Fossil Creek

Like any good trip to Sedona, we started out late and didn't get a campsite. So, like every good trip to Sedona, we stayed at Fort Tuthill, the Flagstaff fairgrounds. The original intent was to stay at Beaver Creek, but all 12 campsites were full by noon when we got there. Plus, the weather forecast said it was supposed to be sunny and warm the whole time. But halfway through the drive up there, this happened:

But thankfully it was gone by the time we got to the campground.

Every time we stay at Fort Tuthill, there is something going on. I love it. Last time we went up, Steve Martin was there with his bluegrass band. The campsite host just assumed we were there for the concert, but we had no idea he was going to be there! e didn't even think he meant the real Steve Martin. But he was there for the bluegrass festival. I'm kind of hoping we make the trek up there for this year's bluegrass festival, just to see who else might be there. 

This time there was some "extreme" adventure course going on that would have been really fun if we had more money. But it was definitely fun to watch. They had a huge ropes course set up in the trees with all sorts of obstacles that apparently took several hours to complete. Maybe next year they will have it again and we can give it another try! Time to start saving the dollars.... (the whole 42)

Us being us, we forgot all sort of equipment. That normal. Usually we forget pillows or blankets or stuff for eating. This time it was definitely the eating. We brought food, but no plates, no can opener, and nothing to eat with. Kevin reached pro status and figured out the lack of can opener, but we had to get a spoon from campsite host Dave. He was nice and tried to bring us all sorts of stuff to cook with, but I wouldn't let him. He had already driven our firewood to our campsite and given us kindle and newspapers. Much more than what was done for us last time we were there. Dave was pretty awesome. (Almost as cool as the campsite host from Colorado National Monument who really wanted to be our friend. I still feel a little guilty for not inviting him to dinner or something.) The rest of the night was spent hiking around the woods. They have an equestrian course/ old firing ground that we got to walk around.

The next morning we got up pretty early and high-tailed it out of there. We couldn't decide where we wanted to go, so we just started driving. And then two minutes into our drive we had to make a u-turn because we actually decided where we were going. And our choice probably wasn't the smartest, but it turned out to be an interesting adventure.

For the longest time we have wanted to go to the Verde Hot Springs, but there are no real direction on how to get there. You just have to follow some forest road and hope you get there. And we were definitely on the right track. All the description we had read said the scenery was beautiful. And it was. It was weird that Camp Verde is so barren, but ten miles outside of it is green and hilly and gorgeous. But that forest road was the scariest road of my life. It looks tame in the picture, but we could only go ten miles an hour, and we couldn't even do the last leg of the trip because the road just got so much worse. So plans changed and we went back to the civilization at Fossil Creek. And I'm glad we chose to go to Fossil Creek. It looked like something that couldn't have come out of Arizona. But there we were. And it was a pretty strong creek too! I got swept off my feet a couple of times. And Kevin had to chase down one of my flip flops that had gotten away from me. I didn't take any pictures because I didn't want to drop my phone into the creek. That probably wouldn't be good.

But the couple hours we spent there were pretty amazing! There was a ton of wildlife and you only have to walk a quarter of a mile to feel like you are completely isolated. There were all sorts of different butterfly species, dragonflies, fish, and Kevin even got to see a turtle! I spent most of the time trying to catch fish with my bare hands. Because I'm that cool of a kid. Sadly, I didn't catch any....

The fun didn't last very long. After a couple hours some serious storm clouds started to roll in and we had to outrun them before it started pouring. Neither of us wanted to be on that awful road in the middle of a rainstorm. There were a couple of times where is started sprinkling, but we got out before the rain really started to hit. We didn't even get much rain. It just rained all around us. Rain might not even be the right word. More like it down-poured all around us, but not on us. Only for about five minutes tops.

This is definitely a trip we want to repeat. We have to bring a few extra things before we do, though. Like we definitely can't do that road again in either of our cars. Especially the Nissan again with the sport shocks. A little too bumpy of a ride for us and the car. We're going to have to invest in an ATV or lifted golfcart or something before we go back down (and yes, we spent all last night trying to find a cheap one. No such luck) I also want to bring an inner-tube or something to try to go down the creek in. I was being serious when I said it was a big creek. There is also camping out there and I think it would be a great spot to camp. It's a free for all except for within 100 feet of the creek (no camping).

