Most Bay swims are 'current assisted' or as they say - you 'ride the tide'. So they will be much much faster than normal. And on the other hand, if you mistime the tide you can get stuck against the flood current (or ebb current) and end up swimming in one place or even pushed backwards.

Definitions and a wonderful tutorial from NOAA:

Tides: Tides are the rise and fall of water levels. 

Current: Currents are horizontal flow of water.     

 

Here are some visuals on the tides/currents in the Bay.

Tidemap from Tidetech

Youtube visual of currents in the Bay

If you imagine the San Francisco Bay as a big lake that drains out and fill up every ~6 hours - as the tide goes out (ebbs) you get a strong ebb current (where the water is leaving the Bay and heading out under the Golden Gate Bridge into the Pacific). As the tide comes in (flood) there is a very strong flood current coming in from the Pacific into the SF Bay. These are almost like rivers flowing in and out.

In the San Francisco Bay, ebb currents are stronger than flood currents because of the river water flowing into the bay. 

 

Eddies and counter currents: Around the islands (Angel, Alcatraz, Treasure etc.) and the coast there are counter currents and back-eddies and swirling eddies that are caused by shallower water, obstructions to water flow (natural or human made). As flowing water hits an obstacle such as an island, pier, underwater mounds or an outcropping it diverts the flow and causes counter currents that flow in the opposite direction of the main current or causing eddies where the water swirls around in circles. Typically, the main currents are stronger in deeper water than in shallow waters near the shores. 

Swim Safety tips: Never swim alone in the bay and know the area you plan to swim in.    

Gull Park, Foster City CA - Swimming

Gull Park in Foster City  

(Updated on September 30th, 2023)

Over the years Team Asha Triathlon has introduced swimmers to Open Water Swimming (OWS) at Gull Park. It is a great place to start out on your open water experience.

Advantages: With the closed channel, calm waters and plenty of sighting markers to choose from, this is a great place for first timers to get comfortable and learn the basics of OWS. The zero visibility underwater is also an advantage as it helps new swimmers re-calibrate their equilibrium and gradually overcome the feeling of nausea (or sea sickness). Water is tested on a weekly basis.

Disadvantages: The water looks, well, 'Murky' - with  the occasional blob of goose poop floating around (it could be vegan or may be veganish - I don't know, I haven't tried it). But it's all good and relatively safe (see updated paragraph below in bold). In the main channel you have to be careful and look out for kayaks and boats. Having a swim buoy (orange/yellow) and a bright colored swim cap will help make you more visible to the boats/kayaks.  

Word of Caution: The lagoon is shallow and in some areas close to the shore, if your stop and stand, you could cut your feet on the abrasive (shell strewn) bottom. Further, don't "hug" the shore as you may stub your finger on a parked boat or the  pier.

Weekday swimming: Gull Park is near a school and surrounded by residences. Some residents do not like swimmers changing on the road/sidewalk (close to the school or houses). They have called the police citing indecency. So be respectful and change into your wetsuit at the beach, or wear a swim parka until you get to the beach.

The Lagoon also has fish - you may, at times, touch a few while swimming - may be a bit disconcerting - but it is pretty harmless. Here is a quote from the City's page. 

"Non-commercial fishing is allowed in Foster City, and a state fishing license is required. The Foster City Lagoon contains Halibut and a large population of bait-fish."

    

Lagoon maintenance: 

The lagoon is maintained by Foster City and is frequently drained/flushed as rain water from the streets drain into the lagoon during the (rare) wet season. We typically do not swim for a few days after a heavy downpour as the drainage of water into the lagoon could have increased the bad bacteria levels. Be safe rather than sorry - avoid the lagoon during the rainy season. Aquatic Park in San Francisco or Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz are better places to swim during the rains. 

Lagoon water is tested once a week - San Mateo County has an interactive map that shows you if the water is good for swimming or not. Waters are tested on Monday and the updates show up a day or two later on the sites below. 

Interactive map. Just shrink the map to see the entire area covered by San Mateo County testing. 'Green dot' means good to swim, 'Red dot' means avoid swimming.

Water quality webpage: The link to the interactive map (above) is on this page. 

