After breakfast, Keith and I say goodbye to each other as we are headed in different directions.  He is going down the west side of the mesa to Cottonwood Creek, around the Tonto to Hance Creek, and then up the east side.  I'm going down the east side of the mesa to Hance Creek to try and find some name inscriptions on the walls there.  I've come up the east trail several times before, but this will be my first time to go down it.  It's very pretty looking down at the Hance Creek area.

Looking towards Hance Creek 4-26-2012 @ 8:02	Looking toward Horseshoe Mesa 4-26-2012 @ 8:02

     I am really motoring my way down the trail when I almost step on a rattlesnake.  If John Wayne were here, he probably would have said in a very cool manner something like, "Aw shucks 'Lil Pardner.  Twernt nothin but a rattler."  I, on the other hand, jump about five feet in the air.  My expletives are not printable here.  For some reason, the snake never rattled at me, even when I was nearly stepping on it and then getting relatively close to take pictures.  This is only the second time in my thirty Grand Canyon hikes that I have seen a rattlesnake.  My daughter and I saw one on my very first Grand Canyon hike.

Rattlesnake 4-26-2012 @ 8:22	Rattlesnake 4-26-2012 @ 8:22	Rattlesnake 4-26-2012 @ 8:22

     After my heart rate subsides a little, I continue down the trail to the bottom and turn right toward the campsites.  Betty Upchurch, who works at the Grand Canyon Research Library, has given me detailed directions to find historic names inscribed on the walls down here.  I find them just around the corner on the right.  There literally are hundreds of them.  While some are clearly of recent vintage, many appear to be authentic and over a century old.  John Hance and Louis Boucher are some of the more famous ones.  Betty and I share our pictures with each other and she later explains some of the history behind the names. 

	Name inscriptions 4-26-2012 @ 9:04

Name inscriptions 4-26-2012 @ 9:05	Name inscriptions 4-26-2012 @ 9:11	Name inscriptions 4-26-2012 @ 9:11

     During the climb back to the mesa, I pass above the Hance Creek camping area.  The site by the large cottonwood tree is considered the best of the bunch because it is isolated and right by the creek.  I am a very light sleeper and croaking frogs keep me awake at night.  When I stay here, I move to the site farthest from the creek and the frogs.

Hance Creek camping area 4-26-2012 @ 9:22	Primo camp spot at Hance Creek 4-26-2012 @ 9:26

     I find plenty of blooming flowers on my way up to the mesa.

Fetid Marigold 4-26-2012 @ 9:25	Indian Paintbrush 4-26-2012 @ 9:29	Desert Senna 4-26-2012 @ 9:30

Fleabane Daisy 4-26-2012 @ 9:31	Purple Sage 4-26-2012 @ 9:36	Prickly Pear Cactus 4-26-2012 @ 9:37

Mariposa Lily 4-26-2012 @ 9:39	Hedgehog cactus 4-26-2012 @ 9:40	Globemallow 4-26-2012 @ 9:48

     When I reach the Tonto Trail intersection, I look to the north for Keith, but don't see him.  I would think he is an hour or so behind me.  When I left this morning, the skies were crystal clear, so I didn't bring a rain jacket even though there was a 20% chance of rain today.  Within a matter of fifteen minutes after leaving Hance Creek, dark clouds roll in and I can see rain nearby.  Bummer.

Century Plant 4-26-2012 @ 9:26	Looking north on the Tonto 4-26-2012 @ 9:42	Agave 4-26-2012 @ 9:50

     When I am part way up the climb, it starts pouring rain.  About all I can do is hunker down by a bush for a little protection.  When I get a slight break in the rain, I hoof it on up the trail to the Page Springs intersection and head for the springs.  It starts pouring again just as I get there.  Fortunately, the walls provide a little shelter from the rain.  The spring, also called Miner's Spring, is named for prospector John Page.  I filter several quarts of water for us and head up the trail when the rain stops.

Wheel barrow 4-26-2012 @ 10:55	Page Springs sign 4-26-2012 @ 10:55	Trail to Page Springs 4-26-2012 @ 10:56

     Just as I approach an old mine, it starts pouring again.  I take refuge inside the mine opening and wait out the rain shower.

Mine entrance 4-26-2012 @ 11:26	Mining artifact 4-26-2012 @ 11:26

     The Park Service has installed new mine gates since I was here last, courtesy of minegates.com.  It is my understanding that the primary purpose of the bars is for protection of the bats that live inside.  I am able to get a few pictures of artifacts inside the mine by poking my camera between the bars.

New mine gate 4-26-2012 @ 11:16	Artifacts inside mine shaft 4-26-2012 @ 11:16	Artifacts inside mine shaft 4-26-2012 @ 11:16

     Just outside the mine is an old engine and drive shaft.

Mining artifact 4-26-2012 @ 11:25	Mining artifact 4-26-2012 @ 11:26	Mining artifact 4-26-2012 @ 11:26

     As I make my way to the top, I pass a lot of mine tailings from several different mine shafts.  After another twenty minutes or so, I reach the top of the mesa.  Right away you come to a mule-driven cable winding machine.  I suspect that was used to lift copper ore from the mines below to the top of the mesa.

Cable winding machine 4-26-2012 @ 11:50	Cable winding machine 4-26-2012 @ 11:51	Cable winding machine 4-26-2012 @ 11:51

     We've had a lot of rain up here since this morning.  My pack cover has puddles of water on it.  I am using a Rainbow Tarptent and the wind has also driven some rain into my tent.

	A wet pack cover 4-26-2012 @ 12:02

     Keith arrives in an hour or so and we discuss our day's activities.  He too had a lot of rain on his day hike.  Later this afternoon I wander down to the cook's cabin and find a commercially led hiking group taking a break there.  They are headed down to Cottonwood Creek for the night, on to Hance Rapids tomorrow, and then out the New Hance the next day.  That's a fairly aggressive hike for Canyon newbies.  Near the cook's cabin are piles and piles of old tin cans.  They are in surprisingly good shape after more than a century here.

Tin can pile 4-26-2012 @ 4:29	Tin can pile 4-26-2012 @ 4:30

     Keith and I are still the only campers here on our second night.  I just assumed that April would be a popular time to come to Horseshoe Mesa.

MAIN INDEX | HIKING INDEX | BACK TO DAY 1 | FORWARD TO DAY 3