Oh and if anyone is looking for Wendy and Rich, I found them....

Hermit Trail

Length: 6 miles rountrip
Elevation change: 1200 feet
Time: 4 hours including an hour rest at the spring
Difficulty: easy to moderate

Our last night and day of vacation were spent at the Grand Canyon again. Wednesday night was dedicated to rest and relaxation. We got to our campsite and set up then went to the village for dinner. We started at the cafeteria to split a sandwich (our original plan was to have sandwiches in Holbrook, but the only deli in Holbrook has closed) then went over to the Miswak lodge to a pizza and pub place. They pizza would have be so-so but they had a shaker full of oregano and basil which was awesome. They rest of the night was spent around the campfire just enjoying the night.

The next morning was interesting, however. I heard someone walking through our campsite but I was still half asleep, so I just zipped up the windows and went back to sleep. But then I heard then rustling through our stuff so I got up and went out to confront them. There wasn't anyone going through our stuff. Instead, there was a huge elk just eating away at a bush in the middle of our site. And then three deer just came walking into our site as well. Pretty interesting.

Before we left for home we went on a hike to dripping springs. Our very first trip to the canyon we were originally planning on doing this hike, but the ranger told us it would be too hard. Yeah, right. The elevation change did fool us at first. In reality, you end up going down about 2000 feet and then back up to the springs. It felt like we were on the trail forever when we had really only been hiking for an hour. Its an interesting trail, it just feels like it takes forever going down. But then, when you get there, you know it is worth the wait. We weren't sure if there was going to be water, but there was. And it just dripped out of the canyon wall. It was really neat. And the water was so cold. The hike back up went by much faster, and was about as difficult as horseshoe mesa. This time we made a point to stop as little as possible so we were able to get up a bit quicker. We both agree was the best hike we have taken.

Now we are home, and coming home was bitter sweet. We both miss traveling and are already planning our next adventure!

Back to the Canyon

Last night we spend the night all by ourselves at the bottom of the painted desert. We came across another couple but they didn't seem to pleased to see us so we didn't sit around and chat very long. But it was pretty surreal knowing we were the only four in the park after 730. And we were on complete opposite sides of the park.

We set up our campsite against a hill that overlooked a large grassy area. I have to say, if you start out on a hike and it kind of looks like it might go dark soon, don't do it. We ended out being out past dusk and lost our tent for about an hour. Not fun at all. And this morning we figured out that we came out of a wash right next to our campsite and took a right instead of a left! So frustrating.

Anyways, once we got back we hiked up the hill behind us (and left our lantern on so we wouldn't lose our tent again.) Now, when we got our permit we were told that there was not much petrified wood in the painted desert part. But when we got to the peak of the cliff it was solid petrified wood chips as far as you could see. It was pretty crazy. We went back this morning and some of the chucks were pretty big and pretty interesting. We also hiked through all the water holes in the hill this morning. They were huge!
The backpacking bag we took from Val's came in handy, but it sucked for Kevin going back up the hill. I felt bad that he had to carry it up. But we made it! Once we packed up the car we went into the Desert Painted Inn and chatted with the guy at the desk about the park. He was surprised we hadn't seen any animals. Apparently there is a ton of bobcats in the park as well as other wildlife. We just saw a really awesome lizard who had a purple head, green body, back legs like frogs legs, blue arms and yellow feet. He was pretty cool.

So now we are on the road and back to the Grand Canyon to spend our last night on vacation. Hopefully we will fit in a couple more hikes before we have to head home and start the unpacking process. Yipee.

Painted Desert

We have arrived! And we are pan cooking our steak (yay...) since we have had it for two days and no one has charcoal grills. So if you ever go to Storrie Lake or the Painted Desert, bring something you can cook on a propane stove.