The rather unnatural blueish green color of the lagoon is because the city dumps 100s of gallons of non-toxic blue dye into the lagoon in summer to help stop the growth of algae. Here is an article about it. 

October 2022 update:

That said, in October 2022, I exchanged emails with the wonderful Foster City (FC) folks about the poor water quality reports from San Mateo County testing and various media sources at their various beaches (including Gull) and they were very prompt in responding. FC folks said that the bad reports from Heal the Bay's annual 'Beach Bummers' list and other media are misleading and are not an accurate portrait of Foster City's Lagoon System. As per FC - the risk of swimming in the lagoon is the same as it was last year or the years before - but they would leave it up to the swimmers to decide based on their own comfort levels. The City has taken measures and continues to work towards improving the lagoon system. Here is more information on that.   

Swim distances:   

I've used Google Earth to map some of the more common swims we do at Gull Park. Here are some photographs and specific notes below each one.

A swim from the beach to the 'Yellow house' and back is about 400 yards. Always stop before crossing the main channel and look out for boats and kayaks. The main channel is the water body in front of the Yellow house - the turn around point. Sighting tips - the yellow house bang in front of the beach (they may repaint it some other color someday - so don't hold me to that 'Yellow House').  On the way back aim for the big trees right behind the beach.

This 200 yard swim is within the enclosed area near the beach - a good session for sighting and turning in open water. Sighting tips: There are always boats parked there - you can make a triangle based on them.

Right side bridge and back is about 1600 yards. Good for Olympic and Half Ironman distance training. We typically have the swimmers stay close to the shore (stay right going to the bridge and right on the way back). This keeps them off the center of the main channel which has kayak and boat traffic. Keep an eye out for oncoming swimmers as they may not be keeping the same traffic rules as you.

Left side bridge and back - about 3200 yards. Good for longer swims and for the full Ironman distance swims as well. Again, stay close to the shoreline (not too close) and avoid swimming in the middle of the channel. Traffic rules are NOT followed by all swimmers so keep an eye out for oncoming swimmers. 

Other swim areas close by: 

Coyote Point Park, San Mateo, CA 

Here is a link to Dylan Tweney's write up about swimming at Coyote Point Park in San Mateo, CA.

Here is a prior post on Open Water Swim safety.

Enjoy!

2020 - A time to revisit my running

A quest for a quicker Half Marathon: 

2020: I was scheduled for Ironman Hawaii 70.3 in May, Santa Cruz 70.3 in September and Chicago 26.2 in October....but the Bats and the Pangolins had other ideas.

All races have been postponed or cancelled. All swimming pools closed. We (Team Asha Triathlon) decided against biking outdoors during the height of COVID-19, primarily to reduce the likelihood of having to make a hospital visit in case of an accident. Given that our season has been shifted to a virtual environment I decided to work on my running. The goal is to get (safely) to a 1:40:00 (One Hour: Forty min) Half Marathon (13.1 miles) by July 31st. My previous best was a 1:41:& change - fifteen years ago (2005) and I wanted to see if I could roll back the years. So far, so good. April (95 miles) and May (84 miles as on the 19th) have been loading up months with 4 runs a week. My routine is:

Monday: 6-8 miler 8:00 to 8:20 min/mile pace. (Midday/Noon run.)
Tuesday: 4-6 miles 5K pace (7:30 to 7:45 min/mil).(Midday/Noon run.)
Wednesday: 30 min Spin session and 20-25 min strength and core workout.
Thursday: 5-7 miles mild elevation and step climbing @ landfill heap. (Midday/Noon run.)
Friday: Rest with a 20-25 mins strength and core session.
Saturday: Long run 10 to 20 miles at 8:15-8:30 min/mile. (Late morning run.)
Sunday: 60 min Spin session.

The midday runs are - well - because I prefer the heat and I am not a morning person (hence a late riser). Running in the afternoon helps me acclimatize faster to our summer temperatures and forces me to pay attention to my hydration. Plus, with the social distancing guidelines the roads and trails are empty at noon - so no need for SCUBA gear as extra protection during my runs.

