July 19, 2012

July 19, 2012

We sleep over the cab of the motorhome. I usually have the inside position next to the front window. Despite sleeping in this spot for almost 500 nights I rarely have pulled the curtain and looked out. I did the last two nights and was pleasantly surprised to find this is a great spot for stargazing. Not only am I warm and snug under the covers; since I am lying down, I don’t have to strain my neck looking up. Too bad this is the end of the trip.

We spend the morning driving south descending off the Colorado plateau arriving back in Tucson in time for lunch.  We unpack the RV in the heat, a not so welcome homecoming.  In the dead of summer, Tucson gets monsoon rains that lower the temperature but add mightily to the humidity.  On the plus side the rain has caused many of the desert natives to thrive and bloom.  And the prickly pear cacti with their ripe purple fruit add to the color.

July 18, 2012

July 18, 2012

After six summers of travel we have seen much of what the West has to offer. There is still more to see but many of those left are more troublesome, like requiring a four-wheel drive high clearance jeep or in the case of today, limited access. Ever since I saw a photograph of “The Wave”, it has been on my list. To my dismay only 20 people are allowed to visit it per day. Half the slots are made through a reservation system that fills up four months in advance in the first few minutes. The other half is a walkup lottery.

So here we are at in Kanab, UT at a small Visitor Center for the Grand Staircase National Monument. Aimee and I are with fifty other people hoping to get two of the ten slots. We are the only Americans! Most are European, although surprisingly there is a Chinese threesome and a Japanese couple. To make my odds worse, this area had a big rainstorm and the eight-mile dirt road access is flooded. I will need to rent a Jeep if we are successful. I do have my lucky charm with me but to my disappointment she is hoping we lose. She wants nothing to do with washed out roads. Of course Aimee wins and we don’t get a permit. If I am ever going to see “The Wave” I will need to buy a jeep and come back here in the winter when my odds are closer to 50% instead of 20%. I am irritated that my tax dollars are going to support this park that I can’t enjoy. The ten lucky international visitors aren’t even paying an entrance fee.

Frustrated, we drove east from Kanab toward the Arizona border. As a consolation prize we stop along the way to do a short roadside hike to the Toadstools. These strange rock formations do resemble giant mushrooms. They were formed when hard rock protected the underlying stone from erosion.

We also stop at a second Visitor Center to see a dinosaur exhibit. Recently this very remote part of the United States has been a hotbed for dinosaur discoveries. They have several exhibits showing the variety of fossils found. Most have been completely new species.

Just before Page, AZ we stop at an overlook to see a great view of Lake Powell. It is a beautiful sight. After a few more hours we stop for the evening in Flagstaff. This is our last night in cool weather. We celebrate with a dinner of beans and weenies.  That is all we have left in the cupboard!

July 17, 2012

July 17, 2012

Since we are passing right by Bryce Canyon National Park, we decide to enter and do the hike we both liked so much five years ago. It was great, just as enjoyable the second time. Around every turn of this six-mile hike was a new vista. Bryce is certainly a wonderland when it comes to colorful hoodoos. It is another reminder of how much we enjoyed the month we spent traversing southern Utah. The Colorado plateau is just non-stop scenery that can't be matched anywhere in the world. No wonder so many international visitors flock to this area. The question is why don’t Americans visit???

We need to keep pushing south so after finishing our hike we drive for more than an hour to the Arizona border. Before crossing we stop for the night at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Here sand from erosion of the surrounding red cliffs has gathered into a small red Sahara. The sand accumulates here because the prevailing wind gains speed as it passes through a gap in the mountains. Once through, the winds slows and drops the windborne sand.

While Aimee cooks dinner I take a quick stroll atop one of the big dunes. Because it is wind sifted the sand is all very fine and virtually the same size. Perfect sand! The kind of sand you would look for if you were assembling an hourglass. The sand is so fine, it blows easily off your hand. It also flows downhill like water. But I admit you have to be an engineer to appreciate that factoid.

