tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89714714700892396792024-03-24T18:33:24.219-05:00Westbrook RV Travel LogBebop emBARKs on some big adventures in the Bebopabago and covers them all here.Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-43591053451377671582023-11-22T15:23:00.003-06:002023-11-25T10:29:42.177-06:00Central Texas for Thanksgiving Week<p>We are visiting relatives in Harper, TX for Thanksgiving, so we planned a central Texas trip to four Texas parks over a nine-day period. We departed on Thursday, Nov 16th and headed to Dinosaur Valley State Park for one night. The first afternoon we waded in the Paluxy River to view some of the many large dinosaur tracks in the park. We saw a baby bobcat hunting a bird near our camp site just before sunset. The next morning, we did a few miles of hiking in the hills above the river and along a small, clear creek - and we were the only hikers out there.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuEE1dNqKxFIBSzWpypn6NSwaYqxSbqZCI08G-HgiaTtI-RHjZL2tK2qWH6cKyP8VtkZ5ynt29mbGiVhA3TAqaoF2sBnF_YiFo2ZWDf1I3yRGdz9mGPr6RhkrEwW71-Rb12IlAPyVzcr-Yre0SkZHXNiUQnMnw16exqkyCN7I_LzgT7ZHR0IT1zv844RM/s5120/Dino_Valley.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuEE1dNqKxFIBSzWpypn6NSwaYqxSbqZCI08G-HgiaTtI-RHjZL2tK2qWH6cKyP8VtkZ5ynt29mbGiVhA3TAqaoF2sBnF_YiFo2ZWDf1I3yRGdz9mGPr6RhkrEwW71-Rb12IlAPyVzcr-Yre0SkZHXNiUQnMnw16exqkyCN7I_LzgT7ZHR0IT1zv844RM/w640-h360/Dino_Valley.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinosaur Valley SP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGtZIOWTZmZNiyaUGgGFury3W9TNXKlUYL4omai7MNoceEt6ccR_CH1tPb3rDNOLOsx3REi2jqkmBNQ6aJsBZYaA2Yw75eTWl5THF19btxgTtb-jA0j_UfeYvcrtoRFlKUmxrMWxVGzRgpgIhi7Gvt_PGJpzT2gdznXu4BpoAAUTuIrz_Kuf50hOmbA8F/s5120/Dino_Valley1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGtZIOWTZmZNiyaUGgGFury3W9TNXKlUYL4omai7MNoceEt6ccR_CH1tPb3rDNOLOsx3REi2jqkmBNQ6aJsBZYaA2Yw75eTWl5THF19btxgTtb-jA0j_UfeYvcrtoRFlKUmxrMWxVGzRgpgIhi7Gvt_PGJpzT2gdznXu4BpoAAUTuIrz_Kuf50hOmbA8F/w640-h360/Dino_Valley1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinosaur Valley hiking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The second night was spent at Inks Lake State Park. We hiked to the Devil's Waterhole and along the Devil's Backbone Trail in the evening, then we hiked on the Lake Trail the next morning. The pink and gray granite is really striking in some sections, and we even got a little taste of fall color in a few areas.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMol97PzozNg3YHqg-98W4Vun9mt-QvoVVhlL2j8mNJEvM-XZvgAYGphK-J4dyxwoukDCXoUnuGJrwUMDfw5UcgY5q-GTaZ_utO_19fOjzZTgX3K0ulMXgWXUGH8165e1k2Juf0MmJ-8GFRSgVAuJ4JAuzJYPIvRIHCehBPOxMyYzZ17VI83d33nmfd8v7/s5120/Inks_Lake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMol97PzozNg3YHqg-98W4Vun9mt-QvoVVhlL2j8mNJEvM-XZvgAYGphK-J4dyxwoukDCXoUnuGJrwUMDfw5UcgY5q-GTaZ_utO_19fOjzZTgX3K0ulMXgWXUGH8165e1k2Juf0MmJ-8GFRSgVAuJ4JAuzJYPIvRIHCehBPOxMyYzZ17VI83d33nmfd8v7/w640-h360/Inks_Lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devil's Waterhole and Backbone at Inks Lake SP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7_Aya7FX5A0EvSjROqlfszGqDxZjd9hXoWQ7k6yJrB2dbd9TxD_MJv2VAVjTLmEf5AbM1ltHLK22r6blyKq-TdhnDzOMVlxeAqkJIWHaw2ulNuN1PUBj1Dgbgi6imSLUn4QCkdk95j-cBdSA8LKULrFcpNYqzAhWXfKK5CfMWVk0PRBGR27a58QgeyON/s5120/Inks_Lake1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7_Aya7FX5A0EvSjROqlfszGqDxZjd9hXoWQ7k6yJrB2dbd9TxD_MJv2VAVjTLmEf5AbM1ltHLK22r6blyKq-TdhnDzOMVlxeAqkJIWHaw2ulNuN1PUBj1Dgbgi6imSLUn4QCkdk95j-cBdSA8LKULrFcpNYqzAhWXfKK5CfMWVk0PRBGR27a58QgeyON/w640-h640/Inks_Lake1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A touch of fall color at Inks Lake SP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The next two nights were at Garner State Park. We arrived and walked along the Frio River, then hiked up to Crystal Cave, which is a very small cave - but Elena still had to climb in it. The trails here are often steep with loose gravel, so it was often slow-going - and going down with great caution to keep it as a controlled descent. </p><p>The second day started with drizzle and fog, and the clouds didn't lift much during the day. We walked along the river a bit in the late morning. We waited until mid-afternoon and hiked up to Old Baldy. Again, it was a steep trail, and the moisture made it quite slippery. We took a long route back after the summit and visited another small cave.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKp6g1c4wCdh9oHc-OgKKyLag0igfP5nEi3dKjOn1854J3Eh169JjnPeGzEQ-ztSyY8PANXjIZ833jEWpcjyraBmkoDJ-Y-uNcpdagn-8N677xAMrBnbp0HFH3amYmHXiAxR_-TBGnyvW-6jSHrONnBSWyKlN4fg6fgaqxjnk-zkCK5RU_uEVJLDkbdFi/s5120/Garner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKp6g1c4wCdh9oHc-OgKKyLag0igfP5nEi3dKjOn1854J3Eh169JjnPeGzEQ-ztSyY8PANXjIZ833jEWpcjyraBmkoDJ-Y-uNcpdagn-8N677xAMrBnbp0HFH3amYmHXiAxR_-TBGnyvW-6jSHrONnBSWyKlN4fg6fgaqxjnk-zkCK5RU_uEVJLDkbdFi/w640-h360/Garner.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hike up to Crystal Cave at Garner SP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzA8C1rq13hgg6QRPxtNLRDoAmN55eBgX3VR6kJxXcCjK-FplgYL1vlfw7KbOVaI3EMSHZrX9jPZKoNdCMsO4rvTehz-BwFzpjA9OLUpSPXw-Nyo9CBKFjgPYZdimzWntzY4b4jm7BvMYhMZzxyCbMeyx2V-VkCXjxIF44byX3hzUfiZgDzmWkTMAEBs4/s5120/Garner1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzA8C1rq13hgg6QRPxtNLRDoAmN55eBgX3VR6kJxXcCjK-FplgYL1vlfw7KbOVaI3EMSHZrX9jPZKoNdCMsO4rvTehz-BwFzpjA9OLUpSPXw-Nyo9CBKFjgPYZdimzWntzY4b4jm7BvMYhMZzxyCbMeyx2V-VkCXjxIF44byX3hzUfiZgDzmWkTMAEBs4/w640-h400/Garner1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hike along the Frio River in Garner SP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNVqfvu_QtRgVQsvn_upwX0JnStFmuR-BEd-excdOjIIMjj6EVrbS9VU5pCJ2N8iYh2XHJUVLIx_74C_xrPP9fUgcXmSbIKn5DBy4kPKpjxUn1Y5jCBbroq2wQpBWXQ9khIqQTfCzcAT4AJpoxS5Ax4iSiLqrfuA0bXvfc0Wy14IHoQfbg0N1BM-f7z1Y/s5120/Garner2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNVqfvu_QtRgVQsvn_upwX0JnStFmuR-BEd-excdOjIIMjj6EVrbS9VU5pCJ2N8iYh2XHJUVLIx_74C_xrPP9fUgcXmSbIKn5DBy4kPKpjxUn1Y5jCBbroq2wQpBWXQ9khIqQTfCzcAT4AJpoxS5Ax4iSiLqrfuA0bXvfc0Wy14IHoQfbg0N1BM-f7z1Y/w640-h640/Garner2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On top of Old Baldy at Garner SP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our final park was Lost Maples State Natural Area. This park is in a unique microclimate valley with numerous bigtooth maple trees - which is fairly unusual in Texas. The maple leaves are quite small, which is certainly an adaptation to this hotter climate. The many springs and seeps in the shaded valley areas help the trees survive. These are holdover trees from the last ice age, but the current human caused climate change might finish them off. Many had already dropped leaves in September due to the record heat and drought of the summer. Normally, this week would be peak fall color, but there was only minimal color to be seen. <p></p><p>We hiked two different trails. The East Loop on the first day - about 6 miles and 660 feet of elevation gain. The second day we hiked the west loop for about 6.6 miles and 550 feet of gain. It was a nice hike and some nice limestone terrain, but the maples, and their fall color, might be in long term decline.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdk2-L61R3tWrhwybgCcGgEGGo2wWP1ypUEhUkoT3SzbQGCk3ixCwgXB9LeO_aRsMT4KbmIfg7AjDQAbIhKEi92qJyQDf_Q14OEtN6x91cm_b2IWDhB0EfJZdXHc6vDEB0ThfQ_pJF6d_QegXbnMdGeuTrPfXLNTJfOpe1-wJP0B3LXhX1tGvxdOsh9Yf/s5120/Lost_Maples1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5120" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdk2-L61R3tWrhwybgCcGgEGGo2wWP1ypUEhUkoT3SzbQGCk3ixCwgXB9LeO_aRsMT4KbmIfg7AjDQAbIhKEi92qJyQDf_Q14OEtN6x91cm_b2IWDhB0EfJZdXHc6vDEB0ThfQ_pJF6d_QegXbnMdGeuTrPfXLNTJfOpe1-wJP0B3LXhX1tGvxdOsh9Yf/w640-h480/Lost_Maples1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Monkey Rock and Bebop showing a maple leaf.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNKnLIi4cN_NAhdx2r7EdhXYWDIxuNUgIbdVvGzrZIIPHeHV4dJh2PqHojQr5_0txL-A7ShS7tUnIvODfgt62IJ0K1MxpExfeJuBvaOMeembNCnyFk-tn9Ei3FDat6UywITL-yQtPi8zU_jdbIRkfSl1FgwUeNYJUXdIx6Wm1y1RdvbkmjhkR5akn1594/s5120/Lost_Maples2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNKnLIi4cN_NAhdx2r7EdhXYWDIxuNUgIbdVvGzrZIIPHeHV4dJh2PqHojQr5_0txL-A7ShS7tUnIvODfgt62IJ0K1MxpExfeJuBvaOMeembNCnyFk-tn9Ei3FDat6UywITL-yQtPi8zU_jdbIRkfSl1FgwUeNYJUXdIx6Wm1y1RdvbkmjhkR5akn1594/w640-h400/Lost_Maples2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from Lost Maples.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXNDiSdm-JpqJIuexTelvFMX9aoPh0aSqXIn-73bw6rNoVbpKlYrf_2DIvoRuH0-b9vHc054LA12H6MF1ZT4oWSnS8YLesfMykCqNQQMnQEbWGPPJlhdfUH-lZb-E6YaVx2RJYPFU9SFm249TyY0S8pBq5lEfBqX1-341mvNLRDDRXc7vOMZe5Pu2jwk8/s5120/Lost_Maples.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXNDiSdm-JpqJIuexTelvFMX9aoPh0aSqXIn-73bw6rNoVbpKlYrf_2DIvoRuH0-b9vHc054LA12H6MF1ZT4oWSnS8YLesfMykCqNQQMnQEbWGPPJlhdfUH-lZb-E6YaVx2RJYPFU9SFm249TyY0S8pBq5lEfBqX1-341mvNLRDDRXc7vOMZe5Pu2jwk8/w640-h400/Lost_Maples.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few colorful maple leaves.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Here are the trip stats:<br /></p><p>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Trip Duration: 9 days<br />Miles Driven: 840 miles</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Average miles/day:</span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>93<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Time Driving: 18</span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">hours</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Avg Speed: 47 mph</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">MPG: 16.5 (vehicle calc); 15.6 (actual)</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Gas Used: 54 gallons, average of 6 gallons/day</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Gas Cost: $140 ($15/day) - avg of $2.59/gallon</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></p><p>- Paul<br /></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Lost Maples State Natural Area, 37221 RM 187, Vanderpool, TX 78885, USA29.8076231 -99.57060691.4973892638211552 -134.7268569 58.117856936178846 -64.4143569tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-60976741412310279562023-10-23T14:16:00.002-05:002023-10-25T20:57:03.891-05:00Fall 2023 Trip Summary<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wrapping up our fall 2023 road trip. <span>Our 2022KL Winnebago <a href="https://enerjazz.com/travato/" target="_blank">Travato</a> (The Bebopabago) performed well for us again, but we did have one issue this time, which I'll detail below. </span></span></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The primary impetus for this trip was a return hike to the Havasupai reservation in AZ. My permit was delayed two years when the reservation closed due to COVID. It was so nice to finally get back to, what I consider to be, the most beautiful canyon in the world. That four-day adventure has become my new favorite hiking trip of all time. It was also fun to be on the grounds of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for 3 nights. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I posted a few blogs during the trip, and there are numerous
photos in each. And, I added a few favorite photos below as
well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Our blog site: <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/fall-trip-plan.html" target="_blank">Trip Plan and Map</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/caprock-canyons-state-park.html" target="_blank">Caprock Canyons State Park (TX)</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/albuquerque-balloon-fiesta.html" target="_blank">Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/indigenous-people-and-places.html" target="_blank">Indigenous People and Places<br /></a>- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-canyon-so-grand.html" target="_blank">A Canyon So Grand</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/return-to-havasu-falls.html" target="_blank">Return to Havasu Falls</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/10/bebop-blogging-on-subway-cave.html" target="_blank">Bebop Blogs About Sedona and Subway Cave<br /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The one issue we had with the van this trip was with the Truma heater. We had 3 nights at the Grand Canyon. The morning after the first night it was a bit cool, so I tried to turn on the space heater using propane. I could hear it click and start, but then it would shut down after about 10 seconds. Fortunately, we were able to change campsites the next two nights to a site with electricity, as the lows were supposed to be near freezing. The heater ran fine off electricity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We had plenty of propane and I checked the intake/exhaust port for blockages. I found a small wasp nest, but still had the same issue after I removed it. I suspect a bad propane regulator. Night temperatures moderated, or we had electricity at our subsequent campsites, so I'll address it when I return home. Everything else operated as expected. <i>*UPDATE* Turned out to be the simplest fix of all. Fuse #7, which powers the propane detector and the solenoid valve, had blown. Slid in a new 5 amp fuse and all systems are go again.<br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I do enjoy data, so here are the trip stats:</span></p><p>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Trip Duration: 20 days<br />Miles Driven: 3,007 miles</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Average miles/day:</span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>150<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Time Driving: 62</span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">hours</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Avg Speed: 48 mph</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">MPG: 17.6 (vehicle calc); 16.8 (actual)</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Gas Used: 179 gallons, average of 8.9 gallons/day</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Gas Cost: $636 ($32/day) - avg of $3.55/gallon</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">A few photos from this trip:</span></span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCnFZSQH1641p-93v3aEAwXZweLB9DQdaITD6zBlx_aSTFEjb_loqg9wLpfuQKgNbVO9QuNBUdErtfBe9Gp58xL-XYZEkRcfXwK9KDVwJd25hbK4E78KKvP55kCZ1KXa1oar6rOzPw24IfEw0YhM39iXxlqsSlYJNhD_m4gguknvXZd61vKgBiKYtvKYX/s3693/Bosque_Redondo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2077" data-original-width="3693" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCnFZSQH1641p-93v3aEAwXZweLB9DQdaITD6zBlx_aSTFEjb_loqg9wLpfuQKgNbVO9QuNBUdErtfBe9Gp58xL-XYZEkRcfXwK9KDVwJd25hbK4E78KKvP55kCZ1KXa1oar6rOzPw24IfEw0YhM39iXxlqsSlYJNhD_m4gguknvXZd61vKgBiKYtvKYX/w640-h360/Bosque_Redondo.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From our boondock site at Bosque Redondo Park in NM<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gQmtVKigpKcrP6vOI9WR7jeQbz-LCJl6r-5lPILbR7appvGrszwo76jsrm23IqSmiRQik5KMRiJWcs692TvYR3_jPHaj-ZT55FGhcC0V9QiWW334Li0YFvPAQcI7C5x_557ZMP6r09FmenfuOXo3TLzj9wq2F-jF6Y24fAGM21LLdyZNL0drRAICRRUW/s5120/AZNM23-Caprock2.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gQmtVKigpKcrP6vOI9WR7jeQbz-LCJl6r-5lPILbR7appvGrszwo76jsrm23IqSmiRQik5KMRiJWcs692TvYR3_jPHaj-ZT55FGhcC0V9QiWW334Li0YFvPAQcI7C5x_557ZMP6r09FmenfuOXo3TLzj9wq2F-jF6Y24fAGM21LLdyZNL0drRAICRRUW/w640-h360/AZNM23-Caprock2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Caprock Canyons State Park (TX)<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMglD9XPWrt-0Wv1IV1PjJd2wjNKuMkfk-DdlniuAM3hn3TD0NpONj45mkgWY9BT5c6dALUusS4eHylCzukOpFeRxtO7RfRlK2khLyXA0yKAfVH_cDVrFCIND_8i2Or0WZ-94TS4bK0nHU0OaEzw1CTwM_dUkpFKWdm1bXhBjA1jwAfr29e6ZYJDCHPh6/s5120/ABQ-balloon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMglD9XPWrt-0Wv1IV1PjJd2wjNKuMkfk-DdlniuAM3hn3TD0NpONj45mkgWY9BT5c6dALUusS4eHylCzukOpFeRxtO7RfRlK2khLyXA0yKAfVH_cDVrFCIND_8i2Or0WZ-94TS4bK0nHU0OaEzw1CTwM_dUkpFKWdm1bXhBjA1jwAfr29e6ZYJDCHPh6/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - So Many Balloons</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjJHAakpoV7eJpalt7bcoCPLuNXb_6GicX2V-2RfjQN7_YNGdXmHVthdjKRDRMj86SmcgxKjC26fllGA1uvU8WiRcr4vlauCH927cNAyt9AUR-MEqUc3dyGAezXPAAJkXYYuhRFh9pDAsc-hCBemTMEUSVAHP9Wh3Ya9B1hKMPzy0rHSlBL74EPTSa0Mw/s5120/ABQ-balloon1.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjJHAakpoV7eJpalt7bcoCPLuNXb_6GicX2V-2RfjQN7_YNGdXmHVthdjKRDRMj86SmcgxKjC26fllGA1uvU8WiRcr4vlauCH927cNAyt9AUR-MEqUc3dyGAezXPAAJkXYYuhRFh9pDAsc-hCBemTMEUSVAHP9Wh3Ya9B1hKMPzy0rHSlBL74EPTSa0Mw/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Early Morning<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnLntNBzvUQYvbFg2BEUrQwmUtNFg58M2bMujV98pDxIxMAebK_kWDuzg4w3mGHy-ry2aECZMnjD9V2DvDvrPQKtYDB9R8evxThkKWaDeINRILXhMfT-rygt-22xRbCFvGPOLvGDKpvDUpGcMRWgMTFpbyrcALXFRC7VdRBXacesiN3_49_TO7GDLx4WE/s3877/Coal_Mine_Canyon-009.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2178" data-original-width="3877" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnLntNBzvUQYvbFg2BEUrQwmUtNFg58M2bMujV98pDxIxMAebK_kWDuzg4w3mGHy-ry2aECZMnjD9V2DvDvrPQKtYDB9R8evxThkKWaDeINRILXhMfT-rygt-22xRbCFvGPOLvGDKpvDUpGcMRWgMTFpbyrcALXFRC7VdRBXacesiN3_49_TO7GDLx4WE/w640-h360/Coal_Mine_Canyon-009.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Coal Mine Canyon - Elena kept telling me to take a step back, but I didn't fall for it.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8T5610sle7y06Tfmr72DUsj-taHQDP4UEqWKrqRQJjwrFEiiJ1euuDm9NHo7Qd1SC8ivVuJ7o0oPOALjBtPXc2HrN6U3ST4jb6KEzzFbLhmtYKZXl5qUtbWuAe_CWvQzUMKlS9YazFynRWciKJYIJXigXlOx-VwtaI-sZXT-qA8YFkDBu1WZMMhdF_2a/s4032/Kaibab-006.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8T5610sle7y06Tfmr72DUsj-taHQDP4UEqWKrqRQJjwrFEiiJ1euuDm9NHo7Qd1SC8ivVuJ7o0oPOALjBtPXc2HrN6U3ST4jb6KEzzFbLhmtYKZXl5qUtbWuAe_CWvQzUMKlS9YazFynRWciKJYIJXigXlOx-VwtaI-sZXT-qA8YFkDBu1WZMMhdF_2a/w640-h360/Kaibab-006.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul & Elena at Ohh-Ahh Point - Grand Canyon Kaibab Trail <br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUggZ1Zs45NrVnFmCY63SRZcArDhmcxS7-M8kIITIAnX7ngJGBcun058oahoTaV5muCESyz6H4g5vZE95B_-oUlXxl72KJ5csxpx51pU-OItCteBTZNF3eW6pQZ2UKfe3FMYMTNN4VU6vCvQOUiSQQcARFToGPr7gXEux-mf68jV1MMyDrLLu4xKBDf1q/s5120/Havasu232.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUggZ1Zs45NrVnFmCY63SRZcArDhmcxS7-M8kIITIAnX7ngJGBcun058oahoTaV5muCESyz6H4g5vZE95B_-oUlXxl72KJ5csxpx51pU-OItCteBTZNF3eW6pQZ2UKfe3FMYMTNN4VU6vCvQOUiSQQcARFToGPr7gXEux-mf68jV1MMyDrLLu4xKBDf1q/w640-h360/Havasu232.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Relaxing at Havasu Falls</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br /></span></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaDMZZqYrwtobyJOIVrdEsXdODVuq_rOgRKq41ISIYlLpbDNGUNQ5UFhXgOGP7p7DaaMAWTe_acM-n-uVxuypNvlnpcM8ka2qT5w_JFl2JYXMXfF5tbyvP1vUVvrp3LJlKaiD1Q9RcxuH13dgXosYS52kZxzgAYnZXawGWqGQycbZWIv44SbeJ8RaH6at/s4032/Sedona_Subway-027.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaDMZZqYrwtobyJOIVrdEsXdODVuq_rOgRKq41ISIYlLpbDNGUNQ5UFhXgOGP7p7DaaMAWTe_acM-n-uVxuypNvlnpcM8ka2qT5w_JFl2JYXMXfF5tbyvP1vUVvrp3LJlKaiD1Q9RcxuH13dgXosYS52kZxzgAYnZXawGWqGQycbZWIv44SbeJ8RaH6at/w640-h360/Sedona_Subway-027.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Family photo at the Subway Cave in Sedona<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">- Paul <br /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Fairview, TX 75069, USA33.1578952 -96.63165934.8476613638211532 -131.7879093 61.468129036178844 -61.475409299999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-30504596376982842522023-10-20T21:10:00.003-05:002023-10-20T21:10:30.080-05:00Bebop Blogging on the Subway Cave<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are near the end of our three-week trip, so it's my turn (it's me Bebop) to write the blog. While dad was at Havasu Falls, mom and I went to Flagstaff. They have a lot of pine trees and sticks there, and the weather was nice.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After we all reunited, we went to a town called Prescott, where we met some friends for dinner. I didn't know them, but my parents did. It was a restaurant with an outdoor patio that allowed dogs. My parents friends fed me some food from the table, so they are now my friends too. We hiked to a lake called Watson Lake. It's in the middle of some granite rocks, which mom really liked. The water was a little low, and it was a bit stinky.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhGOThMxJCeg7Byf0ryegG4PlMscBdSrzT96s06vCzIjaZ7xa4LxKgocDOFfUZWkS17UOp49zM39ZvJ9STw6lW7LtB0E3HFajKCHnblsAZGZTFeO7G3oZqLzIYB0pjXA9jalEZYlDaKrudGpYoXnYMRnhg3TPPvRkyOlUtiNh7Hd6epZWM72C7mFTEkz9/s4032/Watson_Lake-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhGOThMxJCeg7Byf0ryegG4PlMscBdSrzT96s06vCzIjaZ7xa4LxKgocDOFfUZWkS17UOp49zM39ZvJ9STw6lW7LtB0E3HFajKCHnblsAZGZTFeO7G3oZqLzIYB0pjXA9jalEZYlDaKrudGpYoXnYMRnhg3TPPvRkyOlUtiNh7Hd6epZWM72C7mFTEkz9/w640-h360/Watson_Lake-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop at Watson Lake in Prescott<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next day we drove to a park called Dead Horse Ranch State Park. I don't know who is in charge of marketing, but I could have come up with a more attractive name - and I'm a dog. Fortunately, we didn't see any dead horses. We didn't see any live ones either, but we did see their horse hoofprints on the trails. We walked along the Verde River and around some lagoons.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhyphenhyphennaqwRrgrdQl13YV1pn-JH3YIna1F9px6mccb_ZGAgdry9a2P6yi5P07AAB0_vpWMIXjq0KX-F_JAraKz91D89CsQJZJRcYqSzh_b7eT13wPpA_giYW5e_3ODFkZCuR7PJMY2UCdWhABqvzlVLm4_rRPPlxzHIzA3YQETxkhFqdgx2nMVyDT-TylivB/s4032/Dead_Horse_Ranch-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhyphenhyphennaqwRrgrdQl13YV1pn-JH3YIna1F9px6mccb_ZGAgdry9a2P6yi5P07AAB0_vpWMIXjq0KX-F_JAraKz91D89CsQJZJRcYqSzh_b7eT13wPpA_giYW5e_3ODFkZCuR7PJMY2UCdWhABqvzlVLm4_rRPPlxzHIzA3YQETxkhFqdgx2nMVyDT-TylivB/w640-h360/Dead_Horse_Ranch-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop at Dead Horse Ranch State Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our final major stop was Sedona, AZ. Our campground backed up to Oak Creek. Dad has hiked here many times. We hiked an old favorite - the Secret Slickrock Trail. On our second day, we decided to do a hike that dad has not done before. It's called the Subway Cave. It was about a 6-mile round trip, with 1,100 feet of elevation gain. We started early in the morning because it's popular and can get crowded. This was not mom's favorite time of day, but she hung with us. </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOcF0Rzu-s_v3D14kXcgOVBzOTkGQlW7s4ac4ZrNxgLGVXfsxYrUV35UsMEcp-f7j4j21bJKBGpKGZZCtYBqTSKrZo5_t4_Mjf66npHNbxrpd1x0TS5uWOmTqtTSIexotXjN4yoRjA57NJz7SvILbrm2i0DVyZ2WKSxGllwNnmi6nhBmZc7CZdALJ3urC/s4032/Sedona_Bebop-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOcF0Rzu-s_v3D14kXcgOVBzOTkGQlW7s4ac4ZrNxgLGVXfsxYrUV35UsMEcp-f7j4j21bJKBGpKGZZCtYBqTSKrZo5_t4_Mjf66npHNbxrpd1x0TS5uWOmTqtTSIexotXjN4yoRjA57NJz7SvILbrm2i0DVyZ2WKSxGllwNnmi6nhBmZc7CZdALJ3urC/w640-h360/Sedona_Bebop-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop on the Secret Slickrock Trail in Sedona<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyKxkjD4XJKJU7-r4lbLKgpGe2xaZFSDhSGbdBXORcgMBAgmUbFteJW0D59KQzoX1-RXjQAdLqGdP2ZcS55Ml0NQYKA9CvX6tgG7PW-5HyYpCPxLGVQ0IOquDk90Yneiy_D2sAcGQzoFPSzv3M69ufXOZXrnjB5k3WyL94o7DgsueoRjUqDP09FD20-tz/s4032/Oak_Creek-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyKxkjD4XJKJU7-r4lbLKgpGe2xaZFSDhSGbdBXORcgMBAgmUbFteJW0D59KQzoX1-RXjQAdLqGdP2ZcS55Ml0NQYKA9CvX6tgG7PW-5HyYpCPxLGVQ0IOquDk90Yneiy_D2sAcGQzoFPSzv3M69ufXOZXrnjB5k3WyL94o7DgsueoRjUqDP09FD20-tz/w640-h360/Oak_Creek-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elena in Oak Creek<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At one point, we came upon at least six deer just off the trail. One of the deer was a bit aggressive toward me, as there was a baby deer a bit back in the trees. I assured her we meant no harm, but she actually followed us down the trail a bit to make sure we were leaving. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDxtiDVWCvyYLrcdkhbqAqXuEIRfgd1t_zF2H2zldZg_rouwximTUT6X-sm7g-j-erLFSfT6WUo0xFPkUQr1xN0q80enR0M18ikfJ5_cRDj8VaeOf8LxfR53rBCkIfPHlyX8bnO_t_qAuyVgL20SwM7oOLXYui2F7iWJloQgpQVEnNavYmpTMfJ3VCTGI/s2721/Sedona_Subway-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2721" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDxtiDVWCvyYLrcdkhbqAqXuEIRfgd1t_zF2H2zldZg_rouwximTUT6X-sm7g-j-erLFSfT6WUo0xFPkUQr1xN0q80enR0M18ikfJ5_cRDj8VaeOf8LxfR53rBCkIfPHlyX8bnO_t_qAuyVgL20SwM7oOLXYui2F7iWJloQgpQVEnNavYmpTMfJ3VCTGI/w640-h360/Sedona_Subway-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deer on high alert<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We finally got to the base of the cave, and I thought dad was a little nuts with this selection. We had to climb and claw our way up a 45 degree slick rock to reach the cave. I'm very brave, so I took off first up the south edge of the chute. At one point it was so steep that my claws slipped, and I fell down a bit. I caught myself, but I decided I had enough and shot past dad and went the other way. Dad coaxed me back in front of him and gave me a butt boost to get up the slick rock. Then I went over to say hello to a lady coming down the other side while dad tried to scramble up and hold my leash at the same time. We both made it, but mom was still down below. She waited for down traffic to clear and clawed her way up the north edge of the chute. </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54VhJHy4EMpNozilnwdFFcnGvt5aJv7Ifn8QkcRuM0GgcBqlODrsOqH0fl_z-96Vcuk4fwfksF_gdUS2hjbHhzsnlauVdd5uoJ9Ll-76FcHKjVoVxFD967C5MCaLWMyOH7IONNe_tojGhKJumXdBHiEYPXlUzPsu2Z5OFS-qv1gR9UPc2m5oraFjUJCmK/s5120/Sedona23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54VhJHy4EMpNozilnwdFFcnGvt5aJv7Ifn8QkcRuM0GgcBqlODrsOqH0fl_z-96Vcuk4fwfksF_gdUS2hjbHhzsnlauVdd5uoJ9Ll-76FcHKjVoVxFD967C5MCaLWMyOH7IONNe_tojGhKJumXdBHiEYPXlUzPsu2Z5OFS-qv1gR9UPc2m5oraFjUJCmK/w640-h400/Sedona23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steep slot up to the Subway Cave. Elena is climbing in the middle picture.