Wednesday, August 11, 2010
We're Sorry
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Making our way to Minneapolis
Ahhhhh I LOVE TO SLEEP! We slept in a bit today and woke up VERY slowly. Mostly we hung around the house for the morning. It's the first of two weeks of finals for Hannah (not the ideal time for us to arrive) and so we laid low so she could do some work until breakfast. Jonah had gone into work while we sleeping and returned with muffins in tow not long after we woke up. It was a wonderful treat!! Once Jonah was back we spent out time catching up. For lunch the boys went out and got pizzas for lunch. I tried my first Mexican Pizza. Instead of sauce they use refried beans. I'm not a bean fan but the pizza was so good.
After lunch we headed out to visit the MALL OF AMERICA. Our first stop was at IKEA so Hannah could get some picture frames and so Ben could have his first IKEA experience. From there we headed to the mall and spent some time just wandering through the endless stores before Ben and Jonah made their way to the racing store where they were able to race against each other. Meanwhile Hannah and I made our way to the shoe stores. We caught back up with the boys and then headed out as it was nearing dinner time. We made a quick stop at Trader Joe's so that we could introduce Jonah and Hannah to "two buck chuck" wine. We wouldn't be drinking any until dinner the following evening but we wanted to make sure we had it on hand.
We returned to the house for a bit before making our way to one of Hannah and Jonah's favorite dinner spot Barley John's. We attempted to eat outside but it was just too cold so we moved our party inside. It was a DELICIOUS dinner and after we returned home to relax on the couch. We had to get to bed fairly early as we had big plans for breakfast
Day 180 - Rapid City, SD to St. Paul, MN - WINDY, Overcast and Cool Mid 40's:
We actually managed to get an early start on the day to our delight and were on the road around 8am. We had about a nine hour drive to reach Jonah and Hannah's and had planned to stop at Badlands National Park on our way. The day started out great we had been seeing signs for Wall Drug "America's #1 Roadside Attraction" on the highway for most of South Dakota and so decided to stop as it was the same exit as the Badlands. I'm still not quite clear on the whole story but ultimatley it felt like an old western town. The "drug store" is certainly more than that...it has many different stores within it including a fudge shop, a boot shop, and a drug store. It also has family attractions like gold panning and a restaurant that seats over 500. We didn't spend a ton of time there but Ben did try one of their homemade donuts...just so you know "not as good as Gug's".
From Wall Drug we headed straight for Badlands National Park. I had no idea really what to expect here but I am SO glad we drove through. The park is mostly a driving loop with a few short hikes. Considering our time constraints and the weather we had planned just to drive the loop and head out. The park is BEAUTIFUL. It is so different in terms of colors and scenery than any other park we have seen. While there we even got to see BIG HORNED SHEEP!! We couldn't get a great picture which was disappointing but at least we got to see them. We took lots of pictures as you can see before heading out of the park.
Not too long after leaving the Badlands we hit our own BAD LAND. The land of flat tires. Let's be clear THERE IS NOTHING IN SOUTH DAKOTA!! Here's the story. We got the flat. Ben took out our donut which was a bit flat. We looked to find the nearest city that MIGHT have a tire place and it was fifty or so miles away. Rather than drive on a slightly flat donut we decided to call AAA. We have 100 miles of free towing and figured it was in our best interest. While we were waiting for our tow we called EVERY tire place we could find only to discover that the ONLY place that had a tire in the size we needed was 90 miles away and 30 miles our of our way. After about an hour and a half the tow truck FINALLY showed up. Thankfully Nick was a nice guy because we had to spend quite a bit of time with him. We arrived at WW Tire to get our new tire. The guys were GREAT. We had a new tire and were on our way within twenty minutes.
From there we headed straight to Hannah and Jonah's. It was a LONG LONG LONG drive. We made a few stops for gas dinner and more gas. By the time we were about a mile away we had reached complete sillyness. We were laughing at EVERYTHING...thankfully Ben was driving because I couldn't see I had so many tears streaming down my face. We FINALLY arrived at the Daigle residence at around 2am. Hannah was still up awaiting our arrival and Jack woke Jonah up so he could say HI. We chatted for a minute and then went straight to BED! It was a long day but it ended wonderfully with the sight of familiar faces.
