Day 11 – May 30 Hoodoos and Snafus

I had a vivid realization today: Starting the day with a big ol’ plate of Huevos Enchiladas is about the best way to start the day EVER. I broke camp early and began today’s travels by purposely going about 18 miles in the wrong direction.

Two years ago, Jesse and I stumbled upon – or maybe I should give credit where it’s deserved – Jesse found a Mexican restaurant in Kanab called Nedra’s Too. He liked the pun on the name, so that’s where we went. It was a lovely discovery. The food was superb, and we sat outside on the patio, enjoying the perfect Utah night. We happened to be the last patrons for the night (not an irregularity when we traveled together) so instead of rushing us, they simply left a bus tub by the back door and said we could just put our dishes there when we were finished enjoying the evening. This kind of food and service will always bring me back, even if it is more than 1000 miles away from home.

I had intended to go there Wednesday night for dinner until I discovered they were closed on Wednesdays. So Plan B was to get up early and head in for breakfast. It didn’t disappoint. The food, the service, the atmosphere – all wonderful.  I look forward to dining there again whenever I’m in the area.

After the fabulous breakfast, I set out for Bryce Canyon. Now I have heard many many people say how wonderful Bryce is, and I didn’t doubt them, but I’ve seen some pretty spectacular sites in the last few years. I don’t think anything prepared me for this.

Before you even get to Bryce, you go through Red Canyon. I thought it was amazing, and you can see it from the road. I stopped and took a few pictures, posting one on Facebook. What an introduction to one of the most illogical and mesmerizing geological formations in the U.S. The main formations at Bryce are called Hoodoos, and they look like castle turrets or minarets or spires. I can’t describe the fairytale effect this landscape has – everywhere you look something else surprises. I intend to post a lot of pictures with this entry, and there are many many more that I could post.(And I will be posting some more when I have all the ones from my cell uploaded.) That said – a slight snafu to the whole picture-taking process ensued.

My lens on the new camera I bought for the hikes quit working just right yesterday. I had to tap the camera on my leg to get the lens to close all the way, but that system was working just fine. At least it was till about two-thirds through my eight-mile hike here today. Suddenly, the camera lens wouldn’t open at all. Then it would open just a little, but be out of focus. Then I could zoom it out and it would be in focus for just one distance. But most of the time, it just wouldn’t extend. Very frustrated, I took a number of pictures on my phone, which of course has an inferior camera compared to my point and shoot. I did bring my old camera, but it has a strange battery charger, and I somehow forgot or misplaced the charger, so it’ll be good for about 100 shots, at the best.

My euphoric mood was suddenly lost. Now this hike was a very physical hike with a lot of elevation gain and loss, with some of the gains extremely steep. This hadn’t bothered me much at all; I just paused long enough for my heart rate to return to normal when I was winded. In fact, I’d been please to realize almost three miles into the hike that my feet weren’t bothering me at all. This was the first day I hadn’t felt pain in them. (I know it was that hot tub last night – I might have to fit in a soak once in a while!) It had been, to that point, the most enjoyable hike of the trip so far. But now, everything seemed wrong. The hike lost all its magic for about 30 minutes. I cursed the camera, I cursed myself for forgetting the charger to my old one, I cursed the area for not having a store where I could look for a replacement at a decent cost. And I cursed that I have to find the money to buy another camera most likely.

Starting to feel like Forrest Gump at the National Parks

So as I’m stomping along, cursing, I come across a pleasant couple, Viv and Jeff, whom  I’d seen at the rest place earlier in the trail. We visited briefly, and I told them of my camera woes. It turns out they had a Canon much like mine and just happened to have an extra battery charger on the trip with them. They offered to bring it to my campsite later in the afternoon when we had finished our hikes, and give it to me. Serendipity at work once again it seemed.

