20 September 2006
Final Trip Maps
Here it is, 18 days of travel.
Final statistics:
18 days
4750 miles
87 hours driving
All that, to do this:
And if you're interested, here's a more detailed map that focuses on Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
Purple stars = motels
Green stars = campsites
Red stars = friends' house
Final statistics:
18 days
4750 miles
87 hours driving
All that, to do this:
And if you're interested, here's a more detailed map that focuses on Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
Purple stars = motels
Green stars = campsites
Red stars = friends' house
The long drive home
Well, I'm back.
And a long day of driving it was, too. Not too much to say about it. I left Hays at 6:30AM. Stopped in Topeka for breakfast and gas around 9:15AM. Stopped outside St. Louis for gas around 1:00. And got home around 6:30. About 11 hours of driving, including the time change, and with just two stops. Not the best plan, but it got me here.
Just a few photos from the trip. It was particularly beautiful to see the sunrise from the road:
Somehow I had poor luck with the photos the rest of the way. Being stuck in a traffic jam did help when I was crossing the Mississippi River, though.
And I got a shot of crossing into Illinois -- but my camera batteries failed before getting into Indiana. Unfortunate.
But I'm back home again, one month before my wedding. Holly was extremely happy to see me -- and then she sent me off for a shower. =) I'll need to put up some final details of the trip, but for now, it's enough to say that I'm home.
And a long day of driving it was, too. Not too much to say about it. I left Hays at 6:30AM. Stopped in Topeka for breakfast and gas around 9:15AM. Stopped outside St. Louis for gas around 1:00. And got home around 6:30. About 11 hours of driving, including the time change, and with just two stops. Not the best plan, but it got me here.
Just a few photos from the trip. It was particularly beautiful to see the sunrise from the road:
Somehow I had poor luck with the photos the rest of the way. Being stuck in a traffic jam did help when I was crossing the Mississippi River, though.
And I got a shot of crossing into Illinois -- but my camera batteries failed before getting into Indiana. Unfortunate.
But I'm back home again, one month before my wedding. Holly was extremely happy to see me -- and then she sent me off for a shower. =) I'll need to put up some final details of the trip, but for now, it's enough to say that I'm home.
19 September 2006
Heading east
Well, I'm on my way home.
Last night was actually a good night's sleep. It was much warmer than last night -- a balmy 24°F in the morning -- and I slept rather well after the day's hike. I woke around 6AM and packed up, though that went rather slow. I waited for the sunrise to pack much of my gear, so that I could evaporate much of the frost first. That meant that I didn't leave until 8:30AM. I stopped in Lake City for breakfast at the Tic Toc Diner, which was rather cheesy in decor but had great food, including the best green chile sauce I had on the trip. Still, that meant it was well past 10 when I left Lake City and hit the road.
The goal was to get as far as possible into Kansas. But first I had to get out of the mountains, and that took some time. I took a slightly different route, heading north along US-285, then east on US-24 through Colorado Springs, all the way back to I-70. It was good to still be driving in the mountains, while it lasted.
The first hints of fall color added a poignancy to the drive.
Eventually I reached US-24. That meant that I was heading irrevocably east -- truly heading home now.
Once I reached the interstate, it was all over except the driving. Still, it was a bit depressing to be officially leaving Colorado.
I kept on that way until nearly 8:00PM. That got me back to Hays, Kansas. I had hoped to be farther along, but given the late start, I have to be content with the drive. The beauty of the sunset was a consolation and a reminder that I'd been driving for 10 hours.
So here I am in Hays, at the same Super-8 hotel I stopped at on the way out. Was that really sixteen days ago? It feels like a lot less than that -- and a lot more. It's been a long trip and a lot has happened. But on the other hand, it hasn't been nearly long enough. Tomorrow will certainly be a long day of driving; hopefully that will give me a real sense of conclusion to the trip.
For now, good night.
Last night was actually a good night's sleep. It was much warmer than last night -- a balmy 24°F in the morning -- and I slept rather well after the day's hike. I woke around 6AM and packed up, though that went rather slow. I waited for the sunrise to pack much of my gear, so that I could evaporate much of the frost first. That meant that I didn't leave until 8:30AM. I stopped in Lake City for breakfast at the Tic Toc Diner, which was rather cheesy in decor but had great food, including the best green chile sauce I had on the trip. Still, that meant it was well past 10 when I left Lake City and hit the road.
The goal was to get as far as possible into Kansas. But first I had to get out of the mountains, and that took some time. I took a slightly different route, heading north along US-285, then east on US-24 through Colorado Springs, all the way back to I-70. It was good to still be driving in the mountains, while it lasted.
The first hints of fall color added a poignancy to the drive.
Eventually I reached US-24. That meant that I was heading irrevocably east -- truly heading home now.
Once I reached the interstate, it was all over except the driving. Still, it was a bit depressing to be officially leaving Colorado.
I kept on that way until nearly 8:00PM. That got me back to Hays, Kansas. I had hoped to be farther along, but given the late start, I have to be content with the drive. The beauty of the sunset was a consolation and a reminder that I'd been driving for 10 hours.
So here I am in Hays, at the same Super-8 hotel I stopped at on the way out. Was that really sixteen days ago? It feels like a lot less than that -- and a lot more. It's been a long trip and a lot has happened. But on the other hand, it hasn't been nearly long enough. Tomorrow will certainly be a long day of driving; hopefully that will give me a real sense of conclusion to the trip.
For now, good night.
Photos from the climb
Thought I would post a few photos from the climb.