Day 179 - Denver, CO to Rapid City, SD - Snow and COLD Mid 30's:
Today we got up bright and early and made our way out of Denver. The weather was quite different from yesterday as instead of 70 and sunny it was 30 and snowing. Our drive was rather uneventful. We made good time and arrived at the Crazy Horse Memorial around 3pm. Crazy Horse is a memorial being carved in the side of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Much like Mount Rushmore honors the great men of America, the memorial is in honor of one of the great men of the American Indian Nation. Unlike Mount Rushmore though Crazy Horse is being carved without the assistance of the US Government. It is a continuing project solely through the funds of donors and admission fees. The project was started by Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear on June 3, 1948. We were able to watch a video of Ziolkowski work on the mountain as a one man operation. He had wooden staircases to the top and a crank compressor at the bottom to work with...it was an AMAZING feat as he said at times he would have to climb up and down the stairs nine times a day due to the poor condition of his compressor. Ziolkowski has since passed but the project is continued by his wife and children. The museum offers so much history on Native American people including the Indian Museum of North America and The Native American Education and Cultural Center. It also includes Ziolkowski's original home built by hand at the base of the mountain. You can actually tour the home and his studio and view many of his INCREDIBLE sculptures. Ziolkowski was not anyone that I had heard of but his work is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Crazy Horse is no where near complete and likely won't be for many years as funding continues to be an issue but the goal is unchanging. When it is complete the Crazy Horse carving will be 641 feet long by 563 feet high. His head which is already complete is 87 feet 6 inches. The horses head which they are working on now is 219 feet high or the equivalent of a 22 story building!!! Although the carving is the focus now eventually the property will be an entire complex including the American Indian University and Medical Training Center, a new American Indian Museum, a road that allows visitors to drive around the mountain, and improvements and expansion of the visitors center and gift shop. We learned about this place from a friend and although it's not finished, it is a wonderful place to explore and learn about American Indian history and culture.
From Crazy Horse we made the short drive to Mount Rushmore. We knew that the visitor center would be closed but made our way to the park. As we drove we saw MOUNTAIN GOATS! I was so excited!! After parking our car we headed down the walk of nations to the viewing area for the monument. It is such a neat thing to see. I still am amazed as I was at Crazy Horse with the ability of people to carve in a mountain. The monument was smaller than I had anticipated but thrilling nonetheless. The only disappointment was that I was not able to get one of the National Park Brochures to add to our ever growing collection! We spent some time walking around taking pictures before heading out to finish our trip to Rapid City, SD.
We made it to the hotel and quickly unpacked the car so we could eat dinner! We were able catch game seven of the Red Wings/Coyotes series to Ben's delight! We spent some time on computers and visiting the hot tub before Ben headed out to a local casino. To his dismay it was only video poker so he only stayed for a few minutes before returning home. We both needed to get some rest as our longest driving day of the trip so far was just a few hours away!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Moab to Denver
We got a good start on the morning with breakfast in the hotel and headed out for a day of adventure. Our first stop was Red Rock Park. Billy and Sara had mentioned this was a must see location and so we took them up on the advice. This location is well known for its amazing outdoor amphitheater. There have been hundreds of shows here by some of the biggest names in music including Pearl Jam, The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews, James Taylor and John Mayer just to name a VERY FEW. Billy had mentioned that when they were here it was like being at an outdoor gym because there were so many people working out. When we arrived, we found the same to be true…so we decided to join in the workout fun. That’s the beauty of having all your belongings in your car…so we changed and hit the stairs. It was SO TOUGH. The almost 7,000 feet of altitude really has an impact. I had no idea how badly my lungs could burn doing something as simple as running up seventy amphitheater seats! We spent about an hour doing everything from running back and forth from the top to the bottom (it’s about two miles…I may have skipped a few rows but Ben did them all), to doing jumping squats from the bottom to the top, and simply running from the bottom to the top. It was quite a workout and I can see why so many people spend time here.
Once we were good and sweaty we decided that we should head back to the hotel for a quick shower before heading downtown. While we were there Ben checked to see if there were any shuttle services and it turns out they offer rides into town every hour so we QUICKLY showered and jumped in the van to head to the 16th Street Mall in downtown. Did I mention that it was a GORGEOUS day outside? Bright blue skies and mid-70’s! Our first stop was at an Irish pub called Katie _____ where we grabbed some lunch before hitting the stores. We both found a new pair of shorts at the Gap ON SALE! We continued to walk down 16th Street checking out the different shops including the famous Tattered Cover bookstore. It is a HUGE new and used bookstore that we wandered through for a bit.