This lightened my mood somewhat, but I still had residual discontent. I finished the hike taking shots with my phone and occasionally getting the damn camera to work. The last part of the hike – the Navajo Loop, was extremely crowded, even with the crazy elevation climb it entailed. There was apparently a tour bus of Chinese tourists that had just unloaded, and I bet I encountered about 50 of them in the last half-mile. As a bobbed and weaved around them, climbing to the rim trail to take me back to my campsite, I was still a little sour.

Some areas - lots of people

When Viv and Jeff stopped by the campsite, we realized the charger they had was for a slightly different sized Canon battery. But we had a lovely visit and exchanged information. We plan to connect on Facebook and keep in touch. Who knows? Maybe it’s the beginning of a great friendship. It was at the very least, a wonderful connection and a great example of the generosity of strangers. What a lovely world it is out here.

Tunnel vision

After they left, I decided to grab a quick shower to wash the trail dust off my legs, and when I arrived at the showers, they were just closing – an hour earlier than scheduled – and I couldn’t talk the woman into letting me run five minutes over the time they were to close. So I went to the next closest place for a shower, and they were $5 showers. I decided I could sponge bathe for that and returned back to camp, still grumpy and discontent.

I’m better now, after fixing myself a burger and sitting here enjoying the warmth of my campfire, but it seems that mood determines so much. I wonder too if a little loneliness hasn’t crept into the mix with the disappointment on the camera, the shower, and the unpleasant interaction with the store clerk.

What a mixed bag today has been. One thing is certain, there doesn’t seem to be many dull or boring moments in my life on the road.

Day 10 - May 29 Zion, Grand Canyon, and Hot Tub

I began the day by running into the Lodge to get a Diet Coke for the drive to a trail head. I still hadn’t decided which trail to take, and I wasn’t feeling the pull as much as I do many mornings. I was thinking of visiting the Grand Canyon and Kanab this afternoon, and that was distracting me from the idea of hiking. I was also thinking about when to fit in a soak in the hot tub.

Great to be hiking among big trees again.

The day all fell together, as it always does, as I began to move forward into it. The girls working at the front desk were just as lovely as the ones who worked the night before. When I mentioned hiking, they were quick to point out what they thought would be good hikes. I found out from them that the east access to Observation Point was right down the road from the lodge. And this route to the point is six miles long instead of the eight from the canyon floor, and there’s no large elevation gain.

Now I’m not afraid of a little elevation gain, I assure you, but the idea of forgoing that and still getting in a good hike sounded mighty sweet at the moment. So I got directions and headed down a one-lane dirt road to the trail head. The trail was clear once I followed the fence to the walk-in opening, and the day was fabulous. It was a little cool to begin with – the temperature had gotten down into the mid-30s overnight – but I quickly shed my sweatshirt and was hiking in shirtsleeves and shorts.

Looking down into the canyon. Watch your step!

When I got to the overlook, there were a few groups of people already there who had come up the hard way. I felt a little like a cheater, but I quickly let go of any guilt I was feeling while I enjoyed the view.  I met and had a lovely visit with a couple from Wales. They were here on a four-week holiday, hiking around in the canyon country of southern Utah. They had actually hiked the difficult hike at Canyonlands I had and agreed crossing that saddle was a treacherous chore. They had also hiked the primitive loop at Arches – one of my favorites from last year’s trip with Jesse and Deb. I hope I’m as able as they to tackle these tough hikes when I’m in my late 60s as they were.

When I returned from the hike, I decided to head straight for the Grand Canyon. It’s a couple hour drive from my campground, and I figured that I could make it there and back and still have time for a soak in the hot tub, a shower, and dinner before dark. And that’s exactly the way it worked out.

North Rim Grand Canyon from the lodge

The Grand Canyon’s North Rim is the only way to go. Yes, there are a lot of people there, but nothing compared to the crowds on the South Rim. I visited the lodge and sat on its big deck for a while, soaking in the view. I picked up a sticker for my car that read “Rim 2 Rim” to replace the one that went with the old CR-V when I sold it, and I visited the trail head for the Kaibab Trail, heading down into the canyon. There I met three men coming out of the canyon. They had left the SouthRrim at 4 a.m. and were spending the night and heading back across tomorrow. I envied them.