A photo of me from the start of the hike. Sorry -- I didn't get the camera straight! That's at about 7:30 in the morning. I could have driven another 1/2 mile up the 4wd road, but at the time I was eager to hike. I felt differently by the end of the day.
One of the frozen creeks I passed that morning. Crossing was a bit of a different challenge with the shallowest streams converted into slippery footing. All were thawed by the afternoon.
An example of the terrain that I spent most of the day in. Once I passed the treeline -- about an hour in -- it was all grassy meadows. This photo shows the Wetterhorn in the background.
Here the trail nears the ridge it uses to ascend the lower portions of Uncompahgre. In the distance you can see the switchbacks leading up the ridge, with a slender post marking the crest. There's more ridge and switchbacks behind this first ridge -- a lot more work to do!
And this is from partway up the ridge, looking back. Matterhorn and Wetterhorn are behind.
This photo is taken once I've climbed to the top of the ridge. From here you can see the trail leading up to the mountain. This is where the Ridge Stock trail joins the Uncompahgre Peak trail; suddenly you can see other hikers along the trail with me. You can faintly see the trail switchbacks up the left side of the peak. It then ascends the larger rock band from behind to the left, and then has a gentle climb to the top.
Now I'm at the top! Here's a view across to the Wetterhorn, looking imposing with the shadows giving it a dark, brooding color. Matterhorn is in between, looking quite a bit shorter.
A view down the Cimarron River valley. This runs between the Matterhorn and Uncompahgre.
Here's a view to the southwest from the peak. The first autumn snows are shrouding the north faces of the peaks to the south.
Just a hint of the cliff on the north face of Uncompahgre Peak. It's a long way down. That rock is pretty loose -- I can't imagine it's a good climb.
And here I am, on top of the peak!
A photo of me from the start of the hike. Sorry -- I didn't get the camera straight! That's at about 7:30 in the morning. I could have driven another 1/2 mile up the 4wd road, but at the time I was eager to hike. I felt differently by the end of the day.
One of the frozen creeks I passed that morning. Crossing was a bit of a different challenge with the shallowest streams converted into slippery footing. All were thawed by the afternoon.
An example of the terrain that I spent most of the day in. Once I passed the treeline -- about an hour in -- it was all grassy meadows. This photo shows the Wetterhorn in the background.
Here the trail nears the ridge it uses to ascend the lower portions of Uncompahgre. In the distance you can see the switchbacks leading up the ridge, with a slender post marking the crest. There's more ridge and switchbacks behind this first ridge -- a lot more work to do!
And this is from partway up the ridge, looking back. Matterhorn and Wetterhorn are behind.
This photo is taken once I've climbed to the top of the ridge. From here you can see the trail leading up to the mountain. This is where the Ridge Stock trail joins the Uncompahgre Peak trail; suddenly you can see other hikers along the trail with me. You can faintly see the trail switchbacks up the left side of the peak. It then ascends the larger rock band from behind to the left, and then has a gentle climb to the top.
Now I'm at the top! Here's a view across to the Wetterhorn, looking imposing with the shadows giving it a dark, brooding color. Matterhorn is in between, looking quite a bit shorter.
A view down the Cimarron River valley. This runs between the Matterhorn and Uncompahgre.
Here's a view to the southwest from the peak. The first autumn snows are shrouding the north faces of the peaks to the south.
Just a hint of the cliff on the north face of Uncompahgre Peak. It's a long way down. That rock is pretty loose -- I can't imagine it's a good climb.
And here I am, on top of the peak!
18 September 2006
Climbing Uncompahgre
Today was all about the climb.
Some statistics:
Uncompahgre Peak
14,309 ft
15 miles round trip
Total elevation gain: 4,300 ft (and then 4,300 ft down)
Total roundtrip time: 10h 15min
Hiking time (excluding breaks): 9h 15min
By the way, it's pronounced "un-com-pa-gree". Just like it's spelled. I struggled with this, because I had been corrected when I pronounced it that way yesterday. But I've confirmed that I had it right in the first place.
I can't even say how tired I am. I'm trying to decide if this was harder than running the Mini. I guess, in pure terms, it was. It's certainly in the same ballpark. And I didn't train or plan much for this. I guess that's crazy. But it was a blast.
The day started early. Really early. My alarm went off at 4:45. I decided to sleep a bit -- I had just gotten comfortable again -- but got up at 5:00 anyway. It was cold. Really cold. The tent wasn't so bad (my water bottle wasn't frozen) but i had been chilly at times all night and I knew it was pretty frigid. When I checked the thermometer in the truck, what did I see?
Seventeen. Fahrenheit.
That's easily the coldest temperature I've ever camped in. I think when Landry and I camped in the Tetons, it got down into the middle 20s perhaps. And the snow certainly added to the effect. But still, I was shocked that my sleeping bag held up as well as it did. I was mostly warm for much of the night, and not really much more restless than I usually am when camping.
But when I got outside, it was a different story. I wanted to quickly make coffee and oatmeal, and head out. Just doing those tasks, I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. The hot food helped but it didn't last long. I quickly gathered up the cooking gear and pulled out of the campground. It was 5:45. To avoid disturbing my neighbors, I pulled down the road a mile or so to warm up the engine. Once I could see through the frost, I headed towards the trailhead.
That took about an hour, all told. The drive wasn't bad, but I went pretty slowly. The deer are legion around here and I didn't want to harvest any. And I had a while to go down the road, for I had decided to climb Uncompahgre Peak from the Matterhorn Creek trailhead. Why? I'm not really sure. I had debated about trying the Wetterhorn, which would depart the same trailhead, but in the end I decided that Uncompahgre would be enough of a climb.