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPl6PxNgOWAfW4vrY6Koa90gVXyhYvjQ-24hj5bX20s7kUHOi9miohjmRVYI7_-RwGLe91J9JQwQZX6nj3HPid-yrlngdxI12xnnCCXcmvOImRIhoUp_Unr1qJ0knBjN-CvXSE7Pd-dbbSWMeF7zdlxhXOQNRUSxhYTz4RSF9GTCCL_1_QRUV5nHpbbtc/s4032/Sedona_Subway-025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPl6PxNgOWAfW4vrY6Koa90gVXyhYvjQ-24hj5bX20s7kUHOi9miohjmRVYI7_-RwGLe91J9JQwQZX6nj3HPid-yrlngdxI12xnnCCXcmvOImRIhoUp_Unr1qJ0knBjN-CvXSE7Pd-dbbSWMeF7zdlxhXOQNRUSxhYTz4RSF9GTCCL_1_QRUV5nHpbbtc/w640-h360/Sedona_Subway-025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop keeps an eye on Elena at the Subway Cave<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaDMZZqYrwtobyJOIVrdEsXdODVuq_rOgRKq41ISIYlLpbDNGUNQ5UFhXgOGP7p7DaaMAWTe_acM-n-uVxuypNvlnpcM8ka2qT5w_JFl2JYXMXfF5tbyvP1vUVvrp3LJlKaiD1Q9RcxuH13dgXosYS52kZxzgAYnZXawGWqGQycbZWIv44SbeJ8RaH6at/s4032/Sedona_Subway-027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaDMZZqYrwtobyJOIVrdEsXdODVuq_rOgRKq41ISIYlLpbDNGUNQ5UFhXgOGP7p7DaaMAWTe_acM-n-uVxuypNvlnpcM8ka2qT5w_JFl2JYXMXfF5tbyvP1vUVvrp3LJlKaiD1Q9RcxuH13dgXosYS52kZxzgAYnZXawGWqGQycbZWIv44SbeJ8RaH6at/w640-h360/Sedona_Subway-027.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family photo at the Subway Cave<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we got up there, it was an interesting cave. It had ledges on both sides of the chute and looked like a keyhole. There was already a local cave with that name, so this one was called Subway Cave. After we took a few photos, dad and I crawled around the ledge to some Native American cliff dwelling sites. Mom didn't like the tiny ledge and slid back down the chute on her bottom (in a controlled manner) to wait for us. We made it around the edge to some simple cliff dwelling areas and petroglyph. Dad and I took the alternate route down, which was a little less steep. </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlD8IvGAQ2E2goSyaZ1n-Yk8uxDBrUWPQdvJyoBB7I1E7mIMNP_RV83u3lPvT5LvNK3Px4rlu7uJD0r4r5fpp2GAFTeUlzu5MqlsFNcpuwjMfp0NAK2qMBH5T73DExVDQOI0M0QL7n4_oXsUxB3_69i8THqGAMXvFqAnCL9aiTnfxrfYzFJUnKF_iK7fg/s5120/Sedona231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlD8IvGAQ2E2goSyaZ1n-Yk8uxDBrUWPQdvJyoBB7I1E7mIMNP_RV83u3lPvT5LvNK3Px4rlu7uJD0r4r5fpp2GAFTeUlzu5MqlsFNcpuwjMfp0NAK2qMBH5T73DExVDQOI0M0QL7n4_oXsUxB3_69i8THqGAMXvFqAnCL9aiTnfxrfYzFJUnKF_iK7fg/w640-h400/Sedona231.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring the Sinagua cliff sites<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Overall, it was a fun adventure and an interesting cave. Four paws up. Until next time.<br /><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_zdx732Sd1HEBQLtkqUzmMakpBShrEpHanwZHyRanSXggl46CNPJwnx9B8WcRI2MkX-3FhdaVz6-_Z-QYtF6WI89Ofs_VmaO5FX8rqPnrSjhhAfQLFgLTu2OwVmTmB7zSRCLX4pwcdb8mQmrFnd2s2MI0XYwyHePZaBhpw62i1XTe-KdsFS3PtagDWgZ/s3154/Sedona_Bebop-paws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3154" data-original-width="2052" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_zdx732Sd1HEBQLtkqUzmMakpBShrEpHanwZHyRanSXggl46CNPJwnx9B8WcRI2MkX-3FhdaVz6-_Z-QYtF6WI89Ofs_VmaO5FX8rqPnrSjhhAfQLFgLTu2OwVmTmB7zSRCLX4pwcdb8mQmrFnd2s2MI0XYwyHePZaBhpw62i1XTe-KdsFS3PtagDWgZ/w260-h400/Sedona_Bebop-paws.jpg" width="260" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Bebop</span></span><br /></p><p><br /></p><br />Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Sedona, AZ 86336, USA34.8697395 -111.76098966.559505663821156 -146.91723960000002 63.179973336178847 -76.6047396tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-17277864106900596342023-10-18T12:37:00.007-05:002024-03-16T14:30:39.561-05:00Return to Havasu Falls<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>In October 2018 we hiked to the Havasupai village of Supai and the incredible canyon and waterfalls. It's a side canyon located west of the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim boundary that is the traditional home of the Havsupai people (for at least 800 years). They were removed from much of their traditional land when the Grand Canyon became a park, but they were allowed to remain in a small area of Havasu canyon. Eventually they won the rights to a larger area around that canyon.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><br />Havasu Creek emerges from underground springs and is the most incredible milky blue color you'll ever see. The water has moved through limestone and dissolved high quantities of calcium carbonate and magnesium. These minerals reflect certain wavelengths of sunlight, and give the water it's unique color. When the water churns over the falls, it releases CO2 and precipitates out the calcium into travertine deposits. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzDA_ekxiIpiwturLlhaevR9ZpwfAIE_mqtFzUUbKzC7WVYSWhYbcVQblmd-FIX3msOKCPj99U7i34BPcYkSewKEauGOk9WBJdNgZPs7_Q4pbpWY21hN4XT9WkvuFh-VvaglqhOP0sVi0qt7Z7GxkMwk-9pipQPZNpl9tCpeRg85Yl9PADwgJyIL6IIz6/s4032/Havasu23-C-009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzDA_ekxiIpiwturLlhaevR9ZpwfAIE_mqtFzUUbKzC7WVYSWhYbcVQblmd-FIX3msOKCPj99U7i34BPcYkSewKEauGOk9WBJdNgZPs7_Q4pbpWY21hN4XT9WkvuFh-VvaglqhOP0sVi0qt7Z7GxkMwk-9pipQPZNpl9tCpeRg85Yl9PADwgJyIL6IIz6/w360-h640/Havasu23-C-009.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Havasu Falls with the amazing blue water<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>Havasu Creek cuts through the red rock canyon and has formed several major waterfalls: Fifty Foot Falls; Little Navajo; Havasu, Mooney, and Beaver. There are also many other smaller, but still excellent falls. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>The creek eventually flows into the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>The village of Supai is on the banks of the creek and is home to about 500 members of the Havasupai tribe. They are kind enough to let us tourists visit their amazing home. They give about 100 permits per day to visit, so there are generally only a couple of hundred people visiting on any day.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been - possibly the absolute top of the list. We had rain on our second day in 2018 and weren't able to hike to Beaver Falls. I vowed to go back soon, and got a permit in 2020 for October of 2021, but they shut the reservation down for a few years because of COVID. They rolled the permits over and reopened in 2023.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>This is not an easy place to get to. First, you drive on old Route 66 to just east of Peach Springs, AZ. This is the middle of nowhere. Then you take a 60-mile road north until you reach a parking lot at the top of a canyon. This is the edge of nowhere. Then you hike 8 miles into the canyon, dropping 2,000 feet, to the village of Supai. There are no roads to the town, so it has remained isolated and protected from overdevelopment. The only way to get there is by foot, mule, or helicopter. You have two choices for accommodations - a campground and a lodge. We chose the lodge, so we wouldn't have to lug as much gear. <br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>Our permit was for 3 nights, and we had two rooms reserved with four people in each. Elena stayed on the rim this time with Bebop in our camper van. My daughter Kendall and six other friends (Beth Michalak, Laureen Kraft, Stephanie Hilbun, Tom Hilbun, Kaycee Morganto, and Travis Rogers) hiked with me. Our group was quite varied in age: 63, 62, 59, 50, 50, 36, 31, and 29. We hiked in on Sat, Oct 14th, which happened to be the morning of the annular eclipse. We viewed it from the trail on our way in, and we had about 88% coverage from where we were. </span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjAxEqRPJcK0sQGlRJLR_ipqN_BHX6hbwWHCi2mqrz_p91pDTHsyLhIvhJVTIY5Sg3vZOQII8jD2-0lt_TWW3uj7K0gT4W7FF6fU2uVDMvL_NfKc4RG9AjxmfLRsNonAa9cCgOIgnbyawVnYoJsYO66bEG2FlEo4fTHS97St7V1BtrDC0kUfpIyXoMjRA/s4032/Havasu23-A-002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjAxEqRPJcK0sQGlRJLR_ipqN_BHX6hbwWHCi2mqrz_p91pDTHsyLhIvhJVTIY5Sg3vZOQII8jD2-0lt_TWW3uj7K0gT4W7FF6fU2uVDMvL_NfKc4RG9AjxmfLRsNonAa9cCgOIgnbyawVnYoJsYO66bEG2FlEo4fTHS97St7V1BtrDC0kUfpIyXoMjRA/w640-h360/Havasu23-A-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the hilltop ready to hike in<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcOjR6aGpG0sxIAiuyQgLFFWoF7A79oai2IQLMoNoHUhgyKBJstf3dz0wi2Z5UuTL05mWLZwchvBNpwX5zuM4T1GPjqveYbh-xHNF6tbXNNp28qxtMmIK2E3RPqB1R5AfjVROMzz0UQX0YMnILxZ8YArfmz_7AYSevlo7AtYPIo-DABYRJtyynhndV7KF/s5120/Havasu23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcOjR6aGpG0sxIAiuyQgLFFWoF7A79oai2IQLMoNoHUhgyKBJstf3dz0wi2Z5UuTL05mWLZwchvBNpwX5zuM4T1GPjqveYbh-xHNF6tbXNNp28qxtMmIK2E3RPqB1R5AfjVROMzz0UQX0YMnILxZ8YArfmz_7AYSevlo7AtYPIo-DABYRJtyynhndV7KF/w640-h360/Havasu23.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">On the eight mile hike in<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>We reached the village and checked in to our lodge. Wisely, we just relaxed and had dinner at the Supai Cafe that evening. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmFxfPqxdP-iR7UPYSnN24m0rEFeiJsQ3c5XZRQSGx-5-LRFZcynTf89L9CYxqaJ4y-cT_Ozhq4G4VaWJ_A5XA18G3uv_bnRzog6AQcAC3jCbuDeGW0HmYl3dMrUWMjYoaAqgXZmqhJD6Oq2LxNQIErihrgIeIXq0IH2af1BP2sh0v8J-FCqhhJSDdwxV/s5120/Havasu231.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmFxfPqxdP-iR7UPYSnN24m0rEFeiJsQ3c5XZRQSGx-5-LRFZcynTf89L9CYxqaJ4y-cT_Ozhq4G4VaWJ_A5XA18G3uv_bnRzog6AQcAC3jCbuDeGW0HmYl3dMrUWMjYoaAqgXZmqhJD6Oq2LxNQIErihrgIeIXq0IH2af1BP2sh0v8J-FCqhhJSDdwxV/w400-h400/Havasu231.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lodge with a view</td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><span><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next morning we <span><span><span><span>set
out to visit the three major waterfalls. We made a quick morning detour
to fifty foot falls to catch the morning light. Two miles from the
lodge, we arrived at the famous Havasu Falls. No one was there, so we
took a group photo and hung around a bit. Then it was on to Mooney
falls. At about mile 4 we reached Mooney, the tallest fall. The only way
to go past is through some hand carved tunnels and down some carved
footholds while holding chains. Finally, a couple of hand made wooden
vertical ladders get you to the base 200' below. Also, the mist is
spraying on you as you climb down.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AA2Y5nKY0dztYYCVc-seA0VpqApj7D8vzfAMTHxLnbtM2pbhzuiGQURKjEnqKPRSZrolTTQONftNClUeRjATQmDsBnJMbXHG8KuI_Vd8TetZPErmkbqI31odY2sgMZk4Z8wlgMSQBpaYVvNMSIaRFjIxGka4BTDKMHlxHs4oJ_E1uW4rCZ57FlIfT9Ba/s5120/Collages.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AA2Y5nKY0dztYYCVc-seA0VpqApj7D8vzfAMTHxLnbtM2pbhzuiGQURKjEnqKPRSZrolTTQONftNClUeRjATQmDsBnJMbXHG8KuI_Vd8TetZPErmkbqI31odY2sgMZk4Z8wlgMSQBpaYVvNMSIaRFjIxGka4BTDKMHlxHs4oJ_E1uW4rCZ57FlIfT9Ba/w640-h400/Collages.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Havasu Falls<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsttuq78MfcNr6J7rEnlz9ha1ZP1LtuFCkTvGLUbUFo1JgkvO9K8xA6HYyQplgHP0yyLxTUBkUpnBORwosMmHFgPCBjKQhbnX-duPoSx9RW0Qy1hVJMEOWmrV6f9e1KH1J_DgwsVqyfHviEziQtNcUk2bGpJGWyuyCdQ1GtvBw_QHfVuxOMoYO3AsHSekq/s5120/Havasu233.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsttuq78MfcNr6J7rEnlz9ha1ZP1LtuFCkTvGLUbUFo1JgkvO9K8xA6HYyQplgHP0yyLxTUBkUpnBORwosMmHFgPCBjKQhbnX-duPoSx9RW0Qy1hVJMEOWmrV6f9e1KH1J_DgwsVqyfHviEziQtNcUk2bGpJGWyuyCdQ1GtvBw_QHfVuxOMoYO3AsHSekq/w640-h360/Havasu233.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mooney Falls with the 200 foot vertical climb down<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghH0p9IMlU1pQpBB8YqzuAshHggTlUnMmV1G86gk7pPLTcF_xlxKU91iAQIsBbyyFuGrB4CPC0rf_-p4gi8kgQsDWLu3F2XFoUHTWkh73K06Be6fZBlfrlHKQDvRLvzl42op5bMQ8Fau8XvDIiq_nbNi1LSWAM0Z1lT06KWRyn1qZWjRLNyIQKAWQegtQX/s5120/Havasu239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghH0p9IMlU1pQpBB8YqzuAshHggTlUnMmV1G86gk7pPLTcF_xlxKU91iAQIsBbyyFuGrB4CPC0rf_-p4gi8kgQsDWLu3F2XFoUHTWkh73K06Be6fZBlfrlHKQDvRLvzl42op5bMQ8Fau8XvDIiq_nbNi1LSWAM0Z1lT06KWRyn1qZWjRLNyIQKAWQegtQX/w640-h400/Havasu239.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Mooney Falls climb photos</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>After Mooney, we had about 3 more miles of trekking to Beaver Falls. We had to cross Havasu Creek 3 times, but the deepest spot was only top of thigh. The water temperature is about 68ºF this time of year, so not bad - actually refreshing on tired legs. This section of the canyon is only about 1/4 mile wide and is lush and green. We saw one bighorn sheep on the way down. After more scrambling over rocks and makeshift ladders, we came out above Beaver Falls. All the waterfalls are unique. They are all beautiful, just in different ways. Beaver is a series of terraces cascading down the canyon. </span></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4VeKjzIyYLtXe-oC_xvLQekb4c7q4r-vt9Gq-YniKQyyWQBVyfqV-0vmzN6FeR_fVht-mahrFlpoewH_JtuDm2NkW48XJZb3NW3ARW7LpT5lCut04Y19XkeKSRXetXDmSUpWLYpB75xhBfgdiJj0-xXoj81T1Bz4guWQWb-4YLEKsKwx_KDj2XAKS9lD/s5120/Havasu234.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4VeKjzIyYLtXe-oC_xvLQekb4c7q4r-vt9Gq-YniKQyyWQBVyfqV-0vmzN6FeR_fVht-mahrFlpoewH_JtuDm2NkW48XJZb3NW3ARW7LpT5lCut04Y19XkeKSRXetXDmSUpWLYpB75xhBfgdiJj0-xXoj81T1Bz4guWQWb-4YLEKsKwx_KDj2XAKS9lD/w640-h360/Havasu234.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">On the trail to Beaver Falls<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1C94FiBlIt68WCZGd0BVnPb6omdtR1KQxBjO62our9JNY5Unh2EJiTYYSuQaJ-3aHFuvbZkutzRumzRuscdG7jMtlgCBg5v_M-2jvo7aAPhbDfjZi3hVpREguhdbQrNdCopTZUSh6N8sUTmQ7F_0fnCY94CmCtVQqBkAmybvaHyyb-NtsJwa15LdRaFV/s5120/Havasu235.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1C94FiBlIt68WCZGd0BVnPb6omdtR1KQxBjO62our9JNY5Unh2EJiTYYSuQaJ-3aHFuvbZkutzRumzRuscdG7jMtlgCBg5v_M-2jvo7aAPhbDfjZi3hVpREguhdbQrNdCopTZUSh6N8sUTmQ7F_0fnCY94CmCtVQqBkAmybvaHyyb-NtsJwa15LdRaFV/w640-h400/Havasu235.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Bighorn sheep sightings<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTIHhlxNNydrDi8KqkKsjUB99Z8TBMR8rCwF3eC-S9FYZUh8joGZ-xx6oNassUxu9Yed6p9yBWC2tI9-up788vW_LxHMvdAkf6LbmxfKHj1PZWllOoIp6n1Vdjh2TO3vm6ImRISBuAN1UVe85HeHT1P5Ah4WUPUagdtW1jgq6t_r4-GQvB4ubXYwH_xRm/s5120/Havasu236.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTIHhlxNNydrDi8KqkKsjUB99Z8TBMR8rCwF3eC-S9FYZUh8joGZ-xx6oNassUxu9Yed6p9yBWC2tI9-up788vW_LxHMvdAkf6LbmxfKHj1PZWllOoIp6n1Vdjh2TO3vm6ImRISBuAN1UVe85HeHT1P5Ah4WUPUagdtW1jgq6t_r4-GQvB4ubXYwH_xRm/w640-h400/Havasu236.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Beaver Falls<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCrpWAMSgHhRX3b-RRLKD3n2CsorjYbiHtRbezrBsZHmjmvnlisvhkcqUDExFRZ4kHo-OLR34NztCD_p_X29MxvQ0MTml2-oKN22Nx9dSejlniUScl_vFmVjTTuK_1C_NoxYB-FaLQdjlh7KbRcRASJdIEtIw0AfVwqOZEPLmP2tXHt4P6sHAV9JE_k0N/s5120/Havasu237.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCrpWAMSgHhRX3b-RRLKD3n2CsorjYbiHtRbezrBsZHmjmvnlisvhkcqUDExFRZ4kHo-OLR34NztCD_p_X29MxvQ0MTml2-oKN22Nx9dSejlniUScl_vFmVjTTuK_1C_NoxYB-FaLQdjlh7KbRcRASJdIEtIw0AfVwqOZEPLmP2tXHt4P6sHAV9JE_k0N/w640-h400/Havasu237.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">More Beaver Falls<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>We hung out, waded, and swam for about 90 minutes, then headed back. We saw two more bighorn sheep on our return hike. After scaling back up the wall at Mooney, we headed back to the lodge for a big meal and some rest.</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>The next day was an easy day. We hiked a couple of miles down to Havasu and had the place to ourselves for much of the morning. As the sun peaked up, we were joined by some other campers, but we had already claimed the picnic table with the best view. We stopped at Fifty Foot for a little more exploration before returning to the lodge.</span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUggZ1Zs45NrVnFmCY63SRZcArDhmcxS7-M8kIITIAnX7ngJGBcun058oahoTaV5muCESyz6H4g5vZE95B_-oUlXxl72KJ5csxpx51pU-OItCteBTZNF3eW6pQZ2UKfe3FMYMTNN4VU6vCvQOUiSQQcARFToGPr7gXEux-mf68jV1MMyDrLLu4xKBDf1q/s5120/Havasu232.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUggZ1Zs45NrVnFmCY63SRZcArDhmcxS7-M8kIITIAnX7ngJGBcun058oahoTaV5muCESyz6H4g5vZE95B_-oUlXxl72KJ5csxpx51pU-OItCteBTZNF3eW6pQZ2UKfe3FMYMTNN4VU6vCvQOUiSQQcARFToGPr7gXEux-mf68jV1MMyDrLLu4xKBDf1q/w640-h360/Havasu232.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Relaxing at Havasu Falls<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p2WNcB7YiEAXBZVAeBoHQkSSMp6vI8k-7rNwOooMT9LqO6-QE-c3t4Pw7sFoUhbUSidQEH9qyhygz4scdYqhDdG74Q7sdRRVm-h6WFDdNMquVFK1HV4-QXeTSZy7hOVrt3s-5KWtCfIf20WX8roL4Px1Zk-1aRd9jDmCXbOJI3HQiIjTtON-ClKcwsxQ/s4032/Havasu23-C-037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p2WNcB7YiEAXBZVAeBoHQkSSMp6vI8k-7rNwOooMT9LqO6-QE-c3t4Pw7sFoUhbUSidQEH9qyhygz4scdYqhDdG74Q7sdRRVm-h6WFDdNMquVFK1HV4-QXeTSZy7hOVrt3s-5KWtCfIf20WX8roL4Px1Zk-1aRd9jDmCXbOJI3HQiIjTtON-ClKcwsxQ/w640-h360/Havasu23-C-037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tip: Bring your daughter to wheel you up the hills<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><br /></span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyO0TZZDa9OnGVZ3ngO-w17a3KqwQ2rh8pb1ubcftL9fGEmOKCRYrtqzvmcuJoinRaFKslrr3R2BrZpRUvxI_f5djly7N3hx_XBYFwoLn_v5EcZUIWckVN5yaTuO_LE5Ba87HR3blJU4c5blTWH6eGegJj_rLuKzqxQs9aIeRYTt2SunyIGkAqPmCiR99h/s5120/Havasu238.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyO0TZZDa9OnGVZ3ngO-w17a3KqwQ2rh8pb1ubcftL9fGEmOKCRYrtqzvmcuJoinRaFKslrr3R2BrZpRUvxI_f5djly7N3hx_XBYFwoLn_v5EcZUIWckVN5yaTuO_LE5Ba87HR3blJU4c5blTWH6eGegJj_rLuKzqxQs9aIeRYTt2SunyIGkAqPmCiR99h/w640-h400/Havasu238.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Fifty Foot Falls<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>The final day we left before dawn to make the eight-mile-long, and 2,000 foot climb out of the canyon. We made great time and got out in under four hours, which included a few rest stops. The final mile is half the climb, so we all took off at our own pace and would meet at the top. The first three out were the 59, 62, and 63-year-olds. </span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15EJVQkfqAoytuCod42Ptwye_p56Aq95KbjBUP9IDVof3rG77iFpZyxWK5j3Rj6uRyTK0ETmX_yh451AsKhMFhu8qeaX7q5_N65RoX6j2bXxdQMCU5LA8EkxAoOvc3KBqATimDO0KJlGhbmDWJZxHLMmq8l3mllefMOLSM5SuPfTkBt-o2rhe6g6BZxhM/s2426/Havasu23-D.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2426" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15EJVQkfqAoytuCod42Ptwye_p56Aq95KbjBUP9IDVof3rG77iFpZyxWK5j3Rj6uRyTK0ETmX_yh451AsKhMFhu8qeaX7q5_N65RoX6j2bXxdQMCU5LA8EkxAoOvc3KBqATimDO0KJlGhbmDWJZxHLMmq8l3mllefMOLSM5SuPfTkBt-o2rhe6g6BZxhM/w640-h406/Havasu23-D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the hilltop with one addition<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>An interesting twist on our trip involves the dogs of Supai. Every evening, several dogs came to our lodge area to ask for handouts. At night, they would also raid the garbage cans. One little dog was extremely sweet and friendly, and Travis would roll around on the ground and play with him. He named him Charlie. On our final evening, we didn't see Charlie. Travis asked another group, and they said animal control had rounded up the stray dogs. Travis found animal control, which lets you adopt a dog, but no one was in the office. The next morning, Travis extracted Charlie from the kennel, made a makeshift leash, and Charlie hiked out with us to start a new life with Travis and Kaycee.</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7TbPiN7F-2bytaL_w6ju9nxZ0VhZ4_vJ_XseEhbcJF4ttz0BHmjxoFVey1768yzX0rpU0K6HrjLml-KL3EbBdcKMlD7rrNopniOlCpDEiDgoSMlsefBpsQjaw33_s5Zrk0LQdNk8rMmY-1-HVrLq4PRBeAGh7TJE6JaGOrBHOq2MK7Ou_rS67jvX1bgw/s4032/Havasu23-D-002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7TbPiN7F-2bytaL_w6ju9nxZ0VhZ4_vJ_XseEhbcJF4ttz0BHmjxoFVey1768yzX0rpU0K6HrjLml-KL3EbBdcKMlD7rrNopniOlCpDEiDgoSMlsefBpsQjaw33_s5Zrk0LQdNk8rMmY-1-HVrLq4PRBeAGh7TJE6JaGOrBHOq2MK7Ou_rS67jvX1bgw/w640-h360/Havasu23-D-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travis and Kaycee with their newly adopted Charlie<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><b><u>DO YOU WANT TO VISIT THIS MAGICAL PLACE?</u></b><br />Many of you have asked, so I'll give some basic tips here. There are a few decisions you need to make first:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>1. Lodge or Campground. The lodge is in the town, so you are near the cafe and market. It's 8 miles from the hilltop, so you have a shorter hike in and out. You need to carry less gear. The lodge has two double beds, shower, toilet, towels, electricity, and air-conditioning. The downside is the lodge is a couple of miles from Havasu Falls. The camping area is scattered along the banks of the creek between Havasu and Mooney Falls, but it's 2 extra miles each way from the hilltop. We chose the lodge with 4 people in each room.<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>2. Hike, mules, helicopter. We chose to hike and carry all our gear. They do have pack mules that will carry your stuff for a fee, but the trip seems pretty hard on the animals. There is also a helicopter that flies usually on Thu, Fri, Sun, and Mon. It's $100 cash each way, but you miss the experience of the hike - and if the copter is grounded by weather or mechanical issues, you need to be prepared to hike in/out anyway.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>The hike is hard, but worth it. You'll need to prepare and be in good shape. We covered about 35 miles and 3,600 feet of elevation gain over the four days. <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>3. Time of year to go. I think early to mid-October is a great time - we had perfect weather. Late April and early May are good times as well.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>The first official step is to create your account on the Havasupai site. Note there are two tabs - one for the campground and one for the lodge: <a href="https://www.havasupaireservations.com/public/login">https://www.havasupaireservations.com/public/login</a>. Accounts are separate for the lodge and campground, so get the correct tab before you create an account.<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>Then, on Feb 1, 2024 get ready to log in and select your dates, as that's when they open reservations for the 2024 season. There is a transfer list that allows people who can't make their d</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>ates, to sell you their reservation.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> These are posted each morning at 8AM Arizona time, so you could snag a much earlier date just by watching that for a bit.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Campground Transfers Available: </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.havasupaireservations.com/account/campground/cancellations/transfers"><span>https://www.havasupaireservations.com/account/campground/cancellations/transfers</span></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>Lodge Transfers Available: </span><a href="https://www.havasupailodge.com/account/lodge/cancellations/transfers">https://www.havasupailodge.com/account/lodge/cancellations/transfers</a><span> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">If you go, there are two places to stay the night before. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn, which is the closest hotel to the turnoff from Rout</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">e 66. There is another hotel (Hualapai Lodge) in Peach Springs, AZ that is not much farther. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">And if you need an experienced tour guide, I might consider going again, but I need to rest up a bit first and bask in the glow of our fabulous trip. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><u><b>Our itinerary:</b></u><br /> Day before: Rooms at the Grand Canyon Caverns (GCC). This is also where you have to check in and get your wrist bands and paperwork to hike in.<br /><br />Day One: Hike In. The weather was mild (40's on the rim), so we departed the GCC about 6:30am and arrived at the trailhead at about 8am. We were hiking by 8:30am. We took our time, as the lodge check-in is not until 2pm. We packed our lunch and ate along the way. We arrived at the lodge at 1:30pm (temps were in the 70's) and they opened the door for check in just as we arrived. We just rested and got settled in, before heading to the Supai Cafe for an early dinner (they take the last orders at 4:45pm).</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Day Two: Beaver Falls Hike. We departed at about 6:15am to hike to the big three falls. Temperature was around 50ºF. With a few stops, we still arrived at Beaver at 10:30am. We departed there at noon and got back to the hotel by mid afternoon. The high was in the upper 70's.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Day Three: Temp was around 50ºF. We stopped at Fifty Foot for the early morning photos (great light), then were the first to arrive at Havasu Falls. We grabbed the best picnic table and stayed there until early afternoon. We stopped again at Fifty Foot for a little exploration, and returned to the lodge mid-afternoon. High was around 80ºF.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Day Four: It was a warm forecast, so we departed at 5:45am. It was near 60ºF. We drove the pace so we reached the hilltop (final 1.3 miles climbs 1,000 feet) while much of it was still in the shade. We all arrived at the top between 9:50am and 10:15am.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">All our unedited photos are being uploaded here:</span><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/YS3nCvJryvueppF37">https://photos.app.goo.gl/YS3nCvJryvueppF37</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">- Paul <br /></span></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Supai, AZ 86435, USA36.2369265 -112.68907917.9266926638211572 -147.84532910000001 64.547160336178848 -77.5328291tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-84423430316918635702023-10-12T20:26:00.000-05:002023-10-12T20:26:03.386-05:00A Canyon So Grand<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I've been to the Grand Canyon many times, but it's still a sight to behold. We came in from the east entrance and had one night at the Desert View Campground. One of the things I find so interesting about GC is that you generally drive uphill (quite a bit uphill) to the rim. The uplift of this area, combined with the path of the Colorado River to slice into that uplifted area, is a fascinating combination. One theory is a rift in the uplift allowed the river to go through, instead of around. In west Texas, you drive on flat plains until suddenly an eroded canyon appears. The GC is a different profile.