North Rim, Grand Canyon, AZ

We drove from Snow Canyon to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  The drive was around three hours but the truck was struggling on some of the steeper hills pulling the trailer.  This is something we’re addressing with a possible new truck in our future.  

After passing the park entrance gate, there is quite a drive to the campground and lodge.  

Along the drive these were our greeters!  A whole bunch of bison.  I figured we'd see them from time to time during the week but this was the only time we saw them.

We got set up into site #71.  The sites are not very level and we had trouble getting the trailer completely level so we were a little slanted.  Well, we were not too slanted but it was noticeable in a few things like the kitchen sink and our bathroom door would close slowly if we moved around the trailer.  This is something we’ll need to get better at with experience.

This campground has no hookups so it’s the first time we stayed without electricity.  I was a little nervous about being without electricity for a week but we managed OK with the one battery.  Al was able to get the generator up and running for the first time with no problems to recharge the battery when needed.  There are restricted hours for the generator (7am-9am and then 6pm-8pm) and you can set your watch to our neighbor here for the generator hours.  Once Al hooked up the generator and turned it on, we charged up all or electronic items.  It was quite humorous with most outlets in the RV in use with some device being charged.

Today was cleaning day.  The trailer got a good cleaning inside and we got more organized with some more items.  While cleaning we listened to the John McCain memorial service that was playing on one of the few stations we can pick up on the radio.  Then later I received a text from a friend that one of her friends who I knew died this week.  Both had cancer.  Puts things more in to perspective and we don’t know how much time we have on this earth. 

I saw a guy today wearing a t-shirt that said, Travel – the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.  That’s been one of my life mottoes. 

We hiked from the campground to the lodge (about 1 mile) and left the campground under nice blue skies.  We listened to a ranger talk on hummingbirds near the lodge and walked around a bit looking at the views.  Then it started to rain.  This is monsoon season.

North Rim Lodge

The day before we were walking the Bright Angel Lookout trail and there was a sign stating that someone had been struck by lightening at that exact spot just one month prior and to seek shelter when you hear thunder.  We hung out in the lodge with everyone else sitting on these comfy sofas and looking out the big glass windows to the canyon and watched a storm pass by.  We only had one rain poncho with us so Al did the manly thing and let me wear it as we walked back to the campground in the rain.  Of course, by the time we arrived the rain had stopped.  Don’t leave on a hike without rain gear!   Lesson learned! 

BTW, the person struck by lightening was in their 20's and survived because there was a doctor on the trail and he performed CPR until the EMT's took over.   

  Here are more photos of the canyon.

A cute children's book I saw in the general store.  I like to think they wear hiking boots!

We purchased this book which has good info on all the national parks.

Steller Jay

One day we did the drive out to Cape Royal and saw these sites.

Angels Window

Colorado River way out there!

Cliff Spring Trail

Cliff Spring Trail

Afternoon thunderstorms were the norm this time of year.  

Another storm this time hitting the south rim.

A storm brewing

One day we did a hike on the Kaibob trail.  It's the only trail on the north rim that goes down into the canyon.  The unfortunate thing for me is this trail starts off going down so the hardest part is after I turn around and then have to huff and puff my way back up and out.

We did this hike the last time we were at the north rim and we hiked all the way down to Roaring Springs.  It wasn't much so I knew I didn't want to hike all that way again.  I planned to hike down to the bridge but by the time we arrived at the Tunnel, I'd had enough.  I knew it was going to be hard going back up so I turned around.  Our plan was for Al to go further down to the bridge and return and we would meet up at a lookout.  I turned around and he hiked down more.

Supai Tunnel

Can you see Al hiking further down the trail?

Al still going further down into the canyon.

It took me about an hour to hike back up to the overlook meeting spot and wait for Al.  On my way up every time I found a shady spot I stopped to catch my breath and drink some water if there was a nice rock to sit on and rest.  I took my time and didn't have to worry about Al waiting for me every time I needed to stop.  It was a nice hike back up at my pace.

Al hiked down past this bridge

 Al hiked almost all the way to Roaring Springs so he went further than we agreed.  What a surprise!

Part of the trail cut into the wall of the canyon.

This was my view from the overlook waiting for Al to come back.

I finally caught Al on the trail on his way back up using the binoculars.  It was getting cloudy and then it started to thunder and then the rain came.  Al still wasn't back yet but this time we each had rain gear.  I waited for Al to get to the overlook and then we hiked the remaining bit back to the trail head and then back to our RV.  Al was exhausted and cold.  Of course he didn't put on his rain gear until he met up with me at the overlook.  He was wet and cold.  When we finally got back to the RV, we changed out of our wet hiking clothes, ate lunch, and took a nap.  Al was still cold so he took a nice hot shower in the RV.  Then he felt better. 

