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Colorado Plateau
Chance Encounter
April 11, 2000

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Dear MountainZone.com:
Mitch Levitts and I were finishing up dinner the evening of April 7th. We were on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon at 94-Mile Canyon. We hadn't seen any other hikers since the morning of the 4th. Over the noise of the rapid we heard some whooping. We looked up to see two fellows skipping into camp. These guys were Mike Coronella and Joe (Mitch) Mitchell on their happy way from Zion to Moab. What's the odds of Mike and Mitch meeting up with Mike and Mitch?

"What's the odds of Mike and Mitch meeting up with Mike and Mitch?"

We spent the next couple of hours getting acquainted and comparing hike itineraries. We thought we were doing a monster trip (Phantom-Crystal Loop) but what these two were up to was fantastic. The next morning Mitch (Levitts) and I got an early start and hiked over to Phantom Creek for the night. Mike and Mitch(ell) stopped at Trinity. We met again the next day at Bright Angel Campground and enjoyed the hikers' stew dinner at Phantom Ranch.

The next morning Mitch and I hiked out the Bright Angel Trail and headed home to Tucson. The other Mike and Mitch were planning a layover day before continuing their trek on the south side of the river. They plan to cross again at the Little Colorado in the middle of next week.

Another cute thing. When they picked up a cache at Teddy's Cabin in Muav Saddle last week they saw a note in the register book that read "Hi Mike and Mitch. Lorna." They thought the note was written by a ranger named Laura and was for them. It was of course, for us, the other Mike and Mitch.

What a strange world.

— Mike Coltrin, MountainZone.com Correspondent

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