We then made our way to The Sports Column, which had been recommended, as a great place to catch game seven of the Canadians/Capitals hockey game. It turned out to be a great spot. In fact it has been named the best baseball bar and pub by ESPN and a number of sports magazines. We sat and watched the game and even participated in round one of trivia night as team “Maineiacs”. We didn’t win but we made a good showing. The shuttle picked us up right at the bar, which was convenient and brought us back to the hotel. We had some popcorn, watched a bit of television, and hit the sack!
Day 177 – Denver, CO - Sunny Mid 60's:
We got up bright and early hoping to get an early start on our trip to Denver. Unfortunately our plan for cereal was cancelled due to spoiled milk!! Instead we ended up having a nice breakfast at a place called Ecleikticafe in town. Once breakfast was done we hit the road.
The drive was rather uneventful across I-70. It is certainly a major ski road though as we passed through Vail, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and other well known ski towns. We made a quick stop somewhere along the way for a picnic lunch before continuing on the road.
Once we got into Denver we made a quick trip to do some window-shopping at a local mall before making our way to the hotel. I needed to do some work so we had planned to spend the evening relaxing in the hotel room. While I was working Ben made a quick trip to the grocery store and returned to make TACOS! It was delicious. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV and working on our computers before heading to bed!
Day 176 – Moab, UT- Sunny Upper 70's:
Today we woke up and had anther great egg breakfast. After we were all cleaned up we decided to head into downtown Moab and explore the quaint little town. It is a very nice town and much quieter now that the car show moved out of town. After we had seen enough gift shops and trinkets we decided it was time for lunch. We decided to eat at Zax’s, which had brick oven pizza and was really delicious.
After we finished our lunch we headed back to the campground and were planning on heading back into Arches National Park to do some hiking but instead we figured we would hang around the pool for the afternoon and then head into the park to hike and see the sunset. We enjoyed the beautiful day lounging at the pool and working on our tans. After a couple hours in the sun we went back to the campsite and while I cooked some dinner to take into the park, Heather took a nap after our stressful day.
Around five we jumped into the car and made our way into Arches National Park. We drove to our first site the Windows. We walked out to the double arch formation that looked liked there the middle had just fallen out of the middle. Next we were walking to the Windows arches and I over heard someone say that the moon was going to be appearing through the south window in about an hour or so. It sounded really cool so we decided to head over to the Sand Dune arch and come back to the Windows for the moon show.
On our way to the Sand Dune arch we made a quick stop by the fiery furnace area, which you need to get a special permit to hike into, because the terrain is very fragile and there are no trail markers, so it’s easy to get very lost. They also have ranger guided hikes but they were sold out until Tuesday, so maybe on our next adventure we will get into the fiery furnace. It was then just a short trip to the Sand Dune arch and an even shorter quarter mile hike into the arch. It was kind of cool and it was possible to get on top of the arch but the park service asks that you don’t because the weight might cause it to collapse. We did see a couple guys breaking the rules and climbing across the arch.
After making our way back to the car we headed back to The Windows trail to view the moon through the arches. By now there were a large number of people gathered to see the moon. We waited for about an hour and finally the moon arrived. It was quite spectacular to see. We took LOTS of pictures as the moon quickly rose overhead. We packed dinner and waited for the sun to set. It wasn’t the most spectacular sunset as far as sky colors were concerned however the way the sun lit up the arches was BEAUTIFUL!
We returned to camp and cleaned up from our earlier cooking. We made sure to pack as much as we could so that in the morning we would have as little to do as possible. It was then off to bed for both of us!!
Day 175 – Moab, UT - Overcast Low 70's:
Today we woke up and got ready for another day of exploring and drove up to Canyonlands National Park about 30 miles west of Moab. We got into that park and made a quick stop by the visitor center to get some ideas for hiking and what we must see while we where there. After some great recommendations we head to the northern part of the park to visit Upheaval Dome. There are two overlook points and we decided to go out to the second overlook first which was about one mile away. Upheaval Dome is unique because it’s a crater that had formed and the National Park Service doesn’t know exactly how it was formed. There are two theories; The first thought is that the crater was created when a meteor struck the earth a couple million years ago killing all the animals in the surrounding area and sending shock waves that could be felt around the world. The second thought is that a salt dome was once there and collapsed forming the crater that we saw today. Heather believes that it was a salt dome where as I think that a meteor must have created this unique formation.
