Grand Canyon

We arrived at the Grand Canyon about Noon on Tuesday after having breakfast with Harry and Ann in Prescott. We scouted around and found a camp site in the Park and set up our tent. After putting ourselves on the wait-list for Phantom Ranch, we spent the rest of the day sightseeing from the Rim of the Park.

On Wednesday, we got up a 5:40AM and broke camp and went to Bright Angel Lodge to check on Phantom Ranch. The guy the previous day had intimated that we could find out around 6:30AM however we had to wait untill 7AM. We had breakfast at the lodge and then found out that we could get two bunk beds and dinner at Phantom ranch (bunk's for $30/person and beef stew dinner for $24/person). This was great news since we would not need to carry as much down the canyon.

We then packed what we thought we needed and caught the shuttle for Kaibab Trail down to the ranch. The Kaibab Trail is over 7 miles long and descends from 7,200 feet to about 2,400 feet. It took us about 4 1/2 hours to make the trek down and before it was over, Pat's knees were killing him. Lots of steps down in 4,800 feet drop in elevation!!!

You cannot get an appreciation of the magnitude of the Grand Canyon from the top. It's 12 miles wide and over a mile deep in parts. You could hide the Empire State Building in the canyon. In fact, you could hide Yosemite Park in the Grand Canyon!!! The trail we took down had great views of the canyon, where little vegetation exists.

We got to the bottom, checked into the dorm and found to our surprise that we did not need to bring our sleeping bags!!! The bunk beds had sheets and blankets and the dorm had a hot shower. Pat immediately took a nap. He was exhausted.

We then went to a Park Ranger's presentation of the history of the Grand Canyon and then took showers before going to Dinner. Dinner was family style and we met a lot of nice folks. Everyone was very friendly. After dinner we went to another Ranger presentation of the history of the Colorado River and how the dams have changed the ecology of the park. In addition, we learned how to find scorpions using a black light. It seems that there are scorpions in the canyon but we did not encounter any. We then called it a night around 8:30PM since we were getting up at 4:30AM the next morning.

On Thursday, we got up at 4:30AM and had breakfast at the Ranch at 5:00AM before beginning the trek out of the park to the rim. Breakfast was also family style, with bacon, eggs, pancakes, fruit, juice and coffee.

We began the trip up the Bright Angel Trail in the dark with flash lights and the stars above. We were not sure how long it was going to take and wanted to leave ourselves plenty of time if we needed rests along the way.

We got up close and personal with some Big Horn Sheep on the way up the canyon and got some good pictures you will want to see. The trip up the canyon went smoothly and we made it to the top in 6 and 1/2 hours, tired but without any pain or exhaustion! All that worry for nothing!!!

We treated ourselves to coffee and something to eat before leaving the Grand Canyon for Williams, AZ. and a motel for the night. You can see pictures here of our experiences in the Grand Canyon.

Prescott AZ

We drove from Zion National Park thru Sedona Arizonia and the Oak Creek Canyon to Prescott to visit an old friend of Pat's from Graduate School in North Carolina and work with IBM. The town of Prescott is a lovely town and we went out to dinner together and caught up on old times.

Tomorrow is on to the Grand Canyon!!!

Zion National Park (Day 2)

We got a good night's rest and had breakfast at Denny's before returning to Zion. We checked into our campsite and then went hiking.

Our first trail was the River Walk to the Narrows which was beautiful. We saw a deer along the trail and the foilage was turning colors as the fall/winter approaches. In the sunlight it was spectacular.

Our next trail was the Kayenta Trail to the Emerald Pools Trail. There are three pools and each are higher up the mountain. Of course we need to see them all.

Our final trail for the day was Hidden Canyon Trail which winded up a canyon face for 850 feet to a narrow slot canyon that lead to a pretty arch. The trail was less taxing than Angel Landing trail but had its moments!!!

We finished up the day by setting up tent and going into town to have a burger and watch the Rays/Red Socks game!!

Tomorrow is a drive to Prescott Az. to visit a friend....

Zion National Park

We got to Zion National Park around 11AM and soon found out that parking is a real problem. You need to take a bus to go anywhere and the parking lots were full. We went to the Museum which we spotted on the way to the visitors center and left our car there.

We then went to the grotto stop which was the beginning of the Angel's Landing trail which is a strenuous and narrow trail. Parts of the trail required chains to help you navigate the steep and narrow passages. Not for anyone fearful of heights. The trail ends at the summit high above Zion Canyon that gives you a 270 degree view of the entire canyon. The trail is 5 miles round trip with a 1,500 foot elevation change from the floor of the canyon to the peak.

The trip was strenuous to say the least but well worth the effort. The views were spectacular. I
am posting pictures here for Zion.

We called it an early day and now heading back to a motel to get a shower and good night rest...

Bryce Canyon (Day 2)

We woke up early and went to Brice Point (9,200 feet elevation) to get a sunrise view of Bryce Canyon. You could see for 30-50 miles and had a great view of the entire canyon.

