Utah, finally at last, Red Canyon, UT

It has been a while since we had internet access, so we have a bit of catching up to do.

Wednesday July 4

Happy 4th of July! We packed up and left the Kaibab NF and the North Rim with some hesitation. We are headed back into the valley where the temperatures were soaring. We actually made a reservation for a campsite tonight. We will be staying at Camp Lutherwood, a Lutheran church camp that allows outside campers. It is located in the Dixie National Forest at Long Valley Junction, UT, about half between Zion NP and Bryce Canyon NP. We are thankful to be in Utah for good, where they know what Daylight Saving Time is all about. We arrived at Mt. Carmel, the cut-off to Zion NP about 2:00 and decided to drive on into the park for the afternoon. There is a tunnel at the east entrance to Zion. It is a spectacular tunnel and an engineering marvel. It is 1.1 miles long, but only 11' 4'' tall at the edge. Consequently large RVs cannot pass without an escort. If your RV is greater than 11'4" but less than 13'1" they stop the traffic coming from the other end, while you get to drive your RV right down the middle of the tunnel. They charge $15 for this service. Since we were not staying in the park, we unhitched the Honda at the Mt. Carmel cut-off and drove it into the park. We spent the afternoon getting oriented and doing a windshield tour of the park. On this Independence Day they set a park record high temperature of 112 degrees. Our tour seems to have fallen into what is known as the "Grand Circle". The Grand Circle is the collection of Utah national parks that include Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands, as well as several national monuments. I think the North Rim also counts, although it is not in Utah. It seems very popular to visit each of these parks in order, where you travel a "Grand Circle" about 900 miles in circumference. Southern Utah also encompasses the "Grand Staircase". Geologically speaking, each of the parks steps down through geologic layers like a staircase. The Kaibab Plateau is at the bottom of the staircase because it contains the lowest and oldest layers, even though it is not necessarily lower in elevation.

We had been advised to arrive at our campground before dark since there were numerous mule deer in the area. They forgot to advise us that the entrance road was two miles long and required a four wheel drive vehicle. We successfully negotiated the entrance road, but made a serious strategic error. Remember that 112 degree temperature? We had opened the windows in the Honda to help keep it cool, but didn't think to close them before going up that two mile pig path. It hasn't rained here since April and we put about 4 inches of dust in the car. They weren't kidding about the mule deer. As we entered the campground we had to stop and wait for them to get out of the way. They weren't in a hurry to move. I think they were afraid to move because they would stumble over all the black-tailed jack rabbits. I guess I have never seen a jack rabbit before, but they are pretty neat. They are about three times the size of the cottontails back home and have huge ears and long black tails. They don't really hop but sort of run like a cat. Once we got up here it was pretty neat. They have good facilities, and we are at EL7470', about 3500' higher than the campgrounds at Zion NP. It is very pleasant here, cool and breezy.

Thursday July 5

We drove back to Zion NP to spend what turned out to be a very long day. Zion is a deep sandstone canyon carved by the Virgin River. To enter the canyon, you must take a free park shuttle bus. The buses are pretty neat. They are propane powered to reduce pollution and have rear wheel steering for tight turning. We arrived early to take a "ranger shuttle", a private shuttle ride up the canyon with an interpretive ranger. We departed the shuttle at the the end of the road at the head of the canyon and took the 1 mile riverwalk up the canyon. At the end of the riverwalk, we put on our Tevas and begin walking up the "Narrows" of the canyon. This basically involves simply wading up the Virgin River on bowling ball-like rocks, while the canyon gets narrower as you go. Unfortunately, Dorcas left her walking stick in the car. Those of you who have hiked with Dorcas know that she can't cross the street without her hiking stick, much less wade a river lengthwise. But she actually did pretty good though, and by the end of the day was rock-hopping like a champ. We were under the mistaken impression that a hike up the Narrows would be a quiet, solitary, experience. I think the other 9000 people there thought the same thing. However, by the time we had gone about a mile and then turned up Orderville Canyon, a smaller slot canyon, the crowds had thinned out. By that time, some dark clouds had formed, and we heard thunder, so we beat it out of the canyon. You don't want to be in a slot canyon during a storm. A flash flood there is deadly. From there we worked our way down the canyon and did hikes to Weeping Rock, Hidden Canyon and Lower, Middle and Upper Emerald Pools. We arrived at Zion Lodge to find the ice cream shop at the Zion Lodge had closed. Dang. By the time we caught the shuttle and drove back to camp, it was almost midnight, We had been out almost 18 hours and were whipped.

