From Arches & Canyonlands
I think I'm way overdue for a blog update since I don't remember where to start, but we don't have internet that often and don't feel like seeking out coffee shops to sit in on a computer rather than be out seeing stuff. Wespent a couple more days with our friend Heather in Moab and did another long hike at the Islands in the Sky district of Canyonlands Nat'l Park. It was all about mesas and long views, beautiful scenery and ever so slightly cooler. The cactus are blooming and the sky is a deep blue. It was nice to chat with Heather over the miles of hiking and we covered all the important topics of religion, politics, life and death, life plans, outer space, etc. Didn't figure anything out though! We hiked 11 miles and then went back to her house and made a great dinner, topping it off with a huge bowl of sherbet and an ancient episode of Star Trek!
From Arches & Canyonlands
Jon & I enjoyed Arches but it was really a driving park and the trails short. The arches were interesting to see but there were a lot of people and it was hard to find any sort of solitude among them. The arches, windows, needles, natural bridges and hoodoos we're seeing are all features of erosion on various types of sedimentary rock. Layers of rock and sand were slowly deposited, uplifted and then eroded, the denser rock less apt to erode away and this is what has left the crazy shapes we're seeing and the different types of minerals present in the rocks are what produce the colors. We've taken so many pictures it's hard to pick which ones to upload.
The day after Islands In the Sky we reluctantly left Moab and went to Canyonland's Needles district to backpack for a night. Since we had to carry all of our own water and the temp was 100 degrees, one overnight was all we could do, all we wanted to do. It was very pretty, the trails interesting although it was brutally hot. They say it is a dry heat which is great but at the end of a day of hiking you are a salt lick and no amount of baby wipes is going to make you feel any cleaner! Thank goodness this is not the norm! We watched 2 beautiful sunsets- one at the campground on a huge rock mountain before we left to backpack (this was the night of the solstice) and another the night we were about 5 miles out from anything and had the whole area to ourselves. The night skies are famous here because of the lack of light pollution and since there are no towns around it is perfectly quiet as well. I find myself trying to "listen" all the time to the silence around me. I love it.
From Arches & Canyonlands
The day we hiked out we actually left Canyonlands in search of cooler temps and headed to Bryce Canyon. We got within spitting distance of it and camped alongside a lake at an undeveloped state campground. The views were very pretty but the actual campsite nothing special but since we have our camper, you go on inside and it doesn't matter where you are, your home is pretty and cozy. We were so close to the water which was very high since there is still snow runoff from the mountains above that I kept waking up wondering if the water was getting close to our camper! Instead it was that it had gotten windy and the water was making more noise.
From Bryce Canyon
We arrived at Bryce yesterday and are very comfortable here! At 9000 feet it is much cooler and the camper and truck are much happier too. When we're in the desert we have to often drive with the AC off if we're doing any hills so the truck can stay at a good temp. Plus, the camper gets to incredible temps inside. In trying to avoid buying a new truck right before we hopefully head out sailing, we find ourselves shaking our heads at the impossibility that it is going to hold on for this summer given what we're asking it to do! Oh well, we've got our fingers crossed. It is running well otherwise.
Oh, and one other thing. Before we left Boston I ordered a bunch of freeze dried backpacking food from REI during their big sale since it is so expensive to begin with. I had it all tucked away in the back of the truck in a box. Not to mention all the ultrarunning electrolyes & gels. When we were packing our backpacks I went to grab some food and found that a mouse had been in there. She had sampled many of our expensive packages! Uhh! Then Jon was checking the oil and found the beginnings of a nest- cigarette butts, grass, etc next to the battery. So, we had picked up a mouse in Moab I guess. He would have noticed the nest before then. Anyway, the food is now INSIDE the truck and we're hoping for the best. As far as the ultra, I just don't know. My knee is so messed up I can't even run to the bathroom. I can hike fine, but it aches all the time. I just don't see how I can run that race and Jon is not pushing. I feel unstoppable in every other way. And if I was to try and walk it, there's no way I'd finish within the 12 hour limit and I think my knee wouldn't take it. So, that is a bummer. I am officially getting old and I think I'll be resorting to serious biking after all this instead of running. And maybe some meds while I adjust to it!
We think Bryce is the best park we've visited so far this trip. We took a fantastic hike yesterday all among the hoodoos, the whole while, Jon exclaiming "this is crazy, I can't believe it, this is impossible!" He really loves this scenery. I think the temp has him pretty joyous to start with. We watched the sunset together and we also got our permits for another night of backpacking- starting tomorrow. I guess there was a big storm here this winter that knocked down hundreds of trees on the backpacking trails so we can again only go for one night since there aren't enough miles of open trails. We didn't expect to really be able to do a lot until we got to California anyway so this is still OK. I think Zion is going to be another cooker of a park and again you have to carry your water so I'm not sure how much we'll do for overnights there. Even so, on a several mile day hike, you still get away from people since they don't usually stray too far from the visitor center.
I had forgotten to mention that when we were at Colorado National Monument at a viewpoint, we ran in to a coupe off a boat at our old marina in Boston. They are off the boat Telegraph Hill and I had walked by their boat right before we left for Maine wondering why they hadn't gotten it ready for summer. Turns out they've been traveling the US parks since April- well that explains it! Anyway, it cracked us up to see someone we knew way our here.
We've been eating well on the Scamp. I had wondered if we'd be able to get decent food or if the galley would be too small to work in. It is small, but we have been making nice meals and we move in the camper well together. Some nights we grill, some we cook on our 2 burner stove. This morning we broke down and made raspberry pancakes & bacon instead of going out sightseeing first thing. Today we're doing an 8 mile hike called the Fairyland Trail. It is again among the hoodoos, but a different amphitheater as they refer to the groupings of hoodoos. Then tonight there's an astronomy talk and telescope viewing that I want to go to. This is supposedly one of the top viewing spots in the country due to clean air and elevation. The air does feel really good here and the weather is beautiful.
After we backpack, we'll make our way to Zion and the heat. We wanted to cross Death Valley on our way to Kings Canyon but have thought the better of it and others we've talked to agree and so I think we'll do Las Vegas instead. Should only be 100 there! Hope all is well with everyone and sorry some people have had trouble making comments on the blog- I don't have any way of controlling that. You can always email us at tashiba40_evergreen@hotmail.com. We miss our friends & family!