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Hikers meeting for first symposium this weekend

After gathering here for years to explore the Canyon, hikers from all over the country will gather this Saturday to share their experiences at the inaugural Grand Canyon Hikers Symposium.

Sponsored by the Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association and the Grand Canyon Field Institute, it will feature 15 presentations highlighting Canyon firsts and unusual experiences.

Each will be about 20 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. with the final scheduled to begin at 4:35 p.m. Lunch is on your own.

According to Tom Martin of the Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association, the event has been about a year in the making.

"It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to bring together a broad spectrum of what people have done," he said.

For purposes of the presentations, "in the Grand Canyon" is defined as the geographical region from Lees Ferry to Grand Wash Cliffs and from rim to rim. A call went out for presentations with 15 hikes selected. Martin said presenters run the gamut from well-known hikers like Doug Nering, Al Doty and Scott Baxter who share their experiences with legends George Steck and Harvey Butchart to those like Dana Kaleta and Judy Krause, who aren't as well known but share an account of 30 days below the rim.

The presentations do have a common thread, Martin said.

"What we've hoped to accomplish is to share the knowledge and spirit of backcountry exploration of Grand Canyon," he said.

Helping with the event were: Doug Nering, Patricia Davis and Cindy Lou of the GCHBPA, Mike Buchheit and Jack Pennington of the Grand Canyon Field Institute, Park Trails Archaeologist Mike Anderson; backcountry rangers Lon Ayers and Bil Vandergraff; interpretive rangers Mike Weaver and Dave Smith, Grand Canyon National Park Recreation Planner Mathieu Brown; Helen Thompson of Grand Canyon Association, Cindy Kleist and Laurent "Maverick" Gaudreau.


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