Friday July 6

We slept late and had a big breakfast. Since we have full hookups with plenty of water and power, we did about 4 loads laundry. We didn't have all that much laundry, but our washer can only do tiny loads. Unlike most other campgrounds, Camp Lutherwood actually encourages folks to wash their cars, because it helps water the grass. We washed the Honda and shoveled out the dust. I was on a roll and washed the coach too. After lunch we headed up to Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is a high canyon featuring colorful spires, pinnacles and columns. It's kinda like a mini-Bryce Canyon at EL 10,350'. We then continued to Brian Head Peak, which overlooks the town of Brian Head, a ski area and a mountain biking mecca.

Saturday July 7

This morning we broke camp and moved about 30 miles up towards Bryce Canyon NP and set up at Red Canyon Campground in Dixie NF about 10 miles south of Bryce. We had considered going on up and camp in Bryce Canyon NP, but we have had very good luck finding great sites in the national forests. They have been much less crowded and generally have had better facilities than the national parks. We found a wi-fi hot spot near Bryce Canyon Lodge, and so were able to establish communications. This afternoon we plan to do some overlook walks and maybe hit some ranger presentations.

The Perfect Day

Tuesday July 3

Today was the most satisfying and enjoyable day of our trip so far. We slept well and long from our hard hike on the North Kaibab trail the day before. After we got up we puttered around camp for a while and then went to the Kaibab Lodge, which is next door to the campground. Our campground host had said the Lodge had free wireless internet and wouldn't mind us logging on. We asked to use their facilities, and they said come on in. We set up in their dining room and spent about two hours writing and responding to e-mails and doing other internet chores, mostly researching the next leg of our trip through southern Utah. By that time it was lunchtime, and they were bringing out their daily special: hot open-faced turkey sandwich with broccoli and mashed potatoes. Thinking it would not be right to take advantage of their hospitality without spending a little money, we made the sacrifice and ordered the special. If you ever get to the North Rim stop in and visit the folks at Kaibab Lodge.

The remainder of our day consisted of tourist-like activities: driving around and short walks. We drove out on the Walhalla Plateau on the eastern end of the park and enjoyed the amazing vistas. The views from Cape Royal are the best from any place in the park, North Rim or South Rim. The only place the Colorado River can be seen on the North Rim is from near Cape Royal. There is one very unique view of the Colorado River through Angel's Window, an arch-like formation in the rocks. We did several short hikes including one to Cliff Springs, where water weeps out of the cliff wall and nourishes many lush plants.

This evening we attended a campfire program on fossils in the park and another program in the Grand Lodge on "Geologic Hikes", namely specific hikes from the North Rim where one can see great examples of the most unique geologic features in the canyon. After the program we sat on the back veranda of the Grand Lodge, ate ice cream as the nearly-full moon rose and watched shooting stars over the canyon. Can it get any better?

We also saw the most diverse wildlife we have seen in the park. In addition to numerous mule deer, we saw a small herd of wild turkeys with several chicks, Kaibab squirrels with their unique white tail and tufted ears and a coyote. The picture at left is the Cliffrose (Cowania Stansburiana)

We will be moving tomorrow and will spend tomorrow and the next day in Zion National Park.