Timmy was hungry (what's new!) so he talked me into breakfast at the Brice Canyon lodge. They had a great buffet for $10 with a great selection of fruits and yougerts, eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, biscuits, toast, danish, juice and coffee. We fueled up for the day ahead.

We went into town and tried to use an internet connection to upload blogs and photos but had troubles and finally gave up! We then went sightseeing for the rest of the morning.

In the afternoon, we took a 3 and 1/2 hour horse back tour of the canyon. It was nice but Timmy and I both concluded that we enjoyed the hikes better. It was a lot easier on our rear ends!!!

We finished off the night with a special dinner of mac and cheese and baked beans spiced up with some sausage that we got at the general store. The night was crystal clear and from our campsite, the sky was lit up with stars. I have never seen so many before.

Tomorrow is Zion!!! The trek continues

Bryce Canyon National Park

We left Green River Utah around 9AM and arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park around noon time. After getting a camp site for the next two days, we walked the Queens and Navajo trails thru Bryce Canyon and took lots of pictures. It's amazing the variety of spires and fins and "sand castles" we saw at each turn.

We walked thru deep canyons and pine trees growing within the park that I doubt you would find anywhere else in the world. The colors were unique; various shades of orange, red and white interspersed with the deep green of the pines. As the sit around the camp fire, we cannot wait until tomorrow to see the sun rise over this canyon and explore more of the park.

The picture can be found here.

Canyonland National Park

After a restful night at our campsite, we went into Moab for breakfast at Denny's. Timmy wanted to wash up in their bathroom and I decided to brush my teeth and shave. However, I made a wrong turn and ended up in the women's bathroom!!! A women walked in and saw me with shaving cream on my face and walked out. After a few seconds, she came back and informed me that I was in the woong bathroom!! I hightailed it to the men's to find Timmy wondering where I had gone.

After breakfast, we headed to Canyonland National Park and words cannot adequately describe it. The canyons are deep and sharp. The distances are vast. We stayed on the paved road and designated trails and had some wonderful views. We got some pictures standing on ledges 1,000 feet down. The vegitation is limited, with dwarf pine and cedar trees and scrub brush in places and nothing in others.

You can get a good feel for Canyonland form the pictures here.

Arches National Park

We arrived late to Arches National Park and there were no camp sites available. The ranger pointed us to another campsite nearby that was fine and we made dinner (mac and cheese and beans) and hit the sack. We got up the next morning and went into Moab and got a cup of coffee and gassed up the car before setting off for Arches National Park.

As a side note, we have totally blown our gas budget. We planned to drive about 3000 miles total, but we have driven well over 2000 miles and are only 1/2 way through our trip.

We did not know what to expect at Arches National Park but it was spectactular. The area was formed by salt domes being liquified under high pressure by shifting tutonic plates and pushing up unusual rock formations. Some have been affected by wind and rain to form arches and that is how the name of the park came about.

We hiked to about 10 arches for a total of 10 miles of hiking. One of our favorite Arches was the Delicate Arch which is about 50 feet tall and equally wide on top of a ridge with a spectacular view. The trails were not for the faint of heart or someone with vertigo. We walked on narrow ledges and on top of fins (fins are 30-100 feet high narrow outcropsof rocks. We passed over two where the path was 3-6 foot wide and if you fell from either sied, you would go down 50 feet!

You can see our pictures here.

Yosemite

We got a late start because we decided to change course in mid stream. There was a major snow storm in Yellowstone with low temperatures. We decided to stay south and see Arches National Park, Canyonland(Moab), and Brice National Park and cut out Great Basin National Park and Yellowstone. We are playing it by the seat of the pants since we don't have camp sites or motel reservations for any of this part of the adventure.

Yosemite is amazing. It is a valley cut between two enormous steep granite mountains. The valley is relativey level with meadows. We park the car and decided to hike up to Nevada Falls but stopped at Vernal Falls. Vernal Falls was a 1,000 foot vertical path up the mountain. It's hard to imagine walking up the equivalent of a 100 story building (the Empire State Building) where you had to go down a few floors once in a while to go back up some more floors. Even without back packs, we were tired when we reached the top, but the view was awsome.

We then decided to hike to Mirror Lake, another less tiring hike. However when we got there the lake was dry!! However, the views and walk were pretty and we did not regret the excursion.

We then left for our campsite at Cranes Flat and set up camp before dark. Another gormet meal of macroni and cheese and baked beans:) We had a campfire that night and we needed it. The temperature dropped over night into the low 20's and it tested our abilities to stay warm and sleep. Timmy did better than I but neither got a good nights rest.

We did some sightseeing and picture taking on our way out in the morning and started our jouney to Arches National Park which is about 950 miles away. You can see the pictures at here.

Back-packing into King Canyon National Park

We decided to hike into King Canyon to Paradise Valley and camp out for the night. It sounded like a great idea. We would hike past Misty Falls and up to Paradise Valley.