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We walked out to the Desert View Tower around sunset to enjoy the view. It was windy, and getting windier. We were under high wind warnings of stead 20-30 mph winds with gusts to 50mph. More than once, my hat strap kept my hat from departing. Overnight, I woke up a couple of times when the wind shook the van, but all was well.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTZhw84QIpQOrcx3vknaC-FaQlQVQw532lvEKNjgMvfIzdg7Qn42nc6kMFeUbX1GQu1abOoiG0S1z645CX3vOsYGyn_WBWKKteOCYEmGMYgy32Fl2O-4kXsC7noDvNBgL8ZY6M7uc_FMpDnh6hmtNYk2dcGGvMUoT_7sfBa253t3E5ce2WjE8dRJBclT7/s5120/Grand_Canyon23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTZhw84QIpQOrcx3vknaC-FaQlQVQw532lvEKNjgMvfIzdg7Qn42nc6kMFeUbX1GQu1abOoiG0S1z645CX3vOsYGyn_WBWKKteOCYEmGMYgy32Fl2O-4kXsC7noDvNBgL8ZY6M7uc_FMpDnh6hmtNYk2dcGGvMUoT_7sfBa253t3E5ce2WjE8dRJBclT7/w640-h400/Grand_Canyon23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from Desert View, Grand Canyon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">It was down to 61 in the van early the next morning, and I decided to turn on the heat for a bit, but got an error code on the propane. I checked all the obvious things, and I suspect my regulator is bad. We were planning to be in Mather Campground the next two nights and the low was supposed to be in the 20's. Mather doesn't have electricity, and using our electric heat would have drained our battery quickly, so I devised an alternate plan. Adjacent to Mather is the RV Village campground, with electric at each site. I logged on and found one site available for our 2nd night, so I grabbed it. A little later, I logged in again and, miraculously, a site opened up for our first night. They don't assign sites until you show up, so I was able to get the same site for 2 nights with the two separate reservation numbers - and I got a great corner lot. The attendant told me I should purchase a lottery ticket, because I was on a winning streak. The bathroom at the campground was guarded by several large elk, but they were very docile.<br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXUrgxG8O9wii1kST6e94I2LQEbClvI5jaAKkhmZo1Ftj_-PVH0UGBfjpHpB6Iz4xFg0uXjEtE6Ihv4AWwt9_chStwC5X3a9PD6NdVI5JI0tuAokXo3PPYVjVWLj1dMMQ0PKeqaKwQzm7FojVmdqB4Tz2MtoiBPHsfeDhmc1S_t5o5lbnasZKKVJCrhK9/s5120/Grand_Canyon231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXUrgxG8O9wii1kST6e94I2LQEbClvI5jaAKkhmZo1Ftj_-PVH0UGBfjpHpB6Iz4xFg0uXjEtE6Ihv4AWwt9_chStwC5X3a9PD6NdVI5JI0tuAokXo3PPYVjVWLj1dMMQ0PKeqaKwQzm7FojVmdqB4Tz2MtoiBPHsfeDhmc1S_t5o5lbnasZKKVJCrhK9/w640-h400/Grand_Canyon231.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various stops along Grand Canyon Desert View Drive<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">That evening we met our friends who were staying at the nearby Yavapai Lodge, and we did a sunset rim walk together. We ended at Hopi Point and had a great view of the setting sun, and the post sunset magical light in the canyon.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iX4H9xBi_UZwS04MnUOImJi5jJN9NNYaz0Bj2mLwWDNz9K4eQYK-N2DrLu-J1LL4c4q2RDDTsytrI86GCzoGxtkZkBLMH1nMAYi5AMUWShyphenhyphenDtynPkHKu51tU8P964zQoYfEqYqxzizrjQ3sp6rhMbKUKIRPkmrAtwnO49r1OVBKssQu4eOTST3XfEpcj/s5120/Grand_Canyon232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iX4H9xBi_UZwS04MnUOImJi5jJN9NNYaz0Bj2mLwWDNz9K4eQYK-N2DrLu-J1LL4c4q2RDDTsytrI86GCzoGxtkZkBLMH1nMAYi5AMUWShyphenhyphenDtynPkHKu51tU8P964zQoYfEqYqxzizrjQ3sp6rhMbKUKIRPkmrAtwnO49r1OVBKssQu4eOTST3XfEpcj/w640-h400/Grand_Canyon232.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from Grand Canyon Hopi Point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next morning, we saw even more elk strolling through the campground near our van, including one large bugling male. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7AYq1wS8miGvRjV2q-sLz7LRVM6PQIN4wvj1gxJHKfEQaKCcqvwhaK-tjFD_D1G9J5wLMDjap7-FLpscflpPn5FW4OXfykZICnVKX-FScbKCJqKJRtbSHF30ILpW9uBdjTSninrijCZUQd6DuwJ2uolpOWoZvhuYWCT-ce4-s3CI6SKlmvp2GAvBeYT7/s4232/Elk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3180" data-original-width="4232" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7AYq1wS8miGvRjV2q-sLz7LRVM6PQIN4wvj1gxJHKfEQaKCcqvwhaK-tjFD_D1G9J5wLMDjap7-FLpscflpPn5FW4OXfykZICnVKX-FScbKCJqKJRtbSHF30ILpW9uBdjTSninrijCZUQd6DuwJ2uolpOWoZvhuYWCT-ce4-s3CI6SKlmvp2GAvBeYT7/w400-h300/Elk.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guardian of the bathrooms - None Shall Pass!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> We hiked with our friends on the Kaibab Trail down to Cedar Ridge. It was a perfect day - sunny, in the 50's, with light winds. We did about 3.3 miles round trip with a 1,150 climb back up to the rim. <br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8T5610sle7y06Tfmr72DUsj-taHQDP4UEqWKrqRQJjwrFEiiJ1euuDm9NHo7Qd1SC8ivVuJ7o0oPOALjBtPXc2HrN6U3ST4jb6KEzzFbLhmtYKZXl5qUtbWuAe_CWvQzUMKlS9YazFynRWciKJYIJXigXlOx-VwtaI-sZXT-qA8YFkDBu1WZMMhdF_2a/s4032/Kaibab-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8T5610sle7y06Tfmr72DUsj-taHQDP4UEqWKrqRQJjwrFEiiJ1euuDm9NHo7Qd1SC8ivVuJ7o0oPOALjBtPXc2HrN6U3ST4jb6KEzzFbLhmtYKZXl5qUtbWuAe_CWvQzUMKlS9YazFynRWciKJYIJXigXlOx-VwtaI-sZXT-qA8YFkDBu1WZMMhdF_2a/w640-h360/Kaibab-006.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul & Elena at Ohh-Ahh Point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFFSg_VJ0oCE-K3h8S7WyiDy3ozyFzJA-3Q5McWl1mqivpZ5ttGWnIRT4e24NkaB77qhyzdQVm-FamF3bnUvhYb5R5sFFn3bhs7J1Wu-fCPtwH3FBqMBc4QZtBA4zRWg5jnJwf8DPOMxk6FThDT6OfpHYhorRPofPDa0oFnrLdWRaK8bmjpg-yPj0Ygq-/s5120/Grand_Canyon233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFFSg_VJ0oCE-K3h8S7WyiDy3ozyFzJA-3Q5McWl1mqivpZ5ttGWnIRT4e24NkaB77qhyzdQVm-FamF3bnUvhYb5R5sFFn3bhs7J1Wu-fCPtwH3FBqMBc4QZtBA4zRWg5jnJwf8DPOMxk6FThDT6OfpHYhorRPofPDa0oFnrLdWRaK8bmjpg-yPj0Ygq-/w640-h360/Grand_Canyon233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Kaibab Trail (South Rim)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Ten years ago, we took an 8-day raft trip through the entire Grand Canyon. I wrote a poem about the experience:</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Eight days in the canyon so grand.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Two hundred and seventy seven miles
by river in a raft.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Thousands of stars dot the night sky.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Rocks over a billion years old.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />But who's counting.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">There is no politics in the canyon.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />No religion or war.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Different people brought together —
who work together,</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />For a shared experience so grand.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A river that's caused death can bring
you to life.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />The simple things matter again.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Sunrise, sunset, stars.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Bats at dusk and dawn.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Rapids and ripples in the river.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Cold water splashes.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />The sun warms you quickly.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Hot and cold, then hot again.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Powerful forces built the canyon,</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Yet there is so much peace here.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />One moment in time,</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Of an ever-changing planet.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Plate tectonics and uplift.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />A mighty river flowing.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Erosion and weathering.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />What a grand canyon indeed.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Eight days in the canyon,</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />but back to the surface now.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Man's architecture pales in
comparison.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />Mother nature rocks!</span><span style="color: black;"></span><span> <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Paul Westbrook<br />May 2013</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">### <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">- Paul <br /></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</font></style></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023, USA36.0544445 -112.14011087.744210663821157 -147.2963608 64.364678336178855 -76.9838608tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-82438032226401413502023-10-11T15:46:00.002-05:002023-10-11T15:46:47.542-05:00Indigenous People and Places<p><br />On Mon, Oct 9th we camped at the Homolovi State Park in AZ. This happened to be Indigenous Peoples' Day in the US, so we were in a place used for hundreds of years by the indigenous people. The site has several large ruins dating from around the year 600, up to about 1400. It is thought that the people here migrated northward to the buttes and mesas that the Hopi occupy today. Some of the walls and kivas have been excavated, and others are just barely visible jutting out of the soil. There are numerous shards of pottery all around the sites. We also saw several groups of wild burros on the site. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUMlgm0FgMmlbCutSFT8S-c_OEEzV8olSVl3o0hgjLozwr9ELeO6YmjbN4WyNMoSEIfTBoN1X-jNLml5IPOfsI9MwszX1N2V-kvvcgEEvb51VViSiO4qxK_srifsePFt_CmywJxvSs-gtIDoqttqMeqoPHA82TpBjKL6GMUVdkoN8ACeNehzcjLuMMmAZ/s5120/Homolovi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="5120" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUMlgm0FgMmlbCutSFT8S-c_OEEzV8olSVl3o0hgjLozwr9ELeO6YmjbN4WyNMoSEIfTBoN1X-jNLml5IPOfsI9MwszX1N2V-kvvcgEEvb51VViSiO4qxK_srifsePFt_CmywJxvSs-gtIDoqttqMeqoPHA82TpBjKL6GMUVdkoN8ACeNehzcjLuMMmAZ/w640-h512/Homolovi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild burros at Homolovi State Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />The next morning we took the road less traveled up through the Hopi and Navajo reservations. We stopped for lunch at the Little Painted Desert. The colors are more subtle than the more well known Painted Desert, but very pretty - the camera doesn't pick up the subtle colors as well. And we were the only people there. </div><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaONhAW-pu2mRKcrgYaE40fH6wtw88LMeXJ_NJU_HbWuNZvyiHmM4nWnBf4CD0_Q8tsGX_PJ3gpy5M9KlKnUorrf6fBmJ7burYZ0W6u8J6lAq6GX7oQ4NI4Rmw8mQ9G-B08YCdD_z-rIvtjMJRdGJXmKqAHX5QIM4lhlgC1j1LKAYQqDEV7zvOf73vw54f/s5120/Homolovi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaONhAW-pu2mRKcrgYaE40fH6wtw88LMeXJ_NJU_HbWuNZvyiHmM4nWnBf4CD0_Q8tsGX_PJ3gpy5M9KlKnUorrf6fBmJ7burYZ0W6u8J6lAq6GX7oQ4NI4Rmw8mQ9G-B08YCdD_z-rIvtjMJRdGJXmKqAHX5QIM4lhlgC1j1LKAYQqDEV7zvOf73vw54f/w640-h360/Homolovi1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little painted desert<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We continued on to find the edge of Coal Mine Canyon. The canyon rim is on Navajo land, but the bottom is on Hopi land. We hiked out to the rim and the view was spectacular. And there were no other people there but us. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnLntNBzvUQYvbFg2BEUrQwmUtNFg58M2bMujV98pDxIxMAebK_kWDuzg4w3mGHy-ry2aECZMnjD9V2DvDvrPQKtYDB9R8evxThkKWaDeINRILXhMfT-rygt-22xRbCFvGPOLvGDKpvDUpGcMRWgMTFpbyrcALXFRC7VdRBXacesiN3_49_TO7GDLx4WE/s3877/Coal_Mine_Canyon-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2178" data-original-width="3877" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnLntNBzvUQYvbFg2BEUrQwmUtNFg58M2bMujV98pDxIxMAebK_kWDuzg4w3mGHy-ry2aECZMnjD9V2DvDvrPQKtYDB9R8evxThkKWaDeINRILXhMfT-rygt-22xRbCFvGPOLvGDKpvDUpGcMRWgMTFpbyrcALXFRC7VdRBXacesiN3_49_TO7GDLx4WE/w640-h360/Coal_Mine_Canyon-009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coal Mine Canyon - Elena kept telling me to take a step back, but I didn't fall for it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dgRZA-Nq7nG_zKbKFd-X356Z_qOShWXmQ9Fhj0YnitYVEPAeattNoA2_c11zZy1NvgOh68J7J_QAHdYkiz42sIP3iDONZhMhDftoin9r5A9Ebi28XvXuB9uk6I1Iw5W6eOyFlz1SNd-WOzTlnZgGCPHJ4m2vWAaw5Nn7NPovZWtftce39tXzRIeBenGv/s4032/Coal_Mine_Canyon-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dgRZA-Nq7nG_zKbKFd-X356Z_qOShWXmQ9Fhj0YnitYVEPAeattNoA2_c11zZy1NvgOh68J7J_QAHdYkiz42sIP3iDONZhMhDftoin9r5A9Ebi28XvXuB9uk6I1Iw5W6eOyFlz1SNd-WOzTlnZgGCPHJ4m2vWAaw5Nn7NPovZWtftce39tXzRIeBenGv/w640-h360/Coal_Mine_Canyon-023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coal Mine Canyon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfI4IkQQuPXpYPPpWtFnO3bRtCUo952uv9uMVikh-JK1-DemH07RdPNkj4-l5uKaJQwy5ICE5zN8otCIdZ3xDimgCZZ2Uuik5r-QlLRg5gKb594dplaSmuWNqCgR3FCaZHhHsBv7849ZGUPZq9NEEqTo5lK6NEkCHfaOB0ibPQpvjpQIPscx4PWjNW6Six/s5120/Homolovi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfI4IkQQuPXpYPPpWtFnO3bRtCUo952uv9uMVikh-JK1-DemH07RdPNkj4-l5uKaJQwy5ICE5zN8otCIdZ3xDimgCZZ2Uuik5r-QlLRg5gKb594dplaSmuWNqCgR3FCaZHhHsBv7849ZGUPZq9NEEqTo5lK6NEkCHfaOB0ibPQpvjpQIPscx4PWjNW6Six/w640-h400/Homolovi2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coal Mine Canyon in AZ</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>- Paul<br /></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Coal Mine Canyon, Arizona 86045, USA36.0335528 -111.0092926-6.3452223169767024 178.67820740000002 78.412327916976707 -40.696792599999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-81838645306316690412023-10-08T11:55:00.004-05:002023-10-09T10:05:24.878-05:00Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We've never been to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, so we booked a campsite on the grounds for 3 nights to check it out. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On our way in we detoured up to Placitas and hiked the Strip Mine Trail, which led to a pretty little rainbow valley with a great view of the Sandia Mountains. </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqEMlxHD1EnfYv1TSN_GrPhSBXFRACFpUS9Te_mFfZlG05GM6Jmw8ZTvbg_6IlMwfd5m4GGwHMB3wztODrao3_hxjfTiwprGGEwi8NarLQEk25ACvApQKg824UTPEJ9SjI-pMLkR8dZ1O9LkPWx353DRaWL6K0JeVC5L3LqKPLY3eX3DNbQFI2JNqBnTi/s4032/Placitas-002.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqEMlxHD1EnfYv1TSN_GrPhSBXFRACFpUS9Te_mFfZlG05GM6Jmw8ZTvbg_6IlMwfd5m4GGwHMB3wztODrao3_hxjfTiwprGGEwi8NarLQEk25ACvApQKg824UTPEJ9SjI-pMLkR8dZ1O9LkPWx353DRaWL6K0JeVC5L3LqKPLY3eX3DNbQFI2JNqBnTi/w640-h360/Placitas-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rainbow Valley, Placitas, NM<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4igvmu6L863dM9Sn-wkTqBFaAOUagdahVLfnNaHxxzR3_J9uGUsub7IewNZU3OifkTOOK778mCwK1nsuwcmFkC8sQGQwkvtJi6Z02jSEX5q5SdplFpxqIo7GsviwBthvrbpdscgxg2JMSUKBhpg8RzVp9we26mUtCTUcyNocJ-W_sTfikMk0Q9rzKyzV5/s4032/Placitas-003.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4igvmu6L863dM9Sn-wkTqBFaAOUagdahVLfnNaHxxzR3_J9uGUsub7IewNZU3OifkTOOK778mCwK1nsuwcmFkC8sQGQwkvtJi6Z02jSEX5q5SdplFpxqIo7GsviwBthvrbpdscgxg2JMSUKBhpg8RzVp9we26mUtCTUcyNocJ-W_sTfikMk0Q9rzKyzV5/w640-h360/Placitas-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rainbow Valley, Placitas, NM<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From our campsite at the Fiesta, it was less than 1/2-mile walk onto the festival grounds. Since dogs can't go into the launch area, we chose to stay just outside the gate on the first morning so Bebop could hang with us. The drone show at 5:45am was impressive. It was followed by a glow with about a dozen balloons, then a pre-dawn launch of that dozen. As dawn began to illuminate the grounds, the balloons began launching. And they just kept launching for at least the next 90 minutes. Hundreds of balloons floating in the morning sky.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMglD9XPWrt-0Wv1IV1PjJd2wjNKuMkfk-DdlniuAM3hn3TD0NpONj45mkgWY9BT5c6dALUusS4eHylCzukOpFeRxtO7RfRlK2khLyXA0yKAfVH_cDVrFCIND_8i2Or0WZ-94TS4bK0nHU0OaEzw1CTwM_dUkpFKWdm1bXhBjA1jwAfr29e6ZYJDCHPh6/s5120/ABQ-balloon.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMglD9XPWrt-0Wv1IV1PjJd2wjNKuMkfk-DdlniuAM3hn3TD0NpONj45mkgWY9BT5c6dALUusS4eHylCzukOpFeRxtO7RfRlK2khLyXA0yKAfVH_cDVrFCIND_8i2Or0WZ-94TS4bK0nHU0OaEzw1CTwM_dUkpFKWdm1bXhBjA1jwAfr29e6ZYJDCHPh6/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So Many Balloons<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the second morning, we let Bebop sleep in and entered the festival grounds to stand down among the balloons as they launched. We watched the drone show again, and I got a few video clips this time: <a href="https://youtu.be/rcFS6_4EXmU">https://youtu.be/rcFS6_4EXmU</a>. </span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgli2pCRKPBY5OrhuRR8Ok17Fupfp3o-JlCbTb0FB3IJidWzkNnkcosgydU1HI2NQUr41afcWhWmsSdJA0elMPHs_kYz6VIOdY1e95kD8Nz3vCbHy5hOlA2D4bi2pRSZYvE8YZXyBHIhz7j5sj_KsTBYM42hya8NyXuyL4-MLAvTY_Y4yZexPj0kLyNMDZO/s5120/ABQ-balloon3.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgli2pCRKPBY5OrhuRR8Ok17Fupfp3o-JlCbTb0FB3IJidWzkNnkcosgydU1HI2NQUr41afcWhWmsSdJA0elMPHs_kYz6VIOdY1e95kD8Nz3vCbHy5hOlA2D4bi2pRSZYvE8YZXyBHIhz7j5sj_KsTBYM42hya8NyXuyL4-MLAvTY_Y4yZexPj0kLyNMDZO/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Drone Show<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We watched the pre-dawn patrol launch from so close we could feel the warmth of the flames. They took off just over our heads. I added a launch clip to the drone video. </span></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjJHAakpoV7eJpalt7bcoCPLuNXb_6GicX2V-2RfjQN7_YNGdXmHVthdjKRDRMj86SmcgxKjC26fllGA1uvU8WiRcr4vlauCH927cNAyt9AUR-MEqUc3dyGAezXPAAJkXYYuhRFh9pDAsc-hCBemTMEUSVAHP9Wh3Ya9B1hKMPzy0rHSlBL74EPTSa0Mw/s5120/ABQ-balloon1.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjJHAakpoV7eJpalt7bcoCPLuNXb_6GicX2V-2RfjQN7_YNGdXmHVthdjKRDRMj86SmcgxKjC26fllGA1uvU8WiRcr4vlauCH927cNAyt9AUR-MEqUc3dyGAezXPAAJkXYYuhRFh9pDAsc-hCBemTMEUSVAHP9Wh3Ya9B1hKMPzy0rHSlBL74EPTSa0Mw/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pre-dawn glow and launch<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We stayed on the field and walked among the balloons as they launched, then headed back to the camper van for some rest, and maybe a nap. <br /></span></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QnM3hO32F8z7sO9u1bEPtY0TDtM37HYY-gv3xM_tYiTIY0rZFjw9zIZ9v312ftuTFIIyNsGzrEAjieS9iGHcOqJZn1XGdULOm7Xu7wJat6JmqboxhPLmp1kliC5YyhrGlfZqtDAbM1THX7_rt9Bp2gdjyBUGEAXv99xuHpBL0SDdZtqsHQbhOh1BtmV_/s5120/ABQ-balloon2.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QnM3hO32F8z7sO9u1bEPtY0TDtM37HYY-gv3xM_tYiTIY0rZFjw9zIZ9v312ftuTFIIyNsGzrEAjieS9iGHcOqJZn1XGdULOm7Xu7wJat6JmqboxhPLmp1kliC5YyhrGlfZqtDAbM1THX7_rt9Bp2gdjyBUGEAXv99xuHpBL0SDdZtqsHQbhOh1BtmV_/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Up close with the balloon launch<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For our final morning the conditions were pristine. Almost no air movement meant the balloons just hovered in the sky. They even drifted toward our campground and landed all around us.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybc2nsDNhJV_09s2Xs_b2BiNdPtac6GUc1jKFpXJR9_jI340HnlJimoiOAkx6dxiGD8k3k5T2RgYVn3-gG2_QAqkI-a1Ycogvn0RyHYD_bZhrZM-Ze1_wXREGLHMyrCNTtlO3Gg5fneRbgy8kSmxijkGbIphkUWi2HztsL4YQUoH1XziwqHZM9IS3ZAg3/s5120/ABQ-balloon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybc2nsDNhJV_09s2Xs_b2BiNdPtac6GUc1jKFpXJR9_jI340HnlJimoiOAkx6dxiGD8k3k5T2RgYVn3-gG2_QAqkI-a1Ycogvn0RyHYD_bZhrZM-Ze1_wXREGLHMyrCNTtlO3Gg5fneRbgy8kSmxijkGbIphkUWi2HztsL4YQUoH1XziwqHZM9IS3ZAg3/w640-h360/ABQ-balloon4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launch, some interesting balloons, and they are coming toward us.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I think each balloon uses about 50 gallons of propane. For hundreds of balloons, that's a lot of propane. It would make Hank Hill proud, I tell you what.<br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXN7Xkym4cf4isJS3DjBcIOYsRWZCTUenwOuk7Gdvag5coZ3eGSxBkWHGdbe3W-6SMJzvpF3rYjQblEUNOePnzpeqjb3BHeBD4j-qmZ_wGTCO2LzlCUre0Q8eV6BoUbT6tw9fKvVpuRW_SBhBwp2lftO2MG417EE5Di2GGeP6Id0oFoAZldKhmBqqCI5fT/s255/hank.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="255" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXN7Xkym4cf4isJS3DjBcIOYsRWZCTUenwOuk7Gdvag5coZ3eGSxBkWHGdbe3W-6SMJzvpF3rYjQblEUNOePnzpeqjb3BHeBD4j-qmZ_wGTCO2LzlCUre0Q8eV6BoUbT6tw9fKvVpuRW_SBhBwp2lftO2MG417EE5Di2GGeP6Id0oFoAZldKhmBqqCI5fT/w400-h309/hank.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hank Hill selling propane and propane accessories.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Albuquerque, NM, USA35.0843859 -106.6504226.7741520638211554 -141.806672 63.394619736178846 -71.494172tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-91867897822547291882023-10-07T13:05:00.000-05:002023-10-07T13:05:19.922-05:00Caprock Canyons State Park<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">For the first leg of our trip, we headed to Caprock Canyons State Park. Getting there was an adventure as severe storms blew up on our route. We sheltered in a couple of different car wash bays and kept making our way west between the cells. When we finally arrived, the weather had cleared, and we took an evening walk, and watched the prairie dogs. After sunset, we enjoyed the star filled sky with a clear view of the Milky Way disc.<br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHv5nwaWfonJgEUj_N7KMkzmwR1logaqnnW_AsHvQbtcZ4MFhPCmL2_t4wssJ71v224GkI2LQdTm9z9kUKQEFQzmrL_hYan01ml2jQZlNkDodgy-j96ur6gvP19bHZwWBxYWUj-jtemqMn1VKVSPH5U_hGUJeq5HSbKy-5fw5whxexQOqxWQQE1za4Abi/s4032/Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHv5nwaWfonJgEUj_N7KMkzmwR1logaqnnW_AsHvQbtcZ4MFhPCmL2_t4wssJ71v224GkI2LQdTm9z9kUKQEFQzmrL_hYan01ml2jQZlNkDodgy-j96ur6gvP19bHZwWBxYWUj-jtemqMn1VKVSPH5U_hGUJeq5HSbKy-5fw5whxexQOqxWQQE1za4Abi/w640-h360/Storm.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">West Texas Car Wash Storm Shelter<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRnSfstH24VFwLAsg0kieeYBqyWqmxZ3_JUoGodqnNcSnT46HH_kaGyHM3p_fU-aN7zXxL6ax5Yb1nezh6qWu-Z6Al64n8tpqtH6h8j957BCudFvMx-LiO_gthDRNfWZaoh3T9uOzXpBwD5mxZiKXEQ2iD7wEM20bcZywdVyqAxHP1bh5_1ppzxF81V0r/s5120/AZNM23-Caprock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRnSfstH24VFwLAsg0kieeYBqyWqmxZ3_JUoGodqnNcSnT46HH_kaGyHM3p_fU-aN7zXxL6ax5Yb1nezh6qWu-Z6Al64n8tpqtH6h8j957BCudFvMx-LiO_gthDRNfWZaoh3T9uOzXpBwD5mxZiKXEQ2iD7wEM20bcZywdVyqAxHP1bh5_1ppzxF81V0r/w640-h360/AZNM23-Caprock.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Prairie Dogs at Sunset<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv1F8xVzvioZwgEx2b0q2RTByBQ_wIM0rCwmmEm1UyTS6LUkMl7-gcN0K4DL5vJhTYoaB9rmRvpKJa1z9Y4yDr992PApb586KDdtF2vGg4F1NTJDgpBJfd2aBwrZ5UJN1War3BFuxi9pqAZhSpiCPH9Ak9_pWMzxXN2oVP1JkffgTqbhikob2-pIpa6sQ/s4032/Night-stars.NIGHT-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv1F8xVzvioZwgEx2b0q2RTByBQ_wIM0rCwmmEm1UyTS6LUkMl7-gcN0K4DL5vJhTYoaB9rmRvpKJa1z9Y4yDr992PApb586KDdtF2vGg4F1NTJDgpBJfd2aBwrZ5UJN1War3BFuxi9pqAZhSpiCPH9Ak9_pWMzxXN2oVP1JkffgTqbhikob2-pIpa6sQ/w640-h360/Night-stars.NIGHT-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The stars at night, shine big and bright, . . . <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The next morning, we <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">hiked
three different trails, totaling about 10
miles and 700 feet of elevation gain. We did the Eagle Point trail
first. There were many fresh bison footprints and droppings, but no
bison. The park is home to a herd of about 150 bison. On the good side, we saw no other people the entire 5 miles. We
headed to the North Prong trail. As we were returning toward the parking
area, a huge male bison stepped out of the brush and crossed just in
front of us. As we pulled out of the parking area, a mom <span></span>and youngster stopped for a drink of water and crossed. Bebop chased numerous lizards.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrA_iX3WPl2SIwGs3NLEYNWmCx3evHD3o-VkeCPUTz1rrpCONzuf7AeWtSWcBLg99aHXPz_uaLNOyT_L0D-1iGXsUGu-NKMMfpPorZQHT1pKRw3IPSJz7K-DyfChFdZNZj6O6gvBCUAgwOwXsFRKXmLYnimCqJEBNRqHyASdmKjbfMedvLC0HdjFDSeoR/s5120/AZNM23-Caprock1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrA_iX3WPl2SIwGs3NLEYNWmCx3evHD3o-VkeCPUTz1rrpCONzuf7AeWtSWcBLg99aHXPz_uaLNOyT_L0D-1iGXsUGu-NKMMfpPorZQHT1pKRw3IPSJz7K-DyfChFdZNZj6O6gvBCUAgwOwXsFRKXmLYnimCqJEBNRqHyASdmKjbfMedvLC0HdjFDSeoR/w640-h360/AZNM23-Caprock1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">On the trails at Caprock Canyons State Park<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gQmtVKigpKcrP6vOI9WR7jeQbz-LCJl6r-5lPILbR7appvGrszwo76jsrm23IqSmiRQik5KMRiJWcs692TvYR3_jPHaj-ZT55FGhcC0V9QiWW334Li0YFvPAQcI7C5x_557ZMP6r09FmenfuOXo3TLzj9wq2F-jF6Y24fAGM21LLdyZNL0drRAICRRUW/s5120/AZNM23-Caprock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gQmtVKigpKcrP6vOI9WR7jeQbz-LCJl6r-5lPILbR7appvGrszwo76jsrm23IqSmiRQik5KMRiJWcs692TvYR3_jPHaj-ZT55FGhcC0V9QiWW334Li0YFvPAQcI7C5x_557ZMP6r09FmenfuOXo3TLzj9wq2F-jF6Y24fAGM21LLdyZNL0drRAICRRUW/w640-h360/AZNM23-Caprock2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">More Caprock Canyon Trails<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIKb4r35K2YI_zLpGYLtUyAtkfozctksmWYvIR2B8dXN1zHyNDOe4h45CIiJRnzCyul6R8ZTlUzS7kmt7In2-Qcyg7TyiG9h0rnGoHbuLoPv63RI2PcwlqcoUis4EvDMb7d0EAmdIxEfwqr4oJQcJZeeEsHUZgnYDYmZq6ORT8uk1DmmbmJrBRq6jE15l/s5120/AZNM23-Caprock3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIKb4r35K2YI_zLpGYLtUyAtkfozctksmWYvIR2B8dXN1zHyNDOe4h45CIiJRnzCyul6R8ZTlUzS7kmt7In2-Qcyg7TyiG9h0rnGoHbuLoPv63RI2PcwlqcoUis4EvDMb7d0EAmdIxEfwqr4oJQcJZeeEsHUZgnYDYmZq6ORT8uk1DmmbmJrBRq6jE15l/w640-h360/AZNM23-Caprock3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Bison</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">We rolled out mid-afternoon and drove to a boondocking site at Bosque Redondo Park south of Fort Sumner. </span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">This
