8 October 2015, Thursday

Tonight we will again camp at Cottonwood Campground. This gives us an
opportunity to explore the area around Ribbon Falls just downhill
from our campsite. After breakfast we tromp down the trail for about
a mile towards a bridge across Bright Angel Creek. We pause as we
approach the bridge to look at the vegetation in a wide flat area
above the creek. Jack points out clues that indicate an archeological
site may be present.  There is an abundance of agave, yucca, and
prickly pear. Agave was used for food and for its fibers. It is not
native to Grand Canyon, but arrived via trade routes from the south.
Yucca has particularly strong fibers and parts of the plant are also
eaten. Prickly pear is also an important food source. As we watch
from the trail, Jack steps carefully on stones and points out courses
of regularly laid rocks indicating a dwelling place had been here. There may also
be remains of a pit oven. We are gazing at someone’s garden. In this layer of the canyon there is
also chert, a rock that was used to make spear-heads and other tools.

Next, Jack leads us across the bridge and a short way up the trail towards
the falls. Then he takes a faint trail to the right. Before we start
up this trail, he instructs us to be careful where we tread. We are
to step on rocks if we can and always remain on the trail to avoid
harming any vegetation or archeological sites. He is leading us to
Upper Ribbon Falls, an important spiritual site for the Zuni people.
After carefully avoiding prickly cacti, sharp-edged rocks, and cats’
claw acacia (well, most of us avoided it) we arrive at Upper Ribbon
Falls. They are beautiful. We linger for quite awhile and eat our
lunch in the cool shade. On the way back down the trail, Jack shows us more ancient ruins along the cliff faces. In some places there
are up to three courses of stone still standing. We sit beneath acacia trees on the way down and discuss the ancient peoples that
lived here. There are at least 11 tribes who still have an
association with the canyon. These tribes point out that this canyon was
never abandoned. The people are still here. Only the uses of the
canyon and the number of people dwelling here has changed over time.

We hike back to Lower Ribbon Falls and spend time relaxing there as
well. Then we return to camp at our own pace. Soon supper is prepared
and eaten. Mike, our co-leader, who has just finished his first six months as a
ranger at Grand Canyon, gives a talk on native people of the east. He
previously spent time at Russell Cave National Monument in northern
Alabama where there is evidence of human habitation from 10,000
BCE to 1650 CE. National Geographic did two digs at the site and then
bought the land and donated it to the country. It became a national
monument in 1961. Unfortunately, there has been no funding from the
federal government for further archeological exploration.

We spend the rest of the evening relaxing. Tomorrow we leave at 8 am to
complete the downward leg of our journey to Phantom Ranch. It should
be easier than our first day’s descent. It is only a drop of 1500
feet over about 7 miles.