The next day we took a different hike called Uncle Jim.  This one had an overlook of the Kaibob trail we did yesterday.  You can see it a bit in the lower left portion of this photo in the green bushy area.

On this hike I tripped trying to step over some chains that were set up to corral the mules.  I landed on my knee, then hands, and eventually stopping with my face on a rock.  Ouch!  I ended up with a nice bruise on my chin just under my lower lip.  Luckily it looked worse then it felt and it didn't last too long.  I did look like a battered wife for about a week.  I'm surprised no one asked me if I needed help getting out of a bad situation. 

At the north rim there is a gas station that is full service.  We don't see that much anymore unless we're in New Jersey.  The attendant pumped our gas and even washed our windshield like they did in the old days.  When we pulled in, we ran over a cable that rang a bell to let the attendant know we were there.  Boy, did that bring back memories.  Here is a photo of me and the attendant.  A nice guy who has worked there for 11 seasons.  A nice little nostalgia to add to the experience of the Grand Canyon.

Nancy completed her North Rim Grand Canyon Junior Ranger and received her badge.

Nancy saying her oath for another Junior Ranger Badge.

We had a great time at the North Rim.  We really like it better than the South Rim due to there being less people.

Lake Mead - August Trip

We left Zion and did an overnight stop at Snow Canyon State Park in Utah and then another night in Sam's Town in Vegas before going to Lake Mead.  We left the RV in storage and picked up the boat and camping gear and drove to Temple Bar. 

More hiking in Snow Canyon

View of the campground from atop one of the petrified sand dunes

This trip we had Bill and Maureen join us along with an old friend of mine from running, Ira, and her husband, Frank.  This was Ira & Frank's first time joining us, finally!  We were able to teach them to wake-board off the barefoot boom.

Maureen, Bill, Nancy, and Al just chillin and floating behind the boat after eating lunch

Frank, Ira, Nancy, & Al with Temple Bar in the background

Great trip!  Glad Ira and Frank finally joined us for a long weekend!  

Zion National Park, Utah

We drove the short distance from Snow Canyon State Park in Utah to Zion National Park also in Utah.  We had a reservation so we got set up in our site in the Watchman campground with no problems.  The sites were not bad as there was good space between them.  This campground is electric hookups only so we took on water filling the fresh water tank in the RV before getting set up.  We then walked to the visitor’s center.  Oh my, what a zoo it is here!  After the serenity of Snow Canyon, Zion is like being in Disneyland.  There was a huge line just to talk to the Park Rangers and ask questions!

The next day it was very hot so we did the Pa’Rus trail and stopped at the museum to watch the 22-minute park movie (in the AC) before walking back to the campground.  We received a text that our package arrived in the Springdale Post Office so we were anxious to go get it. 

When we were in Mexico City, Al took his driver’s license and a credit card out of his wallet and placed the wallet and the remaining contents in the side pocket of his rolling duffel bag.  He also put a set of truck keys in that pocket.  Well, when we left Mexico City on our way home his wallet and keys were still in that side pocket of his bag.  We checked that bag and it went on the plane underneath and the bag made it to LAX but the wallet and keys were gone when it came out on the carousel.  We figured they were gone forever but filed a report with United before we left the airport just in case.  Welcome home huh?  Well a few days later I received an email that they found Al’s wallet.  We could pick it up at LAX or pay to have it shipped to our house but since we’re no longer in our house, I asked to have it shipped to my friend’s house in Tustin.  We were going to see him at our next water-ski trip so he could bring it with him.  Well for some reason the post office was having trouble delivering the package to our friend’s house.  I was tracking the package online and next thing I see is the package is in Houston, TX their hub.  While on one of our hikes in Snow Canyon, my phone rang.  It was United telling me they received the package back and we were able to have them ship the package to our new mailing address in Livingston, TX.  We inquired about the keys and were informed the keys were with the wallet too.  Awesome!  Once it arrived in Livingston, I had our mail service bundle up the contents in our mailbox and ship it to us in Springdale, UT just outside of Zion Park.  You see, our National Park annual pass was in Al’s wallet too.  Anyway, the package arrived and all the contents of Al’s wallet were in tact including the cash and gift cards he had.  It improved our faith in humanity! 

When we arrived at Zion's entrance booth we mentioned that we were expecting Al’s wallet containing his annual National Park pass to arrive at the post office the next day.  The Park Ranger let us in without paying the $35 fee.  Once we were in the park though, we couldn’t drive out until we had the pass in case the next Park Ranger wasn’t as nice.  We were lucky the Park Ranger let us in and super lucky to get Al’s wallet and truck keys returned with all their contents!  God was watching over us!