was the view out of the van door this morning. The beautiful view is in
contrast to the terrible history of this area. This was where the
Navajo (Dine') were marched to when the US forced them from their
homeland starting in 1864. Since you might not find this information in
our increasingly whitewashed history books, here's the story: <span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Walk_of_the_Navajo?fbclid=IwAR3bHQ6BaOcLJH_VXyW-lrNAoRcYiWpm59NLKLxHRfvPO0cKZbs6Bf3g1cQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Walk_of_the_Navajo</a></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCnFZSQH1641p-93v3aEAwXZweLB9DQdaITD6zBlx_aSTFEjb_loqg9wLpfuQKgNbVO9QuNBUdErtfBe9Gp58xL-XYZEkRcfXwK9KDVwJd25hbK4E78KKvP55kCZ1KXa1oar6rOzPw24IfEw0YhM39iXxlqsSlYJNhD_m4gguknvXZd61vKgBiKYtvKYX/s3693/Bosque_Redondo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2077" data-original-width="3693" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCnFZSQH1641p-93v3aEAwXZweLB9DQdaITD6zBlx_aSTFEjb_loqg9wLpfuQKgNbVO9QuNBUdErtfBe9Gp58xL-XYZEkRcfXwK9KDVwJd25hbK4E78KKvP55kCZ1KXa1oar6rOzPw24IfEw0YhM39iXxlqsSlYJNhD_m4gguknvXZd61vKgBiKYtvKYX/w640-h360/Bosque_Redondo.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">From our boondock site at Bosque Redondo Park<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /> - Paul<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span> </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span></span></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway, 850 Caprock Canyon Park Road, Quitaque, TX 79255, USA34.4369909 -101.05986176.1267570638211524 -136.2161117 62.747224736178843 -65.9036117tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-48979642957087756632023-10-01T19:47:00.000-05:002023-10-01T19:47:24.719-05:00Fall Trip Plan<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We're off on another adventure in October. The primary destination of this trip is a return to<span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> what I consider the most beautiful place in the world - Havasu Falls. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s the canyon home of the Havasupai Tribe. There are no roads there, so it’s not been spoiled by development. To get there, you have to drive 60 miles off Route 66, then hike another 8 miles down a canyon to their village and Havasu Creek. The falls start a couple of miles beyond that.<br /></span></span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Havasupai means “people of the blue green water,” and when you see their canyon, you understand why. I was there in 2018 and wanted to go back. I got my return permit several years ago, but then COVID shut down all visits, and they stayed closed until this year. My permit kept rolling over, and I finally get to return. Here's a photo from Fifty-foot falls on Havasu Creek from when I was there in 2018.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS3nX2_AHyOw486isFqUGS-7TuAv60VfeyaPRf0iRfltRWsD1iyHN2f-6ujUtqEMLJNSOEbqutfA9pY-ybp_2wOhccryG_h3MYZXvLtPwOSv0YRJHwP4ixSgCwVSosVi-3f-3GOIubCxaC5EiY6vgHMM4RjL8w4a7xeMvPRKdaiYJXT3O-th8aROI8JmC/s4608/Havasu_Fifty-Foot_Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2176" data-original-width="4608" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS3nX2_AHyOw486isFqUGS-7TuAv60VfeyaPRf0iRfltRWsD1iyHN2f-6ujUtqEMLJNSOEbqutfA9pY-ybp_2wOhccryG_h3MYZXvLtPwOSv0YRJHwP4ixSgCwVSosVi-3f-3GOIubCxaC5EiY6vgHMM4RjL8w4a7xeMvPRKdaiYJXT3O-th8aROI8JmC/w640-h302/Havasu_Fifty-Foot_Falls.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fifty-foot falls on Havasu Creek<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We built our trip around that primary destination. We also plan to visit Caprock Canyons State Park on the way out. Then, we have three nights on the launch grounds of the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. We'll then spend three nights at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, and we'll visit Prescott and Sedona after Havasu. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-Sbib7bO0scZcZIy_s9rnjMUo3xb4Wy6bKCJjfie_BRG8W4PIoANkB6BK8jLqP3VRQMUDRRcFPDYRI4s05HCVlQFxlPlowjW4imGJAgv0JStbNM717BwqX4jZQw0bCLfIsoolzub0M6A7Cc2NmAgiWDFLTJNvoHj1B00HstD13xJgHZ8ypmM-YvqyB65/s1306/23Fall-Trip-Route.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1306" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-Sbib7bO0scZcZIy_s9rnjMUo3xb4Wy6bKCJjfie_BRG8W4PIoANkB6BK8jLqP3VRQMUDRRcFPDYRI4s05HCVlQFxlPlowjW4imGJAgv0JStbNM717BwqX4jZQw0bCLfIsoolzub0M6A7Cc2NmAgiWDFLTJNvoHj1B00HstD13xJgHZ8ypmM-YvqyB65/w640-h250/23Fall-Trip-Route.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall 2023 Trip Plan<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Looking forward to another fun trip.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Fairview, TX 75069, USA33.1578952 -96.63165934.8476613638211532 -131.7879093 61.468129036178844 -61.475409299999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-63940020972095359462023-08-13T19:07:00.000-05:002023-08-13T19:07:46.515-05:00Summer 23 Trip Wrap Up<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I'm reflecting on our five-week summer trip to the cool air of Colorado. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Up3cLWGpojDbt_jDopSiwAGlZSyikek8csYeb7zqBHQOmqPk6MrAlGhApkDYWN5_pKIZpTjwmBM5zigPOetm46l0kgkObwjM5iXLEFORD9M3eXYBABUianRoCiAbk7aAs4RQRWtHjNKV9XbhzhntADK6RdAtcwKdSPotNQQQwodCN7OU7Mu5GCMk3se/s4032/Aspen-065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Up3cLWGpojDbt_jDopSiwAGlZSyikek8csYeb7zqBHQOmqPk6MrAlGhApkDYWN5_pKIZpTjwmBM5zigPOetm46l0kgkObwjM5iXLEFORD9M3eXYBABUianRoCiAbk7aAs4RQRWtHjNKV9XbhzhntADK6RdAtcwKdSPotNQQQwodCN7OU7Mu5GCMk3se/w640-h360/Aspen-065.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroon Bells reflection<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We got out of Texas just in time on July 11th. It got very hot and stayed hot. My weather station stopped reporting online on Aug 4th, but the temperature has remained well above 100ºF each day. We returned on Aug 13th and it was 106ºF. We had great weather in Colorado. It's so nice to cool off at night - sometimes down to the low 40s!</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9ULlA8lHJm4_WS-YndQJGVz1TpR_NhQU6hY8_6JnYwObRHqlAJSlaYkY21-ufuzOWjNPJpcRB4xEKPePPPGFi78POUWmCkc5M2p2ugBCO-I3YqjpmyIB4mm2yUqMd7af9a69u48jcfvBuPAIdRLK4iCQPI8qHfeqkoWKrVj2Wg-siHFGcfm0M5VEiSqt/s1075/heat-dfw.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="1075" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9ULlA8lHJm4_WS-YndQJGVz1TpR_NhQU6hY8_6JnYwObRHqlAJSlaYkY21-ufuzOWjNPJpcRB4xEKPePPPGFi78POUWmCkc5M2p2ugBCO-I3YqjpmyIB4mm2yUqMd7af9a69u48jcfvBuPAIdRLK4iCQPI8qHfeqkoWKrVj2Wg-siHFGcfm0M5VEiSqt/w640-h218/heat-dfw.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Our Winnebago <a href="https://enerjazz.com/travato/" target="_blank">Travato</a> (The Bebopabago) performed well for us again. We had our 2-year ownership anniversary while on the trip, and we rolled past 23,500 total miles during this trip. Data is at the Travato link above. We climbed several high mountain passes over 12,000 feet and reached the top of Pike's Peak at over 14,000 feet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I managed to post a few blogs during the trip, and there are numerous photos in each. I included the Telluride blog from 2022, which was written by our dog Bebop. And, I added a few favorite photos below as well.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Our blog site: <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/">https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/07/texas-is-hot-mountains-are-cool.html" target="_blank">Trip Plan and Map</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/07/westward-and-upward.html" target="_blank">Early Stops on the Way</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/07/colorados-front-range.html" target="_blank">Colorado Front Range</a><br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/07/rocky-mountain-national-park.html" target="_blank">Rocky Mountain National Park<br /></a>- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/07/maroon-bells-wilderness.html" target="_blank">Maroon Bells Wilderness<br /></a>- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2022/07/bebop-reviews-telluride-land-of-dogs.html">Telluride </a>(from 2022)<br />- <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/08/san-juan-mountains.html" target="_blank">San Juan Mountains</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I do love data, so here are the trip stats:</span></p><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Miles Driven: 2,815 miles</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Average miles/day:</span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">83</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Time Driving: 73</span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">hours</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Avg Speed: 38 mph</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">MPG: 16.6 (vehicle calc); 15.8 (actual)</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Gas Used: 177 gallons, average of 5.2 gallons/day</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Gas Cost: $651 ($19/day) - avg of $3.68/gallon</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Campground Cost: $881 (avg $26/day)</span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Campground Cost: $695 (avg $20/day)<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">A few photo highlights:<br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7C4pH1v2oP-w6OSt8um1XTqJKySpUU_m7777BJPXC0evaRJJbskbhqqMo0V7Q0CwYh4SMAkG-axIGF97EF6Fa4Dv_ZM7yYBcqYvAqSuJIe31953F2Y9B2roCbzG1P3tBYKXpqlfoN4UO7QIbRqMAL-Bz2rVjajSJTaGmvoxmV2k2SPKqzonJNB_5AiD8/s4032/Carbondale-010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7C4pH1v2oP-w6OSt8um1XTqJKySpUU_m7777BJPXC0evaRJJbskbhqqMo0V7Q0CwYh4SMAkG-axIGF97EF6Fa4Dv_ZM7yYBcqYvAqSuJIe31953F2Y9B2roCbzG1P3tBYKXpqlfoN4UO7QIbRqMAL-Bz2rVjajSJTaGmvoxmV2k2SPKqzonJNB_5AiD8/w640-h360/Carbondale-010.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mount Sopris view from Red Hill in Carbondale, CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyi7zB-2DfEYQ8zVWOYuixJ--MtpQgTHCj6muJblAF9U4BV3jQJCGf42IjiUXxic1kA7K9-bgyycM4Tmz21aZaVAkOkgBGAQfGsXMM4-eyKJvnjHlqz4Ns7Zo57_ISvq4a22gxzDqvkgUmT1McPJ7WcViM9F1JfwPEVfK_gBumc1svzZ2QCExui8h3eJx/s3127/Telluride-Bear_Creek-017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3127" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyi7zB-2DfEYQ8zVWOYuixJ--MtpQgTHCj6muJblAF9U4BV3jQJCGf42IjiUXxic1kA7K9-bgyycM4Tmz21aZaVAkOkgBGAQfGsXMM4-eyKJvnjHlqz4Ns7Zo57_ISvq4a22gxzDqvkgUmT1McPJ7WcViM9F1JfwPEVfK_gBumc1svzZ2QCExui8h3eJx/w290-h400/Telluride-Bear_Creek-017.jpg" width="290" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Bear Creek Falls in Telluride, CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOZIcH5nbctG7Ze-YMKUKXbqjFXyX7m8y9ZTt8AdXLaatJML1P6ULBHMGhIGCdxmQgE4cY2trV5DjWRZGLAibm8FV0Ok_gz_Jgw11ZiXlgFKjb9EokiJOoJsmlw7RKsi39DU4EaK_TSWPNc_usA9sNIqQYE46MFvDtS8x3SeGnDP7oAPBI-z08uhAE4cl/s4032/Bridal_Veil_Falls-012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOZIcH5nbctG7Ze-YMKUKXbqjFXyX7m8y9ZTt8AdXLaatJML1P6ULBHMGhIGCdxmQgE4cY2trV5DjWRZGLAibm8FV0Ok_gz_Jgw11ZiXlgFKjb9EokiJOoJsmlw7RKsi39DU4EaK_TSWPNc_usA9sNIqQYE46MFvDtS8x3SeGnDP7oAPBI-z08uhAE4cl/w640-h360/Bridal_Veil_Falls-012.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Hiking up to Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride, CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXVOKO9Sq-4sHlv1ZTi2Xc_vIFY0duHtROuMu_FGgEsHGn1nz5XcG2QRPKy11aCQKtnFuB6cGDG51kiTB0K4FAVlAAbUDECEnxpsO9rsAssNWLULqRcwVmvli6RULSUOJA0a03vOT0q-WWAsMH7OzoWmeJ1ac0kGiJkd0NnjIL3-kL-xdkFub4BNUyF5V/s4032/Aspen-063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXVOKO9Sq-4sHlv1ZTi2Xc_vIFY0duHtROuMu_FGgEsHGn1nz5XcG2QRPKy11aCQKtnFuB6cGDG51kiTB0K4FAVlAAbUDECEnxpsO9rsAssNWLULqRcwVmvli6RULSUOJA0a03vOT0q-WWAsMH7OzoWmeJ1ac0kGiJkd0NnjIL3-kL-xdkFub4BNUyF5V/w640-h360/Aspen-063.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Sunrise on the Maroon Bells near Aspen, CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMPFyVTzUTLRoSNqzegEmjn6ZpUdx-VVPgvWmpHAyfVLYlYh5mW4dpklzAo6rdC7ea1ryB6HEXuNGjjrESqY1Dr-x_xJCzJLbFeQgHlcuLb2Rr8HGPvb_uOG1ZtLcNkHsFfwC2Bf01-0Dp-T2zELFkb9rC7HIcKi-ljGFt6ox1u6aiiK1RVhh8Z5q9PHR/s4032/Leadville-006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMPFyVTzUTLRoSNqzegEmjn6ZpUdx-VVPgvWmpHAyfVLYlYh5mW4dpklzAo6rdC7ea1ryB6HEXuNGjjrESqY1Dr-x_xJCzJLbFeQgHlcuLb2Rr8HGPvb_uOG1ZtLcNkHsFfwC2Bf01-0Dp-T2zELFkb9rC7HIcKi-ljGFt6ox1u6aiiK1RVhh8Z5q9PHR/w640-h360/Leadville-006.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mountains through an old mining structure near Leadville, CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwdZp2zeUgnXNzAPDwahq6vVX-RiIgjnpzHFKSqvaF7qS57PCalIwT4r-gXnpViPtqsMJDyOaI7NReC111MhTcwQyJaijs338kcV69Zy_iv7kVFNUbRbWeNXpVcJhcY-FAuPzX9rbyct7iV2yAcO7LeK8lMpqK7NbPSEmyw6pUQVEamSDP-x1eQ36NIIF/s4032/RMNP-021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwdZp2zeUgnXNzAPDwahq6vVX-RiIgjnpzHFKSqvaF7qS57PCalIwT4r-gXnpViPtqsMJDyOaI7NReC111MhTcwQyJaijs338kcV69Zy_iv7kVFNUbRbWeNXpVcJhcY-FAuPzX9rbyct7iV2yAcO7LeK8lMpqK7NbPSEmyw6pUQVEamSDP-x1eQ36NIIF/w640-h360/RMNP-021.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Elena the climber in Rocky Mountain National Park<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEmy-QUCPI0bUB-DOQD5KQ-ZiHjNrtit4jzQnYkGi7PCDIZIfGqsdw82-IxhLvlgST0k34x9QR_4jeHYAPh_MtHQZUkWLN3NErZYPTtEVaNgPUKlJPcs16e0PqxsD5ie3Kj1TNjchhhNKW3UOqcLopCtJCWb7TC2v-tEg0NXKtcsHCGn2HRAH22w39aF9/s4032/GoG23-021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEmy-QUCPI0bUB-DOQD5KQ-ZiHjNrtit4jzQnYkGi7PCDIZIfGqsdw82-IxhLvlgST0k34x9QR_4jeHYAPh_MtHQZUkWLN3NErZYPTtEVaNgPUKlJPcs16e0PqxsD5ie3Kj1TNjchhhNKW3UOqcLopCtJCWb7TC2v-tEg0NXKtcsHCGn2HRAH22w39aF9/w640-h360/GoG23-021.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Pikes Peak view from Garden of the Gods in CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJY5ONCnfgevc_VyTrv3dB9h-35CwouD-gHUoU5IsAIB2mZ-_eEHLTwiwp1xczupTAIOgFJXj7GJ1FKhK-pCTqD1YwEE_m7BsujkeXHMEmMLcS5GqR3q_M-BscIVEpQBVrWJdPG17GH_nKhXytIa43rF0KvhOVB3Pc3FswkrChzNLW7NP2zNqVeQlyxw9/s2700/Pikes_Peak-057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="2700" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJY5ONCnfgevc_VyTrv3dB9h-35CwouD-gHUoU5IsAIB2mZ-_eEHLTwiwp1xczupTAIOgFJXj7GJ1FKhK-pCTqD1YwEE_m7BsujkeXHMEmMLcS5GqR3q_M-BscIVEpQBVrWJdPG17GH_nKhXytIa43rF0KvhOVB3Pc3FswkrChzNLW7NP2zNqVeQlyxw9/w640-h360/Pikes_Peak-057.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Pikes Peak in CO<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>- Paul<br />Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com1Fairview, TX 75069, USA33.1578952 -96.63165934.8476613638211532 -131.7879093 61.468129036178844 -61.475409299999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-478576028739008722023-08-06T17:43:00.003-05:002023-08-06T17:43:34.302-05:00San Juan Mountains<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We spent five great nights in Tellruide at the city owned campground. Can’t beat $29/ night in Telluride. We were in Telluride 13 months ago and Bebop wrote a blog, so I’ll just refer you to that - <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2022/07/bebop-reviews-telluride-land-of-dogs.html" target="_blank">Bebop’s Blog</a>. I’ve added a few more Telluride photos from this year. <br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IrtRlkhuARoEBk1ve3Fx2epoBuh402CKCi-JWSUdAwyQ0yBiHjUjaSGKCprrh4_fuQEgcKORTPmMe56rVjJC479CDpp8d8b5BVP16DVs4Y9XCpPB9C3mcN2eGs75TmsC6jliqhZ9HcVv2-Nz9ijC9qWZxRush4MVkV1WytbjGn1FvY1Ev3f9EAsPH2tE/s5120/CO23-Telluride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IrtRlkhuARoEBk1ve3Fx2epoBuh402CKCi-JWSUdAwyQ0yBiHjUjaSGKCprrh4_fuQEgcKORTPmMe56rVjJC479CDpp8d8b5BVP16DVs4Y9XCpPB9C3mcN2eGs75TmsC6jliqhZ9HcVv2-Nz9ijC9qWZxRush4MVkV1WytbjGn1FvY1Ev3f9EAsPH2tE/w640-h400/CO23-Telluride.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Telluride Hikes - Bridal Veil and Black Bear Creek<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtRroAa6LltI7TGT1ftEz17lKl4cF7aOKxOcqtJhZXRyTZoja36TMIUvGuxkGvtQjYnDlfTZQoK61qCj7GRSNJ1cf-1WcKJD8qPlusbu5XUEjyvPOgoLlVRYpS07pDXG8cD3Dzr7XalhmPZu6opTzuo1_EzUvRTn__ilwy25wXTanSk2v4TQQS4WEKlnU/s5120/CO23-Telluride1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="5120" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtRroAa6LltI7TGT1ftEz17lKl4cF7aOKxOcqtJhZXRyTZoja36TMIUvGuxkGvtQjYnDlfTZQoK61qCj7GRSNJ1cf-1WcKJD8qPlusbu5XUEjyvPOgoLlVRYpS07pDXG8cD3Dzr7XalhmPZu6opTzuo1_EzUvRTn__ilwy25wXTanSk2v4TQQS4WEKlnU/w640-h288/CO23-Telluride1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Telluride Falls - Bridal Veil Falls and Black Bear Creek</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>We departed Telluride and returned to Ridgway Lake for one night, where we played on the paddle board. The next morning we headed into Ouray for a planned 4 hour jeep tour of Corkscrew Pass near Red Mountain - with a guide doing the driving. We started driving that way, but ran into road construction on the main highway. After sitting for 20 minutes, the driver suggested we turn around and go to Imogene Pass instead. It was a very busy Saturday with Jeeps, motorcycles, and rental OHV, but we navigated up to near the top of the pass, which is over 13,000 feet. The wildflowers were stunning. Our guide said he was a microbiologist, but he looked like a regular size biologist to me. He knew all the flower names and pointed out many interesting species, including a rare elephant head plant. The paintbrush plants slowly changed color with elevation. He brought us to the largest field of Colorado Columbines I’ve ever seen.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqFNfh4j7E7cuWM3RQ8h2eu_37wcyfw677uf4yEr4vn7A0M7DwqzWNGzFocE33DpNwgs5ZPG8GxaMQOULjomrHhNjue00C9kHJXjW_Dg44OrG0_MGqf-jqWJvgddg5b6iwXkpFyUQUUrXZLYuT43FsGdjNlOdK30btaZywr9scHumIuHFsRHcWvy4Fmrw/s5120/CO23-SanJuans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqFNfh4j7E7cuWM3RQ8h2eu_37wcyfw677uf4yEr4vn7A0M7DwqzWNGzFocE33DpNwgs5ZPG8GxaMQOULjomrHhNjue00C9kHJXjW_Dg44OrG0_MGqf-jqWJvgddg5b6iwXkpFyUQUUrXZLYuT43FsGdjNlOdK30btaZywr9scHumIuHFsRHcWvy4Fmrw/w640-h360/CO23-SanJuans.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imogene Pass Jeep Ride - up over 13,000 feet<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkL99KmnEdBC46vEhD17NboNV4OvWhe5GiH-3FnN_0d09i2wtaaoa3Fmo3yVUsW07xD32QEYudbClIl0kRkTwLVrCOfpO_E0K2ioczkcQ4-wSLSEaFP65MDbyCVf_qlb4FQ0xCPl4nGreZoVi7QJ7VJE5yY5ofU6Ia0bMZAQstFAPmZ9WVnPFTyHjHYiY/s2398/Imogene_Pass-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="2398" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkL99KmnEdBC46vEhD17NboNV4OvWhe5GiH-3FnN_0d09i2wtaaoa3Fmo3yVUsW07xD32QEYudbClIl0kRkTwLVrCOfpO_E0K2ioczkcQ4-wSLSEaFP65MDbyCVf_qlb4FQ0xCPl4nGreZoVi7QJ7VJE5yY5ofU6Ia0bMZAQstFAPmZ9WVnPFTyHjHYiY/w400-h300/Imogene_Pass-004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rare Elephant wildflower - look at the little elephants<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After the jeep tour, we drove down the Million Dollar Highway and made a few stops at places such as Red Mountain (there are actually five red mountains numbered 1-5). The </span><span>Uncompahgre</span><span> River is an ugly yellow color as it cascades down toward Ouray. Some of the yellow is natural, The name came from the native tribe in the area. Our guide said </span><span>Uncompahgre</span><span> translates to “ ,” but I think it was an old native phrase for “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you.” Much of the current color is due to minerals leaching from the many historical mining </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQmE47J8srH2GfqkGx2d35R-OrQquFHr75AmkYhgjpZEj3z759OBYWrtr9hrKpprTB0StvqVZhkVwZmig07-YqT27_36sVr-McGgGdS7RbsQmseFVqPFWlmzVuTOYWn7nB7pYxHZEWjys9IY1BkrBs0MckUbJYKjsRkUoVVM8buukPSHiOeznIylonCU1/s5120/CO23-SanJuans1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQmE47J8srH2GfqkGx2d35R-OrQquFHr75AmkYhgjpZEj3z759OBYWrtr9hrKpprTB0StvqVZhkVwZmig07-YqT27_36sVr-McGgGdS7RbsQmseFVqPFWlmzVuTOYWn7nB7pYxHZEWjys9IY1BkrBs0MckUbJYKjsRkUoVVM8buukPSHiOeznIylonCU1/w640-h360/CO23-SanJuans1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three pics near red mountain, and one at Molas Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarWjIDr_zFXCcUScVpZp8b9SUN9JskxoMC1CI3guvJ7232KpLEaDEgA1LCpcK0h5czNoZFPsaI_2vyduqQdmAk8J9RzKJ3VQTef9eoFdMpbocQ3BxrDWr8-olFTcYLRa8SHki3d1DiADK0P-eRcD3kNLkF06iG73nW77g_Ui0VA4CcxU1O82UunfK0HjB/s4032/San_Juan_Mountains-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarWjIDr_zFXCcUScVpZp8b9SUN9JskxoMC1CI3guvJ7232KpLEaDEgA1LCpcK0h5czNoZFPsaI_2vyduqQdmAk8J9RzKJ3VQTef9eoFdMpbocQ3BxrDWr8-olFTcYLRa8SHki3d1DiADK0P-eRcD3kNLkF06iG73nW77g_Ui0VA4CcxU1O82UunfK0HjB/w640-h360/San_Juan_Mountains-016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Molas Lake campground - I thought the colorful parasols made a nice photo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> Our campground that night was Molas Lake just south of Silverton.</span><span> </span><span>Molas lake is at 10,500 feet in elevation and the morning low was 42ºF. The following day we headed to Durango and made several stops along the way. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>We camped the night at Junction Creek Campground north of Durango. Tomorrow we raft the Animas River, then head to Pagosa Springs.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span> </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>- Paul <br /></span></span></div>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-64126206596296384962023-07-28T15:41:00.004-05:002023-07-28T15:48:18.631-05:00Maroon Bells Wilderness<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">After we departed Rocky Mountain National Park, we stopped at Hot Sulfur Springs, where Elena spent several hours in the various natural hot springs pools. Bebop and I walked down to the Colorado Rive, which was shallow enough to walk across. We camped that night on Wolford Lake. The next morning we rafted the Colorado River through Little Brown Canyon. The big Brown Canyon is some of the fiercest whitewater on the planet - our section was mild and scenic. </span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>We spent the next night at Peak One campground near Frisco, CO. We inflated Elena's paddleboard and enjoyed some calm morning water. I even tried the paddleboard and successfully stood up shortly after the photo was taken.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQFib4TT1ldHuVwG95MDANJqNiNM6dLUx1_fWQqXiaFI6v1pE4vMwBHDmglQiEpTFu7E-qjg61jAKnOhAj1P9jrhRM9udmZILBBjtZNZ8TOlvBQ9gU-Lmz94MRMtr6jIoeny3duOWtWmZkOu2gFmOpCrnnamusjgoGU8xfwFd7YPkcyNhRYcT86ZRUcr-/s5120/CO23_WestRMNP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQFib4TT1ldHuVwG95MDANJqNiNM6dLUx1_fWQqXiaFI6v1pE4vMwBHDmglQiEpTFu7E-qjg61jAKnOhAj1P9jrhRM9udmZILBBjtZNZ8TOlvBQ9gU-Lmz94MRMtr6jIoeny3duOWtWmZkOu2gFmOpCrnnamusjgoGU8xfwFd7YPkcyNhRYcT86ZRUcr-/w640-h360/CO23_WestRMNP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddling and drinking at the Dillon Reservoir<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After paddling, we drove toward the highest incorporated town in North America - Leadville, CO. On the way, we hiked the Mayflower Gulch Trail up to an old abandoned mining camp. The trail started at 11,000 feet and went up another 650’ from there. It was about a 4-mile RT hike. Mayflower Gulch is a beautiful basin and some of the old mining buildings from the late 1800s are still standing. We crossed the continental divide shortly after that hike and were back on the east side of the Rockies spine. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGbxFlFyJefNWu-gcrRcQHlXwKAzAaftlcifpBCNF-f8w0VgSFELUTIcW-xAct_OwWOCHkq8Ll0gSxxf4mZ0HXGB_PW4m_ALW5M3c-QZCPqcOeDXSVDySKlpCSWNBlv11fxv27fMp17E3RXUpgj1kxDU3rtEr5Ep1cfb4XxtnB83WTDpOT3wHH-B7XNyH/s5120/CO23_WestRMNP1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGbxFlFyJefNWu-gcrRcQHlXwKAzAaftlcifpBCNF-f8w0VgSFELUTIcW-xAct_OwWOCHkq8Ll0gSxxf4mZ0HXGB_PW4m_ALW5M3c-QZCPqcOeDXSVDySKlpCSWNBlv11fxv27fMp17E3RXUpgj1kxDU3rtEr5Ep1cfb4XxtnB83WTDpOT3wHH-B7XNyH/w640-h360/CO23_WestRMNP1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayflower Gulch Hike<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While passing through Leadville, I stopped to take a photo of Mount Massive. It’s the 2nd tallest peak in Colorado at 14,250’ and I summited that mountain back in 1988 when my company sent a number of us on a one-week Outward Bound course. It was 13 miles and 4,600 feet of elevation gain to get to the top.<br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr130OJiLow7nCGjZL5aMFDAT6v-j15JSA57IDtCnKaM3yYzbt4W2CggaZNIEnQYwydl2eEDZzKTA47U6UaFVyjABD1K9CC8WqjJh0rK0E1dBRz2iREOgyrk1VJ5V68CBVMqhVOB3AZQnmmCuZ_3S67bgAVXN6XW1ysc-rQIp47AlWmVn2dFy2bYviiUd/s4032/Leadville-022.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr130OJiLow7nCGjZL5aMFDAT6v-j15JSA57IDtCnKaM3yYzbt4W2CggaZNIEnQYwydl2eEDZzKTA47U6UaFVyjABD1K9CC8WqjJh0rK0E1dBRz2iREOgyrk1VJ5V68CBVMqhVOB3AZQnmmCuZ_3S67bgAVXN6XW1ysc-rQIp47AlWmVn2dFy2bYviiUd/w640-h360/Leadville-022.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mount Massive from a distance<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf0lKpOD70ydVgUnCQn90T23TKUCAQSUn9kwxZ87g_dZ3oH7CsCICHVlrca9fDsq6gZr-g9KkEDu1ZTzUV3tqosrajoYeZuHZm3vkpgF7d4x8jnvZ56VydxCVXXvuodexyCOWfT9ZxgxQSqefKwQ3eePZYcjHk3pBMossuKvUGZ6AsX5eFq8MeGY0VXN7/s1532/Outward_Bound.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1532" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf0lKpOD70ydVgUnCQn90T23TKUCAQSUn9kwxZ87g_dZ3oH7CsCICHVlrca9fDsq6gZr-g9KkEDu1ZTzUV3tqosrajoYeZuHZm3vkpgF7d4x8jnvZ56VydxCVXXvuodexyCOWfT9ZxgxQSqefKwQ3eePZYcjHk3pBMossuKvUGZ6AsX5eFq8MeGY0VXN7/w640-h430/Outward_Bound.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Me on Mount Massive in 1988 with an Outward Bound group<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>We camped at the beautiful Whitestar campground on Twin Lakes. This was one of our highest campsites at 9,300 feet of elevation. The next morning, we headed toward Independence Pass. Not far along the road, we saw about eight bighorn sheep right off the edge of the highway. We proceeded up the pass and walked around at the continental divide at 12,095 feet.