July 16, 2012

July 16, 2012

The post office will only hold our mail for thirty days so we need to get back to Tucson by the end of the week. We spend most of the day driving across Utah to its southern border. Utah like all western states is huge. Despite the marvels of the interstate highway system, they have yet to cross that big monster canyon that straddles almost the whole Utah-Arizona border. Aside from a long detour into Nevada our only way across is at Page, AZ. So eventually we have to leave the highway and take back roads uphill. As we make our way the approaching red rocks of the Colorado plateau mesmerize us, so we decide to stop early and spend the night at a forest service campground. Our campsite is just yards away from stunning scenery. Up until this summer we rarely stayed at forest service campgrounds. We missed the boat. Like National Parks they are set in great locales and unlike National Parks, they are less crowded and have no problem providing more amenities; and they are usually cheaper. Or so we thought.

This year, we again bought the annual Interagency Pass; what used to be the National Parks Pass. We discovered to our delight that this pass gave us a 50% discount at every Forest Service campground. That was a bonus that has made the pass pay for itself in very short order. Unfortunately I am getting mixed signals here in Utah’s Dixie National Forest. The office said yes but the local campground host said no. Not only no, but no in every forest campground. Since I knew that to be false, I ended up getting in a heated discussion with him. To no avail; you can’t argue with the government. In the end he didn’t care enough to find out if he was right.

July 15, 2012

July 15, 2012

It rained last night and for the second day in a row clouds cover the Grand Tetons. I am so glad we took pictures when we had a chance. We say goodbye to the National Park and head south following the Snake River. It flows through a beautiful canyon south of Jackson, WY. When it turns toward Idaho we follow the Salt River, a tributary of the Snake south. Near the southern border of Wyoming, we stop at Fossil Butte National Monument. This area is the source of all the Green River Formation fossil fish that we see so often at the Tucson Gem and Fossil Show. The monument has a great museum on the wide variety of fossils entombed in what used to be a large fresh water lake here 50 million years ago. After a brief tour of the visitor center we do the hike up to the historic quarry. It seems afternoon showers are the norm in Wyoming and it starts to rain just as soon as we reach the ridge top. I take a quick photo while Aimee protects the camera with my hat.

This stop was mainly an excuse to take a break from driving. It is still early so we decide to drive a little further crossing into Utah. We spend the night at Rockport State Park on the banks of a nice man-made lake.

July 14, 2012

July 14, 2012

It is time for a hike so we drove down to Jenny Lake and took the ferry across to the base of the Grand Tetons. From there we hiked Cascade Canyon alongside a thundering mountain stream. The first mile of the hike is up a rocky trail passing Hidden Falls and a spot overlooking the lake called Inspiration Point. The trail then flattens out through a marshy area where we hoped to spot some moose. On our return I was surprised to see so many tourists making this trek. Most seemed to be French, not the usual Germans we so often run into. I was telling Aimee it must be the faltering European economy. The Germans are at home working feverishly to keep the continent afloat while the French are playing. She said no, it is probably the French translation of this place, “Big Breast National Park” that is drawing the curious French.

July 13, 2012

July 13, 2012

The Grand Tetons are majestic because unlike most mountain ranges they don’t have foothills. Instead they rise suddenly above the waters of Lake Jackson. This string of jagged peaks is hard to capture on film. But we did our best today driving around the park stopping at every turnout to judge the vantage point. We started on the more easterly road that gives views of the whole range from a distance. We finished with the more westerly road that hugs the lakes at the base of the mountains. Here the peaks are huge and in your face.

On one stop that had some old homesteader barns, I made the comment that they look right out of the classic western “Shane”. Minutes later I overheard a lady mentioning Shane and directions to the original movie set. I had to see it. Unfortunately it was in very poor condition. I need to watch the movie again to compare.

Late in the afternoon, it started to pour so we cut our tour short and headed back to our same campground in the park.

July 12, 2012

July 12, 2012

Like yesterday we got up early and took a leisurely drive south out of the park. We stopped at Yellowstone Lake and while we were having breakfast I saw a big bull elk saunter across the parking lot. While I was taking a few photos, an RV full of elderly Chinese pull up and they run right up to it. When the elk charged, the Chinese scattered like pinballs.

