Changes in latitudes, changes in atitudes........

Good thing we managed to get lots of hiking in before arriving in Sin City because it has been party time since then. We spent Friday afternoon with friends Dave & Penny at Margaritaville and then the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Rock Bar where we watched some of the world finals on their TV's and some other partiers trying their luck on the mechanical bull. Lorne & Sue arrived in time to join us for dinner at Wolfgang Puck's.

On Saturday Rick & Joanne joined our group for the concert pre-party at the Flamingo pool area. At 1 pm when we arrived, the 'Loungin at the Lagoon' celebration was already packed with thousands of other Parrot Heads and the party was underway again. It was amazing to see the costumes and headwear choices that people had made the effort to design and wear. There was live music all afternoon and it was a fun place to be. We then went back to R&J's MGM suite for a few more refreshments and some food before heading over to the Jimmy Buffett concert. Jimmy walked on stage, kicked off his sandals, and his familiar tunes started to roll with the crowd standing and singing along. It was a great day. Another item knocked off of Rhonda's bucket list.

Yesterday we took it a little easier. The boys went over to the LVH Sportsbook, the largest in the city, to watch and bet the NFL games and some horse races. The ladies relaxed around the MGM pool. We all hooked up for dinner at the lovely home of new friends, Brian & Jennifer, for a great meal and a dip in their hot tub.

Today we are going to take it easy at the MGM pool area (4 pools plus a lazy river), in preparation for a return visit to a wonderful family-run Italian restaurant, Casa di Amore, 5 miles from the strip. We had quite the party there 3 years ago with our group and our entertaining waiter, Tony, and we are looking forward to an encore perfomance.

Pre-concert party Pirates

Our posse

Elvis was there

The Main Event (sandals off)

Searching for my lost shaker of salt.....

We have been enjoying our time exploring Sedona, a beautiful, well-off city surrounded by lovely vistas. It is an upscale version of Moab, a little expensive for our tastes but certainly a nice place to spend a few days in. Yesterday we visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Catholic church built into the mountain rock in 1956. It still looks modern today. After that we did a strenuous 3 km hike up to Cathedral Rock which overlooks Sedona. Many rock toe-holds were required on the scrambling ascent and Rhonda managed it well. She is back to normal, confirmed by her desire following the hike to go shopping for some local Indian crafts.

Today we left early in the morning to head into the Oak Creek Canyon which had a highly recommended hiking trail, the West Fork Trail. We were advised to go either early in the morning or late in the day because the limited parking (50 spots) filled up quickly and a car wait line for open spots started shortly after 9 am and lasted most of the day. Our 7:45 am arrival netted us a parking spot and we had breakfast in the van before departing on the trail. The 11 km (return) hike was spectacular. It followed a creek through a canyon with 13 different creek crossings, stepping or jumping across rocks in order to keep our feet dry. The canyon floor supported some small maple and oak trees so the contrasting red, orange and yellow leaf colours against the red and white rock canyon walls (sandstone and granite) was pleasing to the eye. By the time we returned to the van in the early afternoon there were plenty of cars waiting for our parking spot so it was fortunate that we had spoken with other travellers and made the decision to arrive early.

Tomorrow we will start heading towards Las Vegas where we will hook up with our Calgary friends on Friday. Our next report will be sometime after the week-end Jimmy Buffet concert when we have all recovered :-)

Years grow shorter, not longer.....

Arriving in Grand Canyon Village last Thursday it was clear Rhonda had not recovered enough to hike into the canyon any significant distance. I had also been unable to secure a reservation at Phantom Ranch (fully booked a year ago) so the daunting task of hiking down to the Colorado River and back up on the same day (highly discouraged by the National Park staff) had me re-thinking my original strategy even though I was feeling that I was in good shape to attempt it. With fewer and fewer opportunities (years) to accomplish this feat I was in a quandry but leaning towards needing an overnight stay at the bottom to break the hike into 2 days........we are suppposed to be getting wiser with age, aren't we? Our first stop was at Bright Angel Lodge on the South Rim where I asked to be added to the daily Wait List for last minute cancellations which are determined the following morning at 6:30 am. I also got up at 5 am on Friday morning to call the Lodge so that I could be the first person on the Wait List for the following day as a back-up plan. Then we drove from our Trailer Village campsite to the Lodge for the 6:30 am roll call, and lucky me, there was still a spot in the male dorm when they called my name. My backpack was already prepared so after taking care of the paperwork I was on my way to the base of the canyon, starting my trek at 7:30 am.