Next on our trip around the park, we went on a short two-mile hike to see some Aztec food storage rooms that were built into the side of a couple cliffs. They were kind of cool but after just recently seeing the houses at Mesa Verde the storage rooms just didn’t keep our attention for too long and we made our way back to the car.
We then drove to the Green River overlook and got to see the White Rim from here which looks really cool from the top because it seems to have a salt rim along the top of the canyons below. We also got to see the Green river where John Wesley Powell the first man to raft the Grand Canyon started his journey about 50 miles north of Canyonlands National Park.
From the Green River overlook we drove to the second overlook on our adventure and where told that we could see both the Green River and the Colorado River from the Grand View Point Overlook which was an easy two mile round trip hike. However, we could only still see the Green River and searched for the Colorado but we couldn’t find it so we made our way back to the car.
Our final stop in the park was the Mesa Arch which was just a short ½ mile hike out and back. This arch was really cool because it stood right above a cliff face that dropped of about 600 feet on the other side of where we were standing. We got some pictures making sure to keep away from the edge. Overall Canyonlands National Park didn’t impress us very much but it was a nice relaxing day.
Once we got back to the campground we decided to lay by the pool for a bit and enjoy the hot tub before dinner. After dinner I once again kicked Heather’s butt in some Phase 10 and then it was off to bed for the night.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Cortez to Moab
Breakfast was delicious today!! Ben made eggs and English muffins. Sometimes it just tastes so good. We planned to head to Arches National Park today as did Billy and Sara so we figured why not go with the more the merrier idea. Our first trail was to Devils Garden. Here we passed by a number of those famous arches including, Black Arch, Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch, Partition Arch, and ending at Double O Arch. It was a fun hike that at times found us blazing our own trail...we made it though and once we arrived at Double O we explored a bit before sitting down below the arch to have lunch. Billy and Sarah have been taking fun jumping photos at every location and so at Double O Arch we also all took part in a group jump photo. It was pretty entertaining for the crowd to watch us accomplish this feat!! I think we took like 70 pictures and came out with one or two that look good for all of us! After accomplishing our photo we made our way back out the six miles and headed out to find the famous Delicate Arch.
The Delicate Arch is without question the most photographed Arch in the park. It is the Arch on Utah's license plate and what you see in most photographs of the park. It was a one and a half mile hike up to the arch which we did pretty quickly. Once we were there we were all taken a back by the beauty and uniqueness of this magnificent piece of nature. We took plenty of photos. It was amazing to be hiking in the heat and to be able to see the Rocky Mountains in the distance. We again blazed our own trail out allowing us to see the arch from different angles. Ben and Billy had fun playing on the rocks making Sara and I relatively nervous!!
From Delicate Arch we made our way to Balanced Rock. This was just a quick half-mile walk but to see this MASSIVE rock balancing up so high was pretty incredible. Both Sara and Ben separately commented on how the hope no one is around when that thing falls because it's going to be a BIG fall.
Once we were done at Balanced Rock we separated as Ben and I needed to head into town to get some gas and water for tomorrows adventure to Canyonlands. We had learned yesterday that Moab is having a car show this weekend which is why KOA was sold out. Well we ran into the car show traffic today. It is really bizarre because they don't actually have any sort of parade but people line the streets in their camp chairs just to watch cars go by...I mean they have picnic tables and grills, it's really quite interesting.
We returned to camp and Ben headed off to join Sara and Billy in the pool. I wasn't really interested and instead decided to hang out at the site and update the BLOG!! We're getting ready for dinner and plan to play cards and enjoy our company before they head off to more adventures tomorrow!!
Day 173 - Cortez, CO to Moab, UT - Overcast and Rainy Low 60's:
We got a bit of a late start out of the hotel heading for Moab, UT home to both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. The weather wasn't great and so spending the day in the car didn't actually bother either of us all that much. Before we left though we made a quick return to Walmart so Ben could get a MUCH NEEDED haircut. It's certainly no Laura Savage Hair Design but it did the trick!
