Thursday May 2nd

                                          ZION to BRYCE!

We had a very comfortable stay overnight at the Quality Inn/Springdale, which is just outside the south entrance to Zion National Park.  This morning our legs are almost back to normal following our strenuous hike into the Grand Canyon three days ago.  After enjoying our breakfast at the hotel, we once again drove over the 12-mile scenic highway that we entered the Park on yesterday, only this time we were traveling eastbound, heading back to Mt. Carmel Jct. where we would pick up the road that will take us up to Bryce Canyon National Park. The views are just as stunning this morning!  Majestic vistas around every bend in the road!  We also got to go back thru the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel!

These prong-horn mountain goats didn't seem to mind the cars passing by or the tourists who were pulling over beside the road to snap a photo.

Due to the dry climate in Utah, farmers must irrigate their fields if they plan to have a good harvest.  Since the temperature dropped below freezing last night, we were treated to some interesting "irrigation ice sculpures" this morning as we traveled north on Hwy.89 on our way to Bryce Canyon National Park.

 We made it to Bryce Canyon National Park, stopped at the Visitors Center, watched a short film showing the changing seasons in the Park, and how the "hoodoos" and formed and how the weather is forever changing them. (A hoodoo is a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.)  We picked up a Park map and decided to drive all the way thru the park, via the 18-mile park road along the rim to the fartherest point, which is Rainbow Point.  There we parked and went to take some photos, and oh my goodness it was so cold, it did not take us long at all!  Rainbow Point is at 9,115 ft. elevation!

We then retraced our route, back toward the Visitors Center, stopping at each viewpoint to get out and gaze at the awesome scenery that Bryce Canyon offers and take lots of photos.

When we made it to Sunset Point, that is where we planned to do an afternoon hike of about 6-7 miles.  It is such a gorgeous sunny day today, and the temperature has warmed up a little, and we know that to really appreciate the beauty of this Park, we must walk down into the Canyon to experience all that Bryce Canyon majestic scenery.  We walked on the Queen's Garden Trail/Navajo Trail, and the views along the way are truly spectacular!

We passed by an incredible "rock cairn garden"!  Hikers will be hikers; BooBoo and I picked up and added a couple of our own pebbles to this work of art on the Trail.  Too cool!

This has been such an awesome day to be in the great outdoors and to admire incredible view after view here in Bryce Canyon National Park.

There are also horseback riding trails here in the Park.  While we were hiking, we looked up to the top of the Canyon, and there way up on the rim were some horseback riders!  (Not sure if you can see them, since we are a long way down in the bottom, and they are on the top.)

 

Tomorrow we will head east to Capital Reef National Park and Natural Bridges National Park.

 

 

One last photo of the day!

 

 

O.K. Two photos!  I couldn't help myself!

Wednesday May 1st

Having a hotel room on the second floor (no elevator), and making several trips up and down the stairs yesterday evening and again this morning was really good for our aching calves and quads!  Really helps to loosen up the old sore muscles!  We were on the road early this morning, excited to be meeting Tom "Snake Hips" and Sue "Spud" at Zion National Park today.

 I met Tom and Sue while hiking the A.T. in 2011. They are both retired Doctors; Tom/Family Doctor, Sue/Rehab Doctor.  They are now living in St. George, Utah which is very near Zion National Park.  I am so thankful that they are taking time from their busy schedule to come and meet us today.  Tom is currently planning a "world trip" which he will begin at the end of the month in Reykjavik, Iceland!  Sue will be meeting him in August in Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrim's path across Spain.

As we neared Mt. Carmel Jct., we came around a bend in the highway, and we saw a large number of horse trailers camped out and realized there must be an Endurance Ride here!  (Years ago, I rode my horse in Endurance Rides.)  What we are seeing is the Mt. Carmel XP 5-day Endurance Ride.  Five days of 50 miles each day!  To complete that is true endurance! (Several years ago my friends, Sue and Patsy, convinced me to go to New Mexico with them and do a 3-day, 55 miles each day, Endurance Ride. Amazingly, we all completed all three days!  The horses did better than the humans!)  Anyway, we stopped in the convenience store at Mt. Carmel Jct. to fuel the car and get a Utah Road Atlas, and while in the store I met Ann Nicholson, the Mt. Carmel XP Ride Manager, and she said that today is the first day of the 5-day ride.  What incredible scenery here for the riders to enjoy!

From there we headed west, and soon we are on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy., a 12-mile scenic road that connects the South and East Entrances to the Park, traveling up steep switchbacks, and through the historic, 1 mile long, Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
This our view as we entered the tunnel.

This is our view as we are exiting the tunnel.

Soon we are in the small town of Springdale, Utah, where we have hotel reservations tonight, and there is Tom and Sue patiently waiting for us!  After checking our hotel reservation and parking our car, we caught the free Town Shuttle to the Zion National Park Visitor Center, where we boarded the free Park Shuttle.  We stayed on the Shuttle all the way up Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, to the Temple of Sinawava stop, the gateway to The Narrows.  We then walked the trail, along the Virgin River, called the Riverside Walk, to The Narrows, where the Virgin River flows thru the narrow, soaring canyon walls.