I chose the South Kaibab trail for my descent. It is steeper but a little shorter (7 miles to Phantom Ranch). Taking lots of pictures along the way to share with Rhonda, I still managed to make it to the bottom of the canyon by 11 am (3.5 hours), well ahead of my anticipated arrival. After a shower and some lunch I still had enough energy to hike another several miles along the the canyon bottom to Phantom Canyon, a narrow canyon along the north rim route. After a few beers at the Canteen, dinner and a Ranger program I was in bed before 9 pm and slept very well.

On Saturday morning we had a group breakfast at 6:30 am and I was on my way back up the trail shortly after 7 am. All of my bunk mates (10 beds in the dorm) had previously secured two night reservations so they were either relaxing or doing short hikes that day. My return route was on the Bright Angel trail, 10 miles long but the most popular trail with several water re-fill stops along the way, an important feature in the 20+C temperature. Fortunately, by leaving early in the morning almost 90% of my hike was in the canyon shade making it much easier. I made it back to the top shortly after noon (5 hours), again quicker than I expected, although I seemed to 'hit the wall' with two miles to go and had to stop numerous times to re-hydrate and gain some additonal energy. I was pleased with my accomplishment and hope to return some day with Rhonda, our children or friends for an encore event.

While the views from the rim are wonderful, the sights along the trail are spectacular. Once you have entered the canyon the 360 degree views make picture-taking seem fruitless. I met plenty of interesting hikers along the way including.......4 buddies from Phoenix (about 40 years old) who were doing their 6th consecutive one day (down and up) hike, a one armed man and his wife (our age) who had already spent 5 nights camping on the Tonto trail, parallel to the Colorado River and another 60-ish couple and their daughter who were doing a rim to rim hike (north to south) over several days but were now missing the wife who had to be airlifted out of the canyon by helicopter because she had badly twisted her knee and could no longer continue. At the bottom of the canyon I met two men (30's) who were attempting a one day rim to rim hike (24 miles) and told me they were passed early in the morning by another two men their age who were attempting to do a rim to rim to rim run (48 miles) in one day. We saw them at noon at the Ranch, already 3/4's through their task so I have no doubt they accomplished their goal. The bottom line is that everyone sets their own challenge, even if it is only part-way into the canyon, and there is a wonderful feeling (and memories) when you return to the rim.

On Sunday morning I awoke wondering who had taken a baseball bat to my legs, mostly my calf muscles. No problems at all during my hike but since then I have been looking like a very old man, moving more slowly and gingerly taking steps downwards. While I was in the canyon Rhonda had patiently waited for me and did some hiking along the east rim so I was glad that she wasn't anxious to get back out on some trails. We spent part of the day on a shuttle tour of the west rim, getting off many times for lovely views and a few short walks to the next viewpoint. The free shuttle service in the park is very well planned (every 10 minutes) and allowed us to leave the van in the campground almost all of the time. On the shuttle we met a nice Australian family from Adelaide and they gave us their contact information to get in touch with them next spring when we are there. We had a delicious dinner that night at the Bright Angel Lodge (Arizona Room) watching the sunset and hikers arriving back just before dark.Today we drove a few hours south to Sedona where we plan to spend several days doing some short hikes in Oak Creek Canyon and enjoying the picturesque city which is surounded by red rock formations. Rhonda has now finished her antibiotic prescriptions and is back to eating regular meals so that is a relief. She will be good-to-go for our party week in Las Vegas starting on Friday :-)

Cheeseburger in Paradise

While driving through a neighbourhood on the w/e close to our Moab RV park we noticed a local burger joint with a line-up and a large gathering of people on their outdoor patio. The next day we returned to Milt's Stop & Eat to find a similar crowd and decided we should check it out (at least I had too). While waiting for my Swiss Mushroom burger, which was outstanding, I learned a little more about Milt's. Built in 1954 and still utilizing the original bar stools at their inside counter, their small establishment was on the original main street but Main Street is now several blocks away. The locals still know where to find it and it is worth a visit for anyone travelling through Moab.

We also found time for a couple of nice hikes to finish off our Moab stay. On Saturday we drove 15 km's west of Moab to hike in Bootlegger Canyon out to Corona Arch which had been recommended by a local. The beautiful arch which has a 100 metre span was also a hit with the younger generation. Being on state land, they had been given permission to set up a charity supported rope swing from the top of the arch. Similar to a bungee jump it was fascinating to watch bold, then terrified people get harnessed in and then jump from the top of the 45 metre high arch and then swing through the arch several metres off the ground at the bottom and back up the other side finally coming to rest a few minutes later. If there was water at the bottom of the arch I might have been tempted but certainly not with a rock landing.