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrHYH5jlVUo00W949LFL_Qpvw_jUrqYu30PqI33uS12nbIhnqlntQNLupju8dmnn9P0MfBMZpmnctSpjtCg8jW6jrJplyJppY9vB0quzEG0_Up_ixSG0VEvwxcjF3tcP-f6XLH9jMhxYGo-29cTYciu-a4mN7JWy4DANAc8JUk_NPz8BpHzXOlePwp4eL/s5120/CO23_WestRMNP2.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrHYH5jlVUo00W949LFL_Qpvw_jUrqYu30PqI33uS12nbIhnqlntQNLupju8dmnn9P0MfBMZpmnctSpjtCg8jW6jrJplyJppY9vB0quzEG0_Up_ixSG0VEvwxcjF3tcP-f6XLH9jMhxYGo-29cTYciu-a4mN7JWy4DANAc8JUk_NPz8BpHzXOlePwp4eL/w640-h360/CO23_WestRMNP2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whitestar Campground on Twin Lakes<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVJMaxfQhVJTesqt2ZOaRLcCg1Mb3daAL1oMeQmmqbl1hMMPgeA7oBKVbzKHeoWVwTr5mh12mgu6xvkrflOBEUDxFPBYFOoy5ztVEcI_63imPIrKG7WCSinGXluYMuX5-q1SSdyMNNnQnqd65i6KKj9aLL01EivHzn402XdxN9r57IwwuWHBVCdxFKMSc/s5120/CO23-Aspen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVJMaxfQhVJTesqt2ZOaRLcCg1Mb3daAL1oMeQmmqbl1hMMPgeA7oBKVbzKHeoWVwTr5mh12mgu6xvkrflOBEUDxFPBYFOoy5ztVEcI_63imPIrKG7WCSinGXluYMuX5-q1SSdyMNNnQnqd65i6KKj9aLL01EivHzn402XdxN9r57IwwuWHBVCdxFKMSc/w640-h360/CO23-Aspen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Independence Pass<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On the way down into Aspen, we made a couple of stops. One was a 1.1 mile trail to Weller Lake. It was a nice little hike to an alpine lake. We also hiked the Grottos Trail. Two main features of this trail are the Ice Cave and the Cascades. The Ice Cave is a bit of a tricky climb to get down to, but it is an interesting stream carved nook in the rocks. The last of this year's ice melted a couple of weeks ago, but it was still an interesting feature to crawl in and see. We then went to The Cascades, which is a series of waterfalls as the Roaring Fork River comes roaring down the mountain. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1uU6JiD6YEDPbPAnL1-eDnTSX0fHEdSaFWMw63sPLpcY3SnXa4Ht0yeFROP_agBSldNxy-Ya5fNl5SvER-EGmCWBCPpV7v_A7RBAGuB8gQNgrKWxOKK7ndWMsi0bthsSS6xR1wpvuzD-icPzDmO2JtiLD01MmxYhdtabmKcMk-8Y5z7BjZWasNmvzP-r/s4032/Aspen_Weller-003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1uU6JiD6YEDPbPAnL1-eDnTSX0fHEdSaFWMw63sPLpcY3SnXa4Ht0yeFROP_agBSldNxy-Ya5fNl5SvER-EGmCWBCPpV7v_A7RBAGuB8gQNgrKWxOKK7ndWMsi0bthsSS6xR1wpvuzD-icPzDmO2JtiLD01MmxYhdtabmKcMk-8Y5z7BjZWasNmvzP-r/w640-h360/Aspen_Weller-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weller Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKVzFLOEsm9tcPaKdGJyfUo0EfGOxpUoRDtyx12KSr_fbUksd3vMW12Ipzk2F6HiMgusdpD_3fufwpRYwmXZ0mp09AfjY8a7mb7j1l3O11_0nhmCW6-ieJiRh2VBQPm7zah7FIPp2N36FrgABjkCmTb_NboD8GBcmkQqMmLngCtxuFICkbiiiy4Vu2GiT/s5120/CO23-Aspen1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="5120" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKVzFLOEsm9tcPaKdGJyfUo0EfGOxpUoRDtyx12KSr_fbUksd3vMW12Ipzk2F6HiMgusdpD_3fufwpRYwmXZ0mp09AfjY8a7mb7j1l3O11_0nhmCW6-ieJiRh2VBQPm7zah7FIPp2N36FrgABjkCmTb_NboD8GBcmkQqMmLngCtxuFICkbiiiy4Vu2GiT/w640-h512/CO23-Aspen1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ice Cave (ice free since a couple of weeks prior to our visit)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y8IP0P-lSue5K6aK5pQhrZb5RzyxAeByNyuAGY2TALPfwkDCA7u3Ieym8fMuENXwjLXh1MCXpJ4Sxa4IE3IJcn4KzNs5b1tlqFIIyT6WbSjqOOB6PvyTuVSCiSO00evJ6DiO2DJGDwXXZQJ_svvMEN9n4j9LrItNH1yTG7MUxuQMca9lDaTQh_eJ8hPl/s5120/CO23-Aspen2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="5120" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y8IP0P-lSue5K6aK5pQhrZb5RzyxAeByNyuAGY2TALPfwkDCA7u3Ieym8fMuENXwjLXh1MCXpJ4Sxa4IE3IJcn4KzNs5b1tlqFIIyT6WbSjqOOB6PvyTuVSCiSO00evJ6DiO2DJGDwXXZQJ_svvMEN9n4j9LrItNH1yTG7MUxuQMca9lDaTQh_eJ8hPl/w640-h512/CO23-Aspen2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cascades on the Roaring Fork River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We crawled through the traffic in Aspen and made it to our campsite - Silver Queen near the Maroon Bells. This camp only has 6 sites, so I was fortunate to grab one six months ago when it opened up for booking. The first evening, we hiked around with Bebop and saw a few deer - to go with the stunning mountain and lake scenery in every direction. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fH2ChINjdTUFprKlUr4ycLf5HX-llbgVQv-3b4h3-XWh7AqBaVAPyTyxyVwBnTHt4WgtTLTokpGMrqLamxpgukgAyR0J6HZnluHLwEdJ4YdyiWwuqRbVqjie88FFCrKZd68uU_MtKjlZ9QeVEIRYV0PPniS3ycSpHPzTmx7DsGx3xcHgJhyFuW1oUKy0/s5120/CO23-Aspen3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fH2ChINjdTUFprKlUr4ycLf5HX-llbgVQv-3b4h3-XWh7AqBaVAPyTyxyVwBnTHt4WgtTLTokpGMrqLamxpgukgAyR0J6HZnluHLwEdJ4YdyiWwuqRbVqjie88FFCrKZd68uU_MtKjlZ9QeVEIRYV0PPniS3ycSpHPzTmx7DsGx3xcHgJhyFuW1oUKy0/w640-h360/CO23-Aspen3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Maroon Bells - Evening Edition<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The following morning (day 17 of our trip - the halfway point), I drove the van from our campsite to Maroon Lake before dawn. It’s a short 3-mile drive. I hiked out to get some dawn shots of the early morning sun hitting the mountains. I returned to the van to get Bebop for a walk. When I stepped out again, I almost stepped on a fox weaving through the parking lot. I managed to get a few fuzzy photos. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxWAXsjkEIGXNU0FXk5017sYQyxem0jETGGkevbyiDNEdLyu310ElNYEVHxPZ_a14ClTM5lB4bz4vH_4vk0m_FB77_A1StTPfXVSCa-STbEvgMSfO5wnBdbh2j3_d-6vq8D8tL7ussNRYQl1zygLvSEOWzaHCO6s4IhEhOazomyxPOOdECF1cjFFqVxnM/w640-h640/CO23-Aspen4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Maroon Bells - Morning Edition<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_jc3550ufU53GqCTSpJhFSRV8O5Mm27s4H7on8IFzpu_sO8XIXzMv9pK6O0s6QWQueNEEGfD6MNX02F1YemRk6rQsRxPKWebnCUsBtH3rUo-GaByMjPawA-XhmYqfJ2oE0yk3QejcylpjzxcG521fEHjU6ssPZYfqquARNA3eOkdSOGN78UkohSW0lU2/s4608/Aspen-047.JPG" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_jc3550ufU53GqCTSpJhFSRV8O5Mm27s4H7on8IFzpu_sO8XIXzMv9pK6O0s6QWQueNEEGfD6MNX02F1YemRk6rQsRxPKWebnCUsBtH3rUo-GaByMjPawA-XhmYqfJ2oE0yk3QejcylpjzxcG521fEHjU6ssPZYfqquARNA3eOkdSOGN78UkohSW0lU2/w640-h480/Aspen-047.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Parking Lot Fox<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>I took Bebop on a morning walk and a large female deer stared us down and got a little aggressive when she saw Bebop. I think she had her fawn tucked nearby in the woods. Later, Elena and I took the rocky hike to Crater Lake. Bebop was exhausted from finally being able to hike the last few days, so she slept in for this hike. She did pose for a shadow impression of a wolf before her nap. Crater Lake is about 4 miles RT with an elevation gain of a bit over 500 feet (from our starting elevation of 9,600 feet). </span></span></div></div></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7ieELu0f3IX1jTn9a_PA_mr9XmTq6bTOXhpLPM6x9Gm22EVwo9OuaWSEuoafq2ccI_7CKTz-L6orXlIWIDthjhZsKybsYQq_907t3MJmJb-K0dLD74WPCX-6JDH8AcCwy8UN-wjvNwa3di5qSyNk_mS4PGMkHuWI6RmB7r-4nmc9fzuh9E-FG-SD43h6/s4608/Aspen-053.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7ieELu0f3IX1jTn9a_PA_mr9XmTq6bTOXhpLPM6x9Gm22EVwo9OuaWSEuoafq2ccI_7CKTz-L6orXlIWIDthjhZsKybsYQq_907t3MJmJb-K0dLD74WPCX-6JDH8AcCwy8UN-wjvNwa3di5qSyNk_mS4PGMkHuWI6RmB7r-4nmc9fzuh9E-FG-SD43h6/w640-h480/Aspen-053.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop and Deer Staring Contest<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3SpypPAFiiZrLHSPp37pdhM4I1csREIfCIir3efxkzlPXOgRC2VWSfwjamoMsYePKCzP7Mk0p5_OO5_LBrzxXY8ZGmPrb9WoeLpCnk_qjdNG1AgX9kW82HCXvsLFGAxNMDMTUSIsyzfuCn4TtJmOiv8IAA-yI08SaxkltTcr45FnIpxRJDTle45XkG_f/s5120/CO23-Aspen5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3SpypPAFiiZrLHSPp37pdhM4I1csREIfCIir3efxkzlPXOgRC2VWSfwjamoMsYePKCzP7Mk0p5_OO5_LBrzxXY8ZGmPrb9WoeLpCnk_qjdNG1AgX9kW82HCXvsLFGAxNMDMTUSIsyzfuCn4TtJmOiv8IAA-yI08SaxkltTcr45FnIpxRJDTle45XkG_f/w640-h360/CO23-Aspen5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Maroon Bells, Bebop Wolf Shadow Impression, and Crater Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Seven years ago I hiked the 10 mile and 3,000 foot climb up to Buckskin Pass, so Crater Lake was easy by comparison. In the afternoon, we rested and walked along Maroon Creek in the shade of the trees. I took Bebop out for a walk, and we saw the giant male moose across the way. He was backlit, so we named him The Black Moose - like The Black Knight from Monty Python. Later that evening, Elena and I went for a hike and saw a beaver swimming and grazing. </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55zTz_iihDantifXEA2mtTFHorzUXdfAg-HFpzJeUCEJUtDH4n2DzDLByGCis843ASUkxexiWcb0l-6OEnklTMwJgHbRWAq5aAthC9Lfm61LHPyV-gqWsc3CCcUNAvV1DsAdTUCcpcHRfLvGwVGVc-BTrrnwch6VTOl_STeRbk3kxIM34dsiYSoKeoMfk/s5120/CO23-Aspen7.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55zTz_iihDantifXEA2mtTFHorzUXdfAg-HFpzJeUCEJUtDH4n2DzDLByGCis843ASUkxexiWcb0l-6OEnklTMwJgHbRWAq5aAthC9Lfm61LHPyV-gqWsc3CCcUNAvV1DsAdTUCcpcHRfLvGwVGVc-BTrrnwch6VTOl_STeRbk3kxIM34dsiYSoKeoMfk/w640-h400/CO23-Aspen7.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Beaver Swims; Beaver Eats<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>That evening we then went searching for the local bull moose. From a distance, we spotted him in a willow thicket near the trail. We walked the trail slowly and cautiously, keeping a careful eye into the willows. Just when I thought we were past his location, he stepped out onto the trail right in front of us. The big moose stopped in the creek and had a standoff with a frozen fisherman. The fisherman finally waded across to safety and the moose posed for some photos. Later, the moose stood guard at the bridge and said, “None shall pass.”</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5Sug1nW4Yjdz6LYychk_84IqwzMQT7H5IJyYqpT3FwpgbTBEPAEl9oUCHZ7qVS4ATlGyONiqpE4OMIFMxNZW4axrcc4icUvx3HG8S8Ztx79qWhmCJxUPPk4LCEqn7JD-wdVVwkdtfANZoHYFBNpO0ZyM7oTmt5sSN5cEFGT0bHb69QiNBtxVWDPCMiet/s5120/CO23-Aspen6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5Sug1nW4Yjdz6LYychk_84IqwzMQT7H5IJyYqpT3FwpgbTBEPAEl9oUCHZ7qVS4ATlGyONiqpE4OMIFMxNZW4axrcc4icUvx3HG8S8Ztx79qWhmCJxUPPk4LCEqn7JD-wdVVwkdtfANZoHYFBNpO0ZyM7oTmt5sSN5cEFGT0bHb69QiNBtxVWDPCMiet/w640-h400/CO23-Aspen6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Black Moose - steped out just in front of us on the trail<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We visited the area once more the next morning before we departed for other adventures. It’s a stunningly beautiful place.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>- Paul</span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></span>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Maroon Bells, Colorado 81654, USA39.0710453 -106.988985610.760811463821156 -142.1452356 67.381279136178847 -71.8327356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-90586316227187687162023-07-22T20:06:00.003-05:002023-07-22T20:06:51.823-05:00Rocky Mountain National Park<p style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We elected to spend five nights at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), as we haven't been here in about 17 years. We booked three nights at Glacier Basin Campground in RMNP, one night at Mary's Lake in Estes Park, and one night in Aspenglen Campground back in the park. Mary's Lake was our amenities night - power, water, dump, showers, and laundry.</span></span></p><p style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Glacier Basin was fantastic. It's right in the heart of the most visited areas of the park - Bear Lake corridor. While others hoped to get a timed permit to enter the corridor, we were already past the gate and free to explore the area. The park, like many, has become so popular they have to limit entries via a permit system. There are two levels of permits - one to enter the overall park, and another permit to enter the Bear Lake corridor.</span></span></p><p style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first evening we took a short hike to <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Sprague</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Lake. There was an older female moose grazing in the lake, and we sat and watched for a while. Human impact on the ecosystem weighs large. In the 1900s hunters killed off the last of the top predators - wolves and grizzly bears. In the 1980s the state of Colorado brought in 24 moose to the state for tourism and hunting. The moose have proliferated without the top predators to manage their population. Moose eat the willow trees, which the beavers need to make dams and lodges. The beavers are essentially gone from the park now. Years of fire suppression, to protect nearby communities, has resulted in many invasive species growing in the park. And climate change is wiping out the glaciers and stressing many species as they seek higher ground.</span></span></p><p style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBh4Bg4YWFxcfFsoLfDuaAmZjQ2gXYWoQTn7DfDEka0JT8sQ5dOiKTdSyUTbYjdKW4UpklNbViqZDSemFK4t1U9C5ve0_RVdkt2N99Y17TCmHg6t4JwfVoWdd90cc7MKwYMFfKQkM3S-6vWitzRlHqQfyJvXbUL6eSD060CxW3islmynIaGQANuqf8O0TO/s4032/RMNP-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBh4Bg4YWFxcfFsoLfDuaAmZjQ2gXYWoQTn7DfDEka0JT8sQ5dOiKTdSyUTbYjdKW4UpklNbViqZDSemFK4t1U9C5ve0_RVdkt2N99Y17TCmHg6t4JwfVoWdd90cc7MKwYMFfKQkM3S-6vWitzRlHqQfyJvXbUL6eSD060CxW3islmynIaGQANuqf8O0TO/w640-h360/RMNP-017.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sprague Lake near our campground<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next morning, we got up at 5:15AM and drove to the most popular trailhead parking lot at the end of Bear Lake Road. We went for several hikes. The first one was a 6 mile, 4 lake visit. We gained about 1,200 feet on that hike - and it started at 9,500 feet of elevation! After passing the smallest lake (Nymph) we headed up to Haiyaha Lake. It was the most colorful because it has fresher glacial sediment suspended in the water. We then came back down to Dream Lake and on to Emerald Lake. Near Emerald Lake, there was a very large elk grazing at the side of the trail. It seemed oblivious to all the people streaming past. <br /></span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNW3n-p3Ntvs4bCk4wvqEgPSDXWVMZvElMHtgCmMtn0sPQBRt2IMaV9myEQ0E3nOxMigb0p-Xt0spiLM9eCbpbg-bX4E8z0Se_pWybMUK85hAb44WJYqhRbxnzJddcfP4HW1ohbPPdX5OprcbKopD4qANb6GAVFWLD3nazYEKvdj5oWfjGZJ05Y60yecn/s4032/RMNP-063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNW3n-p3Ntvs4bCk4wvqEgPSDXWVMZvElMHtgCmMtn0sPQBRt2IMaV9myEQ0E3nOxMigb0p-Xt0spiLM9eCbpbg-bX4E8z0Se_pWybMUK85hAb44WJYqhRbxnzJddcfP4HW1ohbPPdX5OprcbKopD4qANb6GAVFWLD3nazYEKvdj5oWfjGZJ05Y60yecn/w640-h360/RMNP-063.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nymph Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcisdBcEVLaPqgGXwwVRCdm-pPlFNM2nYCyMW2IVLGBMfy2utRXL1BEN4kgz9tK4aF2-lWMmMPyjwcZ358oVeqP5XhB1XxUMTfC8855Pj-o9SPqlnHbrWArIm0sL6P5NRdmSMhgKkisXFD_Fbbqz1Wqm9gLJpn-ZzLLl-J4j9tgN7k0BQpXoShZtPTz1gi/s4032/RMNP-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcisdBcEVLaPqgGXwwVRCdm-pPlFNM2nYCyMW2IVLGBMfy2utRXL1BEN4kgz9tK4aF2-lWMmMPyjwcZ358oVeqP5XhB1XxUMTfC8855Pj-o9SPqlnHbrWArIm0sL6P5NRdmSMhgKkisXFD_Fbbqz1Wqm9gLJpn-ZzLLl-J4j9tgN7k0BQpXoShZtPTz1gi/w640-h360/RMNP-021.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Elena the mountain climber<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzu2peELl03d_q2APbSFC2pvRpEloF_SbnSqHxqdZ-gbjiSmtM07rhr8rrz_2epG-xXljcoRPt7Wj3Dj8PKEeANl-7fDAiH0uT2jdxb224BxV3Ox3pxgbHC4LGP5JGHC7Kb3l2FX4s0En7vSMPttZ0FZ1VSSZZwaEA9jQrRehFJXJmC-SgaOq_XHIwyMy/s4032/RMNP-037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzu2peELl03d_q2APbSFC2pvRpEloF_SbnSqHxqdZ-gbjiSmtM07rhr8rrz_2epG-xXljcoRPt7Wj3Dj8PKEeANl-7fDAiH0uT2jdxb224BxV3Ox3pxgbHC4LGP5JGHC7Kb3l2FX4s0En7vSMPttZ0FZ1VSSZZwaEA9jQrRehFJXJmC-SgaOq_XHIwyMy/w640-h360/RMNP-037.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Haiyaha Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FRHgKROpQshG8ktMCLAafSCOy2eU4Rdji-23TLbTvWka-zdLXHXS9PWtraLTOoMtymBE-gGRfRaAWlGMCXFmo8bdkPfb-xvtXi9csr_c-_K82aSg2cS_CNK9WqeClIv7XlEUDszCxgVi6bwd1zGdljqonroZ2oOzVFRcm8vGR61g5mo_BUwYqOQUSZbS/s4032/RMNP-042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FRHgKROpQshG8ktMCLAafSCOy2eU4Rdji-23TLbTvWka-zdLXHXS9PWtraLTOoMtymBE-gGRfRaAWlGMCXFmo8bdkPfb-xvtXi9csr_c-_K82aSg2cS_CNK9WqeClIv7XlEUDszCxgVi6bwd1zGdljqonroZ2oOzVFRcm8vGR61g5mo_BUwYqOQUSZbS/w640-h360/RMNP-042.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Elena at Dream Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhYgi2e31vZxqvOryArm9drxlv7uaweXEKPrvb8Qe-P5l3RLPr3IYtdR9zKp7kaBWfd2GNRt9MMI0qD3Do1XNXarSYKMHCcRYdSNSmdGeEbe9ffrRvKc0--qMpZ2FqPp7nf3O3TvfgvGZwPVYBXnLfLGypxh5usKFTyfnmeTz-eMkYB9UqskCo4grC-WL/s4032/RMNP-049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhYgi2e31vZxqvOryArm9drxlv7uaweXEKPrvb8Qe-P5l3RLPr3IYtdR9zKp7kaBWfd2GNRt9MMI0qD3Do1XNXarSYKMHCcRYdSNSmdGeEbe9ffrRvKc0--qMpZ2FqPp7nf3O3TvfgvGZwPVYBXnLfLGypxh5usKFTyfnmeTz-eMkYB9UqskCo4grC-WL/w640-h360/RMNP-049.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Elena and Elk<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBGbDGEZdma6n7cp1vnqNUK4WMJe4uu69UGb71_c27P4zc7cOpZaH2aJEx7_UbWlNJEIq0cEfdFd_tDiFLk8Y26wulnO-7yX0-3qDgxSPoDpTrbyC2LbkK8vwUDifIM5FsyFf2jIBXuATYrZMSGDY6m2JhEZdp7HIYI5gFIW4j84PStjQlRA0G1JaHRX0/s4032/RMNP-057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBGbDGEZdma6n7cp1vnqNUK4WMJe4uu69UGb71_c27P4zc7cOpZaH2aJEx7_UbWlNJEIq0cEfdFd_tDiFLk8Y26wulnO-7yX0-3qDgxSPoDpTrbyC2LbkK8vwUDifIM5FsyFf2jIBXuATYrZMSGDY6m2JhEZdp7HIYI5gFIW4j84PStjQlRA0G1JaHRX0/w640-h360/RMNP-057.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul at Emerald Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We returned to the van and had lunch, then headed back out to loop around Bear Lake. This one was only a mile with minimal elevation changes.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NtC9C_2sweJic5GAcjrgg0B0zOegP5_fbzeYqcEatDMTfq2hdMLrw9ccim6QswZb0eZAeMu3CTPx43kg2qUbEmRMiyTDRtXTyWcU0089wuNHP9WfzJPDl3ahsHi8M3YDrpkkIay8TKPVVjlLKWFE0fISoic_cg3nnO6uazQAOe3ezZKmZPIpOgcGcFG7/s4032/RMNP-066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NtC9C_2sweJic5GAcjrgg0B0zOegP5_fbzeYqcEatDMTfq2hdMLrw9ccim6QswZb0eZAeMu3CTPx43kg2qUbEmRMiyTDRtXTyWcU0089wuNHP9WfzJPDl3ahsHi8M3YDrpkkIay8TKPVVjlLKWFE0fISoic_cg3nnO6uazQAOe3ezZKmZPIpOgcGcFG7/w640-h360/RMNP-066.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bear Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> We then decided to hike to Alberta Falls. That added another couple of miles and 230 feet of elevation gain. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB-KAIs0HJr8__UqymaMIEoYoeV8NKAvLvGI8WIil5ycYSrUWveCLjh1F8X9Wvca_48UDhB3a-dwQdx7BNqC7JP897Nq0MJvdu5GXamHlfFkMA9ZYiwi0E-HCc9-f6_Vn_1rrYosKP0s0v2iAUIaTnC0JVzA03YMFlf6uEzh5qc7ir0hr9x3ZJ2EzUcgv/s4032/RMNP-073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB-KAIs0HJr8__UqymaMIEoYoeV8NKAvLvGI8WIil5ycYSrUWveCLjh1F8X9Wvca_48UDhB3a-dwQdx7BNqC7JP897Nq0MJvdu5GXamHlfFkMA9ZYiwi0E-HCc9-f6_Vn_1rrYosKP0s0v2iAUIaTnC0JVzA03YMFlf6uEzh5qc7ir0hr9x3ZJ2EzUcgv/w225-h400/RMNP-073.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Alberta Falls<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we arrived back at the campsite, we decided to add another couple of miles back to Sprague Lake to see if the moose was out. It was.</span></span></div><p style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next morning, we got up early and drove a few miles to the Bierstadt Lake trailhead. We hiked up about 700 feet and around 4 miles total. As we came to the first lake view, we saw a moose mom and baby on the other shore. We eventually got around to that side, and they were both out in the lake by that point. We watched them for a long time and visited with an off duty park ranger who was out taking photos on her day off. </span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc_DMiP9dWLXlhz2BP0dHVVqxCgROOWFEtf1aHkmJz4OAvMz7ch6qZyrzxn6v1FoxCOzzfxLsOb7yCca-evULVGjASi6mOHcTFK2AY3z0nTGDOrfDpT5mTO55vH6mQau575k0sZur6jP7GZi14WAfXhu3ukwLBtiW13fxU-gEH5sNTJP-2IjJrH1wuZuE/s4032/RMNP-082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc_DMiP9dWLXlhz2BP0dHVVqxCgROOWFEtf1aHkmJz4OAvMz7ch6qZyrzxn6v1FoxCOzzfxLsOb7yCca-evULVGjASi6mOHcTFK2AY3z0nTGDOrfDpT5mTO55vH6mQau575k0sZur6jP7GZi14WAfXhu3ukwLBtiW13fxU-gEH5sNTJP-2IjJrH1wuZuE/w640-h360/RMNP-082.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bebop at our campground<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmf6RXWf-p3QjUZV4tfhtDEO9U-hBms2bcdZSsLnZcEy5tNHPk8zXEk5OJqLqabUVPxKXRYO9CbM9DuEj9G2DgXbiGbxTyFOuL3Q781LFaD9WYgPo0XRSrMIWIhwzo8G1YvdFKAvH58gvVMggn1uWMpo1TOLfhHsLv8wcEhlsV8bqqq0_ddHbT8hIgA2n5/s4032/RMNP-086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmf6RXWf-p3QjUZV4tfhtDEO9U-hBms2bcdZSsLnZcEy5tNHPk8zXEk5OJqLqabUVPxKXRYO9CbM9DuEj9G2DgXbiGbxTyFOuL3Q781LFaD9WYgPo0XRSrMIWIhwzo8G1YvdFKAvH58gvVMggn1uWMpo1TOLfhHsLv8wcEhlsV8bqqq0_ddHbT8hIgA2n5/w640-h360/RMNP-086.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul climbing to Bierstadt Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceZkIl_pPyQo9DBaZNbsGCK5uqBjgceg-Bg1OJ_15xDiKo7w4Yrg4eN9FSg_DGW6TR71J0R-aB3NHDI1kjwVm1ChU7QyRLUIusvObkzjM7cbcAwamIj7Wt39RaUke3ZbxKGMxAFFy9ruTl1t2adM6-2D64S69qoGOLAn_vgrVnqobqvphlZ0zLcHwJHdh/s4032/RMNP-110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceZkIl_pPyQo9DBaZNbsGCK5uqBjgceg-Bg1OJ_15xDiKo7w4Yrg4eN9FSg_DGW6TR71J0R-aB3NHDI1kjwVm1ChU7QyRLUIusvObkzjM7cbcAwamIj7Wt39RaUke3ZbxKGMxAFFy9ruTl1t2adM6-2D64S69qoGOLAn_vgrVnqobqvphlZ0zLcHwJHdh/w640-h360/RMNP-110.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul & Elena at Bierstadt Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZgFa_G0mFd6UCjN3GOF88RDmDNKV5QQCtrsOmyGJxRzcF-0FhLLk1ApwBi92_k4aLkCsrNnbYju1DXZA1l5dVqbr-Q-Ae9EH_dLnAmdBcsM79O7h_OWEqlFlxmdUlHrKl4LJGVVXTqL-PtWdWahg2AyBtZMZAx93I0UwjzX8I2CcwnvEEEv8qyQAwwW6/s4032/RMNP-105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZgFa_G0mFd6UCjN3GOF88RDmDNKV5QQCtrsOmyGJxRzcF-0FhLLk1ApwBi92_k4aLkCsrNnbYju1DXZA1l5dVqbr-Q-Ae9EH_dLnAmdBcsM79O7h_OWEqlFlxmdUlHrKl4LJGVVXTqL-PtWdWahg2AyBtZMZAx93I0UwjzX8I2CcwnvEEEv8qyQAwwW6/w640-h360/RMNP-105.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mom and baby moose at Bierstadt Lake<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRW3p2qRmeEZnbrCyVPgc2gbScfkESlZPW-MmrL-SLBw1Tr4fcJxrbiEEQ54AWEkedBSUihA3wBvumrsMbwjC9_2-BnRFBJZExW-1vjwaNzzV9J0yxwOgrmaW78zLG5ntF96mWf4LbvZLvGYYcKi1YHpH5sfNg0v9bTT5LaOlN1MSh16_9Q757G1duOC92/s4032/RMNP-106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRW3p2qRmeEZnbrCyVPgc2gbScfkESlZPW-MmrL-SLBw1Tr4fcJxrbiEEQ54AWEkedBSUihA3wBvumrsMbwjC9_2-BnRFBJZExW-1vjwaNzzV9J0yxwOgrmaW78zLG5ntF96mWf4LbvZLvGYYcKi1YHpH5sfNg0v9bTT5LaOlN1MSh16_9Q757G1duOC92/w640-h360/RMNP-106.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Duck trying to get people to look at it instead of the moose.<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We slowed the pace the final few days with several visits to Sheep Lakes to see if the Bighorn came down - they did not. However, we caught a great photo before and during a rainstorm.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAU3IzEmOAlRtB_KJXgK0Ldcw6sPI8h2g6nbDFo9nILB5mjrc8Ln6MQtdszakV_GM2VKTg6xxga0iW2zEFzLKvF3M_ZN3evKAv_Asg87CklS9bRkWz5pMxXtiENReknZui0d7epSdTDw-z0zRH1Vnnd5EHSjSzFJcj9sxwxrdDqDbFO2HhTrfAsDAcDVS/s4032/RMNP-120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAU3IzEmOAlRtB_KJXgK0Ldcw6sPI8h2g6nbDFo9nILB5mjrc8Ln6MQtdszakV_GM2VKTg6xxga0iW2zEFzLKvF3M_ZN3evKAv_Asg87CklS9bRkWz5pMxXtiENReknZui0d7epSdTDw-z0zRH1Vnnd5EHSjSzFJcj9sxwxrdDqDbFO2HhTrfAsDAcDVS/w640-h360/RMNP-120.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mountains from the Sheep Lakes<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTT-E9pWDOKLHIy3Yxm1ljrYuYJazm4uY3o56pQVYTHByg73zkeBRnJqmWnrA9_RoDB0OUxLxf5s7O5HyrmvE3WzfWoWZz1BkRBzqpw4XUxw5W0NjFyazSZSa31rBUNMd8R6Sg8HynGrnjPq2dFachWErypyGasQg6SQFKyJkE4IzMcYRNA7amIWn1O3_/s4608/RMNP-122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3110" data-original-width="4608" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTT-E9pWDOKLHIy3Yxm1ljrYuYJazm4uY3o56pQVYTHByg73zkeBRnJqmWnrA9_RoDB0OUxLxf5s7O5HyrmvE3WzfWoWZz1BkRBzqpw4XUxw5W0NjFyazSZSa31rBUNMd8R6Sg8HynGrnjPq2dFachWErypyGasQg6SQFKyJkE4IzMcYRNA7amIWn1O3_/w640-h432/RMNP-122.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Same mountains in the rain with a layered effect<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> We also visited the Alluvial Falls, which were formed in 1982 when an upstream dam (man made) failed and sent a cascade of water, mud, and boulders down the river bed. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1Q3wjSkfBdUWcbYA8QQjO--ZHdOjO4qmHwofpleNiJxNkrFctD2hXnlpRma32a1q83H5zCheDTUfsl2IwJeIb7GrWUCJFU03PV3aJswMjFNiEos9PM5UOUQPqS0t5rN7ZeCk4GsIuLY-T1zH-lmBQ_la9_zNJG0b3kpZ7flserEj4GLy7nVHNf59L2nG/s4032/RMNP-140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1Q3wjSkfBdUWcbYA8QQjO--ZHdOjO4qmHwofpleNiJxNkrFctD2hXnlpRma32a1q83H5zCheDTUfsl2IwJeIb7GrWUCJFU03PV3aJswMjFNiEos9PM5UOUQPqS0t5rN7ZeCk4GsIuLY-T1zH-lmBQ_la9_zNJG0b3kpZ7flserEj4GLy7nVHNf59L2nG/w640-h360/RMNP-140.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Alluvial Falls<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our final night was in Aspenglen Campground in RMNP. The next morning, we drove across the 12,000-foot Trail Ridge Road to the west side of the park. We made several stops and hiked to Rock Cut at 12,300 feet for a top of the world view. We only saw one Elk, but watched many marmots and pika dashing around. We also saw a coyote right along the roadside. Eventually, we descended the west side and are at Stillwater Campground on Lake Granby for the night. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9flbdv7RXY66nUXVkh-EcuBKaiTbf0FJp5HmvkMV0obVtfNVQ_2p-QkLIoV2C6lF7e7CnOqII_xsIDVpJohXAEOM2dfRTfiDHWGJFqRyzh7LWTVZzP27yNZ97wJJRhtxNRxp6sq2sO8AbShTYDzOqTrLScerokO-g0vWfYGlDx1iveB7_bKRN3JyIdUx/s4032/RMNP-143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9flbdv7RXY66nUXVkh-EcuBKaiTbf0FJp5HmvkMV0obVtfNVQ_2p-QkLIoV2C6lF7e7CnOqII_xsIDVpJohXAEOM2dfRTfiDHWGJFqRyzh7LWTVZzP27yNZ97wJJRhtxNRxp6sq2sO8AbShTYDzOqTrLScerokO-g0vWfYGlDx1iveB7_bKRN3JyIdUx/w640-h360/RMNP-143.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul with Longs Peak in the back<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYLtP8IoVk2rCrvclb2uW2f9fobj7MFQTCb7uzhikMXVumvxEmmrww5VbaRm7HXhH7KpKvz_k8O_rtjRPHXi86_N8LSIL4rncSmv6_5GkqWeJ0PoY-KwMDfFzwFBooHr3c9NP4EydO2Ld6PRUdkYGz8pGeYI_deAZrCC2kWoc3lSpjOVtmHhjy4-jExd7/s4032/RMNP-144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYLtP8IoVk2rCrvclb2uW2f9fobj7MFQTCb7uzhikMXVumvxEmmrww5VbaRm7HXhH7KpKvz_k8O_rtjRPHXi86_N8LSIL4rncSmv6_5GkqWeJ0PoY-KwMDfFzwFBooHr3c9NP4EydO2Ld6PRUdkYGz8pGeYI_deAZrCC2kWoc3lSpjOVtmHhjy4-jExd7/w640-h360/RMNP-144.