After this morning amusement we walked the West Thumb basin of the lake. This area is a volcanic caldera that filled with lake water. It is still active. Hot springs bubble up along the lakeshore and even a few yards into the lake.

Yellowstone has been a zoo and over half of the crowd is foreign. The entrance fee to this most amazing park is only $25, far less than the price charged in other countries. It should be doubled or tripled for international visitors who contribute no tax dollars to its upkeep. That will never happen. The politicians would howl if park rangers started asking for proof of citizenship.

Leaving Yellowstone we follow Rockefeller Memorial Parkway to its neighbor Grand Teton National Park. On our original trip we only spent a few hours here. We intend to fully explore it this time. We just love it. We have no problem getting a nice campsite and the scenery is stunning. The Tetons are the jewels of the Rocky Mountains. After the stress of Yellowstone we spend all afternoon relaxing.

July 11, 2012

July 11, 2012

We know the routine for busy National Parks. Get there bright and early and there are always campsites available. So we rose early and passed through Yellowstone’s North gate just after 6am. As expected the entrance sign said every campground had openings. The first campground is just a mile up. But it still says full!! In the National Parks, the left hand and right hand don’t communicate! We called the reservation line a couple hours later when we found a payphone (cells don’t work here); they only had one campground with an opening (on the other side of the park). Yesterday I would have been pissed. Tonight I have a secret plan.

We made our way leisurely south through the park down the west side. It is a pure joy. The crowds haven’t woken yet and the animals are active. We see a grizzly just off the side of the road digging for roots. A deer and her baby fawn cross the road in front of us and swim the river. We also see a couple bald eagles and some elk.

The main reason we are back in Yellowstone is for the geyser basins. This area has over half of all the world’s geothermal phenomena. The west side alone has a half dozen geyser basins. On this cool morning they are really smoking; what you would imagine hell to look like. So very cool. We stopped at each basin and did the hike, usually atop a boardwalk to keep our toeseys from being boiled alive. We looked at hundreds of bubbling Mud pots, steaming fumaroles, colorful hot springs, and exploding geysers. The hot springs are Mother Nature’s paint set. The hues are vibrant mixes of orange, green and sapphire blue. The colors are due to the different bacteria types that grow in each temperature zone. The star hot spring is Grand Prismatic Spring. It is also the largest. We have to hike atop a nearby hill to get the best view of it.

Our last stop is the Old Faithful geyser basin. Most geysers are erratic and unpredictable. You have to be very patient or very lucky to see them erupt. This trip we are neither. Despite walking around the basin for several hours, we manage to see only a couple minor shows, aside from Old Faithful, which erupts every ninety minutes like clockwork. We saw it go off six times. Our last hike of the day was to an observation point high above Old Faithful.

Since we don’t have an RV campground site, our backup plan is to go to the backcountry office and get a permit to hike in and tent camp in the wild with the grizzly bears. As part of that process, we also get a sticker that lets us park the motorhome here at Old Faithful. I thought I felt a raindrop (wink-wink) so we skip the hike and stay in the RV overnight. I told Aimee to not answer the door if any body knocks while we are sleeping. That drives Aimee nuts; she can’t stand the thought of us breaking “the rules”.

July 10, 2012

July 10, 2012

If yesterday was our lucky day, today was the opposite.  It was supposed to be an easy stress-free day; a little driving then relax all afternoon.  It started out easy enough.  We drove a mile back to Buffalo Bill Historical Center to go through the last section, the Plains Indian Museum.  It was kind of a bore.  Lots of Indian artifacts but little else.  I must add I don’t have much patience for modern Indian artifacts.  All the beautiful native artwork occurred after they were able to obtain manufactured goods from the white man.  I knew about Italian beads, but I didn’t realize even the bone tubes Indians used to make breastplates were made by an entrepreneur in New Jersey.  The few pre-European relics on display were all made from bone, twine, and rocks…straight from the Stone Age.  Specifically they didn’t want to adopt the ways of the white man, i.e. farming.  That was women’s work.  But they were happy to adopt everything else, especially guns, knives, horses, and liquor.

From Cody, WY, we made our way west up the Shoshone River valley.  Aimee learned that the river used to be called Stinking River because of the sulfur smell picked up in Yellowstone.  I thought I smelled rotten eggs last night.  Aimee just blamed it on me.