We stopped at a scenic overlook called the Needles Overlook. It's part of Canyonlands. The park is unique as it is the most rural and undeveloped as well as least visited park in the National Park System. It has three unique zones all independent of one another meaning you can't get there from here.... There is the Needles, Maze and Islands In The Sky. We plan to spend time at Islands in the Sky and so we took the twenty-two mile drive to at least see Needles. The weather of course wasn't all that cooperative and therefore the pictures don't look great but we could see it with our eyes at least!
Other than the overlook, the drive was pretty uneventful until we reached Moab...well about 12 miles south of town but I think it's technically still in the Moab city limits. Here we discovered a place called Hole N The Rock. We had no idea what it was but decided to pull in and check it out. We learned that this location had long been a resting place for miners and travelers through Utah in the 1800's. Eventually Albert and Gladys Christensen bought the land and through blasting and carving, created a restaurant within the rock. Eventually the need for the rest area dwindled and they decided to build their dream home within the rock. The work was done through the 1940's and 1950's but unfortunately Albert passed away before the home was finished. His wife Gladys though continued the work and today it is a fourteen room house and gift shop. They offer daily ten minute tours which we decided to pass on as you can get a look in the kitchen and wander the gift shop for free. Outside they have some of the most random sculptures and items you will ever see....take a look at the photos for what I mean! It's a unique place and I must say I can't imagine the thought process that went into deciding to build a home in a rock but it makes for a great tourist stop!
Not far after the Hole N the Rock we came upon our first arch called Wilson Arch. Naturally we HAD to get out and play and as you can see in the photos it was quite fun!! From there it was straight on to Moab. We had reserved one night at a KOA figuring we would decide if we liked it and then extend after that. Bad Plan. They were booked for Saturday so we ended up leaving there and moving to the Moab RV Resort. It turned out to be a great decision as we ended up meeting Billy and Sara from New Hampshire. They are on a two month road trip and are only three weeks in!! We spent most of the evening chatting with them...it's so fun to be able to offer advice and share stories.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Cliff Dwellers
Today we got moving after a nice breakfast and made the three two and a half hour drive to Mesa Verde National Park. On our drive from Kayenta we drove right by the Four Corners Navajo Monument but unfortunately it was closed due to constructions. So, I woke Heather up to take a couple of picture of pictures of the sign and decided that it will have to be a place we come back to.
We made it to Mesa Verde around 1:30 this afternoon and made a quick stop at the visitor center to buy tickets to tour the Cliff Palace House and the Balcony House. We didn't have much time so we quickly drove to the Cliff Palace House and got there just as the tour was starting. From the overlook we got our first look at the Ancestral Pueblo Cliff Dwellings. They are really amazing!! Our ranger gave us some quick background information on the Pueblo people and how they still don't know exactly why they constructed and moved into the cliff dwellings to just turn around and move out in less then 100 years.
The Pueblo people were mesa top farmers and primarily grew corn, beans, and squash. They began by constructing pit houses on the mesa around 600 A.D. These houses were dug into the earth a couple feet and then adobe and pole walls were constructed on top of hole. Then for the next 600 years they began to use stone slabs and adobe and then layered masonry. It was some time around 1100 AD that they Pueblo Indians began to abandon the mesa top and build their home in the many alcoves along the canyon walls. One of they theories on why the Pueblo Indians left the Mesa area was because some time around 1276 AD drought started and lasted 23 years and many of the natural springs dried up and forced the Pueblo Indians to move to new area where water was more abundant.