The videos will tell most of the story:
#1 - About two hours into the hike:
#2 - About four hours in:
#3 - On top of Uncompahgre Peak:
#4 - Panorama from on top of the peak:
#5 - Back at the trailhead:
And I'll just reiterate: that was the hardest hike I've ever done. The distance and elevation change alone put it up there. But add to that the trail conditions. Probably 80% of the trail was covered with lose, ankle-breaker rocks, sized from walnut to melon size. And the altitude didn't help either; 10k feet is nothing to cough at, and that's just where I started. The only comparable hike for me was when Landry and I had to hike out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and had to detour because of the flooded river. That had a much better storyline -- constant rain, the dangerous river, hitching a ride with the good 'ol boys, taking the rural taxi ride -- but I think on pure effort this was a harder hike.
But wow, was it worth it. I can't describe the beauty of the approach, especially once I reached the shoulders of the peak. I spent most of the day above treeline, and the grassy meadows provided an open stage for a gorgeous peak. Then add in the summit itself. Astounding. And the day was so clear that you could see for probably a hundred miles.
The hike from Matterhorn Creek to the Uncompahgre approach was absolutely empty. I was the only one there (and the trailhead log confirmed it). But I met several people on the last part of the climb, once I joined with the main Uncompahgre trail. There was some women's group from Kansas City that was doing the climb; I probably saw 15 of them and I think there were more too. Then I also met Ben and Andrews, two kids who are touring the country kinda like me. They were all good people -- and we'll all be riding along I-70 in the next few days.
I'll post a blow-by-blow account of the climb later. Right now I'm too tired. I'm off to bed, and then in the morning... I start home. I could stay out a couple more days, but I'm eager to see Holly and to be at home. And it seems a fitting time; today was literally and figuratively the high point of my trip.
I climbed the mountain.
Some statistics:
Uncompahgre Peak
14,309 ft
15 miles round trip
Total elevation gain: 4,300 ft (and then 4,300 ft down)
Total roundtrip time: 10h 15min
Hiking time (excluding breaks): 9h 15min
By the way, it's pronounced "un-com-pa-gree". Just like it's spelled. I struggled with this, because I had been corrected when I pronounced it that way yesterday. But I've confirmed that I had it right in the first place.
I can't even say how tired I am. I'm trying to decide if this was harder than running the Mini. I guess, in pure terms, it was. It's certainly in the same ballpark. And I didn't train or plan much for this. I guess that's crazy. But it was a blast.
The day started early. Really early. My alarm went off at 4:45. I decided to sleep a bit -- I had just gotten comfortable again -- but got up at 5:00 anyway. It was cold. Really cold. The tent wasn't so bad (my water bottle wasn't frozen) but i had been chilly at times all night and I knew it was pretty frigid. When I checked the thermometer in the truck, what did I see?
Seventeen. Fahrenheit.
That's easily the coldest temperature I've ever camped in. I think when Landry and I camped in the Tetons, it got down into the middle 20s perhaps. And the snow certainly added to the effect. But still, I was shocked that my sleeping bag held up as well as it did. I was mostly warm for much of the night, and not really much more restless than I usually am when camping.
But when I got outside, it was a different story. I wanted to quickly make coffee and oatmeal, and head out. Just doing those tasks, I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. The hot food helped but it didn't last long. I quickly gathered up the cooking gear and pulled out of the campground. It was 5:45. To avoid disturbing my neighbors, I pulled down the road a mile or so to warm up the engine. Once I could see through the frost, I headed towards the trailhead.
That took about an hour, all told. The drive wasn't bad, but I went pretty slowly. The deer are legion around here and I didn't want to harvest any. And I had a while to go down the road, for I had decided to climb Uncompahgre Peak from the Matterhorn Creek trailhead. Why? I'm not really sure. I had debated about trying the Wetterhorn, which would depart the same trailhead, but in the end I decided that Uncompahgre would be enough of a climb.
The videos will tell most of the story:
#1 - About two hours into the hike:
#2 - About four hours in:
#3 - On top of Uncompahgre Peak:
#4 - Panorama from on top of the peak:
#5 - Back at the trailhead:
And I'll just reiterate: that was the hardest hike I've ever done. The distance and elevation change alone put it up there. But add to that the trail conditions. Probably 80% of the trail was covered with lose, ankle-breaker rocks, sized from walnut to melon size. And the altitude didn't help either; 10k feet is nothing to cough at, and that's just where I started. The only comparable hike for me was when Landry and I had to hike out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and had to detour because of the flooded river. That had a much better storyline -- constant rain, the dangerous river, hitching a ride with the good 'ol boys, taking the rural taxi ride -- but I think on pure effort this was a harder hike.
But wow, was it worth it. I can't describe the beauty of the approach, especially once I reached the shoulders of the peak. I spent most of the day above treeline, and the grassy meadows provided an open stage for a gorgeous peak. Then add in the summit itself. Astounding. And the day was so clear that you could see for probably a hundred miles.
The hike from Matterhorn Creek to the Uncompahgre approach was absolutely empty. I was the only one there (and the trailhead log confirmed it). But I met several people on the last part of the climb, once I joined with the main Uncompahgre trail. There was some women's group from Kansas City that was doing the climb; I probably saw 15 of them and I think there were more too. Then I also met Ben and Andrews, two kids who are touring the country kinda like me. They were all good people -- and we'll all be riding along I-70 in the next few days.