The next day we went on a much quieter hike out into Hunter Canyon. We only encountered a few other couples during our 3 hour hike along the bottom of the narrow canyon, crossing the river (turned into a stream by the lack of rainfall) several times along the way. Great views all the way including a few more arches and we could have gone further if I hadn't been thinking about our visit to Milt's as a reward for our efforts. After 10 days in the Moab area (do you think we liked it?) it was time to be on our way even though we had to make the difficult decison to forego the upcoming Pumpkin Chuckin Festival which sounded like a lot of fun.

On Monday we drove 100 km's south of Moab to the lower section of Canyonlands NP, the Needles district. Much less crowded than Island in the Sky, we were still lucky to secure one of the few campsites available that day (26 in total) by arriving early in the morning. We spent the day touring the entire park and covering several short hikes including Elephant Hill (6 km's) which was the longest and most scenic. With fewer people on the trails it was amazingly quiet and within the canyon we could actually hear the wings flapping as birds flew by. We had another wonderful campfire that evening and being in the middle of nowhere we once again saw several shooting stars without paying a lot of attention to the night time sky.

Yesterday evening we landed in Cortez, Colorado (SW corner of the state) and we spent the whole day today at Mesa Verde National Park. While the canyon views were not as spectacular as we found in Utah, the history certainly was. The park is the home of over 600 ancient villages in the canyons that were built under the rock walls midway up the canyon......either to protect them from the weather or from other people, theories which are still being debated. The ruins are still in remarkable shape even though they date from 600 - 1300 AD when the Ancestral Puebloans suddenly left the area.

Tomorrow morning we will head towards the Grand Canyon passing through the Four Corners, the only spot in the U.S. where four states connect. Canada also has a similar version of intersecting regions but I would guess that very few Canadians could figure out where it is even though we are quite spread out.

 

There's just too much to see waiting in front of me...

We're back in Moab following a couple of days in the National Parks. We were fortunate to secure a campsite in the small Arches NP campground (52 sites, all pre-booked) when a fellow camper decided to leave a day early and we were in the right spot at the right time. On our first day there we drove around the large park, stopping for pictures and a few hike-lites to the base of some lovely arches. The entire park is filled with arches, sandstone fins (long, tall, narrow formations) and rounded, rust-coloured mountains in a desert surrounding.........magnificent views everywhere that change during the day as the shadows come and go. The next day we tried the more difficult Devils Garden Trail which featured 8 arches including Landscape Arch which has a span of almost 100 metres. That was the end of the trail for Rhonda who is still recovering from her infection, and with no solid foods back in her diet yet, her stamina is not back to normal (but it is getting better every day). She waited patiently for me in the van while I completed the 12 km hike up and down some slickrock formations. We had a campfire at night and spent time stargazing under a clear sky, catching several meteors burning up.

The following day we drove over to nearby Canyonlands National Park. Totally different geological features but equally as stunning. The NP is divided into 3 regions, all separated by large canyons which host the Colorado and Green Rivers that meet in the middle of the NP. This excursion was to the Island in the Sky region where a narrow 'neck'  allows the road to continue along the plateau to a large park area surrounded by canyons that are over 1,000 feet below. The short trails we hiked all led to wonderful rim views. Pictures don't begin to reflect the stunning vistas that go on forever. 4x4 vehicles were required to explore the canyon floors, or a significant hike down and back, so after spending a full day in the park and a forecast of 24 hours of showers on the way, we decided to head back to Moab for a few days. It turned out to be a good decision with overnight thunderstorms and rain most of the day today. It was the first rainfall in quite some time for the area so it was appreciated by the locals but it would have been a muddy experience in the desert-like parks and campgrounds.

Today we are taking it easy, doing some laundry, grocery shopping and relaxing. There are several interesting w/e events in Moab, including an artist show which we will check out. Some local hikes and geocache searches are also on the agenda but nothing too strenuous. On Monday we will head further south and enter another region of Canyonlands NP called the Needles.

Delicate Arch (Utah license plate)

Double Arch

Landscape Arch

Arches Campground (note our van)

Prelude to the meteor shower

Upheaval Dome (salt)

Diving Board

Mesa Arch (and canyon below)

We've gotta roll with the punches.....

Since entering Utah following our drive through Flaming Gorge NRA we have had a few interesting experiences. Our initial landing spot was Vernal which is Utah's version of Drumheller. We spent several hours the next day at Dinosaur National Monument visiting the Fossil Bone Quarry where there are actual dinosaur bones still embedded in a rock wall which has been enclosed for viewing purposes, an interesting way to show and explain the discovery process. We also did a short hike along the Fossil Discovery Trail where mother nature is uncovering new treasures over time.