Chillin' Out on the North Rim

Saturday June 30

Upon leaving Page, AZ we headed towards Lee's Ferry. Lee's Ferry is about 15 river miles downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, but about 45 road miles away. We crossed the Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River and descended to Lee's Ferry. At ~3000', Lee's Ferry is very hot in late June. The forecast there for this day was 110' and I believed it. Lee's Ferry lies at the break between Marble Canyon (the upper Grand Canyon), Glen Canyon and Paria Canyon, providing the only relatively easy access to the Colorado River for many miles in either direction. The Navajo Bridge, opened in 1928, made the ferry obsolete. Lee's Ferry is most famous now for being the put-in for all Grand Canyon float trips. There were a number of float parties, both private and commercial, setting up to put in the next morning. I had a grand time chatting with the river rats and really hated to leave. But we needed to find a place to camp, and we were burning daylight.

Our objective that evening was to get as close to the North Rim as we could. We left Lee's Ferry hoping to get to the Kaibab National Forest Visitor Center at Jacob Lake before they closed at 5:00, but it was going to be close. From Lee's Ferry we gained altitude steadily as we crested onto the Kaibab Plateau. The Kaibab Plateau ranges in elevation from about 7000' to almost 9000'. Kaibab is a Paiute Indian word meaning "mountain lying down". The Kaibab National Forest was a stark contrast from the desert environs we had been in for the last week or so. It is heavily forested with spruce, fir and aspen and was green and lush. It also contained a number of beautiful meadows along the road. The campground at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was booked solid until the end of July. There was a possibility that we could get a site due to a cancellation, particularly if we got there in the morning, but we would arrive after 6:00. (or 5:00 or 7:00, I don't know.) Our fall back position was to try to get a spot at DeMotte CG in the Kaibab National Forest. We arrived at the Kaibab NF Visitor Center one minute after they closed, and the doors were locked. We lurked outside until one of the staff came out, and then grilled him about camping in the NF. He couldn't tell us about the availability of camp sites at DeMotte CG (this is the beginning of the 4th of July holiday week), which is just 8 miles from the entrance to the North Rim, but he said we should be able to find some nice places off the highway if we wanted to experience "dispersed camping". When we arrived at DeMotte there were plenty of sites, so we set up on No. 2. The first thing we noticed was how cool it was. We were now at about 8800', almost a mile higher than we had been the night before. By the time we went to bed the outside temperature was 47 degrees. The low for the night ended up being 31 degrees. We had gone from 110 degrees to 31 degrees in just under 12 hours.

Sunday July 1

In 2005 the Grand Canyon National Park received 4.6 million visitors, but only 10% of those people went to the North Rim. In spite of that, it still took us almost 20 minutes to clear the entrance gate. The parking lots at the Visitor Center and lodge were nearly full. We attended a ranger talk on the California condor. The number of California condors once dwindled to 22, but, thanks to captive breeding programs, now number 300+. There are ~70 in the Grand Canyon area, including one which has been perching on the North Rim Grand Lodge. There is a release site nearby on Vermilion Cliffs. We did a few easy overlook walks and then drove out to Point Imperial, at 8803' the highest point on either rim. The north rim is about 1000' higher than the south rim and about twice as far from the river. Since it slopes down to the south, it experiences more erosional forces than the South Rim and has receded away from the river more quickly. Tomorrow we plan to do some longer hikes. We would like to catch some more ranger talks, but they start at 7:00 and 8:00 and that is a little late for us since we are staying outside the park.

Monday July 2

Today we arose early for a hike into the canyon. When we got up it was 32 degrees. We hit the North Kaibab trail head about 6:45 for a walk to Roaring Spring. Roaring Spring is about 5 miles and 3005' down from the North Rim. It is the source of all the water used by the North and South Rim and is the headwaters to Bright Angel Creek. The walk down was very pleasant. We soon shed our jackets, and we arrived at Roaring Spring in about 2 1/2 hours. By then the temperature had risen significantly. We cooled our feet in the stream, ate PBJs for lunch and started the long trek out of the canyon. The hike out was reminiscent of a backpacking trip we did from the South Rim in May 1998. Hot, dry, steep and long. We finally made it out of the canyon and bee-lined it to the lodge for some ice cream. We then enjoyed a very entertaining ranger talk on Grand Canyon geology.