I'll post a blow-by-blow account of the climb later. Right now I'm too tired. I'm off to bed, and then in the morning... I start home. I could stay out a couple more days, but I'm eager to see Holly and to be at home. And it seems a fitting time; today was literally and figuratively the high point of my trip.
I climbed the mountain.
17 September 2006
Green River to Lake City
What a wonderful day.
I began in Green River. I didn't get up too early, about 6:30, and I didn't rush. I was comfortable and knew that I didn't have a schedule. Finally it felt like I was used to travel and could take my time. I showered, packed, and checked out, and went looking for breakfast. I found a little place called Ben's Cafe, which had lots of good Mexican food. I had eggs with a good green chile, hashbrowns, and tortillas. Plus coffee of course; it was very yummy and got me going well.
My plan was to take I-70 all the way to Grand Junction. It was less interesting than the route through Moab I took on the way out, but more efficient and gave me some different driving options in Colorado. The drive went smoothly though it was a bit boring. I spent the time checking my cellphone for scores from the Arsenal - Man Utd match. Fairly dramatic, and I had to make sure to pay attention to the drive.
I did pass a special exit along the way:
I got in to Grand Junction at about 10:30. I wanted to find the REI there, because I knew it was going to be cold, and I still hadn't found any long johns. I eventually tracked it down, and found out that it opened at 11. That gave me just enough time to see the final score in the match -- a beautiful win for Arsenal at Old Trafford. A great way to get the day going! I went in and found what I wanted, and got some hand warmers too. Lows for tonight are predicted to be in the low 20s up here... it's going to be damn cold.
It was, however, good to be back among the mountains.
So, then I took off on US-50. But rather than retrace much of my travel from last time, I turned off onto CO-92 at Delta and took the alternate route. The first parts were stark and beautiful, with bare hills building to mountains as I drove along. But eventually the road turned south and met up with the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. That part of the drive was just fantastic, with huge dropoffs on the right side of the truck and winding curves moving through the just-turning aspens. I had to go quite slow but it was worth it; the scenery demanded attention.
The road crossed the dam at the head of the canyon, and I turned right on US-50. I was looking for a shortcut called Blue Mesa Road, and found it a couple miles down. It is an unpaved road, about 14 miles long, that cuts across to CO-192 and saves me a longer detour to the east. It was a bit of a rough ride at parts, but it went through some more interesting country, including a pass through a rock wall and some beautiful high-country pasture.
I found CO-192 and turned south. My goal was to find Lake City, then to travel up the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River to one of the campgrounds in the area. I finally found what I wanted at Mill Creek Campground, about 18 miles from Lake City.
The campground is nearly empty -- I think there are two other tenants, plus the hosts -- who are leaving tomorrow. It's quiet and serene, and I have a gorgeous spot right above the river. I set up camp, then planned my day for tomorrow.
I'm going to try to climb Uncompahgre Peak, the sixth tallest mountain in Colorado and a great first 14er to go for. I'm going to get an early start, so I drove back to Lake City to make sure I knew where the road to the trailhead was. I bought some food, scrounged some firewood, and returned to the campsite right at sunset.
Here's a distant view of Uncompahgre Peak, taken from the viewpoint above Gunnison gorge. It's the mountain in the background.
I made some good dinner and now I'm having my hot chocolate as I type up the day's events. The river softly murmurs in the background, and the stars are burning brightly above. It'll be cold, but a beautiful clear night, and I can't wait to enjoy it. Today has had so many moments of beauty; I've truly been blessed. At times it's nearly brought tears to my eyes.
This is my last campsite of the trip. I'll stay here tomorrow night too, and from there I'll get as far east as I can on Tuesday. If I get far enough -- probably Kansas -- I'll make it home Wednesday. I could prolong the trip a couple days, but really it's been just fantastic and I am eager to be home and see Holly. And if all goes well tomorrow, it will be a fitting end to the trip. I can't wait.
I began in Green River. I didn't get up too early, about 6:30, and I didn't rush. I was comfortable and knew that I didn't have a schedule. Finally it felt like I was used to travel and could take my time. I showered, packed, and checked out, and went looking for breakfast. I found a little place called Ben's Cafe, which had lots of good Mexican food. I had eggs with a good green chile, hashbrowns, and tortillas. Plus coffee of course; it was very yummy and got me going well.
My plan was to take I-70 all the way to Grand Junction. It was less interesting than the route through Moab I took on the way out, but more efficient and gave me some different driving options in Colorado. The drive went smoothly though it was a bit boring. I spent the time checking my cellphone for scores from the Arsenal - Man Utd match. Fairly dramatic, and I had to make sure to pay attention to the drive.
I did pass a special exit along the way:
I got in to Grand Junction at about 10:30. I wanted to find the REI there, because I knew it was going to be cold, and I still hadn't found any long johns. I eventually tracked it down, and found out that it opened at 11. That gave me just enough time to see the final score in the match -- a beautiful win for Arsenal at Old Trafford. A great way to get the day going! I went in and found what I wanted, and got some hand warmers too. Lows for tonight are predicted to be in the low 20s up here... it's going to be damn cold.
It was, however, good to be back among the mountains.
So, then I took off on US-50. But rather than retrace much of my travel from last time, I turned off onto CO-92 at Delta and took the alternate route. The first parts were stark and beautiful, with bare hills building to mountains as I drove along. But eventually the road turned south and met up with the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. That part of the drive was just fantastic, with huge dropoffs on the right side of the truck and winding curves moving through the just-turning aspens. I had to go quite slow but it was worth it; the scenery demanded attention.