After I returned to the campground, I quickly changed into my suit and went to the hot tub. It was a beautiful late afternoon for it – sunny and not too hot. A family was in the tub already – a pleasant couple and their young son. We got to visiting, and when I said I was from Iowa, they said that Nick, the father, had gone to school in Iowa. I asked where, and when he said he got a Master’s at the University of Iowa, I asked if it wasn’t by chance an MFA from the Writer’s Workshop. And yes, indeed, it was.

The Writer’s Workshop is the number one MFA program for writers in the country. Some of the best writers have come through that program. Nick Arvin, it turns out his name is, is a novelist whose second novel, The Reconstructionist, has just been published. I am sure I heard a positive review of it recently and am ordering it for my Nook to read it on the trip.

Rachel, his wife, has a business called Walk2Connect, all about walkers, and is interested in my blog and what I’m doing. Talk about serendipity. I’ve already heard from Rachel and I can’t wait to check out her website.

It’s an amazing world, isn’t it? Every day it seems I am surprised at the connectedness of it all. Tomorrow it’s off to Bryce Canyon and who knows what.

Chillin' at the Grand Canyon

Day 9 – May 28 On the Road to Zion

Today has been a kind of interesting day. I began by treating myself to breakfast before leaving Moab, and the Huevos Rancheros I ordered were kind of ho-hum. That was a little bit of a disappointment as that’s one of my favorite dishes.

 Dixie National Forest

After breakfast and picking up my mail, I drove a few hours on the interstate, trying to make it to Zion by the early afternoon so I could find a campsite. I realized that interstate driving makes me feel isolated and lonely. I never realized it before, but it makes sense. The feeling of being in your own little pod, barreling down the highway, getting where you need to get with maximum efficiency and little distraction, is not meant to create or foster any sense of community. Part of what I love about traveling is the sense of community I find on the road, so when I saw the sign to take a back highway, I jumped on it. And what a relief that was. I felt myself relax and settle into the drive from that point on.

On the way to Zion, I went through the Dixie National Forest

I pulled into the very northern section of Zion to get information and found out all the park campgrounds were full. The ranger gave me a list of available campgrounds near the park and I called a few of them. I found one on the east side of the park, which would be better for a number of reasons, and the sites were only $10.50 a night. A real bargain. So I headed there.

When I arrived, after a long drive up a winding mountain road, I found not a campground but a resort which had tent camping in addition to the cabins available. I felt I’d landed in the lap of luxury. I have access not only to a nice restaurant, a store, and showers, but also a pool and a hot tub. I can go horseback riding, mini golfing, or rent an ATV if I want to spend the money, and everything is carefully designed for my comfort. What a nice little unsuspected oasis. Of course I won’t spend the money on the extras, but I do intend to take advantage of the hot tub tomorrow night after I get back from my hike – if I go hiking.

Pool and Hot Tub at my "Campground"

I’m near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and I’d really like to head down there to see that again. I also want to spend a little time in Kanab, and I might drive out near Paria Canyon. Zion doesn’t have a lot of hikes that look terribly interesting to me, and visiting all the other things in the area seems more appealing at the moment. But I’ll decide tomorrow. I do want to take the shuttle up the scenic route here in Zion, and there are a few short hikes I can access by taking that same shuttle, so I may do that early.

 

I need to be careful not to push myself so much that I quit enjoying the trip. I know I need to train for the big hike in July, but I also want to balance seeing all the things I want to see with that training. I will be backpacking five days beginning next Sunday, and that will be good training. I’m a little anxious about that – spending five days with someone I’ve never met will be an interesting experience. And the backpacking will be tough most likely too. But I’m way ahead of myself here, so I think for now I’ll just enjoy my temporary luxurious digs and get some sleep.

