Born 1957 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Attended grade school and high school in Cambridge. Attended the University of Massachusetts for two years and then dropped out to work full time. Married my lovely wife, Robin, in 1984. No kids, four cats: Smokey & Bandit (13 years), Tigger & Ashley (3 years)

I have been involved in the computer industry ever since I first discovered computers in high school, during the early 1970s. Prior to the proliferation of the Internet my job required numerous business trips throughout the year, and it was during a break from one of these business trips, to Phoenix, that I discovered the Canyon.

My first visit to the Canyon, which was also my first time west of the Mississippi, was during the late summer of 1979. I was only there for only one day, but something caught hold of me during that first Canyon visit... something to this day I still do not fully understand.

On subsequent business trips to Phoenix I was always tacking a weekend (or two) onto either (or both) ends of the trip to go up to the Canyon. It was a great thrill for me to bring co-workers, who had never seen it before, up to the Canyon for their first view of the Abyss. I was a moderate cigarette smoker and extremely overweight in those days so the prospect of venturing off below the rim seemed ludicrous to me. I was very content with hanging out on the rim, visiting the overlooks, doing some short walks on the rim trails, taking photos and just watching the colors and shadows change.

All of that finally changed during a visit in December 1987. During this trip I did my first inner canyon hike... a day hike down the Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point... no small feat for someone who was completely out of shape, 40-50 pounds overweight, and smoking about a pack and a half of cigarettes per day. My life was completely changed by this experience (during the hike out, of course) and I finally admitted to myself that I was addicted to the Canyon. I was really enjoying myself but I knew that my body was being pushed beyond its limits. I realized if I wanted to continue to do this I would have seriously modify my lifestyle to permit it. Over the course of the next couple of years I dropped 40-50 pounds and gave up the cigarettes. Since that time I have logged about 900 miles on the trails and have spent about 80 nights camping below the rim.

My only regret is that I did not discover the Canyon about 10 years earlier in my life.

My favorite place to visit in the Canyon is the Clear Creek area and it is in this area that I have spent the most time. To date I have done 3 trips over to Clear Creek and spent 8 nights there.

My GRAND CANYON Explorer web site was the first Grand Canyon web site on the Internet and was founded in December, 1994.

Bob Ribokas