About ten miles west of Cody we entered a narrow canyon blocked by Buffalo Bill dam.  We stopped at the Visitor Center for a few minutes to learn about its history.  The dam looks like a miniature Hoover Dam.    At half the height, it was probably a prelude to later construction projects.  When completed in 1910, at 350 feet, it was the tallest dam in the world.

Less than an hour later we pulled into Yellowstone National Park. Thinking we were early, I was dismayed to see “Full” on all the campgrounds except the three on the opposite ends of the park. I also forgot how big this park is. It is a long drive to the other side. When we finally get to the north entrance all the campgrounds are full. This is a pet peeve of mine. The national park has millions of acres of land, but they purposely have insufficient campgrounds and they don’t allow overnight parking. Instead they prefer that everybody drive a hundred miles around the park and then leave…every day. That is environmental lunacy.

After driving seemingly all day through the park, Aimee and I are both frustrated and we leave via the North entrance in Gardiner, MT. Right outside the park is a US Forest Campground. A giant grassy field wide open that is virtually free. We have mostly stayed in forest service campgrounds this summer. The national park system can learn a lot from this sister agency.

July 9, 2012

July 9, 2012

This morning we drove to Cody, WY, eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park.  The town is named after William Cody or more familiarly Buffalo Bill.  Our first stop is the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.  This attraction is a five-fer.  Five museums in one.  Our ticket is good for two days, so we decide upfront to take it slow and spread it out.  All day in a museum even for me can be too much.  We start with the Natural History section.  It has lots of stuffed wild animals and tidbits of info about the greater Yellowstone area.  Aimee enjoys it.  We then stroll thru the Western Art wing.  The museum has a wide variety of paintings and sculpture of famous artists.  One of the exhibits is Remington’s actual studio/den.  The third section is the Gun Museum.  It is massive, easily the largest private collection in the world.  I am not a gun fanatic but I enjoy the history of gun technology.  Unfortunately there was little of that.  It was mostly a listing of the guns on display.

After lunch, we went across the street to the Sierra Trading Post outlet.  It didn’t seem to be as big as the catalog nor were there many good sales.  Disappointed we next walked down the main drag.  Cody is definitely a western themed town.

Now that Aimee is rejuvenated we head back to the museum and go through the William Cody section.  Cody’s early life is hard to pin down.  Much is legend, exaggerated to support his rise to stardom as the head of Wild West show.  This Bill was paid to hunt buffalo to feed railroad crews and he later was a renowned military scout.  Buffalo Bill was already a popular character of western literature when Cody began portraying that fictional persona in a touring company.  He soon put together an outdoor Wild West circus show that became wildly successful playing in towns all across America and Europe.  The show even came through my hometown of Alton, Illinois.  Sadly though the constant traveling didn’t make for a good life.  He ended up divorced and penniless at his death.

Well before closing Aimee and I are both museumed out.  Disappointingly all the RV parks in town are full.  We leave town hoping to find an open spot (with electricity) at the state park ten miles to the west.  On the edge of town Aimee notices a small RV park not on our radar.  On a lark we stop and my lucky charm comes through again; we get a spot.  The owner hangs the full sign on the door as we leave.

July 8, 2012

July 8, 2012

From Greybull, WY we drove to Big Horn National Recreation Area. This National Park site is a man-made lake sitting in a picturesque canyon. It is similar to the better-known versions at Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge. We first stop at the Visitor Center to get oriented and learn about the geology of the canyon.

Our next stop is Devil Canyon Overlook to listen to a Ranger talk on Wild Horses. Adjacent to the park is the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, the first established in our nation. Because the herd is so prolific, it needs to be thinned almost every year. Unfortunately it is a political minefield. The excess used to be sold for dogfood. No longer. Now there is an expensive bureaucratic process to adopt a wild horse. A BLM employee has to inspect your property to make sure you don’t sell the horse to a Mexican food company.