Strength & Core: The deal is to keep a moderate core and strength training routine going (nothing excessive). I have a routine that I put together for the triathlon program about a year ago that is a quick 20 to 30 min session (2 sets). I do that 2 to 3 times a week. Strength & core training is absolutely essential for balance, good posture and general well being.

Spin & Biking: The spin sessions or riding outside is also essential for runners as it helps in toning and strengthening the quads and is a great non-impact form of active recovery.

Swimming: Once the pools open - I'll be adding swim sessions as well. Great workout for the upper body and also a great non-impact active recovery specially when you are concentrating on your runs. And swimming is my version of meditation.

So far in May - I have managed to run three half marathons - keeping my Heart Rate (HR) under 160bmp, maintaining a regular cadence (174-180 spm) and gently increasing my pace after the 6 mile mark. The idea is to slowly build into a sustained sub 8:00 min/mile by mid June and then push for a quicker Tuesday speed workout.

The three 13 milers this month were on
May 2nd: 10:00AM - 61F - 75% humidity (that humidity messed with my long luscious hair).
May 9th: 9:10AM - 60F - 60% humidity.
May 16th: 10:40AM - 65F - 56% humidity.

I've put together a sheet with the details of my three 13 milers (a photograph below). All details from Strava and my Coros watch. I'll add to this as my quest unfolds.

Analyzing my three 13 milers in May (Strava details).

-----------------------------
Update on June 16th 2020:
On May 28th I pulled my hamstring - so this quest, like my hamstring, has been iced!
:) 

2017 - A look back.

2017 - A look back.

2017 was a wonderful year for a lot of us. Team Asha Triathlon program had a record number of new triathletes and all of them successfully completed their first triathlons (Oakland and Marin). Almost all of them have found a new love for open water swimming and triathlons. Further to that Sumit Jain and Shashi Dakuri completed their first Ironman Triathlon in Canada. It is great to see all these athletes enjoy the sport and reach new heights.

 Asha Triathletes after Marin County Triathlon

------

My year: 

Total training miles for the year:
Swim: ~90 miles (158,409 Yards)
Bike: 1,817 miles
Run: 728 miles

The year started with my 6th running of the Napa Valley Marathon and it was a good primer for Ironman Canada training. Napa was a good run, cold and wet at the start. Yup it was raining. I felt good and ran a relaxed and easy race.

Sitting in the shuttle prior to Napa start.

The Team Asha Spring Run is always a fun event - great place to meet all our past and future runners. It was a well conducted and well represented event.

Given that Wildflower Tri was cancelled, Stan, Shashi, Sumit and I participated in the Auburn Half distance tri as part of our Ironman Canada training. Stan and I had done Auburn back in 2008 and I remember the bike course to be really hilly. Great training for Canada. Auburn did not disappoint, it was a warm day on a tough course. All of us did well and were cheered on by our Team Asha folks - thanks Karthik, Surya and Renuka.

All in all it was turning out to be a pretty decent training year with loads of hill training on the bike. Ironman Canada has a hilly bike course so we did plan and ride a lot of hills. Over a 100K feet of climbing (as per Strava). That is a lot for me. We did a lot of hill repeats - replicating the course. Going up Page Mill twice in a ride; Once at the start and once around the 90 mile mark. Or alternating the hills with Page Mill, Old LaHonda and Kings Mountain. Between January and July I did Old La Honda 19 times, Page Mill 9 times, Kings Mountain and Mt Hamilton 1 each. This was probably the hardest I've trained since 2007!    

For the final push I joined Stan, Shashi and Sumit for Stan's special Super Brick training session (a bike 30 miles /run 8 miles , bike 15/run 5, bike 15/run 7 session) and actually felt good! So I had no excuses, I even bought a new bike this year (my previous ride was a Lemond I bought in 2002).

My new bike

Around June I had a bad day on the bike - it was during the longest ride - I just imploded and it took me almost 2 days to recover! I still have no idea what happened. But that was a huge setback. After that I tried switching my diet from all Gels to VESPA + gels (a favorite of a lot of Ultra runners). VESPA is supposed to work on a fat burning system 'Fat as fuel' (as opposed to an influx of sugars from Gels). After a few tries I managed to reduce the amount of gels (eGels) during training. But during Ironman Canada - I don't think the diet change worked. I was pretty much out of it by the time I got off the bike and after that it was just a long tired trudge to the finish line. It was my slowest Ironman finish. The race started off pretty well - the swim is in the gorgeous Alta lake. What a setting!