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul & Elena at 12,300 feet on Trail Ridge Road<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPnNwC-sj1XXoyDWAyeFQYisaSa0kbDvUv8ewqxmjezNsPPVHMsUR0d_Vi6ZeN3SlxDZSM1G5q2wS6h5qAA_bTG3er71kdKz-cDMwL-kc5jmHxgy-No0FaOzfxzKhBLy5_xDwUH9Hw4GDhaVApTwlRcthianWwXREaaLPGwVtjjpLjzbkJs3Tlcv5bT-4/s4032/RMNP-157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPnNwC-sj1XXoyDWAyeFQYisaSa0kbDvUv8ewqxmjezNsPPVHMsUR0d_Vi6ZeN3SlxDZSM1G5q2wS6h5qAA_bTG3er71kdKz-cDMwL-kc5jmHxgy-No0FaOzfxzKhBLy5_xDwUH9Hw4GDhaVApTwlRcthianWwXREaaLPGwVtjjpLjzbkJs3Tlcv5bT-4/w640-h360/RMNP-157.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Scenic Vista<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAPFyBPxUqyH8TsWiaMx1kZh3aqeu23NIlXtFyaFo-Tb6Py52VwXmuZqCqk4lETWgdIMRi0kNUP8j0LNAiZFSkdrfvPAR8yNh08F1BRYhyfByqw5fIszOKycFqZCIrTPtPHuMDnQzYxfb49q-jdzvNta9HdDUpk7lfLaaxaGIf0yPbtAfnlAD4h-5SnAj/s3395/RMNP-118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="3395" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAPFyBPxUqyH8TsWiaMx1kZh3aqeu23NIlXtFyaFo-Tb6Py52VwXmuZqCqk4lETWgdIMRi0kNUP8j0LNAiZFSkdrfvPAR8yNh08F1BRYhyfByqw5fIszOKycFqZCIrTPtPHuMDnQzYxfb49q-jdzvNta9HdDUpk7lfLaaxaGIf0yPbtAfnlAD4h-5SnAj/w640-h360/RMNP-118.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our Winnebago Travato getting us up and down the mountains<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPdRrldfRNZ_b5OW0FOVp4ToFx9mMChCNCB-blaHVOkobPg7wxnNxx94QyKrytbrObQjlTV8dYRZf-AuhD3Us_QR0H7qyhkoDIJQ1zHFBYfLZTUtpXl3IaeiiXLTG966g461Frxi72FvpugaX_vlkAcK8MyYU08XUI_Qsd3_Ao6kForlcb3SSn-mk3DpA/s4608/RMNP-aminals-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPdRrldfRNZ_b5OW0FOVp4ToFx9mMChCNCB-blaHVOkobPg7wxnNxx94QyKrytbrObQjlTV8dYRZf-AuhD3Us_QR0H7qyhkoDIJQ1zHFBYfLZTUtpXl3IaeiiXLTG966g461Frxi72FvpugaX_vlkAcK8MyYU08XUI_Qsd3_Ao6kForlcb3SSn-mk3DpA/w640-h480/RMNP-aminals-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marmots on a rock<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZTwDEaNlIpSpteE1nwWGLgg2AMKMD6dUeVE8x3dDiUDRCcdWTGaka52GZb4pAKxYma-gUoVYOKGoHixYscNuhU-HDZzGI6EUypdxz6xpC4bm-mspA96TrkyUNQNfo_vMKJvsOxfIqcArMDitD7T_10aclrLpkYOcs1PcUaaL08W739auLaJKL8WJjFVC/s4608/RMNP-aminals-007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZTwDEaNlIpSpteE1nwWGLgg2AMKMD6dUeVE8x3dDiUDRCcdWTGaka52GZb4pAKxYma-gUoVYOKGoHixYscNuhU-HDZzGI6EUypdxz6xpC4bm-mspA96TrkyUNQNfo_vMKJvsOxfIqcArMDitD7T_10aclrLpkYOcs1PcUaaL08W739auLaJKL8WJjFVC/w640-h480/RMNP-aminals-007.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pika having lunch<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was a great five days at Rocky Mountain National Park.<br /></span></span><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul </span></span><br /></p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA40.3427932 -105.683638912.032559363821157 -140.8398889 68.653027036178855 -70.5273889tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-16390206172150615112023-07-16T17:35:00.004-05:002023-07-16T17:35:47.677-05:00Colorado's Front Range<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">This will be a catch-up post covering a few days along the front range in Colorado. We left off at Trinidad Lake in Colorado. The following day we were headed to Lake Pueblo to camp. An old friend suggested we detour past Bishop Castle in the mountains southwest of Pueblo, CO. So we did. I will save you the details, but the owner of the place, Jim Bishop, was a bit of an eccentric fellow. You can read his family accounting of the place at their website. <a href="https://www.bishopcastle.org/">https://www.bishopcastle.org/</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Basically, he built (over many, many decades) a stone and iron castle. No one lives there - it's not a habitable structure. It's more art than it is practical. He apparently worked on it most weekends, but is about 80 now, and his son won't let him work on it any longer. He does not care for rules, as the many signs posted on the property will attest. The place is open all the time for people to stop and tour at their own risk. There were a few dozen vehicles of tourists there on a Thursday late morning. As we drove away, Elena and I were both thinking about how he could have used his talent to build interesting, but habitable structures.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeEuWvhh8OKOxOnynDi9_ATHQzog202CGXCux6KZBhnP56wx8QzNWHirvE3G7TuOTuW0e3fKzsN8WzStbtECiGtZMB29198v3QuCRfbWpqMlYBv0u9zMhvR8xNuiL-JZfcgddfYY7hswTVOuZ0XE24f9EtIyGgVafZ1YmaJODn3PSzikEet6dJ-04PyCO/s4032/CO23-Castle-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeEuWvhh8OKOxOnynDi9_ATHQzog202CGXCux6KZBhnP56wx8QzNWHirvE3G7TuOTuW0e3fKzsN8WzStbtECiGtZMB29198v3QuCRfbWpqMlYBv0u9zMhvR8xNuiL-JZfcgddfYY7hswTVOuZ0XE24f9EtIyGgVafZ1YmaJODn3PSzikEet6dJ-04PyCO/w225-h400/CO23-Castle-002.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop Castle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We had a nice camp site at Lake Pueblo - an easy walk to the water. We watched some monstrous thunderstorms to our NE, but it was clear over us. She inflated her paddleboard, and we got it to the water, but the wind was blowing at over 25mph making it difficult to paddle. She swam around in the lake instead, and we carried the board back to the camper. A short time later, new cells developed over us, including a strong hail storm. It only got to marble size, but it was quite loud. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDLaWvKfyI0AwBePTi2MZAmQU01R0yylKEJ2Q0uayopH7CPlOwakdAmXn-Xjq10eUY7R4l7uRx_-nDeZnV5NI0m0MU6dvyXFUY8gwFh8MEJMrJ060H2rMNoNWIEZQIQPYx_uLflQYbF229GwhI1u330cRGIJNUXgp_xH10DXirMhX6GgBpXGz1fmFZveU/s5120/CO23-FrontRange1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDLaWvKfyI0AwBePTi2MZAmQU01R0yylKEJ2Q0uayopH7CPlOwakdAmXn-Xjq10eUY7R4l7uRx_-nDeZnV5NI0m0MU6dvyXFUY8gwFh8MEJMrJ060H2rMNoNWIEZQIQPYx_uLflQYbF229GwhI1u330cRGIJNUXgp_xH10DXirMhX6GgBpXGz1fmFZveU/w640-h400/CO23-FrontRange1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UL: Trinidad Lake; Others: Lake Pueblo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The next morning we drove in early to Colorado Springs and visited Garden of the Gods. We arrived about 8AM and the crowd was very small. It grew rapidly over the next hour. We started in the popular central garden area. On our way out, a large group of teenagers gathered around to pet Bebop. They were lined up a few people deep for their turn. She always draws attention when we are hiking.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuPKBzouvRj4EHVNR6kmU-2UfcvE8aKL7nz2mA68GMByb-G8Y681ivDmZdXWwqU6Se2BqPVjZQ4KMalUWenqUw7fQOFIq-qiEhOfzZvuXjGandf3yyclgtqDNqAee1z6XJBXDoAcpBzSeB3ZdovZpMMqjCs2BwVUom2bJ1j4zZuGC-NJpV9CH4ldeXRId/s5120/CO23-FrontRange2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuPKBzouvRj4EHVNR6kmU-2UfcvE8aKL7nz2mA68GMByb-G8Y681ivDmZdXWwqU6Se2BqPVjZQ4KMalUWenqUw7fQOFIq-qiEhOfzZvuXjGandf3yyclgtqDNqAee1z6XJBXDoAcpBzSeB3ZdovZpMMqjCs2BwVUom2bJ1j4zZuGC-NJpV9CH4ldeXRId/w400-h400/CO23-FrontRange2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop always the center of attention<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We decided to try and shake the crowd by visiting the Siamese Twin rock feature, as it required a small hike to reach. There were less than a dozen people there, which enforces our observation that crowds dwindle exponentially with distance from the parking lots. This theory was again validated when we later drove down past Balanced Rock. This feature sits just feet from the parking lot and there were a several hundred people gathered around trying to take photos in front of it - from every angle. We drove on past.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQf1yDkULuCXJGZNhji-elx-AYv0L-zpbjYHFPo6MiZL2XKOhDa6np6lBj4l4wNgw_-rp6C6Uvl-SOTts7PhZqcalZi1ML3DFfh5vmiI8NBirGMTrVFGA5uEmGhkKODcbR1tXdU-CuITRPGQWzgYih6yGGiio6TPCNp_W5_xSKvPczFsk4umpTiZiEHpH/s5120/CO23-FrontRange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQf1yDkULuCXJGZNhji-elx-AYv0L-zpbjYHFPo6MiZL2XKOhDa6np6lBj4l4wNgw_-rp6C6Uvl-SOTts7PhZqcalZi1ML3DFfh5vmiI8NBirGMTrVFGA5uEmGhkKODcbR1tXdU-CuITRPGQWzgYih6yGGiio6TPCNp_W5_xSKvPczFsk4umpTiZiEHpH/w640-h400/CO23-FrontRange.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden of the Gods<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">We went to the Red Rock Open Space in the late afternoon and got a couple miles of hiking in before another round of afternoon storms chased us back to the camper van. There were only a few other people there. We had some heavy rain and a tiny bit of hail at our campground that evening. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The next morning, the skies were clear, and we tackled the 19-mile horizontal drive (and about 1 1/2 miles vertical) up Sun Mountain (Pikes Peak). As we approached the entry gate, we saw about 18 old Ford Model A cars lined up to go in. They were all meticulously restored. We saw one Model A break down in the road at about mile 15 and another broke down near the bottom as we departed. Overall, their success rate was not bad for a 90-year-old vehicle. Our camper van handled the nearly 8,000 foot vertical climb nicely.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiIrbSEggLsn98nr1R9NxAda85lEUvKsXmc3OuthI7nPcZQJ4HUr8fSBgN2B8taCEfO4vBd9DZ-snJWr3ZbMofs3p2EkQEX888oqlKnClZy7xxbvCEcHPODRvaxYfap5KIAIJu8sbq7YMwSovcM7wPbLUke8pLxk5j34cOKH0lfxFEX6EgusKiS2lmHtk/s5120/CO23-FrontRange3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiIrbSEggLsn98nr1R9NxAda85lEUvKsXmc3OuthI7nPcZQJ4HUr8fSBgN2B8taCEfO4vBd9DZ-snJWr3ZbMofs3p2EkQEX888oqlKnClZy7xxbvCEcHPODRvaxYfap5KIAIJu8sbq7YMwSovcM7wPbLUke8pLxk5j34cOKH0lfxFEX6EgusKiS2lmHtk/w640-h360/CO23-FrontRange3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountaintop Bebop<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As we reached the top at about 9AM, we saw the mountain begin to perform its weather making show. It was a sunny morning, in the upper 40’s with fairly light winds. As those winds blew across the top, they created negative pressure and updrafts of the leeward side. This drew valley air upward, and the moisture began to condense into clouds. We watched the swirling clouds forming directly in front of us. By the time we got down in the early afternoon, some had built into thunderstorms nearby. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRSfSm0ivACS3ag1eWpJ5dI_DuNkyGuL9Vd36Uk0D3SERsYa91L8-wf9VDnaq4NFJ3hwTV8xYh02b6X23QxdDzBatNYm9u0cQczaCt_jjzNMPjktDOV2M296Izd3UB_dQ98g3fJfM3bq9Qwo1Ikyy7MuC-EM2AMMqpwZE7WKLa6ZQIPAPOoyqyQDNVKmr/s5120/CO23-FrontRange4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="5120" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRSfSm0ivACS3ag1eWpJ5dI_DuNkyGuL9Vd36Uk0D3SERsYa91L8-wf9VDnaq4NFJ3hwTV8xYh02b6X23QxdDzBatNYm9u0cQczaCt_jjzNMPjktDOV2M296Izd3UB_dQ98g3fJfM3bq9Qwo1Ikyy7MuC-EM2AMMqpwZE7WKLa6ZQIPAPOoyqyQDNVKmr/w640-h360/CO23-FrontRange4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up top for us and the caravan of Ford Model A cars going up<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></span></span><p></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZKvoel2nlcjgWFbdrniVRUFTuVa1-BSTQ0h8xyWVJRSi3PQ6cNPhCTkPZlCfrG9u4cHVGyOu5Jtk6G92_C0Bb0-8chWisIpA8kTn0jTIX1HeY_I4RuILmHFfdUmt6Gp7quIaMxm8ebtGhUy4RB5J7Pugu1BuPOcpqVA0_JNWizMR-8PHIIHN-ex_-dI4/s5120/CO23-FrontRange5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="5120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZKvoel2nlcjgWFbdrniVRUFTuVa1-BSTQ0h8xyWVJRSi3PQ6cNPhCTkPZlCfrG9u4cHVGyOu5Jtk6G92_C0Bb0-8chWisIpA8kTn0jTIX1HeY_I4RuILmHFfdUmt6Gp7quIaMxm8ebtGhUy4RB5J7Pugu1BuPOcpqVA0_JNWizMR-8PHIIHN-ex_-dI4/w640-h640/CO23-FrontRange5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun Mountain (Pikes Peak) top and bottom<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We drove to the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=florrisant+fossil" target="_blank">Florissant Fossil National Monument</a> next. This area had a very large amount of petrified redwood trees. Much of it was removed before it became a monument, including an entire stump that Walt Disney took to Disneyland <a href="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/10/did-you-miss-it-the-disneyland-attraction-that%E2%80%99s-millions-of-years-old/" target="_blank">for display</a>. They have excavated around some of the other enormous stumps that were just below the surface. As we arrived, we had to dash into the visitor center to avoid another heavy thunderstorm. This was three days of storms in a row, but we missed the hail with this one. After the storm cleared, we walked around the observation trails. The visitor center has an excellent display of a rich trove of fossils of plants and animals that have been found at the site. It was a great look at the ecosystem from about 34 million years ago when a warm and wet climate allowed giant redwood trees to grow at 8,000 feet elevation in what is now Colorado. Bonus Points: The visitor center was also similar to our house with SIP walls, solar water heating, solar electric, and natural daylighting.</span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">On day six of our trip we visited the Dinosaur Ridge in Golden. This is the site of a number of 100 million year old fossils and bones. In 1877 several dinosaurs were discovered at Dinosaur Ridge, including Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus. After a couple of miles of hiking we headed to the Museum of Earth Science at the Colorado School of Mines. An amazing display of geology - many rocks. Then we checked into our creekside campground in Golden and watched approximately one million people tubing in the adjacent creek on an Sunday afternoon. We walked to town and met my longtime friend Lara Wallentine Hussain for dinner. </span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWelmirAtdY8p1olylDI0nM1CvpnyhV8RPj2Qr30kGpJAJpgnWMd7XY6QTST-p4L-oEKYpGbR017_Wxa3yaaawJsvTdYUGGj-tkYlkyd9y6vulWeyT86mMX01hR8sRjCJK387j4Pr8lo1EJeJf6QZ_NLNfJrVbjc4mU_GkKOS6Yh5tzrR9-Trz69-q525s/s4032/Dino_Ridge-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWelmirAtdY8p1olylDI0nM1CvpnyhV8RPj2Qr30kGpJAJpgnWMd7XY6QTST-p4L-oEKYpGbR017_Wxa3yaaawJsvTdYUGGj-tkYlkyd9y6vulWeyT86mMX01hR8sRjCJK387j4Pr8lo1EJeJf6QZ_NLNfJrVbjc4mU_GkKOS6Yh5tzrR9-Trz69-q525s/w400-h225/Dino_Ridge-003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fossil Ridge in Golden, CO<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsfMAH9OVVF2oC7fiWxW4CCiA_EgRcRTLevNEfgJ4JD8zuMpZITO0WtcQ-RaXGLZiY1C12-SXBtV3tAEIaHgmHtNVZjE6fUGHMjnmiDnh9yyJdTvqAlydv-bWxF_TLFDXEv2PuUZFK7czjcnFdLgsKY777M6Exzc9qLGVAm_XRcgjsfJZROwOYBtoWZJU/s4032/Clear_Creek-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsfMAH9OVVF2oC7fiWxW4CCiA_EgRcRTLevNEfgJ4JD8zuMpZITO0WtcQ-RaXGLZiY1C12-SXBtV3tAEIaHgmHtNVZjE6fUGHMjnmiDnh9yyJdTvqAlydv-bWxF_TLFDXEv2PuUZFK7czjcnFdLgsKY777M6Exzc9qLGVAm_XRcgjsfJZROwOYBtoWZJU/w400-h225/Clear_Creek-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clear Creek in Golden, CO<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> Next up, Rocky Mountain National Park. </span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">- Paul<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Colorado Springs, CO, USA38.8338816 -104.821363410.523647763821153 -139.9776134 67.144115436178851 -69.6651134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-18067701809640683772023-07-12T20:00:00.004-05:002023-07-12T22:14:00.502-05:00Westward and Upward<p>We departed DFW at noon on Tue, July 11th. Elena and I had to dodge morning rain showers to get the van loaded up, but once we got west of Denton, the sun broke through with a vengeance. We spent several hours driving west in 105 degree F temperatures with the sun beating on us through the front window. We stopped at a rest area to stretch our legs and a car pulled in beside us. The driver got out and used an infrared thermometer to check his tire temperatures. He then aimed them at ours. Our front tires were 145F, back was 158F. His car tires were 138F. <br /></p><p>We arrived at the Amarillo Travel Center, where there is a nice parking lot for sleeping. And the good news for our 5-week trip - we got the longest drive day (363 miles) and the hottest day out of the way on day one! <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_qaccZVK0GnkJ-LXE7foPrpHr0wKxNmmtSU-tP8Oud0o10vDtWLxjcGDfR8Cn_cH0IMFTwhR3uQbdFfc_jWUNJGzcX9IYTuN-dIINnO2f5Qpzc6rifVsqLlb0fFYTJn2k9fehGs7FqmAe1vbfn5tJieW0p-sc-kvAD9lOxvLxN5j-hm_K-QnUmSGhwV4/s1172/Daily-miles-drive.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1172" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_qaccZVK0GnkJ-LXE7foPrpHr0wKxNmmtSU-tP8Oud0o10vDtWLxjcGDfR8Cn_cH0IMFTwhR3uQbdFfc_jWUNJGzcX9IYTuN-dIINnO2f5Qpzc6rifVsqLlb0fFYTJn2k9fehGs7FqmAe1vbfn5tJieW0p-sc-kvAD9lOxvLxN5j-hm_K-QnUmSGhwV4/w400-h259/Daily-miles-drive.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily miles drive plan</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On day two, we completed our 3rd longest drive day. About 450 miles from home, we finally got out of Texas. We made a couple of stops in NE New Mexico to break up the drive to our campsite at Trinidad Lake, CO. The first stop was at Clayton Lake to view the dinosaur footprints. Bebop enjoyed checking them out and noted that they were even older than me. No treat for Bebop after that remark.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_EndtKkdEE7BLhJHutM51jyHd10lf-wQJjekXPMrR7gkqeWce1irk74mpcVb7RrzWW3gwzpl4y4C5_VG83Ye7LRNlRV7FOqVu4EPQ5t82kX7AZ9FxKfVJB4yvE0re85yIUBXZAIdMYdkLTfGlGhQARjOMHx1UqPcHjbX1Zn8Yp6z9wczPg1JohGhk79S/s5120/CO23-NM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_EndtKkdEE7BLhJHutM51jyHd10lf-wQJjekXPMrR7gkqeWce1irk74mpcVb7RrzWW3gwzpl4y4C5_VG83Ye7LRNlRV7FOqVu4EPQ5t82kX7AZ9FxKfVJB4yvE0re85yIUBXZAIdMYdkLTfGlGhQARjOMHx1UqPcHjbX1Zn8Yp6z9wczPg1JohGhk79S/w640-h400/CO23-NM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clayton Lake Dinosaur Footprints<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We then visited Capulin Volcano. A relative youngster, it last erupted about 60,000 years ago. Bebop was not allowed on the trails, but she got plenty of love outside the visitor center from a mom and 4 girls. We drove up to the top parking area and hiked the rim trail around the cone. We were above 8,000 feet and the trail was 1.1 miles with a 350-foot elevation gain. Great views in every direction.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Yx2Bucpuy83URuL1dJNKUHonz4wS3fE-G8PrwxZO8Ji-j6xa4EsLepEzgLeISjYjbsad8jrFHOzuIILKRkpqcXWbknEQFjrjM_vmcWoZNHxEm9fqu-hkho8sZMBnZvbsZCOmbja-sjtIzTHtxSVc-gqOrpQEZswcw2JV40s3mqgb06YQzDoWP35N5cHA/s5120/CO23-NM1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Yx2Bucpuy83URuL1dJNKUHonz4wS3fE-G8PrwxZO8Ji-j6xa4EsLepEzgLeISjYjbsad8jrFHOzuIILKRkpqcXWbknEQFjrjM_vmcWoZNHxEm9fqu-hkho8sZMBnZvbsZCOmbja-sjtIzTHtxSVc-gqOrpQEZswcw2JV40s3mqgb06YQzDoWP35N5cHA/w640-h400/CO23-NM1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rim trail at Capulin Volcano<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We are settled in to our campsite at Trinidad Lake in southern Colorado. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32CNBdE2Mdiq30JHrJOp6RwiVHP2sHVahm--5Y9ueHKF3vzcoAJjv6LtN0kpdj5O1kVRmrtra31Xvz7DGNI7KZCz-KUJJ5AudHYQ-Td7W_A2-Y-EKMcVUeShGaczq-fx5GbuU0xueFnu4OYgg55xmZeia5wV1UT8PBa0JSxhQYI1Y-5_e8C5Q2IKmx7-j/s4032/Trinidad_Lake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32CNBdE2Mdiq30JHrJOp6RwiVHP2sHVahm--5Y9ueHKF3vzcoAJjv6LtN0kpdj5O1kVRmrtra31Xvz7DGNI7KZCz-KUJJ5AudHYQ-Td7W_A2-Y-EKMcVUeShGaczq-fx5GbuU0xueFnu4OYgg55xmZeia5wV1UT8PBa0JSxhQYI1Y-5_e8C5Q2IKmx7-j/w400-h225/Trinidad_Lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the back of our campsite - Trinidad Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And some bonus sunset walk photos too.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y9KA0zQhi7TWA6Bq77RIceFQx1Gcfqxjs9sPbjtPsBhs-sSF_aC95-EYz0Dv10irPhl2Twn6VT8GYiaPtKThRq4qluZQNjglaOOk-8ZJrfGAQgiXFc5dKabbdA5h-tO9wIreF4DNWvrUlqbFEXmRXY2RLgRZZG7N8RoRkR7qXKMTIEvZKdjz_b-aZxrH/s5120/CO23-NM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y9KA0zQhi7TWA6Bq77RIceFQx1Gcfqxjs9sPbjtPsBhs-sSF_aC95-EYz0Dv10irPhl2Twn6VT8GYiaPtKThRq4qluZQNjglaOOk-8ZJrfGAQgiXFc5dKabbdA5h-tO9wIreF4DNWvrUlqbFEXmRXY2RLgRZZG7N8RoRkR7qXKMTIEvZKdjz_b-aZxrH/w640-h400/CO23-NM2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Trinidad Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>- Paul<br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><p></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Colorado, USA39.5500507 -105.782067411.239816863821154 -140.93831740000002 67.860284536178852 -70.6258174tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-79463500997218914052023-07-07T12:57:00.000-05:002023-07-07T12:57:16.215-05:00Texas is Hot - Mountains are Cool<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We've not had a long camper van trip since last fall, but we're ramping back up again with three big trips planned for the second half of 2023. First up is a ~5-week trip planned to depart the heat of north Texas, and saunter in the cool mountains of Colorado. Colorado is busy during summer, so I planned the trip over 6 months ago. We needed to be ready to reserve our selected campsites when they became available. I like boondocking, but I've found we can pack more adventure into a day if we already have a reserved campsite, and don't have to worry about getting to our evening site early enough to get a slot. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We picked some popular sites </span><span style="font-family: arial;">that can be difficult to book</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, but our record was perfect in securing reservations. A few of the major prizes were Rocky Mountain National Park, Telluride Town Campground, and the tiny Silver Queen campground (only 5 total sites) next to the Maroon Bells near Aspen. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our route plan takes us up the east side of the Rockies to RMNP. Then we cross the park and work our way down to Leadville (or should I say UP to Leadville - at 10,152 feet above sea level, it's the highest incorporated city in North America)</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Then we'll take Independence Pass into Apsen to the Maroon Bells wilderness. After that we'll work our way down to Telluride, then the Million Dollar Highway to Durango. We'll visit friends in Pagosa Springs, before making our way through NM toward home. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWguEIDM0DDegspaAPdTiCHdn6m5qR_v99QS6_verMgg_3yoCPKErBDJ1bhfhVzrMReDcTX1cWdvfzusmZ5Mny6DUBIqpOFPw2Qm_eHcljIYK2LBSTYu6reMz8ad-qZj2jU3PPerNQ1VPE2D5kY3UsJFx_7jNxSCY2aB7uqvssW2RykKki-Un6PtfDQ/s739/CO-trip.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="739" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWguEIDM0DDegspaAPdTiCHdn6m5qR_v99QS6_verMgg_3yoCPKErBDJ1bhfhVzrMReDcTX1cWdvfzusmZ5Mny6DUBIqpOFPw2Qm_eHcljIYK2LBSTYu6reMz8ad-qZj2jU3PPerNQ1VPE2D5kY3UsJFx_7jNxSCY2aB7uqvssW2RykKki-Un6PtfDQ/w400-h353/CO-trip.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer 2023 Trip Plan<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>One change this time is that we are carrying a spare tire. We didn't have one for the first 2 years and 20,000 miles - and we never needed one. But a local Travato owner changed her tires and rims, and sold me a rim and tire (with 20K miles on it) for $100. We evaluated many spare location options and went with the roof. <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2023/05/can-you-spare-spare-tire.html" target="_blank">Story Link</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our departure lines up with our 2 year vaniversary date. Here are the total stats from our first two years:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4G613nYP0Yey6NwJeT7JQh3oGMrgFVyPcJ4F4oPoqiC5aItkiWt2muLT45TrlwGmz71kGnWAjhXOuv78lv_GjKdyHD1N7VGGBD_guXbArNNgJ2_LOIILiVH1tmVRq-4_kzR2DUuYu12kfTG-U5YJqpAIaZ5g4DWguAFKfXWGdVQDQini636lVdPHGiZG/s853/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-07%20at%2012.55.39%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="853" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4G613nYP0Yey6NwJeT7JQh3oGMrgFVyPcJ4F4oPoqiC5aItkiWt2muLT45TrlwGmz71kGnWAjhXOuv78lv_GjKdyHD1N7VGGBD_guXbArNNgJ2_LOIILiVH1tmVRq-4_kzR2DUuYu12kfTG-U5YJqpAIaZ5g4DWguAFKfXWGdVQDQini636lVdPHGiZG/w640-h317/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-07%20at%2012.55.39%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bebop and the <a href="https://enerjazz.com/travato/" target="_blank">Bebopabago</a> are ready to go. And Elena & I are also ready to go exploring together. </span><br /></div>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Fairview, TX 75069, USA33.1578952 -96.63165934.8476613638211532 -131.7879093 61.468129036178844 -61.475409299999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-21831309660017993432023-05-18T08:36:00.002-05:002023-05-18T08:42:18.938-05:00Can You Spare a Spare (Tire)?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Winnebago Travato does not include a spare tire. We've gone two years and over 20,000 miles without needing one, but a flat in an out-of-the-way location could cause some trip delays, including a tow to a tire shop.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When a nearby Travato owner posted her Travato rims and tires for sale for $100 ea, I jumped on it. The next step is to decide where and how to mount it on the van. One company sells a rack that will replace the bike rack and use the same mounts - but we use our bike rack. Another solution is to add a tire rack on the left rear door, but this requires removing the ladder and moving the license plate holder and light. Another solution attaches to the left rear hinge and can provide a mount and ladder as well - but that is a costly solution. There are also hitch mount solutions, but that might require reinforcing the hitch. The solution I chose is to mount it on the roof - since it's not something we'll need very often.