After the talk we walk around the overlook. The canyon is impressive, looking like a miniature Grand Canyon. This would be a nice place to have a houseboat. We next drive the short scenic loop mostly looking for Big Horn sheep and wild mustangs. We spot no sheep but do see several horses. Since they look just like the domesticated version, it is anticlimactic. We spend the night at a campground in the park watching the weekend boaters pack up and leave.

July 7, 2012

July 7, 2012

From Rawlins, WY we drove 45 minutes north till we met the Sweetwater River. We followed it upstream just as the Oregon pioneers would have done 150 years ago; except they walked. The route is desolate, nothing, not even a tree for hundreds of miles. We stopped at several of the wayside exhibits along the way. Most were landmarks in the distance that pioneers would look for to confirm they were on the right path. No GPS or Rest Stops with games in those days. A most enjoyable stop had to be Ice Slough. This was a marshy area where pioneers could dig down two feet and hope to find ice. That must have been a real treat for weary travelers.

Since we are not going to Oregon (at least not this year), we soon leave the trail and turn north. Our route drops down a steep escarpment into the Wind River valley. We follow it for an hour. The Wind River suddenly flows through a narrow steep canyon in the mountains ahead. The road cut is on the east bank while a rail line follows the west. Wind river Canyon is a geologic and historical oddity. How did a small river carve a narrow chasm across a mountain? The difficulty traveling this narrow canyon caused early pioneers to not recognize that the river entering and exiting the canyon were one in the same. Instead of correcting the name problem, a sign “Wedding of the Waters” was erected at canyon end. Here the river’s name officially changes from Wind River to Big Horn River.

Our next stop is the town of Thermopolis. I am a dinosaur fan so we have to stop at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. This small museum is well done and chronicles the evolution of life on earth. The museum has several specimens that were locally found including Supersaurus, the largest dinosaur ever discovered. Aimee stayed in the car reading, but I think she would have liked Bambisaurus, one of the smallest of dinosaurs.

Afterwards we explored the namesake hot springs of Thermopolis. From the very urban Hot Springs State Park bubbles up the world’s largest mineral hot spring. It is interesting to see the huge terrace pools built by the dissolved minerals. Today most of the flow has been siphoned off to supply three swimming pools. We pass on them; I am not sure a hot dip is what I want on a sweaty day.

July 6, 2012

July 6, 2012

The weather has broken so it seems safe to return to lower altitudes. From Aspen, CO we drive north past Glenwood Springs. We slowed down enough to glance at the big hot springs pool and then kept driving north for several hours. Eventually we crossed into Wyoming and spent the night in Rawlins. This part of Wyoming is pretty flat and desolate but since the altitude is 7000 feet, the weather is still marvelous.

July 5, 2012

July 5, 2012

Our campsite is available for one more night, so we decide to stay in Aspen and do another hike in the area. This time we went up Castle Creek Road looking for the Cathedral Lake trailhead. As soon as we turned in, we noticed it was a very rutted dirt road with a sign pointing ¾ mile ahead. I was ready to bail except a car pulled in right behind us. Oh well, I guess we are committed. I took it very slow up this narrow climbing rutted road that was really meant for four-wheel drive jeeps. We made it ok, but it could have been a disaster. The parking lot at the trailhead was mostly empty with plenty of room for us.

Our trail started at 10,000 feet elevation and rose very steeply up to the tree line at almost 12,000 feet. We must be acclimated to the altitude finally because we survived this strenuous hike without keeling over. Cathedral Lake was a smallish lake in a treeless bowl just below the mountain summit. It was nice but not spectacular.

Aspen must be a draw for the outdoor physically fit crowd. As we hiked back down, the trail seemed like Grand Central Station. People were streaming up. Along the way we talked to a professor from Southern Miss, who teaches Recreational Therapy. I assumed it was a version of Physical Therapy devoted to Sports. Not quite. It has nothing to do with medicine. He teaches people how to play and have fun. Now that is the job I want(ed)!

We got a rude surprise when we got back to the parking lot. All those people hiking up the trail have jammed the small parking lot and the road leading to it. I don’t think I can get the RV out. Aimee was prepared to wait all day till everybody left. Fortunately though with her directing, I was able to squeeze through the cars and get out. And our professor friend drove ahead and cleared the road of oncoming cars for us. We were very lucky!!

