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Chapter One:

Who are the Ridge Walkers?

Some of the regulars were now Ridge Walkers. Back for more punishment were Hydraulic-Legs-Warren, Gotta-See-A-Moose-(er... Bear)-Larry, Steve-the-Knee-From-Jersey, and "g."

Then… There were the new guys. Neither had ever backpacked which made their signing-on for a first trip into the Grand Canyon either remarkable or down right foolish. However, both had varied "outdoorsy" experiences, loved a good challenge, and seemed to meet the rather stringent criteria for being a Ridge Walker: The drive to buy cool, new gear!

First, there was Jim M., a psychologist and kindred spirit of "g." In recent years, he and "g" had developed the uncanny knack of canoeing exclusively in rainy weather. A trip into the Canyon seemed to be the next logical step for Jim. (Huh?) Anyway, his compulsion to thwart off symptoms of hypoglycemia would later result in his being fondly referred to as Jimmy-the-On-Time-Eating-Machine. Eating precisely at 8 AM, noon and 5 PM raised the notion of his being a little OCD-ish.

Then, there was "g's" (much younger… And, probably adopted) brother, Rob. Often referred to as RB by "g" (for some uncertain reason), he is a Masters Level Reiki trainer, CEO of his own engineering company, and GI Joe collector extraordinaire. Due to his over-identification with Star Wars and paranormal skills, the Ridge Walkers dubbed him the namesake, RB-One-Kanobi (Jedi-Night).

Chapter Two:

The Ridge Walkers Train?

Each of the Ridge Walkers had their own unique training method… Mostly fueled by fear of injury and/or an inability to climb up the 5000 vertical feet of canyon trail. (Oh, geez.) For example, "g" began to train in August. He gradually transitioned from mostly walking to only jogging the 1.8 mile course in his neighborhood…Three to four times a week! Jogging was most often followed-up with a workout to the tape, "8 Minute Abbs."

Steve-The-Knee and Larry also exercised. Steve on the weight machine and Larry in his jogging shoes. Hydraulic-Legs-Warren visualized his conditioning and soothed his aching imagination with a Saranac Ale.

Mildly OCD, Jim attacked his conditioning for the trip with rigor: He walked twice to the mailbox, he walked through Walmart to shop for new gear, and he wrote in his planner, "Break-in new hiking boots on the Grand Canyon trip."

RB-One-Kanobi (Jedi-Night) trained by beating the Phoenix heat and climbing Camel Back Mountain numerous mornings at 5:00 AM.

PS: Except for "g" and RB, none of the Ridge Walkers had actually backpacked since the Katahdin trip in June. Oh… Jim had never backpacked!

Chapter Three:

The Canyon Beckons

On October 11th, the Ridge Walkers flew from Albany International Airport to Phoenix. They were physically and mentally fit for the trip. Well... not really. Once in flight, they became obsessed with conversation that questioned their physical conditioning. They feared being left for dead on the trail as they attempted the climb out. At one point, the stewardess offered the Boys Valium.

The following is a photo essay of the Ridge Walkers, four day trip into the Grand Canyon. Sit back… And, enjoy... But, don't get too close to the edge!