Bring Joe Home Update

Here is a little Bring Joe Home update, just in case any of the geocaching community is close by and want to give him a little encouragement.

Note from Joe's wife -
 See what Joe has in front of him today? Mt. Humphrey, in Flagstaff, can be seen way out in the distance in this photo. He begins his descent into the canyon this morning! Like going down 6000 stairsteps. 5.5 miles. Meeting him at the South Rim on Sunday. Can't wait! Safe travels, Joe! ~Sandy, the hiker's wife

Here's his Thursday night - what a beautiful camp site -

One of Joe's views for Friday -

As of tonight, Joe has made it to Cottonwood Campground.  Here's just a bit of info about the area -

 Cottonwood Campground (CCG) is a small campground 6.8 miles below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on the North Kaibab Trail. Bright Angel Creek nearby offers a cool and refreshing place to get wet. Seasonally (mid-May to mid-Oct) potable drinking water is available at the campground. During other times of the year you should be prepared to filter/treat water obtained from the creek. There are deer, ringtail cats, and squirrels in the area. Cottonwood has an emergency phone and toilets. Day hike destinations include Roaring Springs, Ribbon Falls, and Manzanita Canyon.

Now the question is - are there any cachers out there who may cross paths with Joe?  Maybe take a minute to shake his hand, share a bit of encouragement, tell him how great it would be if he were geocaching also. 

I have not been able to find co-ordinates for the Cottonwood Campground but, Phantom Ranch is near by and here's that location -  
                                                          36.1050° N, 112.0953° W

Caches in the area. you may ask ?  Check out the map and see a few. The farther he travels the more caches start appearing.

Most important information that I could give you right now is the update on his fund raising.  As of today, $8,280 of the goal of  $30,000  have been raised.  Not to bad but I hope the $$$$ keep coming in.   
 

If this is the first post you have seen, please check out the beginning of this series by clicking HERE.

Bring Joe Home Charity Hike

I just saw this story on Fox News of Phoenix Arizona and couldn't resist posting on it.  

Joe Hume is doing a charity hike for his nephew who is suffering from Crohn's Disease, and Phoenix Children's Hospital, to raise funds and awareness.  Check out his story on "Bring Joe Home" -

Help me raise critical funds and bring me home early!

I estimate it will take me 45 days to traverse the 800-mile Arizona Scenic Trail, which stretches across Arizona from Utah to Mexico. But generous people like you can help bring me home earlier all while helping Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Clinic.

My trek will begin on September 1 near the Arizona-Utah border in the Kaibab Plateau region. Along the way I will hike to the Coconino Plateau to the Grand Canyon, the San Francisco Peaks of Northern Arizona and the Mogollon Rim north of Payson, the Mazatzal Mountains, Santa Catalina north of Tucson, and the Rincon Mountains.

My family was personally impacted by Crohn’s Disease when my niece’s son, also named Joe, was diagnosed at age 12. He’s been cared for by Phoenix Children's Hospital ever since.

People don’t realize how much this disease affects a young person. I’ve watched Joe struggle with it over the years. As a family, we have made a commitment to find better treatments, and hopefully a cure someday.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of Phoenix Children's Hospital, my goal is to raise at least $30,000. When I reach this goal, I will come home…Well, maybe... I’m really just hoping to make it back in time to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner, or at least watch the Super Bowl!

Why am I doing this, well for a couple of reasons: I’ve heard of other hikers' stories, and being a little bit of a hiker myself, I thought this would be a great way to see some of the most beautify land in the country.  But in reality, what I am really doing this for is to raise money for a cause that my family and I care deeply about, for an organization that we know can help a lot of kids like Joe.

Arizona cachers will be combing the area that Joe is hiking in, in search of a new find.  Let's get out there and plan a trip along his route and give him some real support; shake his hand, give him a fresh bottle of water, take a photo, anything that will add some support. 

I am looking for a way to track his hike so we can find him.  I will post an update when I find the best way to do this.