After our little history lesson the Ranger guided us down about fifty steps onto the level of the Cliff Palace House. We were told that this is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. We got to walk along the edge of they area and we told the stories of the ceremonial Kiva pits. The dictionary defines a Kiva Pit as "An underground or partly underground chamber in a Pueblo village, used by the men especially for ceremonies or councils." It is said that "The kivas at Mesa Verde were underground chambers that may be compared to churches of later times. Based upon modern Pueblo practice, Ancestral Puebloans may have used these rooms to conduct healing rites or to pray for rain, luck in hunting, or good crops." Every "home" in Cliff Palace had a Kiva. Each Kiva had a small round hole inside, the Ancestral Pueblos believe that this is where they came from...it is through this hole that their spirits came to life. The cliff dwellings were amazing. The stone work, all done without modern tools, has withstood time and weather. There have been a few attempts by the Park Service to fix things that were falling but each time their work (with modern tools and technology) failed to hold like that of the Pueblo people. After spending about a half hour looking around the site we made our way out via a very small path between the rocks and a fifteen foot ladder! **It is important to note that all of these structures had roofs at one point and therefore would have been interconnected.**
From Cliff Palace we made our way to Balcony House for our second tour. This is said to be the most adventurous dwelling in the park. We started with another short history lesson on top of the Mesa before heading down a long path to our first stop. Here we were able to see one of the two springs located at Balcony House. These were of course the water supply for the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here. Just after the spring was the VERY TALL 32-foot ladder that would take us to the Lower Plaza which had three rooms. These rooms were likely used for food storage. From here we walked through a narrow passageway to the North Plaza. This area consisted of eleven rooms as well as a large open area surrounded by a retaining wall (this is original to the Balcony House). It is thought that this area may have been used as a dance floor, an area for young children, or a gathering area for ceremonies. The rooms were good size and had balconies' on them (hence the name) these balconies served many purposes including drying things, watching children from above, and viewing the magnificent canyon. From here we went through another narrow passage with neatly cut steps which led us to a large room with two Kiva Pits. The North Plaza and Kiva Plaza were originally connected by a door that was eventually covered by the Pueblo people before their departure. **It is important to note that all of these structures had roofs at one point and therefore would have been interconnected.** Once we finished examining Kiva Plaza we made our way to a VERY small tunnel. It was only eighteen inches high and therefore we had to crawl through, this led to a taller area where we could stand momentarily before having to duck-walk through another tunnel. This led us to a series of steps and two fifteen foot ladders finally bringing us back to the Mesa top. It is important to know that we took the "easy" way in and out of the dwelling. The Ancestral Pueblo people used what are called hand and toe hold trails. In other words they climbed the side of the cliffs using small holes for the hands and toes!!!
After finishing the tour we made our way back to the top and took a ride on the 6-mile Mesa Top Loop. This had a number of easily accessible exhibits and overlooks. Here we saw Pit Houses, more Cliff Dwellings, and Sun Temple which is an establishment that was never completed and never had any inhabitants. It is believed that this was being built to accommodate the increasing number of Pueblo people moving to Mesa Verde in ceremonial activities. We made a quick stop in the museum where we were able to see many of the artifacts discovered in the cliff dwellings. This includes tools, toys, sandals (if that's what you want to call them), food, and pottery. One of the most interesting artifacts was a large pottery pot that contained CORN. Yes corn from sometime around the year 1260. It was CRAZY!!
Once we had seen the museum we headed out of Mesa Verde and made our way to Walmart where we stocked up on supplies. We were headed to Moab the following morning for what potentially could be the our last camping spot and needed to get the necessities. After that it was dinner and a soak in the hot tub before heading to bed!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monument Valley
We slept in for the second day in a row. We knew that the weather was not going to be too cooperative so we had planned a day of work and organization. I spent the day in the hotel working while Ben played Mr. Housewife. He did our laundry, brought me lunch, washed the car, and vacuumed and cleaned the inside of the car. Unfortunately washing the car ended up making no difference because the wind picked up like nothing I've ever seen. It was blowing so hard that you couldn't see down the street because of all the sand and dust in the air. I think the car is actually dirtier now than before he washed it :(
Once I was done with work we both hit the gym for a run. After showering we decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was quite good and nice to not have to cook!! We then worked a bit on organizing all of our stuff in the room so we can pack the car up in the morning...we were going to do it tonight but it's still raining! Tomorrow we're off to Mesa Verde. We were hoping to camp but again the weather is not going to cooperate in terms of temperature so we'll be staying in a hotel again!!
Day 171 - Kayenta, AZ - Sunny Mid 70's:
Ahhh a comfortable bed sure beats the floor of the Grand Canyon!! We slept in today and took our time getting ourselves organized before heading to Monument Valley. The hotel is about thirty miles from the park so it was a quick trip. This is said to be one of the most photographed parks in the country.