 Lake Alta

The bike ride has two long climbs. About a 10 mile climb in the beginning and a 10 mile climb back into Whistler at around mile 90. Brutal! I was doing fine till the about mile 80. The climb back into Whistler just knocked the wind out of me. Once I started the run (a walk really) I had decided that no matter what I had to finish. I had dropped out of Ironman Lake Tahoe at around mile 8 or 9 on the run and did not want to repeat that. My stomach was in full bloom and after frequent porta visits I pushed on slowly to the finish. This was my 13th Ironman start and 11th finish (and my slowest finish). I think I am done with the full distance for now.

Food Intake: Crank sports drink, eGel, VESPA Jr. (VESPA every 2 hours, eGel every 60 mins, sports drink ~300cals over 2 hours.)  
Issues remain the same: Bloating, GI distress and a light headed feeling after about 8-9 hours.

Sumit, Shashi, Rajeev Shankar and Stan had a much better time and all of them finished strong. Huge congratulations to Sumit and Shashi for finishing their first Full Ironman! Rock Stars! Big Thank you for all those that came to cheer us.

Team CovFeFe Cheering Squad.

The finishers

I followed up the year with Santa Cruz 70.3 (Half Ironman) - Had a near miss the weekend before the race. Labor Day weekend, I crashed while riding my bike and luckily did not break anything (me or the bike) - Just a sore shoulder. But 10 miles later a car clipped by back wheel - again I was lucky - the driver did not stop but my wheel was bent out of shape. I just skidded into the hedges and thanked my lucky stars! Got a new back wheel and the next week I was up and ready for Santa Cruz 70.3. I love racing in Santa Cruz - beautiful water, fantastic bike course (Highway 1) and a run along the coast. Pure beauty. Due to heavy morning fog the 1.2 mile swim was reduced to about 800 yards. I had a fun race. Met up with Pavan Singh after years! And we ran a few miles together. Was great catching up!

Come October it is Chicago. This was my 13th year of running Chicago marathon. My sister had signed up too so we ran it together. Chicago is always fun as I get to meet the family.

 Perfect weather in Chicago

 Downtown Chicago

Sumit, Rochan and I signed up with Odyessy Swim Club and swam Alcatraz. My 10th time doing the Alcatraz swim. Towards the end we all got caught in the incoming tide - it was like being stuck on a treadmill - we finally got a short 75-100 yard boat ride to be re-positioned - the power of the tide was just amazing! Big Congrats to Rochan and Sumit for their first Alcatraz swim. Looking forward to many more Open Water swims with them.

Scalps!

 

The Year In Medals

In November, while on a visit to India, my nephew Ranjit and I ran the IIT Bombay 10k and ended up 3rd in my age group! LOL!

 
Now for some rest and relaxation.

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim backpacking trip

Oct 21st to Oct 25th

A great site for Grand Canyon hike details

The lead up.

Prakash started the ball rolling and about 15 folks jumped in and said yes. After everyone figured out their personal time commitments we were down to 9 of us who were sure and were in for the training and the hike. We started doing some PG&E trail hikes (at Rancho San Antanio). Slowly adding some weight to our packs and having everyone break in their new hiking boots and getting used to the hiking poles. The 10 committed folks were: Renuka, Mittal, Ravali, Neha, Prakash, Sumit, Shashidhar, Balu and yours truly. Everyone was getting the required training and 5 of us were also running Chicago marathon so that too was helping us get ready.

Training Backpacking trip: Desolation Wilderness. Sep 24th/25th.