Day 8 – May 27 Saying Goodbye to Moab

Day 8 – May 27 Saying Goodbye to Moab

Today is my last day in Moab, unless my debit card doesn’t come tomorrow, but I’m planning as if I were certain it will be here, waiting at the Moab post office at 8 a.m.

It was a leisurely start to the day – I lay in my tent till after 8, listening to my neighbors quietly break camp. I got up just as they were leaving, and I saw they left me some bottles of water. Very nice people, and I enjoyed the brief connection we shared. After they left, I had the three –spot area of the campground to myself. I decided the best spot was not the one I was in and was not the one we had been in last year, but the spot that borders the Colorado River and is farthest from the road. So I pulled up stakes (realizing as I did where that saying came from) and moved my tent, all set up, to the other campsite. So I sit here now with my fire just behind me, looking out over the very full and fast-running Colorado.

I decided for a short day of hiking – I’m still building my conditioning, and I’ve hiked 25 miles in the last four days, climbing over rocks and slipping across, down and over slickrock, really getting intimate with the landscape of the area. It’s been lovely, but I was ready for an easy day. My friend Heidi, who spent some time in the area, suggested I check out the short but good hike to Corona Arch. I looked up the information on how to get to it, and started that direction.

It was a beautiful morning, as every morning has been, and I enjoyed the drive to the trailhead. It was a short hike – only about 3 miles roundtrip – but it did have a few areas of interest with cables installed in two places, horizontally in one and vertically in another, to assist hikers and a ladder installed in another spot. It was a busy hike, and there were many people hiking and enjoying the arch. But it was still beautiful. I took some lovely shots looking up where the orange of the arch is framed with the deep blue of the southern Utah sky. 

This arch is well-known. It’s one of the largest arches not in the actual Arches National Park. It gained some notoriety last year when a climber was killed on it. There have been videos circulating of climbers swinging to and fro under the arch, calling it the largest rope swing in the world. A climber tried it last year and miscalculated the length of his rope, hitting the ground and killing himself. There were discussions, I understand, deciding whether to forbid the activity, but in keeping with these wild lands out here, no restrictions were posted. The authorities did pull out the anchor at the top of the arch, but ambitious climbers can still rig it themselves.

I sat for quite a while in the shade of the arch, enjoying its immense beauty. The air here is so comfortable. It was in the 90s in the sun, but in the shade it was cool and comfortable. There were maybe 2 other groups of people at the same time, but the area is so expansive, it didn’t feel crowded. It has to be one of my favorite places I’ve sat and enjoyed while I’ve been down here.

Because it was such a short hike, I decided to drive through Arches one last time. I hadn’t driven through the park this trip, and I knew I had to do it while I was here. Its beauty and stunning rock formations knocked me over once again. I can’t drive through there without thinking of Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire, and his desire to keep the park inaccessible to anyone unless they were on foot, on horseback, or cycling. They were staking out the highway I drove on while he was a ranger there, and he more than once, pulled out the stakes in a futile attempt to halt the development of the park.  He was a curmudgeon, but his wild spirit is strong at the park, and I always imagine his old beat up pickup pulling up to his little trailer house when I’m there.  If you’ve not read the book and love this part of the world, I highly recommend it.

I was back in Moab early afternoon. I showered (man, do I look forward to those showers I buy for three bucks at the Lazy Lizard Hostel) and did laundry. Then, enjoying one last Gelato at my favorite coffee shop, I studied the map and determined a loose plan for the next week. I think I’ll head to Zion tomorrow morning, then swing back up in the days that follow through Bryce and Grand Staircase/Escalante, ending up on Sunday at Capitol Reef where I meet Helen, a woman from Florida I’ll be backpacking with the following week.

But tonight, I’m enjoying the sound of the Colorado River, enjoying the smell of my campfire, and enjoying the feel of the air on my bare arms and legs. What a way to say goodbye to Moab.