On the way back to Aspen, we stopped at nearby Ashcroft. In the 1880’s silver was struck here and a boomtown built. Sadly just a few years later, the silver ran out. We toured the ghost town, but it was disappointing. There are only a half dozen structures left and they are not in good shape. But surprisingly the docent is also from Tucson and volunteers at several sites there during the winter.

July 4, 2012

July 4, 2012

We spent the Fourth of July in the town of Aspen, CO. We strolled and window shopped for a while, ate lunch, and then waited for the parade to start at noon. Like Aspen it was eclectic. The hour-long parade seemed to have all 6600 residents involved. It had motorcyclists, bicyclists, unicyclists, police cars, fire trucks, horses, jeeps, racecars, scooters, golf carts, Segways, tumblers, Democrats, Republicans, kids, veterans, and every local business. Most were squirting water and tossing candy. I will say it was unique and entertaining. Afterwards we went by the local firehouse for a free BBQ and second lunch. All we needed was some fireworks. Too bad the drought and fear of wildfires has cancelled displays throughout the West. Of course, it rained later in the afternoon.

July 3, 2012

July 3, 2012

The primary reason we came to Aspen is to see and photograph the Maroon Bells. They are the iconic image of the Colorado Rockies, as the Matterhorn is to the Alps. Since they are only nine miles from a major resort, the Bells are very popular, and access is limited. The road up to the Scenic Area is restricted to busses only from 9am-5pm. Since parking an RV in Aspen is near impossible our options were limited. Our plan was to get to the Maroon Bells just after dawn, find the best RV parking spot, and stay there till the road reopens after 5pm.

We left our campsite at 5:15am but with a 25mph speed limit throughout Aspen, we didn’t arrive at the scenic area till almost six. That was still early enough to easily park the motorhome. It also turned out we could leave anytime during the day. There were no restrictions on exiting.

Even though we were early, I was still the last tripod-toting photographer to show up. Even that didn’t matter. My best shots were a couple hours later when the sun was up but hiding behind a cloud, and the water became smooth as a mirror. The Maroon Bells were spectacular but the photographs don’t do them justice.

Since the Scenic Area is far more beautiful than our overgrown campground (and cooler), we spent most of the day there. After our morning photography, we hiked around Maroon Lake and then another mile or so uphill to Crater Lake. Both lakes were formed when glaciers scoured the local terrain.

Despite our worst fears, our visit was a no-brainer and the scenery awesome. Both of us are surprised it took us so many years of extensive traveling in the West to stumble upon this gem.

July 2, 2012

July 2, 2012

Now that the refrigerator is restocked, the batteries charged and our water tanks filled, we are ready to hit the mountains again. We want to try a different area but we have to be careful with the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. We used to look forward to holidays. Not now. The long weekend draws vacationers who fill the most desirable campgrounds. We head northeast up the Gunnison River valley passing a string of mountain coalmines. I am a little surprised; I thought most western coal was now strip mined in Wyoming.

Once over McClure Pass, we make a quick detour to the town of Marble, CO. It is a tiny town that is home to probably America’s finest marble. It has to be to justify quarrying marble out of the top of a tall mountain. Initially opened in the late 19th century, the marble here went to build such famous edifices as the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We walked around the slab staging area set in the ruins of the old mill works. We bought a chunk as a souvenir but we could easily have chipped a piece off the seconds that litter the entire region. Even the local fishing creek is lined with huge castoffs.

From Marble we drove downstream to the cute town of Redstone. Named after the red color of the mountains here, the area used to be a coal center. We were going to stop here for a few days, but with the holiday, we figure its better to be safe than sorry and we instead continue on to Aspen. The RV accommodations in the Aspen area are very limited. Four miles uphill from Aspen is the US Forest Campground of Difficult. It seems to be aptly named. The host on duty turns out to be a senile old lady having much difficulty reading the availability chart. After a lot of patience, she finds us a spot for three nights. It may easily have been the only one. On our evening walk, there didn’t seem to be a single site unoccupied. I am so glad we decided to come here early.