 Tom "Snake Hips" and his wife Sue "Spud at The Narrows.

                             Sue, Tom, (unidentified tourist looking on), & Flame

 Birds soaring high above us!

 Tom is framing a great shot of the Virgin River flowing thru the canyon walls.

We then boarded the free Park Shuttle again, then exited at the Weeping Rock stop.  We walked the nice trail to Weeping Rock, where dripping springs create hanging gardens.

After enjoying the coolness and the beauty surrounding the Weeping Rocks area, we boarded the Shuttle once again to go to the Zion Lodge, a historic Lodge/Restaurant/Bookstore, where we accessed the Emerald Pools Trail.  Following the Emerald Pools Trail we are able to continue on along the Grotto Trail as we made our way back to the Shuttle.  Along the way we were afforded great views of the Virgin River far below us as we walked along.

When we reach the River, it is nice to have this great footbridge to cross over!

It is also great to have the free Park Shuttles that run continuously throughout the day for Park visitors.

  
We  then took the Shuttle back down to the Zion Lodge, where we enjoyed a great lunch and conversation with our friends, Tom and Sue.  The weather today has been picture-perfect!  Clear blue skies, mild temperatures!  Just an awesome day to enjoy the great outdoors with friends!  Thank you to Tom and Sue for making today in Zion Park truly memorable for us!

We will thouroughly enjoy living vicariously thru Tom's and Sue's adventures via his blog:
http://brickthomasblog.wordpress.com

Tuesday April 30, 2013

There is nothing like a comfortable bed and good night's sleep to refresh our tired bodies following our hike of 12.4 miles yesterday, down into Grand Canyon and out to Plateau Point, then turn around and retrace all our steps all the way back to the top!  We are feeling pretty good this morning, except for sore calf muscles and sore quads.  We sort of resemble a feeble 100 year old, the way we are hobbling around!  But "life is good"!  We are thankful to have had this opportunity of hiking into the Grand Canyon, and so glad my brother Don joined us here for the adventure!

You know how most hotels who offer breakfast along with your stay, just have a rather small area for eating and not much variety?  Well, this hotel that we have stayed in for the last two nights, the Best Western Grand Squire Inn, really goes over-the-top in serving their guests an awesome breakfast meal!  There are two buffet lines, with a wide assortment of fruits, sliced and ready to eat, along with several fruit dips;  also eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, several kinds of breads for toasting, pancakes, oatmeal, cold cereals, coffee, milk, fruit juices, and on and on!  Wow, what a great way to start our day!  And we are seated at a table in a large dining area that probably will seat more than 100 guests! 

We drive back down to Flagstaff to drop Don off at the airport, since he has a flight scheduled this morning, and will go back home and to work in the morning, while Tom and I continue on our vacation.  We have enjoyed Don's company so much and are so thankful that he took the time to fly out here to meet us for the difficult task of hiking into the Grand Canyon, even though he had already done this same hike two years ago with three of my sisters (Norma, Donna, & Ginny).

Our plans are to travel north from Flagstaff on U.S.Hwy 89 for 109 miles to Bitter Springs, then follow the scenic route on Alt.89 for 86 miles to Kanab, Utah.  This will be a leisurely day after yesterday, which we think we will enjoy.

Well, after going only 66 miles, thru some pretty desolate landscape, we find we have to take a detour.  It seems that U.S.Hwy.89 has a "cave-in" somewhere in the 43 miles between U.S.Hwy.160 and Bitter Springs, therefore we have to take the detour onto U.S.Hwy.160 eastbound for 50 miles before taking State Hwy.98 north for 66 miles to Page, Arizona.

As you can see by the flags blowing straight out at that abandoned "flea market" beside the highway, it was very windy today!  While traveling on U.S.Hwy.160 (the detour), we passed thru Tuba City, population 8,611; Red Lake, population 100; Cow Springs, population 40. We then turned onto State Hwy. 98 (still the detour) and about halfway along on this 66 mile stretch is the small town of Kaibito, population 1,522. Now this "cave-in" happened last year (November 2012), so I can imagine how these small towns along the detour must really be benefiting with all this added traffic passing thru their small towns, and stopping to buy gas, food, etc.! 

We had not planned on going to Page, Arizona, but here we are!  This town was established in the 1950's, during the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, which forms Lake Powell.  We stopped at the Visitor Center after crossing over the bridge that spans the Colorado River at the Glen Canyon Dam.

 This was a nice surprise at the end of the "detour".  We are glad we got see Glen Canyon Dam and tour the Visitor Center there to read about and see how it was built and all the benefits to the area through providing electricity, irrigation, recreation, etc.

Now we are back on U.S.Hwy.89 for the last 64 miles to Kanab, Utah for the night.  It is still extremely windy, lots of blowing sand, desolate and sparsely populated landscape, passed several Native American hitchhikers.