In Zion we did a Park Ranger guided hike to Watchman Overlook, a Park Ranger guided bus tour of the canyon, other hikes, and got caught in the rain at the Zion Lodge.  That was nice just being able to sit on rocking chairs under the patio cover and watch it rain and all the people who got caught in the rain running back from the Emerald Pools trail. 

View from the Watchman trail hike

View from the Watchman trail hike

The Watchman

Our site #12

We wanted to celebrate the return of the keys and wallet so we went out for lunch.  While waiting for our food we were using their WiFi and I was cruising on Facebook and noticed a friend of mine from Pennsylvania posted a photo from Bryce National Park.  (I worked with Vicki at Prudential many years ago and we usually meet up when we're back in Pennsylvania and I went to high school with her husband, Bill, but we didn't know each other back then.)  Bryce is about an hour away from Zion.  I texted her to see if we could meet up and it ended up they had moved from Bryce and were now in Zion too!  We couldn’t believe it!  It would have been weird to just run in to them on a trail somewhere (which happened to us with my coworker from San Francisco, Jimmy Baker at Lake Louise in Canada years ago) and I would have been bummed if I found out later that we were both in the same park on the same day and didn’t meet up.  Anyway, my friend, Vicki, and her family, husband Bill and kids Natalie and Zach, came over to check out our RV for a few minutes and then we went to their hotel so the kids could swim and the adults chatted and caught up.  Vicki and family were our 4^th visitors to our RV since we started our full-time journey just two weeks ago.  It was great seeing them!

Zach is a big Mike Trout fan (he's from New Jersey) and it was funny that Zach and Al were both wearing Angels t-shirts!  In fact, Al owns the same exact Trout shirt that Zach was wearing (although a little larger)!

Photo courtesy of Zach C.

Vicki and family were leaving the next morning headed for Vegas and then back to PA to end their vacation.  So great that we connected!

My all-time favorite hike is The Narrows hike at Zion.  It has three factors that make this my favorite:  1) no elevation gain so no huffing and puffing;  2) walking in water which keeps me cool; and 3) hardly any sun.  At the ranger station they have projections for the safety of this hike listed for each day.  You see this hike is in a slot canyon and any rain up from this location can cause flash floods with injury or death.  When we arrived at the park the forecast was "probable" for flash floods so we had to wait for a day when it was "not-probable".  That occurred on Sunday and Monday after several days of probable so many, many people were doing the hike the same day.  It was hard to take photos without so many people in them.  Even though, it's still my favorite hike!

A good thing to do is rent insulated water shoes and a hiking stick.  The cost was less than $25 and well worth it. 

Starting off up the slot canyon

This was about as deep as the water got on us.

Some times of the year the water level is much deeper and people rent wet suits or dry suits to do the hike. 

I didn't fall in once all day!

We ended up hiking into the slot canyon about 3 hours (where the number of people dropped drastically) and then turned around and walked back out.  We got to a spot where the water was deeper and we would have gotten pretty wet so we decided it was a good spot to turn around.  It is possible to hike "through" the canyon but it requires a permit and backpacks.  Our day hike was awesome!  Did I sell this hike pretty good? 

Our treat after a great day of hiking!

Our view sitting in rocking chairs under a patio cover watching it rain on the big cottonwood tree at Zion Lodge

Due to a big rain storm and flash flood in July, some of the trails in the park were closed including the popular hike to Angel’s Landing.  It's a hike that requires a lot of elevation gain and then it gets to the point where the trail has a chain railing to hold on to so you don't fall and die.  We did this hike the last time we were at Zion and I was secretly glad it was closed because I know Al would have wanted to do it again and I'm so afraid of heights.  Last time when I got to the top, I just sat down and enjoyed the view.  I had Al walk in front of me on the way back down the scary part so I couldn't see ALL the way to the canyon floor while holding on to the chain railing for dear life.  I didn't want to panic.  I remember it not being as scary as I thought but maybe my memories are blurry plus there were not many people up there when we did the hike so no need to allow oncoming traffic to pass around me at dangerous spots. 

Angels Landing is the point on the left after walking up Walter's Wiggles switchbacks on the other side of the mountain (out of view).  The really narrow part of the trail is right in the middle of the photo in the dip and then up the ridge on the left to the point.  

A visitor to our campground

One thing we like to do at the National Parks is their Junior Ranger program.  I completed the tasks and earned my Zion Park Junior Ranger badge after taking my oath with Ranger Kristina.           

The town of Springdale is very quaint.  I love the fact that the only chain store/restaurant is a Subway sandwich shop.  I don’t think even Starbucks has invaded this town!  I don’t know how they’ve managed to keep all the box/chain stores/restaurants out but I hope they continue. 

We had a great time at Zion but after a week it was time to move on.  

Comments on this entry?  We'd love to hear from you and know someone is reading it!  

Nancy:  nbgonz@hotmail.com

Al:  mch20skir@gmail.com