The road crossed the dam at the head of the canyon, and I turned right on US-50. I was looking for a shortcut called Blue Mesa Road, and found it a couple miles down. It is an unpaved road, about 14 miles long, that cuts across to CO-192 and saves me a longer detour to the east. It was a bit of a rough ride at parts, but it went through some more interesting country, including a pass through a rock wall and some beautiful high-country pasture.
I found CO-192 and turned south. My goal was to find Lake City, then to travel up the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River to one of the campgrounds in the area. I finally found what I wanted at Mill Creek Campground, about 18 miles from Lake City.
The campground is nearly empty -- I think there are two other tenants, plus the hosts -- who are leaving tomorrow. It's quiet and serene, and I have a gorgeous spot right above the river. I set up camp, then planned my day for tomorrow.
I'm going to try to climb Uncompahgre Peak, the sixth tallest mountain in Colorado and a great first 14er to go for. I'm going to get an early start, so I drove back to Lake City to make sure I knew where the road to the trailhead was. I bought some food, scrounged some firewood, and returned to the campsite right at sunset.
Here's a distant view of Uncompahgre Peak, taken from the viewpoint above Gunnison gorge. It's the mountain in the background.
I made some good dinner and now I'm having my hot chocolate as I type up the day's events. The river softly murmurs in the background, and the stars are burning brightly above. It'll be cold, but a beautiful clear night, and I can't wait to enjoy it. Today has had so many moments of beauty; I've truly been blessed. At times it's nearly brought tears to my eyes.
This is my last campsite of the trip. I'll stay here tomorrow night too, and from there I'll get as far east as I can on Tuesday. If I get far enough -- probably Kansas -- I'll make it home Wednesday. I could prolong the trip a couple days, but really it's been just fantastic and I am eager to be home and see Holly. And if all goes well tomorrow, it will be a fitting end to the trip. I can't wait.
Interim Post
Hi folks! Just wanted to let you know that I'm doing great and having a lot of fun. I'm also exhausted and need to get some sleep! I'll have backdated posts up over the next couple days. See the exciting conclusion to my trip!
Turning Point
In some ways, I think this is the day when I started coming home. Slowly, and with more adventure in store, but this was literally a turning point today.
Plans changed quite a bit. First thing in the morning, I planned to visit Great Basin National Park. But the weather didn't look good -- the low tonight was going to be in the low 20s up there. Then I thought I'd camp at Capitol Reef, only that campground was full. That led to push on, and I eventually decided to head up to Green River again, so that I can get to a good campsite in Colorado tomorrow. So I think I'm done with Utah as well.
Last night's sleep went pretty well, though our friends kept their radio going late. As annoying as it was, we both slept OK and woke up at about 7:00. We had some breakfast and began breaking camp:
We found out that we weren't the only ones annoyed by the music. The family farther down sent over their kids to make a lot of racket outside the site of the now-sleeping Skynyrd fans. It's good to know you're not alone!
Eventually we finished packing up, and there was nothing else to do except leave. It's depressing to leave Bert, it was a lot of fun to hang out with him for a couple days. But we both needed to move along. We took time for one more pose and then headed out.
At this point, my plan was to head to Capitol Reef. I figured it would look good in the sunset, and it would be a decent drive away. But I wanted to take a somewhat different route, so I began by heading west. That took me to I-15 at Toquerville, where I turned northeast. That's as far west as I will go on this trip, so I had to take a photo to commemorate the high-water mark.
The drive led me through some interesting terrain, including a drive past Cedar Breaks National Monument. I did travel over a portion of US-89 that we used from Bryce to Zion, but I headed north instead of east up UT-62. The road was deserted but very interesting, following a basin-and-range valley. I came across a cattle drive, and they had to open a hole for me through 30 tons of beef.
I was able to find a connecting road to cut off a short loop on UT-62. That took me over to UT-24 and the road to Capitol Reef.
I made it to Capitol Reef in decent time, but the campground was already full. I knew it was a risk, as today is a Saturday and the national parks do get full. I could have found a site in the national forest campgrounds, maybe 20 miles away, but instead I decided to push on to Green River and get a motel. That gave me the chance to see UT-24 again, but this time it was light. And it was a very interesting drive. There's some very interesting terrain along the way:
The last part of the drive, up to I-70, parallels the San Rafael Reef, with the San Rafael desert along the highway. It was a beautiful drive and I was glad to see it during the daytime; I would have missed something had I not visited it in the light.
So that brought me to Green River again. I got a room at the Super 8 this time -- it's actually nicer than the Ramada Limited. The next question is where to go tomorrow. I need to pick a campsite destination, probably in the San Juans of Colorado. I was really frustrated to miss hiking in them, and I want to give it another try. If the weather is good, perhaps I'll head for something around Telluride or Silverton again.
We'll see what I feel like tomorrow!
Plans changed quite a bit. First thing in the morning, I planned to visit Great Basin National Park. But the weather didn't look good -- the low tonight was going to be in the low 20s up there. Then I thought I'd camp at Capitol Reef, only that campground was full. That led to push on, and I eventually decided to head up to Green River again, so that I can get to a good campsite in Colorado tomorrow. So I think I'm done with Utah as well.
Last night's sleep went pretty well, though our friends kept their radio going late. As annoying as it was, we both slept OK and woke up at about 7:00. We had some breakfast and began breaking camp:
We found out that we weren't the only ones annoyed by the music. The family farther down sent over their kids to make a lot of racket outside the site of the now-sleeping Skynyrd fans. It's good to know you're not alone!