After we eat our grey steak, we're going over to the Painted Desert Inn to say hello (so they know our faces) and see if they have water so we can stock up for the night. And then we are off on our mile hike to a camping spot. We aren't allowed to return to our car tonight so we'll be packed full of stuff to bring.
The park itself is really pretty, especially on the painted desert side. After driving 20 miles you come across the petrified wood which is also pretty neat. Some pieces have totally become rock, others haven't even begun the process. Our goal tomorrow is to hunt down a park ranger and hear the whole story of how the wood came to be.

Today is Backpacking Day!

Happy birthday Val!

So my post from last night it still trying to publish. it may or may not just show up at some point. I'm hoping it shows up when I publish this one.

In case it doesn't post, yesterday's post was pretty much me complaining about being by a lake, camping in the mud, and not being allowed to use charcoal grills. But New Mexico did redeem itself a little by providing free showers. And the mud was pretty cool looking. So at least I'm clean! I just have two inches of mud on my shoes.

Today is backpacking day! We are staying at the Petrified Forest and in order to camp there you have to hike at least a mile into the park before you can set up camp. And that's just what we are doing. The permits to do that are free, we just have to get to the park by 630. Shouldn't be a problem since we are already on the road. Backpacking means we get to eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner since neither of us want to carry the grill. But the grill did save our butt last night.

And, we are finally going to a park that I have been to and Kevin has not. I didn't think it was possible.

Road Home

The past five days in Fort Collins has been fun, but its time to hit the road and head home. Today we are headed to Trinidad Lake State Park. From there we are headed to the Petrified Forest and then back to the Grand Canyon for a night (we might be a little obsessed).

Ignoring the two days where it dropped from the 80s to the 40s, Colorado was really beautiful. I'm a little sad that we didn't get to see Rocky Mountain park, but its just another excuse to come back up! (I'm thinking once I finish summer school.) We got to drive through all of the ski towns and got to experience the car losing power thanks to the lack of oxygen in this state. The important part is Kevin got to spend time with his family, and we both had a great time.

There aren't any national parks between Colorado and Arizona via New Mexico except for ones that put us hours out of our way. So our park pass won't work tonight :(. Thankfully the entrance fee is only seven dollars so its not a huge loss. (Har har.) So now we are on the road once again for about four hours. Hopefully we will have plenty of time to hike or swim once we get there.

More later!

Otto and Window Rock

All the trails around here are either short and easy or take six plus hours. Since we got here at 530 we just decided to do two short and easy hikes.
The first hike we did was the Otto hike. It took us 1/4th of a mile from the road out to a peak where "John Otto took his first steps towards climbing independence point." How he did this, I'm not sure because its a straight drop from the end of the observation point. From that point, however, we could see praying hands, pipe organ and wedding canyon. All looked pretty neat.
The next hike we did was right next to our campground. We walked out the window rock and almost got to stand right over it. From there we could see Fruita and wedding canyon. It was also only a quarter of a mile so we made it interesting and came back via the rim trail and landed at the amphitheater where we got to hear an interesting childs story about a baby elephant being spanked by all the other animals. I still don't know what was going on in that story...
When we started back into the campground we ran into the host. He joked about it being illegal to hike in the park and then insisted that he go get a map so he could show us the most dangerous hike in the park. He then showed us the trail that lead to the bathrooms and explained how to fend of those racing us to the toilets. He was funny.
So now we are just sitting by our awesome butane grill (thank you jay! I finally get to use it) and sipping soup out of a bowl because we still don't have utensils. Plus we're attempting to hardboil the rest of our eggs. There are no campfires allowed in the park so this might end up being an early night when it gets cold.
We shall see.

Welcome to Colorful Colorado!

Where we will be spending our next five to six days! Today we are making a stop at Colorado National Monument before we head to Ft. Collins.
We spent about six hours in the car before we got here, and didn't see much civilization. There was a strip of 110 miles where we saw absolutely nothing. The landscape was pretty interesting, though. We would go through the mountains, then dip into absolute desert, and then we would be back in the mountains again. It was pretty neat, but the desert part looked the exact same as the drive between the Grand Canyon and Zion. We're both looking forward to being in the mountains.
The view from our campsite is pretty spectacular. You can see all of the town below us (The picture follows). We have everything set up and we're about to head off to the visitors center to look at the different trails. Most likely we will be hiking down to window rock since the trailhead is right by are camp (and we're right above balanced rock!). But its still up in the air depending on what the park ranger says.
One thing is for sure: My legs are ready to soak in a hot tub.