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To mount it on the roof of our 2022KL I needed to remove the rear solar panel. Since we have the lithium battery model, the solar panel is not as critical as it would be for the non-lithium model. I saw another member on the <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x676frb x1lkfr7t x1lbecb7 x1s688f xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv x1s688f" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/travatoowners/" role="link" tabindex="0">Travato Owners and Wannabees</a></span> Facebook group had flipped the rack rails upside down to lower the profile of the spare. Since I had an additional rack cross rail that I had removed from the front of the van (due to the highway speed vibration issue), I decided to put three rails across to support it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, that roof rail system doesn't make it easy to add bolts. Ideally, a 5/16" carriage bolt would slide into the rail and provide support to attach the extra rack. But that would require some major rack disassembly. I used some of the existing bolts, and added a few of the <a href="https://amzn.to/3BiN80b" target="_blank">M6x20mm Hammer Head T-Bolts</a> ($10 for 8). These slide into the slot and rotate into place. They aren't as robust as the existing bolts, but the load is spread over three rails. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While I had the cross rails off, I slid several <a href="https://amzn.to/3LVL7vH" target="_blank">5/16" stainless carriage bolts</a> ($9 for 8) into the channel to attach the plate and some <a href="https://amzn.to/3BiN80b" target="_blank">tie down anchors</a> ($9 for 4). The bolts are secured with a flat washer and nylon lock nuts. The hardest part is attaching the cross member back to the bracket. Since the bracket is now upside down, you have to blindly screw the bolt into the receiving nut in the channel. That nut can easily slide, so it took a little tape and patience to line it up correctly.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I purchased a <a href="https://amzn.to/3pxWWAP" target="_blank">spare tire carrier for roof racks</a> ($45) and mounted that plate onto my three crossbars using the 5/16" carriage bolts I had placed in the cross members. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To lift the tire up, I used a rope and a ladder. By attaching one end of the rope to the rack, then looping the rope through the tire, I could pull it up from the roof. The simple pulley system halves the weight of the tire to less than 40 lbs. With someone else guiding it up the ladder (set as an inclined plane, it was quite easy. On the road, I'll only have the stock ladder, but with two people it won't be difficult to lower and lift using the rope system.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Once on the roof, the tire and rim are locked down to the plate with the supplied J-bolt. Here's where I had some difficulty. I first had the tire laid with the outside face down. The problem was the threads didn't go down the J-bolt far enough. I cut a wood shim, but the bottom hook of the J-bolt came up enough to interfere with that shim. So, I flipped the tire over and attached it that way. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I added a <a href="https://amzn.to/42P2xAZ">tire cover</a> ($17) to protect the tire from exposure, then crossed some straps over, mainly to keep the cover from blowing off. The screw down arm sticks up a bit under the cover, but overall it should work well. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Total cost: $90 for the rack parts, $18 for a <a href="https://amzn.to/41rGsHr" target="_blank">10 meter rope</a>, and $100 for the rim and tire. Total of $208, and we now have a spare on the road with us. And before you ask, I didn't center it on the roof, so I could keep a bit more clearance around the a/c for airflow. <br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU6yhllgm9NksW6Zfe1Ek3QKeLnvRkK273ilpyQKaHTSsBCbaxU8yB5hD6m5z30MagWLnek8gT80r7VdcHq582EqULITsxQeTG8zv1jh00Blt99e6NCNLne0Pvy0DJDDUwkmrRLXhGV-qMFm-1S6HfDfguS9cgghHm5I5ymXcgeGCJtlxz5nG0JUguw/s4032/Travato-Tire_Rack_01.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU6yhllgm9NksW6Zfe1Ek3QKeLnvRkK273ilpyQKaHTSsBCbaxU8yB5hD6m5z30MagWLnek8gT80r7VdcHq582EqULITsxQeTG8zv1jh00Blt99e6NCNLne0Pvy0DJDDUwkmrRLXhGV-qMFm-1S6HfDfguS9cgghHm5I5ymXcgeGCJtlxz5nG0JUguw/w400-h225/Travato-Tire_Rack_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Top view - 3 crossbars flipped and a mounting plate<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7dWSbUKAHoYY0jN3IBMfAvqyzlTjwWwrOrQLMxHcE1_Si7tZlgY-Q4HJzC_th5flsIdmjCejYhBKPT15IEXYsh6C8jmlHqLjlexMc3gNou8w9ATwXLPdVFHoctZYw9P7KFNy9MtIsE7Tuj13-Ean9TNAHzUsBiz5JUTYTpVtGajhsZCly2HlGr4v6Q/s4032/Travato-Tire_Rack_02.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7dWSbUKAHoYY0jN3IBMfAvqyzlTjwWwrOrQLMxHcE1_Si7tZlgY-Q4HJzC_th5flsIdmjCejYhBKPT15IEXYsh6C8jmlHqLjlexMc3gNou8w9ATwXLPdVFHoctZYw9P7KFNy9MtIsE7Tuj13-Ean9TNAHzUsBiz5JUTYTpVtGajhsZCly2HlGr4v6Q/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mounting plate on crossbars<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY_T6geSu5f135cjB5TeAdioBV3jdtt4qB62NTA5PkjaC7yU7LZtGZtz6gEHDGOx1d1szKG4GpQz1K1rP9wwQlsCzvNvfypePmYhmcuJOnEjtMW-3X4rNBRGq3R7SC0p1Itq6xuMxyGfDKu43Q894Dq3QFzlNT5D19w_lDLETQ0IICc_ofux6RbMIWw/s3799/Travato-Tire_Rack_03.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3799" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY_T6geSu5f135cjB5TeAdioBV3jdtt4qB62NTA5PkjaC7yU7LZtGZtz6gEHDGOx1d1szKG4GpQz1K1rP9wwQlsCzvNvfypePmYhmcuJOnEjtMW-3X4rNBRGq3R7SC0p1Itq6xuMxyGfDKu43Q894Dq3QFzlNT5D19w_lDLETQ0IICc_ofux6RbMIWw/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Crossbars and anchor bolts<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv2HgyJmd13V4Ra3__UbWcNCCZt-iuVgINMjKEz-0FXMD1qD4-ini8oZWrzAwohZ3yKc3bC7pl_78zHh0YIbi65h8Ok0LArKCnWzS4v7y1e2PMCXYzW55JHEarltawT9G4yUWjomtLAFnI8kBf70VYEcGs3CBqf3OcFK-zTdc6dsJEU95pjCUSa1D-g/s3443/Travato-Tire_Rack_04.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2259" data-original-width="3443" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv2HgyJmd13V4Ra3__UbWcNCCZt-iuVgINMjKEz-0FXMD1qD4-ini8oZWrzAwohZ3yKc3bC7pl_78zHh0YIbi65h8Ok0LArKCnWzS4v7y1e2PMCXYzW55JHEarltawT9G4yUWjomtLAFnI8kBf70VYEcGs3CBqf3OcFK-zTdc6dsJEU95pjCUSa1D-g/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">J bolt and tire plate / screwdown<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkkWdVshh-c4q6uug6V_yIVhPkjM1eaKcZhkl2mNKoL4xwQ5Ph1ItpMfeJodgsbuUIgXSUThW707mbgvMrcebKC-1oTwsg6JB43QTwrcYy0IDc8Y650OIHQbkA1n7EV8u-CusqT4beCta_4EHDWXNbUH_C77CgiBlYyvNY0M-sCHQ4o3bVb6mzpF8Gg/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_ramp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="180" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inclined plane<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESJ9jYPEZLeF_z_bIdfSmo0UVIkahQVG33P3Z_Kn_4KEXNw8gL1yJ0POT4earj8o53PDiFg0PLbLbfolKBQbZ9vbX-SlUahHMvfU1j8d8Ykc0smkMW2Yi8xP4wYEWMELIzN69jfSsUfx4GkT2pJdFBySHXCV47btdbsJJplgilN_tDh0Av_Dzn6leOA/s4032/Travato-Tire_Rack_flip.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESJ9jYPEZLeF_z_bIdfSmo0UVIkahQVG33P3Z_Kn_4KEXNw8gL1yJ0POT4earj8o53PDiFg0PLbLbfolKBQbZ9vbX-SlUahHMvfU1j8d8Ykc0smkMW2Yi8xP4wYEWMELIzN69jfSsUfx4GkT2pJdFBySHXCV47btdbsJJplgilN_tDh0Av_Dzn6leOA/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_flip.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial mounting attempt - J-bolt threads not long enough</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_9AbmgWkemSGBhfPe1ONvLKMwdPGs44Zg0VjQT8kQYHH1HMmmT6yWWylyVqvx3k6AAdDtAuf3zQLIBexUiEG2eYDmyS30Vs25hFcl9axhMtjf8S2-bJmqvfkTMUppsELJ-RGYrGyCkwosbFVyonj1ISc-UVXHpRtwwqtt6Tr32WMnsytxgynX_vzDA/s4032/Travato-Tire_Rack_07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_9AbmgWkemSGBhfPe1ONvLKMwdPGs44Zg0VjQT8kQYHH1HMmmT6yWWylyVqvx3k6AAdDtAuf3zQLIBexUiEG2eYDmyS30Vs25hFcl9axhMtjf8S2-bJmqvfkTMUppsELJ-RGYrGyCkwosbFVyonj1ISc-UVXHpRtwwqtt6Tr32WMnsytxgynX_vzDA/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flip the tire and lock it down<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxw5bFxXOK41qHdvGC8ahN53aQKB4WYQCB1su3J74M7vybALl0C6B3z5ZkSKFWqkhiw6A0rVPnkRv0bWmiC-uqvU6vHenZntY041jmB_hsLesgcsguAKNoFYEQcmwUN8fVXbt5IGzHvUbY_24vtYTShXYbzf-gMBjFXW82ggc8asAy0ChyGquiqO-tkw/s4032/Travato-Tire_Rack_08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxw5bFxXOK41qHdvGC8ahN53aQKB4WYQCB1su3J74M7vybALl0C6B3z5ZkSKFWqkhiw6A0rVPnkRv0bWmiC-uqvU6vHenZntY041jmB_hsLesgcsguAKNoFYEQcmwUN8fVXbt5IGzHvUbY_24vtYTShXYbzf-gMBjFXW82ggc8asAy0ChyGquiqO-tkw/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add cover and ratchet strap<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ5OVG_WXsSn7kROSq28V0OU9Oyj6xwgMTA4hL4rbkoxQtPhTPhLryAxf6HpanelRM2kUcJVUaTvbQrsgCRwGKgljiBWwFYcN8Pc0AR-sjONqenhqofj65rIJWCcSK9A1gf1F5HLXCEhmOWVQlwQxPIfNfSmB1OYK4dlUke_F7RjGXPbBWPomfGy8KQ/s4032/Travato-Tire_Rack_09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ5OVG_WXsSn7kROSq28V0OU9Oyj6xwgMTA4hL4rbkoxQtPhTPhLryAxf6HpanelRM2kUcJVUaTvbQrsgCRwGKgljiBWwFYcN8Pc0AR-sjONqenhqofj65rIJWCcSK9A1gf1F5HLXCEhmOWVQlwQxPIfNfSmB1OYK4dlUke_F7RjGXPbBWPomfGy8KQ/s320/Travato-Tire_Rack_09.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product. Screw down arms protrude up a little under the cover<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">-Paul<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Fairview, TX 75069, USA33.1578952 -96.63165934.8476613638211532 -131.7879093 61.468129036178844 -61.475409299999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-63271056995189712272023-01-14T14:50:00.001-06:002023-01-14T17:39:40.675-06:00The Jazz Cruise 2023<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">One if by land, two if by sea. Or, camper van by land, cruise ship by sea. We’ve travelled on The Jazz Cruise 5 times since 2012, and we were scheduled to go again in January 2021. COVID cancelled that, so our reservation rolled to January 2022. A late Dec COVID surge caused that one to be canceled. We were hopeful that Janurary 2023 would mark our return to this floating jazz festival. And it was. </span></span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We departed Fort Lauderdale on Friday, January 6th. Once on board, I had to check out the basketball court - need to do something to work off the calories consumed on a cruise.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcTpa7RWp7z13aNowKbDz50VTxBbyCA_LNlmuqJtDtqDNczxrKanpr-6xw7ad7CTCmfvfP_w2jyxomaGR7pdsPBvmGIS5rV1j_fqXNjt3-WaetsPEP-3QXB5EM316t_vnA1nsSuftk7i8PyKxbrJr3Ong1by0QxclIhnFAonGIGTK-xjD2uIyRVQpoA/s4032/Jazz_Cruise_23-004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcTpa7RWp7z13aNowKbDz50VTxBbyCA_LNlmuqJtDtqDNczxrKanpr-6xw7ad7CTCmfvfP_w2jyxomaGR7pdsPBvmGIS5rV1j_fqXNjt3-WaetsPEP-3QXB5EM316t_vnA1nsSuftk7i8PyKxbrJr3Ong1by0QxclIhnFAonGIGTK-xjD2uIyRVQpoA/w400-h225/Jazz_Cruise_23-004.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Look at that jump shot elevation by Paul<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once we were sailing, the music started almost immediately. We heard Tierney Sutton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Samara Joy, and the Welcome Show, which featured about a dozen great musicians. Saturday was a day at sea, so we heard the Christian Tamburr Quartet, Houston Person, an All Stars #1, Bria Skonberg, Samara Joy, Clint Holmes, and the full big band with several guests. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The passengers on The Jazz Cruise skew toward the older ages. Elena and I are still among the young crowd. It’s a very jazz knowledgeable audience. There was one lady on the cruise who liked to get up and dance when the music moved her. It was joyful, yet a bit funny, as she reminded me a bit of Elaine dancing on Seinfeld. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunday we arrived at Costa Maya, which is just a made up corporate port name. After we were forced to snake past all the shopping opportunities, we emerged into the small village of Mahahual where we had booked an excursion to the Bacalar 7 color lagoon for kayaking. The girls at the check in booth informed us that we were the only people booked that day. Instead of cancelling, as some tours do when there aren’t enough people, they gave us a private excursion. Our guide Eliot came over to introduce himself. When we told him we were on The Jazz Cruise, his eyes lit up. He said he played drums, trumpet, and was learning sax. He asked if we had heard Chuck Mangione, which of course we had. Chuck’s tenor sax player Chris Vadala twice. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eliot turned out to be the most interesting and well-educated tour guide we’ve ever had - and he was only in his 20’s. He was knowledgeable about biology, geology, Maya history, and so much more. He was trilingual in Mayan, Spanish, and English, and he even knew some Texas slang like “y'all” and “fixin’.” At one point, he started naming US Presidents in reverse order, and he apparently knew them all. And, of course, we spent a lot of time talking about jazz music and musicians. It was almost an hour drive up the Yucatán to the lagoon, and we finally turned onto a narrow dirt road where the jungle scraped the van on both sides. Eliot said, “This might feel like a kidnapping at this point, but it will be the nicest kidnapping you’ll ever experience.” We arrived at a small resort on the lagoon, and we were the only people there. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a great kayaking trip across the lagoon and into the mangroves. Then we paddled back and sat on our private deck overlooking the lagoon while we were served a delicious lunch of chicken and pork tacos. The salsa was great too - both a traditional salsa and a fresh pineapple salsa. We had stopped on the way to purchase some very special local pineapple, and they made into the pineapple salsa for us. Even the hibiscus tea was delicious. We were able to hang out and relax for a while before we loaded back up for the hour drive back. On the way back, Eliot taught us the Mayan counting system. I can now write numbers in Mayan, which is a base 20 system that uses only three symbols - a dot, a dash, and a seashell looking figure. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAH_vhNfiKqOGpt2JWKt6Tyd3sjDgJPoujx97HYZLotuTtQEypEuLbzBuCJGHvcUbjgvJ266TuZ3CWhM27DrbIxvohd7bdwIVz7UHQ8UipCdLcBt8jV2oGIRkEEVlmFNFufr7vkE-XdF-2RJBpmn6SnNEzegGx4IbEU1tLen-VWMvvlJlHszmP6_vpw/s5120/Jazz_Cruise23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAH_vhNfiKqOGpt2JWKt6Tyd3sjDgJPoujx97HYZLotuTtQEypEuLbzBuCJGHvcUbjgvJ266TuZ3CWhM27DrbIxvohd7bdwIVz7UHQ8UipCdLcBt8jV2oGIRkEEVlmFNFufr7vkE-XdF-2RJBpmn6SnNEzegGx4IbEU1tLen-VWMvvlJlHszmP6_vpw/w640-h400/Jazz_Cruise23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacalar 7 Color Lagun<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We returned to the ship and enjoyed concerts by the All Stars #3, Etienne Charles, John Pizzarelli, and an All Star group of vocalists with Shelly Berg on piano. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next day was Cozumel. Elena loves to be in the water, so we scheduled a 5-hour, 4-stop snorkeling tour. We visited a coral reef, a sea turtle area, a starfish area, and finally a sandbar where we snacked on guacamole and ceviche while stingrays swam around our feet. Elena even saw an Eagle Ray on one of the stops. There were also many large starfish, sea turtles, barracuda, very small sharks, and many varieties of fish. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQsjAJn7aQYJvhtNXniSJRgg2t9iGETx8p9I7W8OXpwmU0EG4ncpv6mU5XQrM9fYXCufKE0Gpvr6DdRj6y0Zx63PwgRLV6bZZRPHhaKWUPdfNy_dGTGifjcPaYIHsqKlwSbMJMtTk8AYDC8yvIJ1K6cD4E2eM9JT5OPf8RSlj8Y2GFwWNPXdyuHiyXg/s5120/Jazz_Cruise231.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQsjAJn7aQYJvhtNXniSJRgg2t9iGETx8p9I7W8OXpwmU0EG4ncpv6mU5XQrM9fYXCufKE0Gpvr6DdRj6y0Zx63PwgRLV6bZZRPHhaKWUPdfNy_dGTGifjcPaYIHsqKlwSbMJMtTk8AYDC8yvIJ1K6cD4E2eM9JT5OPf8RSlj8Y2GFwWNPXdyuHiyXg/w640-h400/Jazz_Cruise231.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snorkeling off Cozumel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We returned to the ship to see the Christian McBride salute to Ray Brown with Benny Green on piano and Greg Hutchinson on drums. We then heard the Wynton Marsalis Octet. Next up was Clint Holmes and Monty Alexander. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tuesday was a day at sea. Elena spent most of the morning in the pools and spas. I shot some hoops and had a bit of rest. Then we heard Christian Jacob, All Stars #5, Kurt Elling, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the big band with Ann Hampton Callaway, Christian McBride, and Bria Skonberg. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wednesday was another day at sea. We spent much of the morning in the pools. Then we attended concerts by All Stars #6, Tierney Sutton Band, another All Star lineup led by Nicki Perrott, the Hall of Fame show with a cast of talent as they inducted Joey DeFrancesco into the Hall of Fame. We dined in the dining room that night for the first, and only time, on this cruise. We then enjoyed Ted Rosenthal Trio and All Stars #7. At the last concert, I started to feel ill and was concerned that I had picked up a virus on the ship. I had a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, and a bit of fever. I went to bed a bit early, and it was almost gone by morning. t realized that it was probably a reaction to the lady who sat next to me at one of the prior evening shows. She had way too much perfume on, and I’m sensitive to smoke and perfume. I was the victim of olfactory assault. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thursday was the final port day in Nassau. There were 5 cruise ships in port, so we opted to stay and swim on our ship. We then enjoyed a final day of concerts too: Keyboard Capers with all the keyboard players doing a solo piece (best piano recital ever), then they rotated through a bebop chart and each took a short solo. We then saw Monty Alexander, Christian Sands, and finally the full big band with a few guests including Samara Joy. The best sunset of our cruise saved itself for the final day too. I stood on the deck watching it and talking to sax great Dick Oatts. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVKFu9RE2UNNMk8NeSjWxR6mJn3NEfSE8RFhfbSwau3qhXv8qn9zW9Zhn7vH4rYM62Ffq-Lt3bqx5xjn6ZKdvQWUspHD2zfMrLBfKj03ao8Gr9yuWqAdm_VythdR048in5iWUr5zklZTh5OcCuj2ZZh9kMjFxRq28AjgEa1SV3UN1dFDgtbY4xZZZRg/s4032/JC23-sunset-003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVKFu9RE2UNNMk8NeSjWxR6mJn3NEfSE8RFhfbSwau3qhXv8qn9zW9Zhn7vH4rYM62Ffq-Lt3bqx5xjn6ZKdvQWUspHD2zfMrLBfKj03ao8Gr9yuWqAdm_VythdR048in5iWUr5zklZTh5OcCuj2ZZh9kMjFxRq28AjgEa1SV3UN1dFDgtbY4xZZZRg/w400-h225/JC23-sunset-003.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sunset on our last night<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Friday morning, we departed the ship and headed for the airport to fly back home. It was such a wonderful week filled with love, kindness, intelligence, wit, humor, and humanity that it was difficult to leave this little bubble of how society should really function. And the other super bonus of the cruise was that my sister and her partner were on the cruise too, so we were able to spend many hours visiting and catching up with them. They live in Virginia, so we don’t see each other very often. They are both librarians on the front lines of the current wave of ignorance and book banning efforts.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypGqbil2PVkxpt33EbLRnTmJIO_OdOMHvJkOooPwAeYJQzNDK79Q7a9Km59EcsN7ar7vQHIDOzUAZwt33ZePXZ9kO1WVi2MB7mhfuA50ngyPP3LivLLqGiEIeUwxZXNhqZ5nW-FgMYvTQjbaxiZwxj2AN04B3yIN5_7xKALmvh91JFWNovjif0EtVhA/s2108/Jazz_Cruise_23-Group-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="2108" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypGqbil2PVkxpt33EbLRnTmJIO_OdOMHvJkOooPwAeYJQzNDK79Q7a9Km59EcsN7ar7vQHIDOzUAZwt33ZePXZ9kO1WVi2MB7mhfuA50ngyPP3LivLLqGiEIeUwxZXNhqZ5nW-FgMYvTQjbaxiZwxj2AN04B3yIN5_7xKALmvh91JFWNovjif0EtVhA/w400-h225/Jazz_Cruise_23-Group-photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are some of the musicians on the cruise: Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis, Bill Charlap, Monty Alexander, Tierney Sutton, Joey DeFrancesco, Samara Joy, and Kurt Elling. John Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Houston Person, Emmet Cohen, Benny Green, Randy Brecker, Niki Haris, Wycliffe Gordon, and the cruise’s music director Shelly Berg. John Clayton leads the Big Band which includes an incredible array of players: Bijon Watson, Randy Brecker, Terell Stafford, James Morrinson, John Fedchock, John Allred, Javier Nero, Jennifer Wharton, Dick Oatts, Mark Gross, Ada Rovatti, Ricky Woodard, and Gary Smulyan. Below are images of the band members and the All Star groupings. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWv9TU4EzOHTp74TZzT0kqZgVuNM7jf617uKzkBPBgzsl43dlHwiYpNRuzBEcJ__-pjvGefAslm2A9nPXpbAHT9WZ0LGzRhZ0xAVkWegrQ1ac53TFocK5AQ5Ed6YomxxhPFOqrHWsk5U8dnflfffsM6ihdzDddKY9pvgktYTTOgdRcMYZRdVfl74PTRw/s3231/JC23-groups.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3231" data-original-width="2480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWv9TU4EzOHTp74TZzT0kqZgVuNM7jf617uKzkBPBgzsl43dlHwiYpNRuzBEcJ__-pjvGefAslm2A9nPXpbAHT9WZ0LGzRhZ0xAVkWegrQ1ac53TFocK5AQ5Ed6YomxxhPFOqrHWsk5U8dnflfffsM6ihdzDddKY9pvgktYTTOgdRcMYZRdVfl74PTRw/w492-h640/JC23-groups.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Band Members<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9KCXG0TXPHRw7lExOoJwgfKAFMsjSziKzDXSBRXUCeBM5csvelgQR-OEIMDgrdkd6K0WvXL6cj3YOUT_9YGWZPIymxlhxrR9ZePC3BgMcb2cSwXUCek6_-LNV6nORb6JDwxjCWKCSHwrcDG38pawO45HARYSpIKjGZz2XhPmYmeVS1m_Xm2VBZvxcA/s3231/JC23-allstars.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3231" data-original-width="2480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9KCXG0TXPHRw7lExOoJwgfKAFMsjSziKzDXSBRXUCeBM5csvelgQR-OEIMDgrdkd6K0WvXL6cj3YOUT_9YGWZPIymxlhxrR9ZePC3BgMcb2cSwXUCek6_-LNV6nORb6JDwxjCWKCSHwrcDG38pawO45HARYSpIKjGZz2XhPmYmeVS1m_Xm2VBZvxcA/w492-h640/JC23-allstars.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Star Groups<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcGq9uXk4CcrH05dfhXpBxZ08mJk2v3-X-7maQ9D37sWnKTFYquVGcsVPuSv3FcFmaNgc28VY_0wruPbkN44fU7cwXoVgb4001Nung6nMf43w9MO_8HsZrAT4Q-M9NS2TY8sTYRH_PadgRHHLFow_jnw2GB1coJHj47L9aSiRff1k_3eyYg6zbm0brA/s1262/piano-jazz-cruise-group.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1262" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcGq9uXk4CcrH05dfhXpBxZ08mJk2v3-X-7maQ9D37sWnKTFYquVGcsVPuSv3FcFmaNgc28VY_0wruPbkN44fU7cwXoVgb4001Nung6nMf43w9MO_8HsZrAT4Q-M9NS2TY8sTYRH_PadgRHHLFow_jnw2GB1coJHj47L9aSiRff1k_3eyYg6zbm0brA/w400-h316/piano-jazz-cruise-group.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keyboard Capers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Jazz Cruise 2024 lineup is already announced and the cabins are being booked, so we’ll decide soon if we’ll return next year. There is a very strong possibility we’ll be on board. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul <br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /></span></span><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA26.1224386 -80.137317400000015-2.1877952361788466 -115.29356740000001 54.432672436178848 -44.981067400000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-84998007920783662082022-10-21T16:44:00.001-05:002022-10-22T11:25:56.144-05:00Fall Trip Data & Summary<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We wrapped up our 35-day fall trip and are home safe and sound. There were many good things on the trip:<br />- No issues with our <a href="https://enerjazz.com/travato/" target="_blank">Winnebago Travato</a> - all systems performed as designed<br />- I'm lucky to have such a great travel partner (Elena) as we celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary during the trip<br />- I'm also lucky to have the best dog in the world (Bebop) - she is a great companion and traveler<br />- We had many great adventures and only a couple skinned knees to show for it</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the downside:<br />- We both got COVID at the start of week #4, after successfully avoiding it for 2 1/2 years. It was likely caught during a grocery store stop - one of our few indoor interactions with people. We just modified our schedule for reduced hiking intensity and kept on rolling.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>DATA</b></u><br /><span><span>Miles Driven: 4,225 miles</span></span><span><span><br />Average miles/day: 121</span></span><span><span><br />Time Driving: 100 hours</span></span><span><span><br />Avg Speed: 41 mph</span></span><span><span><br />MPG: 17.1 (vehicle calc); 16.2 (actual)</span></span><span><span><br />Gas Used: 257.5 gallons, average of 7.4 gallons/day</span></span><span><span><br />Gas Cost: $961 ($27/day) - avg of $3.73/gallon</span></span><span><span><br />Campground Cost: $894 (avg $24/day): </span></span>(12 state parks, 9 free boondocking, 5 national parks, 5 private
campgrounds, 2 tribal campgrounds, 1 city park, and 1 forest service