Eventually we finished packing up, and there was nothing else to do except leave. It's depressing to leave Bert, it was a lot of fun to hang out with him for a couple days. But we both needed to move along. We took time for one more pose and then headed out.
At this point, my plan was to head to Capitol Reef. I figured it would look good in the sunset, and it would be a decent drive away. But I wanted to take a somewhat different route, so I began by heading west. That took me to I-15 at Toquerville, where I turned northeast. That's as far west as I will go on this trip, so I had to take a photo to commemorate the high-water mark.
The drive led me through some interesting terrain, including a drive past Cedar Breaks National Monument. I did travel over a portion of US-89 that we used from Bryce to Zion, but I headed north instead of east up UT-62. The road was deserted but very interesting, following a basin-and-range valley. I came across a cattle drive, and they had to open a hole for me through 30 tons of beef.
I was able to find a connecting road to cut off a short loop on UT-62. That took me over to UT-24 and the road to Capitol Reef.
I made it to Capitol Reef in decent time, but the campground was already full. I knew it was a risk, as today is a Saturday and the national parks do get full. I could have found a site in the national forest campgrounds, maybe 20 miles away, but instead I decided to push on to Green River and get a motel. That gave me the chance to see UT-24 again, but this time it was light. And it was a very interesting drive. There's some very interesting terrain along the way:
The last part of the drive, up to I-70, parallels the San Rafael Reef, with the San Rafael desert along the highway. It was a beautiful drive and I was glad to see it during the daytime; I would have missed something had I not visited it in the light.
So that brought me to Green River again. I got a room at the Super 8 this time -- it's actually nicer than the Ramada Limited. The next question is where to go tomorrow. I need to pick a campsite destination, probably in the San Juans of Colorado. I was really frustrated to miss hiking in them, and I want to give it another try. If the weather is good, perhaps I'll head for something around Telluride or Silverton again.
We'll see what I feel like tomorrow!
15 September 2006
Bryce and Zion
The weather forecast for Bryce Canyon this morning: continued rain and thunderstorms. Low tonight of 25 degrees.
Not a good night for us to camp in Bryce tonight either. So we'll have to alter the plans. We talk about it over breakfast, and decide to drive down to Zion for the next night. It's lower, and farther west, and both factors will give us better weather.
But there's still time for a trip into Bryce Canyon. The weather at the motel looks decent:
But we can see that things look worse to the east, and when we drive into Bryce, it's no surprise to see more of the same.
We walked around for a while and took more photos.
The fog and sun made for some interesting combinations. We did get some very good photos, and took some group photos for a Chinese family we kept meeting. I think they were hoping we would join them at the Grand Canyon, too.
After a couple hours of that, we headed back to the motel to pack up and hit the road.
We drove down to Zion. The drive is beautiful, and we got incredibly lucky by missing the construction delays; 30 seconds later and we would have had a half-hour wait.
There wasn't much left in the campground but there were a few spaces and we got a decent one. We got there and Bert changed clothes -- showing that he does indeed wear the tshirt that Holly gave him!
We had a neighbor, too; she stayed around for much of the day along with her two kids. Bert and I took a few photos of her since she was so cute.
After setting up, we got some gear together and walked to the visitors center to board the shuttle. The Zion shuttle system is a bit annoying, but much better than clogging the park roads with cars. We stopped at a few points along the way, and walked and hiked a bit. This is the Weeping Wall, where water percolates through the Navaho sandstone to emerge near the bottom of the canyon.
We also did the Riverside walk for a while.
From there, we came back to the visitors center and grabbed the other shuttle to go into town. Springdale is just 5 minutes away and the convenient shuttle meant we didn't have to do any driving. We had dinner at the Bumbleberry diner, which was OK, and then went for ice cream (of course) and a quick trip to the Grocery.
From there it was back to our campsite. The campground doesn't have much space and it was full, so it was a bit noisy and bright. Our neighbors on one side were real jerks. They too had a motorcycle and a truck. But they also had a fierce propane lantern that lit up all the sites in the area, and then they started up the radio in the truck. We asked them to turn it down but our request was ignored. So we now go to sleep with bright shadows and cheesy 70s rock. Sigh. But it was a great day and we're both rather tired. So hopefully sleep will come easy.
Not a good night for us to camp in Bryce tonight either. So we'll have to alter the plans. We talk about it over breakfast, and decide to drive down to Zion for the next night. It's lower, and farther west, and both factors will give us better weather.
But there's still time for a trip into Bryce Canyon. The weather at the motel looks decent:
But we can see that things look worse to the east, and when we drive into Bryce, it's no surprise to see more of the same.
We walked around for a while and took more photos.
The fog and sun made for some interesting combinations. We did get some very good photos, and took some group photos for a Chinese family we kept meeting. I think they were hoping we would join them at the Grand Canyon, too.
After a couple hours of that, we headed back to the motel to pack up and hit the road.
We drove down to Zion. The drive is beautiful, and we got incredibly lucky by missing the construction delays; 30 seconds later and we would have had a half-hour wait.
There wasn't much left in the campground but there were a few spaces and we got a decent one. We got there and Bert changed clothes -- showing that he does indeed wear the tshirt that Holly gave him!
We had a neighbor, too; she stayed around for much of the day along with her two kids. Bert and I took a few photos of her since she was so cute.
After setting up, we got some gear together and walked to the visitors center to board the shuttle. The Zion shuttle system is a bit annoying, but much better than clogging the park roads with cars. We stopped at a few points along the way, and walked and hiked a bit. This is the Weeping Wall, where water percolates through the Navaho sandstone to emerge near the bottom of the canyon.