Watchmen Trail

Length: 2.7 miles round trip
Difficulty: easy
Time: 1hr 40min with long stop at top
For being the only trail in Zion that is not paved, as we were told, the hike was pretty great. Compared to yesterday this was nothing, but it verified that I do indeed enjoying going uphill first. When we started the trip the trail was completely flat and we were worried it was going to be boring. But we soon started to climb up various staircases and upward slanting paths. A lot of people coming down stopped to tell us that it was worth the hike so we got pretty excited. And they were right. After passing a couple little springs we got to the edge of the mesa and could see a lot of Zion and the neighboring town of springdale. Its a hike definitely worth taking.
Dinner was interesting. We discovered that we didn't have spoons or forks AFTER we started to make our soup. So we ate potatoes in cream of mushroom soup with a knife. It was still pretty tastey though. Plus we bought some eggs at the market and fried some eggs. I don't think I have been more excited for breakfast as I am right now.
The rest of the night is dedicated to sitting by the fire and eating trail mix. We missed the ranger talk, but based on our history with ranger talks, I'm sure we didn't miss much. In the morning we are off to Colorado National Monument. Depending on what time we wake up, we might try to fit one more hike in before we leave.

Zion National Park

Good news! I've changed our blog settings so now you don't have to log in to post comments. Much better.
So the ride here was interesting. We sort of got to see the north rim of the grand canyon and I also got to see the Glen Canyon Dam for the first time since eighth grade. Its a little more interesting now I guess. But the entire trip we were stick on this dinky little two lane highway with a speed limit of 55. Super fun. Plus we passed a Walmart in Page and I didn't even think to buy a new memory stick. Oh well.
So we had a driving buddy for a little while. Some guy in a pretty Kia sportage. But as he finished passing an RV a cop came driving by a flipped a u turn and chased him down. Kevin and I both still feel sorry for him. And we're hoping he camps by us.
Anyways, hello Utah! After being in the car for what feels like forever,  we are finally here. And we get to spend a whopping sixteen our so hours here. Kevin has been here before, but I have no idea what to expect. At least its a little warmer here. After we set up we're going to try to get some hiking in unless it starts to rain on us. Fingers crossed it doesn't!

On the Road Again

We are on the road again. This time we are headed to Zion National Park in Utah. There isn't too much out here. I'm pretty sure we are in the middle of Navajo nation.

There is, however, the edge of the grand canyon to look at. And it looks really cool from over here. It just drops of and looks like a giant hole in the ground. It looks nothing like it does in the park. Other than that its just desert with flagstaff in the far distance.

I'm really hoping in the next few hours we pass some sort of tech shop so I can buy a new memory stick for the camera. I keep having to go back and delete old photos. I'm also hoping there's power at Zion since we have two phones and two camera batteries to charge. I guess we'll see!

More later.

Side note: speedy's truck stop has the best burritos I have ever eaten. If you ever find yourself in Cameron, you must stop to get one. We had the green burrito which had a beef and bean mixture in it and the tortilla was fried to a crisp. So good. They also have potato wedges that are each 1/4th of a potato, fried zucchini, fried chicken and a few other eats. Definitely a must stop kind of place. Yum!

Grandview Trail

Length: 3 miles each way
Difficulty: moderated to strenuous
Time: about six hours including picnic
Elevation difference: 2600 feet
On the way to the trailhead we saw three moose just eating grass near the visitor center parking lot. All of those national park trips searching for a moose and all I had to do was look in a parking lot. Who knew.
Kevin and I both agree that this trail was much harder than bright angel, but so much better. Instead of being on a huge trail that's super commercial, you're on a rocky, unkept trail that is super rocky. Plus they had these annoying mostly rocky, barely steps things that make your calf burn on the way down and your quads burn on the way up. It was rough but every time we stopped there was a new view every time we stopped. It gave us a good excuse to take a lot of breaks on the way up.
We had a picnic at the bottom of the trail and looked around the campground right there. I got to use an outdoor toilet for the first time and felt super awkward. But the view was amazing!
Overall, it was an amazing hike and would do it again in a heartbeat.
And then, when we got back to the visitors center the moose(s?) were still there. And a buck was just walking along the sidewalks. The most wildlife I've seen has been in the visitors center. Strange.
And now I'm off to take a steamy hot shower. Or go watch 'the greatest liar of the grand canyon'. We'll see.