If you are ever in Kanab, Utah, I would not recommend staying at the Rodeway Inn.  It is a little "dated and tired"!   I guess I should not have expected much for $80 per night?  Remember the extravagant breakfast we had this morning at the Best Western Grand Squire Inn?  Not going to be like that here in Kanab, Utah!  Our room at the Rodeway Inn was fairly clean, but the limited breakfast selection served in the tiny lobby (with only a tired sofa for seating), furnished trays that we could carry our breakfast on back up to our room to eat!

Tomorrow we are heading to Zion National Park, where my hiker friends, Sue "Spud" and Tom "Snake Hips" will be meeting us for the day!  Really looking forward to that!

Monday, April 29th (cont.)

Here is the mule train arriving at Indian Garden Rest Stop (in a cloud of red dust!).

The first 1.2 miles back to Indian Garden (from Plateau Point) is not too difficult, however the sun is bearing down on us and it is now 80 degrees (in the shade)!  We will definitely be searching for any little bit of shade as we leave Indian Garden, since it is 5 miles and 5,000 feet elevation to the top!  The views going back up are just as breathtaking as they were on the way down!  Around each bend in the trail we look around us and are overwhelmed with the incredible majesty of the Grand Canyon!  There is no other place in the entire world quite like the Grand Canyon!  It is difficult to capture in mere words how truly "Grand" it is!

We encounter many foriegn visitors on the trail from countries all around the world; actually we Americans seem to be the minority on the Bright Angel Trail today.  Perhaps we Americans do not fully appreciate all the natural beauty that is so close to where we live right here in our own country.

The uphill trek is just as difficult as we had expected it to be!  I am worrying about Tom, since he seems to be struggling right away.  We are very conscientious about staying hydrated and resting and snacking.

It is amazing to see so many beautiful flowers blooming in this rugged environment in the Grand Canyon!

It seemed to take forever to reach the 3-mile Resthouse, but we did finally make it there.  Tom and I sat under the "roof" in the shade and commiserated with all the other hikers (tourists) who were struggling the same as we were to get back to the top of the Canyon before dark.  Don found a large rock to sit on in the shade of a tree next to the Resthouse.  We refilled our water bottles before heading out (and up) again to make it 1.5 more miles to the last Resthouse before the top.

 

As we began climbing the switchbacks leading away from the 3-mile Resthouse, I could feel myself "hit a brick wall"!  I had been so confident in my own ability, and so worried about Tom, but Tom seems to have gotten "his second wind" and he is powering up the hill, going out of sight around the next switchback, and I seem to be struggling with each footstep.  I'm feeling lightheaded and very "unsettled".  We stop frequently at every little bit of shade, sit on the ground a few minutes, then push on.

 

It seemed such a long, long, long way to get to the 1.5 mile Resthouse!  Along the way we talked to a young gal who works for the Park Service.  She had passed us on the way down, just before Indian Garden, carrying some flattened cardboard boxes.  Now she was passing us again going back up.  She tells us that as a part of her job with the Park Service, she has to do this same trek  (down and up) at least once a week!  She also said that after doing this at least once each week for the last three years, it does not get any easier!  (and she is probably less that half my age!)  No wonder we are stuggling so!

 

We finally reach the 1.5 mile Resthouse, fill our water bottle, hydrate, snack; but mostly we just sit on the ground, in a slight daze, dreaming about being done for the day!  Tom and Don seem to be doing much better than me!  I'm suprised by my own inabilities and so glad to see Tom and Don pushing on rather strongly.  I must keep pushing on, only 1.5 more miles, up, up, up, switchback after switchback.  All I can think about right now is how awesome it will feel to be done, to shower all this red dust off my body, crawl in between the cool sheets on a very comfortable bed and lay very still for a long time.  I want this lightheadedness and slightly nauseated feeling to just go away!  Tom and I both tried to prepare ourselves for this trek.  Tom has been going to the gym four days a week for intense workouts;  I've been walking with my friend Mary Ann twice a week for seven miles each time.  Don has always managed to stay in pretty good shape.  It is nothing for him to ride his bicycle for 50-100 miles!  However none of us are prepared for this relentless elevation gain of 5,000 feet in 5 miles!

 

It is a little after 5:30 p.m. when we eventually reach the top of the South Rim, where we began this trek at 6:30 a.m. this morning!  What an incredible day this has been!  Memories that will last us our lifetime!

 

 

We wasted no time getting back to our car, and driving the three miles back to our hotel!  We stopped in at the McDonalds for a quick sandwich and a large ice-cold soda, although none of us really felt much like eating, especially me!  I got first dibs on the shower and I was in bed and asleep by soon after 7:00 p.m.
I'm not sure what Tom and Don were doing, but when I awoke at 10:00 p.m. and rushed into the bathroom before throwing up (a lot), they were both sleeping soundly.  I actually felt better after my late night "party" in the bathroom, and slept pretty well the rest of the night.

The next morning, all three of us had a severe case of "hiker hobble"!  We all did O.K. as long as we kept moving, but if we sat down for awhile, then it was hobble, hobble again for the first few steps we took.  It was mostly my calf muscles that were sore but Tom and Don said their quads and calves were sore.

My next blog post will be about our adventure the day after our Grand Canyon hike.