We also did the Riverside walk for a while.
From there, we came back to the visitors center and grabbed the other shuttle to go into town. Springdale is just 5 minutes away and the convenient shuttle meant we didn't have to do any driving. We had dinner at the Bumbleberry diner, which was OK, and then went for ice cream (of course) and a quick trip to the Grocery.
From there it was back to our campsite. The campground doesn't have much space and it was full, so it was a bit noisy and bright. Our neighbors on one side were real jerks. They too had a motorcycle and a truck. But they also had a fierce propane lantern that lit up all the sites in the area, and then they started up the radio in the truck. We asked them to turn it down but our request was ignored. So we now go to sleep with bright shadows and cheesy 70s rock. Sigh. But it was a great day and we're both rather tired. So hopefully sleep will come easy.
14 September 2006
Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon Meetup
Well, that was a busy day. Lots of photos and interesting activity.
Thursday morning I got up at 4AM as planned. A quick shower and I jumped in the car and took off by 5AM. The route took me down I-70 for a bit and then south and west along UT-24. It's marked on my map as a scenic drive. But I couldn't see any of it; it was still quite dark. I could see a hint of moonlight though, through an ominous layer of clouds. It was pretty spooky -- I think I passed three cars in the 90-mile drive. But my timing was good, and I came in to Capitol Reef National Park at about 6:30AM, just as the sky was lightening.
The light wasn't exactly great, but the interesting sky made for some good photos.
Some of these (as with many of my photos) will need some extensive editing. So these are for sure not final images. But still pretty cool.
The threatening weather kept me on my toes in the dry canyons. I didn't linger, and did see a low rainbow on my way out.
After a couple hours at Capitol Reef, I headed out to complete the drive down to Bryce Canyon. I was supposed to meet Bert and I wanted to be there as early as possible. The drive took me south and west again, this time through the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Part of the road runs along a ridge, with beautiful views down either side.
On to Bryce Canyon I went. But as I got close, the weather turned nasty. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were engulfing the park and I was worried for Bert.
I couldn't find him when I got up there. So I waited. With all the rain, it was kind of a zoo. I alternated between waiting at the visitor center (along with every other Bryce Canyon guest) and driving through the campsites in case he was waiting there. At about 3:00, after one of my trips through the campgrounds, I came back to the visitors center and found him. He was in his rain gear, waiting near the entrance, with four cute little ladies hanging on his every word.
It was great to find Bert. But when we discussed camping, it didn't seem like a good idea. The rain was still coming down and the forecast was for cold and wet all night. So we decided to leave the park and find a room nearby. We found one at Fosters down the road, had a cup of coffee, and checked out our room. It was a decent room. We had dinner at the steakhouse there. The weather was OK by us, so we decided to go back into the park to see what we could see.
It turned out that the clouds were still clinging to the park, just 10 miles away. We wandered around Sunset point, but instead of sunset we were treated to clouds swirling through the canyons.
A few minutes later, it was starting to rain, so we headed back to the room.
The rain followed us back this time, and the night began with another thunderstorm including hail. I'm glad we didn't camp in the park.
That's it for tonight. We'll see what tomorrow holds for us.
Thursday morning I got up at 4AM as planned. A quick shower and I jumped in the car and took off by 5AM. The route took me down I-70 for a bit and then south and west along UT-24. It's marked on my map as a scenic drive. But I couldn't see any of it; it was still quite dark. I could see a hint of moonlight though, through an ominous layer of clouds. It was pretty spooky -- I think I passed three cars in the 90-mile drive. But my timing was good, and I came in to Capitol Reef National Park at about 6:30AM, just as the sky was lightening.
The light wasn't exactly great, but the interesting sky made for some good photos.
Some of these (as with many of my photos) will need some extensive editing. So these are for sure not final images. But still pretty cool.
The threatening weather kept me on my toes in the dry canyons. I didn't linger, and did see a low rainbow on my way out.
After a couple hours at Capitol Reef, I headed out to complete the drive down to Bryce Canyon. I was supposed to meet Bert and I wanted to be there as early as possible. The drive took me south and west again, this time through the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Part of the road runs along a ridge, with beautiful views down either side.
On to Bryce Canyon I went. But as I got close, the weather turned nasty. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were engulfing the park and I was worried for Bert.
I couldn't find him when I got up there. So I waited. With all the rain, it was kind of a zoo. I alternated between waiting at the visitor center (along with every other Bryce Canyon guest) and driving through the campsites in case he was waiting there. At about 3:00, after one of my trips through the campgrounds, I came back to the visitors center and found him. He was in his rain gear, waiting near the entrance, with four cute little ladies hanging on his every word.
It was great to find Bert. But when we discussed camping, it didn't seem like a good idea. The rain was still coming down and the forecast was for cold and wet all night. So we decided to leave the park and find a room nearby. We found one at Fosters down the road, had a cup of coffee, and checked out our room. It was a decent room. We had dinner at the steakhouse there. The weather was OK by us, so we decided to go back into the park to see what we could see.
It turned out that the clouds were still clinging to the park, just 10 miles away. We wandered around Sunset point, but instead of sunset we were treated to clouds swirling through the canyons.
A few minutes later, it was starting to rain, so we headed back to the room.
The rain followed us back this time, and the night began with another thunderstorm including hail. I'm glad we didn't camp in the park.
That's it for tonight. We'll see what tomorrow holds for us.
Day 11: Map
We're just outside Bryce Canyon. Yesterday was an eventful day but all worked out well. I'll post more when I can. But for now, here's the updated travel map.