Grand Canyon Day 2

Last night was a success! I slept with a sweatshirt on, but I didn't wake up cold! Tonight should be a little warmer but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.
There was one problem while we were sleeping. Thanks to a couple birds, we have no more s'mores materials and our breakfast hotdogs were gone. They managed to eat a whole giant chocolate bar, six graham crackers, the box the crackers came in, and three hotdogs. They were nice enough to leave us our stale marshmallows, though. So no more sweets.
Today is our big hike, so we will be out of contact most of the day. I'm not afraid to admit this hike will kick my butt and we'll have to make several stops on the way back up. Still excited for the Grandview Trail!

Moonlight Hike

When we were on our Rim Trail hike, we came across a couple who told us about a guided moonlight hike. We decided to try it just for fun. It had all the cheesiness you would expect from a guided tour put on by a park ranger, but his jokes were actually funny and it wasn't just a boring informational session like the one we experienced at the Salton Sea. Tonight was almost a full moon so he couldn't do his normal astronomy session. Instead, he made jokes about people who try to hike down to the river and back in one day and pointed out someone on the trail who was still coming up. We started out by walking along the rim of the canyon (which looked like a big lake in the moonlight. Or as some lady put it 'a big bowl of soup'). We then went through the forest just so he could creep some people out and admitted that some of the suggestions that he gives have not actually been tested outn like acting big in front of a mountain lion to get it to run away. Overall the session was a lot of fun and worth the while. And for that, we thank you Matthew the park ranger.
After the hike we came across a deer just hanging out by the bathroom eating some bushes. Most people on the hike didn't even realize she was there and walked right on by. We, however, obsessively took pictures until we got one we liked. And she totally didn't mind! Just kept on eating bushes. I'm convinced she was just humoring us.
A good first day at the canyon. And now, it is time to freeze our butts off.

Grand Canyon: Day 1

The drive up here today was awesome. Usually we make fun of street names, I say I need to try the black canyon pie shop for probably the millionth time, and just act goofy to amuse ourselves. But today, all of the saguaros along the I-17 were blooming which means every cactus had about 30 white flowers all over it. It was pretty awesome.
I'm going to put this out there - Kevin and I have a terrible time with weather on our trips. When we planned our trip it was supposed to be in the mid 70s during the day and 40s at night. Now its supposed to be in the mid to low 60s and a low of 29 tonight. Yipeee. I'm very glad we brought a wool a fleece and a down blanket that we can zip into our sheet via our sleeping bag. Our sheets have to be the best purchase we have ever made. They have a zipper on them so the sleeping bag doesn't get kicked off in the middle of the night. So I'm thinking tonight won't be too bad.
We're off to a short hike today to attempt to get used to the whole "no oxygen" thing.

And We're Off!

And so it begins! The cats finally have a sitter (thank you ryan and shelley) and we have our giant AmPm sodas and doughnuts so we are ready to hit the road.

Today is our shortest leg of the trip - only four hours. Then we will be in the Grand Canyon, buying our annual national park pass (our graduation gift to ourselves), and setting up our tent. We're both very excited to go back. Its about time since we've been talking about going back since the day after our last trip. And this time we even made reservations at Mather campground so we don't have to drive 25 miles to get anywhere. Staying at Desert View was okay last time since we were right across the way from the watchtower, but this time we actually get to enjoy the luxury of taking a shower at night and being close to places to eat. We forgot our chicken so hobo stew is out of the picture. Being close to food might end up being helpful.

So todays only plan is to get there and set up then just do some small hiking. We already have pictures from every overlook so we don't really need to do the tourist-y thing today. Basically, we're going to wing it.

More later!