We started at the visitors center where we learned about the history of not only the park but also of the Navajo people. They are an amazing group of spiritual people who believe that if we don't take care of the land we have it will all disappear. From there we headed out on the 17 mile loop road that takes you through the beautiful formations. This park has been home to movies (Stagecoach being the most famous), advertisements, and photos all over the world. It is BEAUTIFUL. The park is full of the most amazing rock formations. They almost seem out of place as they are independent standing so far apart. Some are closer to each other than others but they still look bizarre in the scenery. The park is still home to many Navajo people who had settled here before it was deemed a public park. These men and women live here, have farm animals, and sell jewelry and art to tourists that come through. It's amazing to see how they still make their living here in the middle of the desert. It is important to note though that they live without so much and with so little. I was astonished to learn that 60% of Navajo homes still have no electricity. It is an important thing to learn about and I plan to find out more about these amazing people.
After the park drive we made our way back to the hotel. Ben decided to go for a run but my legs were still too sore. After he was done we cooked dinner and relaxed in the room. We were both enjoying the time to just lay low and hang out watching American Idol and Biggest Loser as well as GLEE!!
It's a long way down....
We headed out for our long trip to the top at 7am. We knew it would be warm and so we wanted to beat as much heat as we could. On the way out we took the Bright Angel Trail. This trail is longer (9.5 miles) but is a little..VERY little but little nonetheless easier than the South Kaibab Trail. We anticipated as they told us we should that it would take about double the time to get out as it did to get in...so that meant around six or so hours for us to make it to the top.
It wasn't long before we were both VERY warm and taking off as many layers as we could. We kept a good pace though and made it to the halfway point (Indian Garden Campground) in about two hours. The trail was uphill naturally but not too bad. We knew this meant that we were in for it on the second half of the trip.
I can't even describe how difficult the second half of this hike was...I don't think I've ever worked that hard in my whole life. We stopped about every half hour for a rest. Both of us were drenched in sweat and exhausted. As we were hiking though we did run into two people from Bangor. They were amazed that we had started at the bottom that morning! We trudged on and finally after FIVE LONG HOURS we made it to the top. I have never been so happy to see the car!!
Before we did any unpacking we weighed our bags to see how much we carried out. Ben weighed in at 35lbs while I weighed in at 25lbs as you can see in the picture but I had started out with an additional 4lbs of water. We were both proud of ourselves and of each other for accomplishing our goal of hiking in and hiking out. After a quick stop at the Marketplace to return the trekking pole (WHICH WE WERE VERY GLAD WE RENTED) and so Ben could get a coffee and an ice cream before hitting the road for Kayenta!
We arrived in Kayenta around 5:30pm and got cleaned up! We ordered pizza for dinner and sat on the bed replenishing our bodies. A little later we ordered a DELICIOUS lava cake from the restaurant. It was SOOO good. Unfortunately I think that I ate just as many calories as I burned!! Oh well...
Day 169 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY Upper 80's:
We got up early to have breakfast and head out on the Rainbow Falls trail. It had been made clear that this was a LONG HOT HIKE so we wanted to be sure to get out early. We were fortunate that the majority of our way to the falls we found ourselves in the shade. It was a nice hike that followed Bright Angel Creek toward the North Rim. We arrived at the falls around 11:30am and sat down to have lunch. We were both quite hungry at that point. Once we were done lunch we wandered around the falls...I could tell Ben had something on his mind and it wasn't long before he said that he wanted to in the water. I told him to HAVE AT IT!! As you can see in the pictures he went for it and his face tells you just how cold the water was! He had a good time though and smelled a bit better when he came out of the water :). Once he was done and dried off as well as he could we started our way back to the campground. They weren't lying when they said the hike was hot. Almost the entire way back was in the BLAZING sunshine. I felt like we were crossing the Sahara! Anytime we found shade we stopped for a break.
When we got back to camp we both were again exhausted and so we took much needed naps. It's amazing how much energy the sun can take from you. Once we were awake we walked over to Bright Angel Creek to stick our feet in for some relief. This water was just as cold as the Colorado but I didn't care because it felt so good to stick my feet in even if it was just for a second or two at a time!
We didn't do much for the rest of the afternoon other than read and have dinner. We waited for the canteen to open at 8pm so that we could get a lemonade and a sticker. At about 7:40pm we headed over to wait outside...I was wearing my Red Sox shirt and when we got there it sparked a conversation with two couples. Turns out they were from SOUTH PORTLAND. Yes, South Portland, Maine! We chatted with them for quite some time. They were SO KIND. When the canteen finally opened they were generous enough to buy Ben a beer and a lemonade for me. We were so grateful. We chatted for quite some time, they had made their way down today with a guide and were heading out on Wednesday eventually making their way to Scottsdale. We hope they had a GREAT time on the rest of their trip.