Renuka, Neha, Mittal, Ravali, Balu, Sumit, Shashi and Rajeev

We looked around for a decent backpacking trip to help folks get used to carrying their fully loaded packs and to be able to set up tents, cook food and be ready to pursue natures call in nature. 8 of us packed into two cars and drove up to Loon Lake trail head (Eldorado National Forest - just south/west of Lake Tahoe). We started the hike around 10AM slogged the 7 miles to Rockbound Lake. The trail is rocky and has a bit of elevation - we start at around 6,400 feet and topped out around 6,800 feet. The walk in was a bit tiring as all of us were getting used to the backpacks and the various chaffing and heat exhaustion chipping in. The trail goes up the east shore of Loon Lake then turns right, past Spider Lake, Buck Island Lake and then hits Rockbound Lake in Desolation Wilderness. The only water source is at the Pleasant Campground at the north east edge of Loon Lake. Access to the lake along the way will take you off the trail. So we had plenty of water with us for the entire 7 miles. We got to Rockbound Lake at around 5:00PM and Shashi, Sumit and I went looking for a decent campsite.

The trail

We pitched our tents near the west end of the lake - seemed like the best spot - easy water access yet far enough from the water and well protected from the wind. We started the evening with the refilling of our water bottles from the lake (using a filter of course) and everyone pitched in. We all settled in for a relaxed evening of a few sips of whiskey, some yummy freeze dried backpacking food and some beautiful star gazing. Energy levels were up and everyone relaxed. We packed all the food and other scented stuff into the bear boxes we were carrying and all the left over stuff (garbage etc.) was hung up high on a tree.

 Photo credit Sumit Jain

The weather was pretty good - not too cold at all, but around midnight the winds picked up and it was howling all night. Absolutely wonderful to hear it whispering then screaming through the trees. Next morning we all were up and ready to leave by 9:30. Mittal and I took a quick dip in the frigid waters of Rockbound Lake. Nice and refreshing. The trip back was quick as everyone seemed much more at ease with their packs. We got back in under 5 hours. All in all a wonderful experience for everyone.

 Filtering water

 A night time selfie

 The Gang

 Rockbound Lake

 The Trail

 Loon Lake

 Loon Lake

Chicago Marathon - Sumit, Neha, Ravali, Shashi and I ran the Chicago Marathon on Oct 9th. unfortunately Neha sprained her ankle pretty badly and was pretty much out for the Grand Canyon trip...that was a bummer. She did however complete her first marathon!

Before the start: Photograph by Condor Bob

Grand Canyon (GC):

Stan had joined the GC trip as we had an extra permit. With Neha out, it was 9 of us heading out. Ravali, Renuka, Mittal, Shashi, Sumit, Balu, Stan, Prakash and I. We flew into Vegas picked up our van and drove to the South Rim, picking up last minute stuff at the REI in Henderson (Gas canisters, matches etc.), we had reservations at Maswick Lodge. After a quick dinner we all packed our backpacks - leaving unnecessary stuff in the van. We were ready by 6:30AM and had a shuttle drop us off to the North Rim (a four and a half hour drive). Our shuttle driver was Bob George better known as Condor Bob. He is a biologist with the Park Services and has been doing research on the California Condors for the past 6 years. We had a long conversation with him about various topics, his breadth of knowledge was fantastic and he kept the 4 hour journey interesting (even though it was tough at times to hear him over the incessant argument going on in the back seats about some inane tech issue...techies!!). He is also an ultra runner, Ironman triathlete, avid sailor. More about him here:
http://www.grandcanyonnews.com/news/2015/sep/15/tracking-grand-canyons-condors/

 He also mentioned GC artists Bruce Aiken who lived in the canyon for decades - Bruce's paintings are incredible...here is his website:
http://www.bruceaiken.com/grand-canyon  

and more about him:

http://arizonaexperience.org/people/featured-artist-bruce-aiken  

Bob also mentioned another artist, Serena Supplee, here is her website: http://serenasupplee.com/originals/orig-gc/

Back to the trip :)
Day 1 - 7 miles (North Kaibab trail to Cottonwood Campsite)

We started the hike down at 12:30PM - I was, as usual, trying to rush everyone out as quickly as possible knowing that it would be a hard long hike. And it was! Renuka, Prakash, Mittal and I stayed together most of the way as the others moved on quickly. We slowed down as all of us were tiring and finally made it into Cottonwood Camp Ground at around 6:45PM - the last mile and a half was walked in the dark, not something that I enjoyed. Renuka and I were tired - Mittal was doing really well and it was wonderful of her to stay back with us. She almost stepped on a rattle snake! We waited for it to cross the trail and then continued on. With Stan coming back a mile and a half to help with our backpacks it was a real god sent. We limped into the campsite - I was out of energy and only after setting up our tent and packing away the foods and scented stuff into the critter box did I settle in for some whiskey and food. Ravali had already set up the food and was helping everyone get fed. Shashi had conveniently burnt his hand and thus was of no help to anyone! ;) After dinner a few of us walked down the trail a bit to look up at the brilliant night sky. Absolutely serene!