Hot and Dry, Lake Powell NRA, Page, AZ

Friday June 29

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? Does Anybody Really Care?" by Robert Lamm, Chicago Transit Authority, ~1969

We left Cottonwood CG at Canyon de Chelly bright and early on Friday morning. As we drove through Kayenta, AZ, I realized that we were pretty close to Monument Valley. I had been to Monument Valley once about 30 years ago, but Dorcas has never seen it. At Kayenta we unhitched the Honda and drove it about 25 miles up US 163 to Monument Valley. Monument Valley is a Navajo tribal park and a 4th of July celebration was in progress when we arrived; live music, dancing, the works. We drove the 17 mile loop trial through the valley among the buttes and mesas. It wasn't as pretty as I remembered it (is it ever?). We returned to Kayenta, hitched up to the coach and continued to Page, AZ. At Page we arrived at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon dam just in time to catch the last tour of the day. After the tour we drove about five miles up the lake to Wahweap Campground, where we settled in for the night.

Today was a hot one. We have continued to drop in elevation. Last night we were at about 5300'. On Lake Powell we are at only about 3700'. The outside thermometer on the coach registered 115' degrees this afternoon, although I'm pretty sure it never actually got over 110! We have been in and out of Utah all day. In fact, parts of this very campground are in Utah. This leads to confusion since Utah observes Daylight Savings Time, while Arizona doesn't. Arizona is effectively at the same time as Pacific Daylight Time. Except on the Navajo tribal lands in AZ, where they do observe DST. Confused? So am I. I check the clocks on the wall every chance I get so I know what state I'm in (besides a state of confusion.)

I am looking forward to getting up on the Kaibab Plateau at ~EL 7900' where it should be significantly cooler, and we know what time it is. But does anybody really care?

Myron

Bearing the Heat - Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona

We are camping at Cottonwood Campground, Canyon de Chelly National Monument near Chinle, AZ. The campground is near the Visitor's Center for the national monument, at the lower ends of Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto. It is shaded by a wonderful grove of cottonwood trees, which makes the 100' temperatures tolerable. It is fairly remote, but is adjacent to the concessionaire-operated Thunderbird Lodge, which has free wireless Internet, which we can receive on our site. Geek heaven. Also, the campground is free. While it doesn't have water and electric at the campsites, it does have nice paved sites, new picnic tables, running water at the bathhouses and a dump station. The campground is as nice or nicer than most other NPS campgrounds, some of which charge as much as $15 and $20 per night. Go figure. Staying in the campground is a fellow from Phoenix driving a Safari TREK. When I talked with him I realized I had met him at a Safari TREK Fun Club Rally near Asheville last September. Small world.

Canyon de Chelly is a box canyon, up to 1000' deep occupied by the Navajo people, who still live and farm in the canyon. There are a number of Anasazi ("the Ancient Ones") ruins in the canyon, dating back as far as about 700 A.D. With the exception of a single trail, the trail to White House ruin, one must be accompanied by a Navajo guide to enter the canyon. However, many of the ruins can be viewed from the overlooks along the rim. Today we drove along the north and south rims, viewing from each of the overlooks. We also walked the 3-mile round trip to White House ruin.

We have been here for two nights and will leave in the morning. We will go at least as far as Page, AZ or Lee's Ferry. If we feel lucky we may go on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but tomorrow is the Friday beginning 4th of July week. When I checked for vacancies at the North Rim campground, the next opening was for a 15' site on July 2. I don't think we could even get the Honda into that site. Page, AZ is the location of the Glen Canyon dam and Lee's Ferry is the traditional put-in for most Grand Canyon float trips. Barry Goldwater, that GOP senator from AZ, said before his death that supporting the construction of the Glen Canyon dam was one of his biggest regrets. The Glen Canyon dam flooded the beautiful Glen Canyon and its tributaries. It also drastically changed the character of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. It has eliminated the natural flooding and increased the clarity of the water, significantly altering the flora, fauna and land forms in the canyon. Glen Canyon dam opponents have predicted the dam will eventually fail, and that nature will prevail in the end. I don't have a problem with that, but I would like to see the dam once while it is still here. If it ever does fail, I wouldn't want to ride that wave!

Myron