We finished our drinks and headed back to camp for an early night...it would certainly be an early morning!
Day 168 - Grand Canyon, AZ - SUNNY starting in the 70's ending in the 80's:
Our day started BRIGHT AND EARLY at 6am. Our goal was to make the 7am hikers express bus knowing that we would be more likely to get on the 8am bus. Well we were right and we arrived at the backcountry office at 7:45am. Before we hopped on Ben weighed his bag and it was about 45lbs. I didn't weigh mine because at the time I didn't want to know but we figured it was likely around 30lbs.
We got on the bus and headed to the South Kaibab Trailhead. This trail is 7.2miles long with an elevation change of 4800ft. In other words you go downhill the entire way. It is CRAZY steep and really takes a tole on your legs and knees. While you are going down the temperature is going up.
As we walked down there were three guys we kept going back and forth with who turned out to be from Massachusetts and one of them even went to Bowdoin...small world. As we made our way down we were amazed at how things that seemed so small from the top were ENORMOUS. Every time it seemed like we were getting closer to the bottom we would turn another corner and be SOOOO far away. While hiking we did get to see mules making their way down the canyon. It's pretty neat to see them making their way down!!
After 3.5 hours we finally made our way to the HUGE Colorado River. From the top it looks like it's only about an inch wide however by the time we were there we found that it was 330ft wide! Fortunately there are two suspension bridges that cross the river. We crossed the 440ft wide black bridge. It's pretty nuts to walk across. Once we were across we found a picnic table under a tree where we stopped for lunch. While there the mules we had seen earlier on the trip finally made their way past us!!
After lunch we headed to the Bright Angel Campground. We found a site that had some shade and set up camp. When you get there the first thing you have to do it put all your food, scented items, and plastic bags into the ammo boxes they provide. The squirrels and deer at the bottom are very aggressive and if you don't put your food in the boxes they will eat through your pack to get to it!! We did that and then quickly changed into our flip-flops so that we could explore the area. Unknown to me until we were at the park was the fact that there is a ranch at the bottom called Phantom Ranch. Here they have cottages and bunkhouses for people who get reservations and want to stay. They also have a canteen and dining room. I was shocked! After looking around we decided to head back to camp and rest a bit.
We laid down in the tent doing our best to stay cool...It was SO HOT at the bottom. By the time we reached the bottom the temperature had changed approximately 50 degrees from when we woke up!! I took a catnap but Ben needed a bit more rest and slept for quite a while. Once he was up we made our way to the river to stick our toes in and see if any rafters were at the Bright Angel Beach. There weren't any rafters but we did get up close with the river. The Colorado River is HUGE, FAST, and FREEZING. I don't know how people were rafting without wetsuits. We were lucky enough to see the river in its most natural color of reddish brown due to the runoff from the canyon. In the summer its actually a tropical green color because of the river being damned according to the rangers.
From the river we made our way back toward Phantom Ranch for the afternoon ranger talk. Today's topic was "The Colorado River". The ranger told about many of the firsts in the river including the first men to swim the Grand Canyon. Here's a bit about them from Amazon, "April 10, 1955: the water temperature was 51F, and a fierce wind buffeted two men as they entered the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Bill Beers and John Daggett had set out to swim the river through the Grand Canyon. At a time when fewer than 200 people had run the river in boats, this was daredevil try and illegal. Their equipment was primitive: Army-surplus rubber boxes to carry gear, thin rubber shirts, woollen long johns and swim fins; they also took a movie camera to record the adventure. Twenty-six days and 280 miles later, bruised and battered, they left the river at Pierce Ferry." After the ranger finished the story she was quick to tell us the moral of the story...NEVER SWIM THE COLORADO RIVER. We also learned about Georgia White who was the first woman to raft the Grand Canyon and changed the way commercial rafting was done and is still done today. She was quite remarkable and innovative for her time!
After the ranger talk we made our way back to camp for dinner and BED. We were exhausted even though we took naps. We planned to do a twelve mile hike the next day and knew we needed to be up early in order to beat the heat!