From Vernal we drove directly to Moab, a place we tried to explore several years ago but late November freezing temperatures sent us scurrying home early the next morning. On this trip we planned to spend a week in the general area and it might last longer than that. This past week-end was a very busy time in Moab since it was the Columbus Day long w/e and special events were planned, including a Land Rover National Rally and a 24 hour mountain biking contest, both of which brought all kinds of adventure seekers to town. With the National Park campsites all fully booked we settled into one of the last few spots at an RV park. On Friday morning we drove 5 miles north to Arches National Park to find out the Fiery Furnace hike we wanted to experience was totally booked (Park Ranger required to lead a group through some tricky spots) so we decided to try again after the w/e. There was a golf course near our RV park so we played golf in the afternoon on a nice course and discovered that a Senior Men's & Ladies' Amateur tournament was scheduled for the next 2 days. While the tournament was totally booked for a month leading up to our visit, there were a couple of last minute cancellations and they had room for us if we were interested. Since we liked the course and both played well, we signed up for the last two spots. Rhonda was unable to duplicate her score on the first day of the tournament and a potential reason emerged early Sunday morning when she awoke with extreme abdominal pains. When they wouldn't subside we decided a trip to the hospital was in order and several hours later, following a CT scan, the doctor determined that she had diverticulitis, an intestinal infection. Those that know Rhonda well are aware that she has had stomach cramp problems in the past so this was a culmination of a festering situation. Fortunately it can be treated with anti-biotics, so she will be taking it easy for a few days and be on a liquid diet during that time. The drugs seem to be working and today she felt well enough to do a bit of walking including a trip to the grocery store to purchase some items that she can consume for now. Her spirits are good and she fully expects to be back to normal in a few days.

We have lots of spare time in our schedule since we arrived in Moab quicker than planned so we are in no hurry and will wait for her recovery before trying anything too adventurous. Moab is a beautiful place to be "stuck in", surrounded by reddish brown mountains, nice shops and 20-25C daytime temperatures. When the time comes we will start with some shorter hikes in Arches NP and then spend several days dry camping in Canyonlands NP where there are some more lovely hiking opportunities.
Internet access will be limited over that time so don't be concerned if we don't report on our activities for a while.

Real dinosaur bone

Fossil Bone Quarry

Jimmy Buffett Fall Tour

Our latest adventure started on Oct. 1, a day earlier than planned, in order to start our journey south one day ahead of the cold front heading into Alberta. Since then we have been staying one day ahead of overnight freezing temperatures, closely monitoring the weather so that we don't encounter any problems with our water lines in the camper van. Late this afternoon we arrived in Vernal,, Utah, located in the NE corner of the state and we now appear to be home free with night time low temperatures remaining above 0C.

The daytime high's have all been 20C+ so we have been stopping along the way. Yesterday we spent most of the day in Yellowstone National Park. We wished we could have stayed a few days longer. The park is massive with over 1,000 miles of hiking trails but we only had enough time to explore the park highlights and enjoy a few short walks to active geysers (Old Faithful didn't disappoint). The park sits on top of the largest active volcano on the continent at 8,000 feet above sea level (scuttling our camping plans), resulting in plenty of hot springs, geysers, mud pots and fumaroles to see with little effort. If anyone gets back to Yellowstone NP before we do, keep an eye out for my Maui Jim sunglasses (black) which are somewhere in the 9,000 square kilometre park.

There wasn't enough time left in the day to explore Grand Teton NP so we had to settle for admiring the mountain views as we drove through the park on our way to Jackson, Wyoming where we had dinner at The Bird, a fun spot that was very lively for a Tuesday night. Today we drove through Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area which was disappointing other than the lovely roadside views at the south end of the park.

Our drive throughout Wyoming, other than the NP's, featured very dry ranchland (drought-stricken). Fortunately, our IPod was pre-loaded with plenty of Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcasts to entertain us along the way. Our daughter, Caity, put us on to SGU several years ago and the podcasts (free download) have become a favourite travelling companion on our trips (use Google to find their website if you have an interest in Science and the pro's & con's of new scientific discoveries).
I also used my Nashville Music Box to convert our Jimmy Buffett records on to CD's and then transferred them to the IPod so that we can have a daily dose of Jimmy leading up to his Las Vegas concert at the end of the month where we will be joined by 6 Parrot Head friends from Calgary who are flying down to help Rhonda knock off another item from her 2008 Bucket List party choices.
Stay tuned for Jimmy Buffett lead-ins.

Emerald Springs

Back Basin Bowl

Palette Springs

Flaming Gorge NRA