A pensive moment - Photo Credit Prakash Jalan

Photo Credit Prakash Jalan

The Rattle Snake (My iPhone)

 Day 2 - 7 miles (Cotton Wood to Bright Angel)

After a nice cool night we were up and ready for a slightly easier Day 2 - 7 miles, mostly flat and along the bottom of the canyon. Renuka and I decided to skip the detour to Ribbon Falls which was about an additional 2 miles. We took our time walking to Phantom Ranch and stopped along the way to enjoy the canyon. It was a warm day but we managed to get out off the open areas and into the narrow canyon before the sun got too hot. This is a spectacularly beautiful part of the hike. Nearly 2 billion years of rock layers rising up on either side of us. After the star gazing last night, the sheer age put things in perspective...again. We got to the cafe at Phantom Ranch and sat and had a cold beer and waited for the others to come in. Shashi, Balu, Stan and Ravali came in just before 4 and we walked on to the Bright Angel campsite. There are two group sites and the better one was taken - so we settled into the lesser site, pitched our tents and went to the river for a quick dip in the cool waters. Mittal, Prakash and Sumit came in just after dark. All of them had had a great time at Ribbon Falls. The Camp Ranger swung by to give us some updates and he said thunderstorms are expected so be prepared. We all settled in after agreeing to be up and out by 5:30AM to beat the heat and have plenty of time for the 9 miles out of the canyon. We had booked two mules and had to pack the tents and drop them off by 5:30AM so we could all head out. Well, that was what was decided...

Day 3: 9 miles out of the canyon. (Bright Angel to South Rim via Bright Angel trail.)

The night was fitful - We had decided not to open our sleeping bags as it was pretty warm. But by midnight it got a bit chilly so we opened one sleeping bag. Then I think some critter tried to get into Stan's backpack at 3:00AM so all that drama woke me up. At 4:00AM the heavens opened up and a thunderstorm passed over us. That was it, I was up and started packing for the morning. As soon as it stopped we were out and packed and ready to roll by 5:15AM. I tried to push the others to get going and start packing, but that was a lost cause. We finally got Renuka, Shashi and Stan to start off at 6:10AM - Prakash, Sumit and I went and dropped the two 30 lbs bags off for the mules and picked up our 'to go' lunch from Phantom Ranch. We finally got going at 7:00AM. Ravali, Balu, Sumit, Mittal, Prakash and I were together most of the way. We caught up with the others at Indian Gardens which is about half way up. There Renuka stayed with us as Stan, Shashi and Balu decided to go on faster. The rest of us trudged up those last 4.5 miles of 12%+ grade. There are water stops every 1.5 miles and the altitude goes up a 1000 feet between them. We were really tired, it was a slow unforgiving (but gorgeous) climb out. Everyone did really well - egging each other on - singing songs and sticking together. We made sure everyone drank water and kept up with the electrolytes, salty snacks and gels. We finally made it up at 3:50PM - what a wonderful trip - what a fantastic group of friends. This is a tough tough hike, specially with a backpack on. So train hard and be prepared. By late evening I was completely drained, the lack of sleep and the completion of the trip just caught up with me and I was a complete gone case :) - curled up and went to bed early.

Huge thank you to Prakash, Shashi for all the arrangements, absolutely seamless trip - and thank you to Stan for helping out like he always does. Thank you to Prakash, Mittal for being with Renuka and us through day 1. Thank you to Shashi and Stan for the help early on day 3 and Shashi for all the driving. And thank you to Balu, Sumit and Ravali for all the help along the way. Wonderful team!

 At the top of the South Rim

 The shoes that did the job - Desolation/Chicago Marathon/GC

 At the BnB in Flagstaff After the hike

A whiteboard rendition of the Grand Canyon