July 1, 2012

July 1, 2012

Today is a working day. After a leisurely morning, we drove south down the mountain to the town of Delta, CO. Delta sits in a once dry, now heavily irrigated, agricultural valley. After stocking up on groceries, we spent the rest of our time at a local private RV park catching up with emails, doing laundry, and paying bills.

June 30, 2012

June 30, 2012
We need a down day after our overly long hike yesterday. And we are in a great place for it. Grand Mesa in our view is a hidden summer treasure. The weather is delightful, and the views beautiful. Despite being inexpensive, it is also uncrowded. The only drawback is that we are pretty much off grid. We have no cell service and can pick up only one TV channel. Tomorrow we will probably need to descend back to the real world to catch up.

June 29, 2012

June 29, 2012

Wildfires are again raging in many parts of the West. We have been avoiding those areas, but it seems right after we drove up here to Grand Mesa, one broke out where we left the highway. The fire has closed the interstate so our only way off this mountain is to the South. But we are not ready to leave yet; at least as long as the smoke blows to the east.

This morning we explored another section of the Grand Mesa. We drove a few miles up the road to the flat top summit at 11,000-feet and then continued on to the Island Lake area. We stopped at Grand Mesa Visitor Center and got a map for the Crag Crest trail. This 10.5-mile hike takes you along the top of the ridge for six miles and then follows the forest below to complete the loop. We brought bug spray this time and it worked great. No mosquitoes buzzing in our ear. The trail steadily rises through a fir and spruce forest until it reaches the rocky crest. There I find a small snow pile, a reminder that this area must get a lot of snow in the winter. Our camp host said that last year our campground didn’t open till July because of snow. What a difference a year makes.

From the crest we get great views of Grand Mesa. We see dozens of lakes scattered around. There are some 300 lakes scattered atop the whole Mesa. Farther along the trail, the crest narrows to a rocky spine with a 1000-foot drop off on both sides. This narrow spine continues for another couple miles. What a great hike. We can see for miles in both directions. This boulder-field spine must be the rim of the volcano that formed Grand Mesa.

All good things must end and eventually we descend back down into the forest. Our legs are tired but we still have four more miles to circle back to our starting point. At this high altitude, it felt like the longest four miles we have ever hiked. By the time we reach the RV we are exhausted.

June 28, 2012

June 28, 2012

Now that we are a little more acclimated to the altitude, we did the six-mile West Basin trail. This hike passed through a Quaking Aspen forest accented with Fir trees. It was nice except for the mosquitoes. They weren’t Minnesota thick but compared to Tucson they were swarming. Since the terrain was pretty flat we tried to hike fast and outrun them. We need to remember the insect repellant tomorrow.

The West Basin trail ends at the edge of the Mesa at the top of the Powderhorn ski hill.  Looking down the chair lift line we get a great view of the valley below. It seems the resort manager knew we were coming and left a couple Adirondack chairs at the top for us to rest on. We eat some snacks while watching a group of mechanics perform maintenance on the lift gear.

June 27, 2012

June 27, 2012

Aimee is thinking we should stay here a while in Grand Mesa, Colorado. This place seems to be a great oasis from the heat wave scorching much of the West right now. Plus I like the economics. The electric sites here are dirt-cheap. The cash Aimee and I made working the last election will pay for three weeks of site fees here.

With no pressing sights to see we got up late today and Aimee fixed us a big breakfast. Midmorning we did a three-mile hike to explore the area. In that short span we passed a half dozen small lakes ending at Lost Lake. The shore seemed to be abuzz with mosquitoes. Oh no, our little paradise has a dark side. A fellow tourist said on the contrary, these were harmless Mayflies. He’s right; these flies aren’t biting and have no interest in us. I remember Mayflies from my flyfishing days. We would tie flies that looked like a Mayfly to attract trout. Now I see what they really look like.

Lost Lake is surrounded by steep boulder fields. I have seen these dark gray porous rocks often enough in the West to know they are basalt, formed from cooled lava. The description of the area as the largest flattop mountain is a euphemism for giant volcano. Oh Well, it is still beautiful and really what is the chance it blows again while we are here. Just in case, I am glad I always travel with Aimee, my lucky charm.