We started out at 5,000 feet and the camp site was seven miles away at 6,800 feet. Timmy had back packs for each of us. Mine weighed atout 25-30 pounds and his weighed around 50-60 pounds. The first part of the trail was relatively flat and I was the rabbit and Timmy was the tortoise. Needless to say, before we reached the camp site that changed.

We followed the King Canyon river and the scenery was magnificant. The mountains are extremely high on either side, probably over 10,000 feet.

We got a late start and people told us that it would take 4-5 hours, so we hustled. However, the trail got steeper as we progressed and my legs began to burn from the exertion, and we needed to take a number of breaks. Timmy was only too happy for the breaks also!!

By the time we reached the camp site, it was close to 5PM and I was totally exausted. We had a bare bones campsite. No toilet, no water, no grill. It was just a spot marked in the wilderness about 100 feet from the river. We set up the camp site, fixed dinner of baked beans and Cambell's soup. Timmy was in bed before dark and did not move until after 7AM the next morning. I got some sleep but tossed and turned a lot.

It was cold at this elevation, below freezing but Timmy's tent gave us good insulation and it was about 50 degrees inside. It was comfortable.

The next morning we had hot tea, peanut butter sandwiches and energy bars before breaking camp and hiking out. The walk out was easier but after the previous day, I was worn out after we made it back to the car.

We then did some sight-seeing before driving to the Oakhurst (near Yosemite, our next destination)

Sequoia National Park

We left the motel and drove to Sequoia National Park. We stopped at the visitors center and visited General Sherman's tree, the largest tree in the world. We then drove to King Canyon National Park, a relatively short trip as the crow flies but it took us 2 1/2 hours. Some of the scenery was magnificant. The following post will cover our adventure of back-packing into King Canyon. Pictures of Sequoia and King Canyon National Parks are here.

From Death Valley to Sequoia National Park

We broke camp around 8AM and took off for Motel 6 in Porterville, CA which is near Sequoia National Park. The drive out of Death Valley in the early morning sunrise was spectacular. It took us about an hour to drive to the edge of Death Valley, over 60 miles!

Timmy was reading the map and decided on a scenic route that would take us thru the lower part of Sequoia National Monument, which was not on our agenda. The drive was twisting and winding thru the mountains for over 6 hours! However, it was worth it. We got to see a grove of 100 giant sequoias and took some pictures.

We got to the motel at about 4PM and freshen up with a nap and a shower. We then went out and had a reasonably price dinner at a mom and pop diner. We then went shopping at Walmart for our next backpacking adventure.

We filled up with gas for the second time today! So far we have driven over 1000 miles and have hardly begun. My guess is that the gas budget is going to be blown!!!

Will try and upload pictures as soon as possible. May not be able to for several days, since we will be camping and probably not have internet access...

Death Valley

We started off early (still on east coast time) by getting gas, breakfast and groceries before setting off from Beatty NV for Death Valley. The first thing we did was find a campsite, unfortunately we should have gotten Pat's Golden Age pass first!

We next stop at the Visitor's center and rectified the Golden Age pass and made our plan for the day. We started off by going to Golden Canyon trail which lead up a steep canyon. We took an off the beaten path trail that was narrow and steep. Tim was worried about me, but I survived!

Next we stopped at Badwater. Badwater is 282 feet below sea level. This is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. The water is not poisonous but clearly not good. Timmy and I tasted the dried minerals and it was dirty salty. The area is very flat and from this site you can see for probably 20 miles.

We then went to Natural Bridge, which was a hike up another canyon to see a natural bridge that was probably 50 feet tall. By this time, it was beginning to warm up. Before the day was over the temperature was over 97 degrees.

From there, we went on Artist's drive and took a hike up a winding clift that rose about 1000 feet to have a view back thru a canyon to Death Valley.

Dante's Peak was next. It is 5400 feet above sea level and looks down on Death Valley. You can see clearly the two mountain ranges that enclose Death Valley. We had to hike again over several ridges to get the best view.

Then we went back to Beatty for gas and then took a unusual single lane gravel road thru the back country that ran for 25 miles and took us thru the most amazing canyons.

By that time we were exhausted and returned to our campsite for a gourmet dinner of franks and beans!!!

Pictures can be seen at here

Arriving in Las Vegas and driving to Beatty, NV

We got in safely and rented a car but immediately got lost trying to find Walmart. We finally found Walmart and bought about about $70 dollars worth of camping equipment and $60 dollars worth of water, food and snacks.

Again problems with the navigator (Timmy) but we finally got straighen out and drove about 170 miles to Beatty, NV. Between Las Vegas and Beatty, there is NOTHING. Miles and miles of road with nothing but mountains in the background. You definitely would not want to run out of gas on this road.

We got to Beatty and its a one horse town, no stoplights, one filling station but one casino! We found a bar where the locals hung out and had pizza and a beer ($17). You will be glad to know that Monday Night Football in not just an East Coast way of life.

Pat