13 September 2006
Chama to Green River
Well, things are looking better today than yesterday.
I was pretty depressed and worried last night. I ended up watching TV until I fell asleep. I still woke up early, worried that the truck wouldn't start and I'd have to find a push or a tow to Bobby's. But as it happened, the truck started up -- and actually the voltmeter looked OK.
I wasn't going to assume the truck was OK. It was probably some kind of intermittent thing that was fine when it was cold but created a problem when it was hot. (The problem was constantly there when I was starting and stopping yesterday.) So, off to Bobby's and my appointment with a new alternator. I had been almost tempted to try it myself, but I didn't have the tools (just an adjustable wrench) and I don't know much about working with belts so I figured I could screw that up nicely. So back to Bobby's I went.
Joey did the repair. He wasn't around for a while, but after a half-hour he showed up and began the repair. It took him a bit less than an hour but he only charged me for a half-hour. Of course with the new alternator that still came to over $350. About what I had expected but at least the truck was running.
I hit the road, after a brief stop to use the restroom at the visitor's center. As I moved northwest, I kept an eye on the gauges, checking them about every mile or so. Paranoid, I know, but I figure by this point I have reason. But everything looked good and I made some good progress, reaching Pagosa Springs and Durango without incident other than a bit more road construction. I kept on to Cortez -- about 150 miles -- where I stopped for lunch and gas, and to give the truck a bit of a rest.
Past Cortez, the land quickly grew drier and a bit flat. It was clearly ranching country, and quite a change from what I'd been seeing.
I kept on and reached Utah -- my seventh state of the trip. I turned north at Monticello and left the ranching country for the canyons. The drive revealed all kinds of interesting formations and terrain. It was easy to see why there are so many parks around here. There were several more areas of road construction, with I think three more one-lane sections, so I had to wait a lot. But at least the scenery was interesting.
My plan was to camp at Arches National Park, and maybe head into Moab for dinner and an internet connection. But there was a lot of traffic heading north and I grew nervous. And I was right; the Arches campground was full.
The ranger suggested I check the commercial campgrounds along the river, and I turned back to head that way. But I thought about it a bit and decided to head farther along instead. I wanted to get an early start so that I could meet Bert with a good bit of the day left, so I kept on for another 50 miles (including another visit with I-70) until I reached Green River. Instead of camping, I decided on a motel room ( Ramada Inn Limited). Of course I have WiFi now, which is how these updates are happening. I even took a short swim in the pool for a change. I had dinner at Ray's Tavern, which was good, and now I'm finishing my update.
So what for tomorrow? I'm going to get up early; I hope to be on the road before 5AM. My goal is to catch the sunrise at Capitol Reef National Park, about 100 miles away. We'll see if that works or not. But at any rate, that should get me to Bryce Canyon fairly early.
That is, assuming the truck keeps running. Keep your fingers crossed...
I was pretty depressed and worried last night. I ended up watching TV until I fell asleep. I still woke up early, worried that the truck wouldn't start and I'd have to find a push or a tow to Bobby's. But as it happened, the truck started up -- and actually the voltmeter looked OK.
I wasn't going to assume the truck was OK. It was probably some kind of intermittent thing that was fine when it was cold but created a problem when it was hot. (The problem was constantly there when I was starting and stopping yesterday.) So, off to Bobby's and my appointment with a new alternator. I had been almost tempted to try it myself, but I didn't have the tools (just an adjustable wrench) and I don't know much about working with belts so I figured I could screw that up nicely. So back to Bobby's I went.
Joey did the repair. He wasn't around for a while, but after a half-hour he showed up and began the repair. It took him a bit less than an hour but he only charged me for a half-hour. Of course with the new alternator that still came to over $350. About what I had expected but at least the truck was running.
I hit the road, after a brief stop to use the restroom at the visitor's center. As I moved northwest, I kept an eye on the gauges, checking them about every mile or so. Paranoid, I know, but I figure by this point I have reason. But everything looked good and I made some good progress, reaching Pagosa Springs and Durango without incident other than a bit more road construction. I kept on to Cortez -- about 150 miles -- where I stopped for lunch and gas, and to give the truck a bit of a rest.
Past Cortez, the land quickly grew drier and a bit flat. It was clearly ranching country, and quite a change from what I'd been seeing.
I kept on and reached Utah -- my seventh state of the trip. I turned north at Monticello and left the ranching country for the canyons. The drive revealed all kinds of interesting formations and terrain. It was easy to see why there are so many parks around here. There were several more areas of road construction, with I think three more one-lane sections, so I had to wait a lot. But at least the scenery was interesting.
My plan was to camp at Arches National Park, and maybe head into Moab for dinner and an internet connection. But there was a lot of traffic heading north and I grew nervous. And I was right; the Arches campground was full.
The ranger suggested I check the commercial campgrounds along the river, and I turned back to head that way. But I thought about it a bit and decided to head farther along instead. I wanted to get an early start so that I could meet Bert with a good bit of the day left, so I kept on for another 50 miles (including another visit with I-70) until I reached Green River. Instead of camping, I decided on a motel room ( Ramada Inn Limited). Of course I have WiFi now, which is how these updates are happening. I even took a short swim in the pool for a change. I had dinner at Ray's Tavern, which was good, and now I'm finishing my update.
So what for tomorrow? I'm going to get up early; I hope to be on the road before 5AM. My goal is to catch the sunrise at Capitol Reef National Park, about 100 miles away. We'll see if that works or not. But at any rate, that should get me to Bryce Canyon fairly early.
That is, assuming the truck keeps running. Keep your fingers crossed...