June 26, 2012

June 26, 2012

We would love to stay and do some more hiking in Canyonlands National Park and all the other great parks in southern Utah. Just not right now. It is too hot for strenuous outdoor activity. We need altitude to tame the heat. Colorado has mountains and is right next door. So we leave Moab headed north towards I-70. A few miles south of the interstate we make a short detour down a two-mile long dirt and rock road to a BLM Dinosaur Trackway site. About 500 feet up a rock hill are the first dinosaur tracks found in Utah. There are two sets of footprints. One is the elephant-like prints of a large plant-eating sauropod (think Brontosaurus). Parallel to it are the three-toed bird-like claw prints of its therapod predator, an Allosaurus, ancestor of the T-Rex. The tracks are interesting but they are very weathered. We have seen more distinct prints in other areas.

Back on the road, we hit I-70 and take it east into Colorado. I am disappointed. Colorado seems to just be a continuation of the cliffs and canyons of Utah. Where are those tall mountains I have read about? We meet up with the Colorado River, which is now just a large stream and follow it up river. It is still flowing inside a tall canyon. Looking at the map, I see some campgrounds clustered in Grand Mesa not far off the highway. We exit and drive uphill. Grand Mesa must be the transition from the desert mesas of Utah to Colorado’s mountains. Though flat like a mesa, it is high enough to have a pine forest on top. It bills itself as the largest flattop mountain in the world. We pass the ski resort of Powderhorn and at 10,000-foot elevation we pull into the first of several US forest service campgrounds in the area. It is wonderful. Our campsite is refreshingly cool, pine-forested, and a stones throw from a small lake.

June 25, 2012

June 25, 2012

The confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers divides Canyonlands National Park into three distinct and separate areas. On our first visit, we explored the “Island in the Sky” section. We are excited to see what the “Needles” section has to offer. Despite getting little sleep last night we are up at dawn. In this heat we have to hike early or not at all. We start from the campground trailhead. A quarter mile in we realize that this starting point is going to add three miles to the journey. Too long at this temperature. We punt, return to the RV, and drive three miles down a dirt road to the Elephant Hill trailhead.

The hike to Chesler Park is stunning. This section of the park is almost all rock. Rock that has been eroded and weathered for eons. We climb up and down and around almost every imaginable rock formation. I am glad there are lots of cairns marking the trail, otherwise we would have been lost almost immediately. We are heading to the center of the “Needles”, a cluster of vertical pointed shafts of red rock. After climbing up and over the first Needle, we arrive at Chesler Park. It surprisingly turns out to really look like a park, a green rock-free patch of sage-brush desert surrounded by tall Needles.

Once back at the RV, we drive the scenic loop, do a couple roadside hikes, and then head out of the park and stop for the evening in Moab, UT. We are still hot, so after plugging in the AC, we head to the bathhouse and take the coldest shower possible. Aaaahhhh!

June 24, 2012

June 24, 2012

After leaving Navajo National Monument we stop in the nearby city of Kayenta, AZ. The local Burger King owner has set up a mini-museum on the Navajo “code talkers” to honor his father’s service in WWII. The military used a large group of the local Indians as radiomen speaking their native language to prevent the Japanese from eavesdropping on sensitive battlefield communications.

We drive northeast past Monument Valley into Utah. Since it is partly cloudy, we make a stop at Goosenecks State Park. We have been here before but I wasn’t pleased with the photos. I am hoping the clouds will give me a less washed-out shot of this winding San Juan River canyon. As we pull into the park, the clouds begin burning away. Darn! We continue on to the town of Blanding, UT and stop at Edge of the Cedars State Park. Closed on Sunday. We are just not having any luck today.

Undeterred, we take the exit for the “Needles” section of Canyonlands National Park and cross our fingers that there is an open campsite. It is 34 miles to the park along the base of a beautiful red rock canyon. Fortune is finally smiling today and there are lots of campsites to choose from. Later I question that fortitude. It seems the reason the campground is empty is because it is HOT and there is no electricity. To add insult, clouds roll in at dusk, trapping the desert heat. It is miserable sleeping weather, our worst by far in six years of traveling.