No photos for this entry as I forgot to bring the connector for my camera. (New position of prayer: Hands together holding a digital camera or i-phone in front of your face. "Please Lord let this be a better picture than the last 2000 I've taken"). The photos that won't be in this entry are all spectacular.
So far the "Great Hike Across the Grand Canyon" trip is going well. The only glitch was running out of hot water in a Twin Falls motel (a first for us). I got to rinse in cold water -- fortunately the air conditioning wasn't working so a short jog around the room got me warmed up.
Our first stop was Capitol Reef NP (Fruita campground) which is doubtless one of the best NP campgrounds anywhere -- beautiful setting and thick with cottonwoods, apple, cherry and chestnut trees (all can be picked in season). We selected the only camp site that is in the sun all day. It wasn't the best possible choice, particularly since a few others were available and a couple from the Netherlands wanted our site because they had been cold the previous night. Oh, well.
We hiked Spring Canyon, a 9 mile hike we did 19 years ago. (We were pleased that we could still do it.) The hike follows a dry stream bed past amazing cliffs, cream and dark red to black -- consistently beautiful. Rated strenuous, the hike starts by climbing 350 feet, descending nearly the same, and then a very gentle down hill for the next 8 miles. (Depending on which reference book, map, or sign post you believe, the hike is 8.5, 9, 9.7, or 10 miles long. We estimated -- based on our time -- that the correct distance is 14 miles.) While flat, there's a lot of soft sand, river rock (golf ball to soft ball size) to walk in. The footing, along with several spots of scrambling over large rocks (the canyon isn't a place you'd want to be in an earthquake) make the hike difficult. Even so the Spring Canyon is one of the best walks I've ever done -- I'd give it a five star rating.
After another (short) hike in Capitol Reef, we moved on the Panguitch and Bryce Canyon. We did one 5 mile hike below the rim and another (shorter one) along the rim. Bryce is as amazing as all the commercial photos would make you believe.
One of our goals is to aclimatize to the elevation and heat. Capitol Reef -- 5000 feet -- Bryce 8000 feet -- the Grand Canyon (on the last, most difficult day) will be nearly 9000 feet. And it's been hot (90+) in the bottom of the canyon. We have several more days of hiking at elevation before we start the canyon. DJA
So far the "Great Hike Across the Grand Canyon" trip is going well. The only glitch was running out of hot water in a Twin Falls motel (a first for us). I got to rinse in cold water -- fortunately the air conditioning wasn't working so a short jog around the room got me warmed up.
Our first stop was Capitol Reef NP (Fruita campground) which is doubtless one of the best NP campgrounds anywhere -- beautiful setting and thick with cottonwoods, apple, cherry and chestnut trees (all can be picked in season). We selected the only camp site that is in the sun all day. It wasn't the best possible choice, particularly since a few others were available and a couple from the Netherlands wanted our site because they had been cold the previous night. Oh, well.
We hiked Spring Canyon, a 9 mile hike we did 19 years ago. (We were pleased that we could still do it.) The hike follows a dry stream bed past amazing cliffs, cream and dark red to black -- consistently beautiful. Rated strenuous, the hike starts by climbing 350 feet, descending nearly the same, and then a very gentle down hill for the next 8 miles. (Depending on which reference book, map, or sign post you believe, the hike is 8.5, 9, 9.7, or 10 miles long. We estimated -- based on our time -- that the correct distance is 14 miles.) While flat, there's a lot of soft sand, river rock (golf ball to soft ball size) to walk in. The footing, along with several spots of scrambling over large rocks (the canyon isn't a place you'd want to be in an earthquake) make the hike difficult. Even so the Spring Canyon is one of the best walks I've ever done -- I'd give it a five star rating.
After another (short) hike in Capitol Reef, we moved on the Panguitch and Bryce Canyon. We did one 5 mile hike below the rim and another (shorter one) along the rim. Bryce is as amazing as all the commercial photos would make you believe.
One of our goals is to aclimatize to the elevation and heat. Capitol Reef -- 5000 feet -- Bryce 8000 feet -- the Grand Canyon (on the last, most difficult day) will be nearly 9000 feet. And it's been hot (90+) in the bottom of the canyon. We have several more days of hiking at elevation before we start the canyon. DJA