campground)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So many highlights on this trip. We have quite a few blogs posted, but here are a few favorites:<br />- The Kanarra Falls hike was probably our favorite new adventure. <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2022/10/trying-not-to-fall-at-kanarra-falls.html" target="_blank">Blog link<br /></a></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmp4-e4VZYpS_D56_36xLuyFEvA2TUQ2OfvBfUF9jZDkzjmgUpGkLFFjBYMl9ojRxZ21Bpwmgd_ZVHVoJCOd__oUjZ4WwsSQEmYk73mg_pWDzVEJQ-YtMjP9qUwCZJBHBz51HGdkjUaDPfo7cs6L9S55HvBQWpX_qti3dzaU_BimgmTlTAeYApcD8Pg/s2947/Kanarra_Falls-023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2947" data-original-width="2231" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmp4-e4VZYpS_D56_36xLuyFEvA2TUQ2OfvBfUF9jZDkzjmgUpGkLFFjBYMl9ojRxZ21Bpwmgd_ZVHVoJCOd__oUjZ4WwsSQEmYk73mg_pWDzVEJQ-YtMjP9qUwCZJBHBz51HGdkjUaDPfo7cs6L9S55HvBQWpX_qti3dzaU_BimgmTlTAeYApcD8Pg/w484-h640/Kanarra_Falls-023.jpg" width="484" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The upper falls on Kanarra Creek<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Little Wild Horse Canyon slot canyon hike was right up there in the new adventure ranking. <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2022/09/bebop-reviews-goblins-and-wild-horses.html" target="_blank">Blog link (by Bebop)<br /></a></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoCY4FJ3ttbVfQB7J_vZEQ2x5QeJOeyqroeRSLADC_uVTIP261FfGp-JS56SZft-deAhpxKD6NkgSHCspCbypHtAdY3KXdcZYIah-yOPrvt4z7VbEXTW5K48-VP0OOJV2Jay8RI7AHjhCkFb7DcFWPvNd2M2imhiq008EVH9SZwd86HUsy3Ev6UuGMw/s5120/22F-Goblins8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="5120" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoCY4FJ3ttbVfQB7J_vZEQ2x5QeJOeyqroeRSLADC_uVTIP261FfGp-JS56SZft-deAhpxKD6NkgSHCspCbypHtAdY3KXdcZYIah-yOPrvt4z7VbEXTW5K48-VP0OOJV2Jay8RI7AHjhCkFb7DcFWPvNd2M2imhiq008EVH9SZwd86HUsy3Ev6UuGMw/w640-h288/22F-Goblins8.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- We've been to several sections of Antelope Canyon, so we visited a different section - Antelope Canyon X. <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2022/10/a-week-of-catching-up-after-catching.html" target="_blank">Blog link (last section)</a>.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVst6NOdVr1OTefPl8dhfnFiTOmVpwTyTXQDUaboWX_bWUQFOWgKHyXdZ-nWNBn1Kz8QtET8XR_aase7BW7bysjJFqy8Jb-DA2Y-Rdn5uTKURxKfvgYpgdosG8gcmhcyNKKGkEX0FkhssTa5cNb1CoO5PD2Jkdud5qKgxqyO1Py-ktCIFN7FLiOsQRQ/s4032/CanyonX-011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVst6NOdVr1OTefPl8dhfnFiTOmVpwTyTXQDUaboWX_bWUQFOWgKHyXdZ-nWNBn1Kz8QtET8XR_aase7BW7bysjJFqy8Jb-DA2Y-Rdn5uTKURxKfvgYpgdosG8gcmhcyNKKGkEX0FkhssTa5cNb1CoO5PD2Jkdud5qKgxqyO1Py-ktCIFN7FLiOsQRQ/w360-h640/CanyonX-011.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Antelope Canyon X<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- And Canyon de Chelly was interesting - made more so by a fierce rainstorm and flood while we were in the canyon. <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/2022/09/canyon-de-chelly-and-spider-woman.html">Blog link</a>.<br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TArqTWJon5HNrP6v6tLxGNIkKNoGXGagclJyV2MdbCqqUjqPYuAQf5PsF87DL8O82j6kL-TZeRrQpTCpa6IaLaEKYQM_6OcOKU_bFO5MU2959uAuwtLJkmNQPXQAKpFrTerbH0f-9I2j3iPw7tpHYqIR-1W0yCxCIEiNrv1P03RN53qfCjFVjqgxrA/s3563/CanyonDeChelly-092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="3563" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TArqTWJon5HNrP6v6tLxGNIkKNoGXGagclJyV2MdbCqqUjqPYuAQf5PsF87DL8O82j6kL-TZeRrQpTCpa6IaLaEKYQM_6OcOKU_bFO5MU2959uAuwtLJkmNQPXQAKpFrTerbH0f-9I2j3iPw7tpHYqIR-1W0yCxCIEiNrv1P03RN53qfCjFVjqgxrA/w640-h360/CanyonDeChelly-092.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The other blogs, with more photos, are all posted here: <a href="https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com/">https://westbrooktravel.blogspot.com<br /><br /></a></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLGZh_yqPdOU9uwBCvITI8Jo-7m79HCpSMrnFewAp0jUj1J2z8Bpm856VatOHxsLvn3BhlBbMWPFRNSwDkYswM8HrAZP-OmQPox-RUR1NbX-EvkTNeuLj6b91TKOm8f5EWuqX8drDljbUQ-tP1P7z-gTu-qCHtGqhtRRMUBQl_KxWl4XUwxqCzd15Yw/s3074/Grand_Canyon-004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2199" data-original-width="3074" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLGZh_yqPdOU9uwBCvITI8Jo-7m79HCpSMrnFewAp0jUj1J2z8Bpm856VatOHxsLvn3BhlBbMWPFRNSwDkYswM8HrAZP-OmQPox-RUR1NbX-EvkTNeuLj6b91TKOm8f5EWuqX8drDljbUQ-tP1P7z-gTu-qCHtGqhtRRMUBQl_KxWl4XUwxqCzd15Yw/w640-h458/Grand_Canyon-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Favorite photo from the trip - Grand Canyon North Rim<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAXnltjBg7K874y0QXGnv9zvKUdi7YyLmNi3UMECwCCBn4oYWUhWqOQHUG6hdgF5Q7ijvRELeeNIipO35eYnmJ07UdXwKA9Osx7dmPJ_SCa_dGkskOwIo1fLKilgTFu9RGRLBOazQ6IdE3Plg9DdSHu_vAeu4kDb_U9xj9sZK5fzHGnk0ykxja-II2Q/s1030/UT-trip-map.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="1030" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAXnltjBg7K874y0QXGnv9zvKUdi7YyLmNi3UMECwCCBn4oYWUhWqOQHUG6hdgF5Q7ijvRELeeNIipO35eYnmJ07UdXwKA9Osx7dmPJ_SCa_dGkskOwIo1fLKilgTFu9RGRLBOazQ6IdE3Plg9DdSHu_vAeu4kDb_U9xj9sZK5fzHGnk0ykxja-II2Q/w640-h322/UT-trip-map.png" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our Trip Route<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We have had our Winnebago Travato for 15 months and have travelled for 141 days and almost 20,000 miles total.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Best,</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul</span></span><br /></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Fairview, TX 75069, USA33.1578952 -96.63165934.8476613638211532 -131.7879093 61.468129036178844 -61.475409299999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-82526134171871830682022-10-15T19:17:00.002-05:002022-10-15T19:17:39.187-05:00The End of a Long Love Affair . . . Or Not<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">It was a late September day in 1991 when I first saw her. Her beauty was boundless and I was immediately captivated. I was in town for a jazz festival with my wife, as we were about to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary with a hike into the Grand Canyon a few days later. But there she was - the town of Sedona, AZ. I couldn’t believe people were allowed to live here - as if people were allowed to live in a national park. The layers of rock color, the green of the juniper trees, the deep blue sky, and the trickle of Oak Creek. I was captivated. </span></span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I thought about the town many times, and we came through on vacation a time or two over the years. In 2009, I began to think about possible future retirement locations. The Sedona prices had gone nuts in 2007 and 2008, but the real estate market crash was starting to bring prices back down to reasonable levels. I booked a flight and came out to look around. We would come out twice a year for the next decade and hike the many trails and look at land parcels. I made offers on a few over the years, and several times my offers were accepted. Each time, I would find something during the discovery phase that caused me to back out. It had to be the perfect parcel at the perfect price, and we were in no rush.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I liked that the town was surrounded by national forest, so the growth was bounded. They are a dark sky friendly town. The population is around 10,000 people, and the large number of visitors meant that the town had more grocery stores, restaurants, and entertainment options than most towns of that modest size. The climate was good at about 4,400 feet in elevation - not too hot or too cold. And it was beautiful in every direction I looked.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The more I studied the town and the workings, the more concerned I became. The place seemed to be run by the Chamber of Commerce. Everything was designed to bring more tourists (money), which meant traffic and infrastructure woes. However, the city had a ban on short term rentals to try and make sure it was a town of people who owned, lived there, and were active in the community. Then, in 2016 the Republican led state government passed a law over-ridding the ability for local jurisdictions to regular short term rentals across the state. Sedona started seeing investors pouring in to make a buck. Once quiet neighborhoods now had short term renter traffic. A sense of community was being lost. Then investors started buying lots and building massive houses just to rent out many rooms. Local people who worked there could no longer find a place to live - they have to commute to towns 20 miles away. Greed was destroying the beauty and charm, as seems to be the case so often anymore. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We made our final trip out in October 2019 and decided another paradise had been lost. I tried to quit dreaming of buying land and building a sustainable home here. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I told Elena once that
looking at some difficult build lots in Sedona is like looking at a
gorgeous woman who you know is going to be nothing but trouble, but not
being able to look away for long. Prices started going even crazier
during the pandemic and land was flipping in months for double the money
- just like during the crazy times of 2007. That helped blunt my
enthusiasm a bit.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The other challenge is that we have such a nice setup in Fairview, TX. We have 2.2 acres of native woods with our house hidden in the middle. We have some of the kindest, nicest neighbors you could ever want. Not only that, but we have plenty of elbow room on our street, but are only a few miles from almost any amenity you could want. It would be easier to make the move if we lived in a regular old house on a regular old street, or in a decaying area. Our current bar is set very high. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We hadn’t planned to come to Sedona on our current road trip, but both caching COVID made us scale back on some other big hikes we had planned. Elena suggested we route through Sedona for a couple of days. The things we loved are still there - the rocks, the forest, the creek, the dark skies, the climate. But the trailheads were overloaded with cars and traffic was slow in every direction. We noted, as before, there seems to be a few distinct tourist categories here. One is the nature lovers like us who come, hike, and try to leave no trace. We meet a lot of people out on the trails who are similar - both local people and visitors. There is another group who spends most of their time shopping in the stores and galleries, or eating at the high-end restaurants. There is another trendy group who are out striking the same Instagram pose along every trail and overlook. Then there are the people who come to a quiet, beautiful place and seem to say, “What’s the best way to destroy this?” They rent the loud ATVs and drive them all over, or jump in one of the many Jeep tours and mark the red rocks black from their tires and belch fumes and noise into the air.<br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I find myself looking at lots again and dreaming of a little sustainable solar home with great views and easy access to hiking trails. This morning we found three trails that are beautiful, but not very crowded. Bebop really enjoyed hiking, despite the low count of trailside lizards. We drove past some trailheads with over a hundred cars spilling out to park along the roadway. Out on the trails, we remembered all the things we love here. Elena was busy looking up geology on her Rockd app. We noticed that the gem and mineral show was at the Sedona High School, so we dropped Elena off there for a while. On our way back to our campground, it took us about 30 minutes to drive 1.5 miles in the heavy traffic. It’s a town of major pluses and major minuses. It’s fun to dream, but it’s also nice to return home to the wonderful reality we already have. Will we end up here someday? That is unanswerable at this time. Here are a few photos from today before the rain moved in. You would have to try really hard to take a bad photo here.<br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4NRAFEJZEo-WVknpEpy_ZmGud5nw8NUOfr3C2JOu5UABZ7XFUiBlbvx6uHpUBhLf05sdTT7FcVdjlvXFdIJI9mo02gYV7l1W2RUC_HqOG_ydWugcRhNm1WOBiRbfXiuCv_vlRbszUpKzcd7_WXEcpQX2XVunSij4vqNA2YaW2RLhttfdZhrE6LF9Fw/s1280/Sedona.MP_Doe.MP_exported_2866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4NRAFEJZEo-WVknpEpy_ZmGud5nw8NUOfr3C2JOu5UABZ7XFUiBlbvx6uHpUBhLf05sdTT7FcVdjlvXFdIJI9mo02gYV7l1W2RUC_HqOG_ydWugcRhNm1WOBiRbfXiuCv_vlRbszUpKzcd7_WXEcpQX2XVunSij4vqNA2YaW2RLhttfdZhrE6LF9Fw/w640-h360/Sedona.MP_Doe.MP_exported_2866.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up on Doe Mountain<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAOVdlmQoWEUlJRl7675wzt7mHU8VZw44tnRqT7rAUZbQAPpjI83Br5YBmNwQhgxkm71DHKffEE6T4oo1T36BVbOZYOAJ_V2tCjQZvYj8adExMHCvo_vJCeO6-V0UEBi2D-ReHxi6v64On0rh6Dz_GwXGynjhpb48t0CklA0noqca4_RF-VBZLXnO7A/s4032/Sedona-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAOVdlmQoWEUlJRl7675wzt7mHU8VZw44tnRqT7rAUZbQAPpjI83Br5YBmNwQhgxkm71DHKffEE6T4oo1T36BVbOZYOAJ_V2tCjQZvYj8adExMHCvo_vJCeO6-V0UEBi2D-ReHxi6v64On0rh6Dz_GwXGynjhpb48t0CklA0noqca4_RF-VBZLXnO7A/w640-h360/Sedona-017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop on Doe Mountain<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHIQWRc1yzeX1bPmtgtdQpbBzliMJiF04VUAgOXERlRPBcnmKhvE8HuL1H_ANM4MuLA-Ilm-ka3wnV_XQy2V03T4Wf2NNdW_2SiWN7V9rA6HI3IXeKy9wL5WmjXdQI39IZ5vdzr0Ju2YGoiud4vKimjZrdAEy1EJnuRzuT03GxV-aT4D8QLtXoSzfng/s4032/Sedona-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHIQWRc1yzeX1bPmtgtdQpbBzliMJiF04VUAgOXERlRPBcnmKhvE8HuL1H_ANM4MuLA-Ilm-ka3wnV_XQy2V03T4Wf2NNdW_2SiWN7V9rA6HI3IXeKy9wL5WmjXdQI39IZ5vdzr0Ju2YGoiud4vKimjZrdAEy1EJnuRzuT03GxV-aT4D8QLtXoSzfng/w640-h360/Sedona-022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul & Bebop on Doe Mountain<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi--NL2bZJEn-Ml-HAVmfRVguMgpff5BLdAulcHPEsnWHnbhbjZ2pRZi5r-sfa6Ml5b6eZVKMCDBM9Rr0J4WplakhTH0kzrzaRy7VEOeqidCmvdC7h2zcFP2YeXE_zlxBt5wFHo0FfPu9KOFdjIIce-v1kBWxg9evX-7yqncuKAbSKy5KR1n7SXVhuXkw/s4032/Sedona-029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi--NL2bZJEn-Ml-HAVmfRVguMgpff5BLdAulcHPEsnWHnbhbjZ2pRZi5r-sfa6Ml5b6eZVKMCDBM9Rr0J4WplakhTH0kzrzaRy7VEOeqidCmvdC7h2zcFP2YeXE_zlxBt5wFHo0FfPu9KOFdjIIce-v1kBWxg9evX-7yqncuKAbSKy5KR1n7SXVhuXkw/w640-h360/Sedona-029.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop descending Doe Mountain<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YnzbkuOtF_1hiVmcvMbsIb7psm9NwF--iJCD7-jUSm1u9aF1I62FcbaTMHvfLsUzudfR9k_67y2Nhf5innSyUfhy4dgHE43fiaVlGYHL_uKihlTX-Fc3QatqvlNhfdVMA5NkjhvIZpVanbT9hP2q9eYx6sT8wwGTlp3EfVpbDJJ1Pz50_fpOyVAurQ/s4032/Sedona-031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YnzbkuOtF_1hiVmcvMbsIb7psm9NwF--iJCD7-jUSm1u9aF1I62FcbaTMHvfLsUzudfR9k_67y2Nhf5innSyUfhy4dgHE43fiaVlGYHL_uKihlTX-Fc3QatqvlNhfdVMA5NkjhvIZpVanbT9hP2q9eYx6sT8wwGTlp3EfVpbDJJ1Pz50_fpOyVAurQ/w640-h360/Sedona-031.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the end of Fay Canyon looking back out<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DmIsdpAUCYQbcZhEavk1yi0SNuirqK6BIurqluAuurqgZEwgHaXf9WbjomPI5_z628Bh0_RRkaujTgM7MhlLpiGWxj2P6hVzkOgkBmP8yGj5-ZzrKthDJ-g8f7y8DGUz4Kb3WYfweEEnMY4uufyMLbEpYDOsaG_Upn_-0W5NvtXnKUrAJ5UBM3bWQg/s3573/Sedona-037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2011" data-original-width="3573" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DmIsdpAUCYQbcZhEavk1yi0SNuirqK6BIurqluAuurqgZEwgHaXf9WbjomPI5_z628Bh0_RRkaujTgM7MhlLpiGWxj2P6hVzkOgkBmP8yGj5-ZzrKthDJ-g8f7y8DGUz4Kb3WYfweEEnMY4uufyMLbEpYDOsaG_Upn_-0W5NvtXnKUrAJ5UBM3bWQg/w640-h360/Sedona-037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop on the Secret Slickrock Trail<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafHTQnUlACKHf_sEma9CSURNnowadzckfnzHZErg_PP_SX3SZxL-gsaQ-_UOXb3oUYy9KG3cgs31XxZsOhjt-XtkvhjbEM4qp6fZMOGNQzNoMsIKzBmV3gpKrRqtuSbLmXbBm-YRyx3WbxPhMrqELu-R4Ki3hSYR1Jt31tx4WuU06aGXE3zOgFentlw/s3536/Sedona-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1959" data-original-width="3536" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafHTQnUlACKHf_sEma9CSURNnowadzckfnzHZErg_PP_SX3SZxL-gsaQ-_UOXb3oUYy9KG3cgs31XxZsOhjt-XtkvhjbEM4qp6fZMOGNQzNoMsIKzBmV3gpKrRqtuSbLmXbBm-YRyx3WbxPhMrqELu-R4Ki3hSYR1Jt31tx4WuU06aGXE3zOgFentlw/w640-h354/Sedona-036.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflecting in front of Cathedral Rock on the Secret Slickrock<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7cUZtadLVGZ2804KzB6Knk9Ok_Hw8IF9U2uptD_KgOq3PdOWz18IDHK7PJAm0D8lBTYiQcs_0v5no93IpBPP_DUlExqGfhMjJv3cO17k7Sao9ZAobSv_FTPJg14qc_xpZmJNgBXYsTsp5qe8cPFK7R_KdacbJFM_mSECBU6E2eSbLWZH8TUePkKXBg/s4032/Sedona-032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7cUZtadLVGZ2804KzB6Knk9Ok_Hw8IF9U2uptD_KgOq3PdOWz18IDHK7PJAm0D8lBTYiQcs_0v5no93IpBPP_DUlExqGfhMjJv3cO17k7Sao9ZAobSv_FTPJg14qc_xpZmJNgBXYsTsp5qe8cPFK7R_KdacbJFM_mSECBU6E2eSbLWZH8TUePkKXBg/w640-h360/Sedona-032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elena admires the vista<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul <br /></span></span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Sedona, AZ 86336, USA34.8697395 -111.76098966.559505663821156 -146.91723960000002 63.179973336178847 -76.6047396tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-65963699832771493562022-10-13T21:36:00.001-05:002022-10-14T08:24:38.866-05:00A Week of Catching Up After Catching COVID<p>One week ago tonight, my lucky streak of 2 1/2 years ran out, and I came down with COVID. We were hiking in the late afternoon and my back was really sore. We got back to the campground and I took a nice hot shower. After I got back to the van, I was still hot - with a fever. A sudden fever and headache, with body aches. We had packed a test, and it showed positive for COVID. One of the things we like about our camper van is that we are generally isolated from people. However, two days earlier, we had stopped at a grocery store and I suspect that's where I was exposed. On previous trips, we always masked to go to the store, but case rates were down, and we got lazy on this one. While we are still isolated from others in the van, we are very close to each other, and Elena came down with it less than 36 hours later. We adjusted the final couple of weeks of our schedule to reduce the duration and difficulty of hikes. </p><p>Recap of the past week:</p><p>Pre-COVID we hiked at Cathedral Gorge State Park in NV. Very interesting eroded rock layers. Our favorite activity was finding the many hidden passages in the rocks. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8JY8KiU5NA4vhEOaTY5Lydq-uijGV9IQpdvK1_pJvY3MsJ_-9GkrIUtYEdClqRrXvsyX4rHiDzG3vKNGNa0osb62frWPl1sEzyXlPsrZhIOsGkzeig8M1-5LdXh6HrZND9gyVe1EQhIekVj6Etarpd0kCG9cK33inyc9qhNWDqwrHRpxriC9jkRvlA/s4032/Cathedral_Gorge-010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8JY8KiU5NA4vhEOaTY5Lydq-uijGV9IQpdvK1_pJvY3MsJ_-9GkrIUtYEdClqRrXvsyX4rHiDzG3vKNGNa0osb62frWPl1sEzyXlPsrZhIOsGkzeig8M1-5LdXh6HrZND9gyVe1EQhIekVj6Etarpd0kCG9cK33inyc9qhNWDqwrHRpxriC9jkRvlA/w640-h360/Cathedral_Gorge-010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Cathedral Gorge State Park - on our 32nd Wedding Anniversary<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLLqp2gRv2KNkmQ64aopvShvJcGhtGlNH2bXnDhhXxa5yrvdUQLtLxVeziYcXFxqFk6a9MEwuoGAjAV9pB7H3zppVbBCn6FPOYAkZHfBveDthc_6rwKcdJKs5h8ltY1yBQXtaEMo-yYsPsyFew4mKtjbyF_T_D97vNnjJOLHEV_GzCa6jRVhKHZTEMQ/s5120/22F-Cathedral_Gorge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLLqp2gRv2KNkmQ64aopvShvJcGhtGlNH2bXnDhhXxa5yrvdUQLtLxVeziYcXFxqFk6a9MEwuoGAjAV9pB7H3zppVbBCn6FPOYAkZHfBveDthc_6rwKcdJKs5h8ltY1yBQXtaEMo-yYsPsyFew4mKtjbyF_T_D97vNnjJOLHEV_GzCa6jRVhKHZTEMQ/w640-h400/22F-Cathedral_Gorge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing in the hidden slots at Cathedral Gorge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Post COVID: We then spent two night at Snow Canyon State Park in UT, where we hiked on the petrified sand dunes and along the butterfly trail, then down into some lava tubes. These were geologically young tubes - only about 27,000 years old. The white and red sandstone contrast the dark black lava rocks nicely.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyROWMJvhkwNVUmDIBI0V3Np15G-CVrA4Kyrkw1QU35nBoj8dlExVcKo56vTK_q8D5VOS7XyHLK5mku8ZTBkoiS6D0-t9GJX0JsFUY303gmvlBEN384DawF-dwoZFHsi03EWzvke7u7QRLtck8XnhSPxUFBkKnwx5GSTFBDYyCrKQuIxFovpPetDZc-g/s1000/Snow_Canyon-Paul_Elena.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1000" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyROWMJvhkwNVUmDIBI0V3Np15G-CVrA4Kyrkw1QU35nBoj8dlExVcKo56vTK_q8D5VOS7XyHLK5mku8ZTBkoiS6D0-t9GJX0JsFUY303gmvlBEN384DawF-dwoZFHsi03EWzvke7u7QRLtck8XnhSPxUFBkKnwx5GSTFBDYyCrKQuIxFovpPetDZc-g/w640-h364/Snow_Canyon-Paul_Elena.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Snow Canyon State Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf88PEZs38IjTmEHgRQcKzHqtheRr8BqFGWOLkL4NxTaPZRqVCBwaHdoF_abGjUwQVKF1qC409Fi26x7yYQJ4n-ohFhS2bYDW17TWgPh4V409bk2OZLXFlOln1WTRGJl9rKZc0oCXBknHdgtEtx0E4GOw1SQXbwFDdhUiUuyHBZztmZ50J3mHn1OugBg/s5120/22F-Snow_Canyon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf88PEZs38IjTmEHgRQcKzHqtheRr8BqFGWOLkL4NxTaPZRqVCBwaHdoF_abGjUwQVKF1qC409Fi26x7yYQJ4n-ohFhS2bYDW17TWgPh4V409bk2OZLXFlOln1WTRGJl9rKZc0oCXBknHdgtEtx0E4GOw1SQXbwFDdhUiUuyHBZztmZ50J3mHn1OugBg/w640-h400/22F-Snow_Canyon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Snow Canyon pics including Elena at the Butterfly Rock and entering a Lava Tube<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We next spent a night at the campground in Zion NP. We've been there before and decided to skip the most heavily visited areas. It's like a Disney Park there, with parking lots overflowing and long wait lines for the shuttles. We hiked and bicycled along the trails from our campsite. <br /></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh334XDu48Q-q-yfADfLgQ4MWSb5R8I1OroLMoWMKhDCDC3d7ig8LeyDZeb8jeEBraoUP7JPix5LTs18lax_EAUKdnCmxPbjoxWXLOZ7gtgjpBzKEUgAulubX7dGY5bN1nTG3yCbbYId51iGnfq4vhSURdyty93fl4gk1Q0EjZL3vlu08YYgO8j0TpIbQ/s5120/22F-Zion.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh334XDu48Q-q-yfADfLgQ4MWSb5R8I1OroLMoWMKhDCDC3d7ig8LeyDZeb8jeEBraoUP7JPix5LTs18lax_EAUKdnCmxPbjoxWXLOZ7gtgjpBzKEUgAulubX7dGY5bN1nTG3yCbbYId51iGnfq4vhSURdyty93fl4gk1Q0EjZL3vlu08YYgO8j0TpIbQ/w640-h400/22F-Zion.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From our campsite in Zion NP<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The next morning, we drove through the tunnel and planned to do the overlook hike. When we emerged from the tunnel, the parking lot was full and there were cars parked all along the road. We drove past for a mile or two and decided to turn around and try one more time. As we approached the biggest parking lot, a bighorn sheep had come to the edge of the road in the opposite lane. Traffic was stopped, and we turned into the parking area and saw a freshly opened space just for us. Score! The overlook hike is very nice - not too far or steep, with a great view at the end.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83v7bCmMbfimLrNwi0yfaEBqojenhO8qi5Wq5PaFZKwChSDUEXIWjBkN5ZWo_vOfwPsrXsNqq2edPfxbpeqUIOg93wlJfUUt59GEt1MXeJdhXoq6iT1U1BdzPR-YhjxZjB2gORzPfrLmiyrkaDdA6-gI2AP--TeAkH3w6-FS1nEPLWTjH3SAHcM5ssQ/s4032/Zion.MP-003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83v7bCmMbfimLrNwi0yfaEBqojenhO8qi5Wq5PaFZKwChSDUEXIWjBkN5ZWo_vOfwPsrXsNqq2edPfxbpeqUIOg93wlJfUUt59GEt1MXeJdhXoq6iT1U1BdzPR-YhjxZjB2gORzPfrLmiyrkaDdA6-gI2AP--TeAkH3w6-FS1nEPLWTjH3SAHcM5ssQ/w640-h360/Zion.MP-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Zion Overlook <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We headed for Kanab where we had a campground at the Best Friends Sanctuary. They are a very big animal rescue group with hundreds of acres of land for the rescued animals to live. Just before we got there, we stopped at the Sand Caves - an old sand mining area high on a cliff. It was quite the rock scramble to make it up there, but we did it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJnMhkCRchtZCHwUdjdJRLJgmIfF68b0DcS_S654E1IMy4k9vrZwCR7nKp9TnaM3FZyRyumTdtX8xUUzbpq97bvCbjWDxVWGo0ovaCXj2MzCclpThB8ZhQ9MyL72xRIT9D7aSPrtq4QsP4hD9E3OWsWI3s4ss3EnBxMnKHHMYFY65tiu5Ex-BieS8Ng/s5120/22F-Zion1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJnMhkCRchtZCHwUdjdJRLJgmIfF68b0DcS_S654E1IMy4k9vrZwCR7nKp9TnaM3FZyRyumTdtX8xUUzbpq97bvCbjWDxVWGo0ovaCXj2MzCclpThB8ZhQ9MyL72xRIT9D7aSPrtq4QsP4hD9E3OWsWI3s4ss3EnBxMnKHHMYFY65tiu5Ex-BieS8Ng/w640-h400/22F-Zion1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Caves near Kanab, UT<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>The next few days were planned to be spent hiking Wirepass Slot Canyon, visiting the old Paria town site, and applying for a permit to hike to The Wave. Instead, we lucked into a rim edge campsite at the Grand Canyon North Rim, and we headed that way. We were last at the north rim in 2007, and I took a really cool photo of Elena. We found the spot and recreated the photo and added me this time. The north rim only gets about 10% of the visitation of the south rim, so it's much more enjoyable. There were closing for the season a few days after we left, as they are over 8,000 feet in elevation and can get heavy snow. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1947" data-original-width="2596" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDxv2cjrZ1DPiVhtUEiQ8tNvqN6xe3x4-X03DuPN8E7iwP9968AudjUmv3CzPHmqrM5sEoBRjVG9TyVsUEob_DlIpQmPw8xIEMf1sM8E0vYMrzeQW5xTRAi2C6hgsd5RQrcuzIvdb2Kj6A4FjH9Puog9Tx1LFsHjnrn4AC275dNzd9SuiLtlQqoXh3A/w640-h480/07SW-Elena_GC-Window-color.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2007 Photo of Elena at the Grand Canyon North Rim<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDxv2cjrZ1DPiVhtUEiQ8tNvqN6xe3x4-X03DuPN8E7iwP9968AudjUmv3CzPHmqrM5sEoBRjVG9TyVsUEob_DlIpQmPw8xIEMf1sM8E0vYMrzeQW5xTRAi2C6hgsd5RQrcuzIvdb2Kj6A4FjH9Puog9Tx1LFsHjnrn4AC275dNzd9SuiLtlQqoXh3A/s2596/07SW-Elena_GC-Window-color.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49tYPVOrrJqluRNHzIlhoOFyVy9WKxwKP6dnBVZTWdgfRTA05-aLR55vvzwUh66WxV2aIIMDlaK5IbPJ6wKYwJuQeDdABaptHySvv5N9jzISWfLBcxET8WFSrpssTZQcfJ2y4Kmppsg4U3lwrrUxYMjrHkZ61kH1Oj4-GA7-3UXP9Jo0Qr-_4yRGVNA/s3074/Grand_Canyon-004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2199" data-original-width="3074" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49tYPVOrrJqluRNHzIlhoOFyVy9WKxwKP6dnBVZTWdgfRTA05-aLR55vvzwUh66WxV2aIIMDlaK5IbPJ6wKYwJuQeDdABaptHySvv5N9jzISWfLBcxET8WFSrpssTZQcfJ2y4Kmppsg4U3lwrrUxYMjrHkZ61kH1Oj4-GA7-3UXP9Jo0Qr-_4yRGVNA/w640-h458/Grand_Canyon-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2022 Photo of Paul & Elena at the Grand Canyon North Rim<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are a few more highlights from the north rim of the Grand Canyon.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgcks43frPqsXqFi83lrDqRhRSSeFowXk5_yfknwNhTLY9L8Z4THZUwhYSTD_1JpsNaw-xztzNj42H0zjTbpRv9WYoBWrW12qRXz3sD889ePWLSe7Y0uxA109gPw5tideLxyr6WGzj52Gtol-GgfF5OES0_lTBLYlQz5ueFI9FMnXdwPtKCal97LEtg/s5120/22F-Grand_Canyon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgcks43frPqsXqFi83lrDqRhRSSeFowXk5_yfknwNhTLY9L8Z4THZUwhYSTD_1JpsNaw-xztzNj42H0zjTbpRv9WYoBWrW12qRXz3sD889ePWLSe7Y0uxA109gPw5tideLxyr6WGzj52Gtol-GgfF5OES0_lTBLYlQz5ueFI9FMnXdwPtKCal97LEtg/w640-h400/22F-Grand_Canyon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon North Rim<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We headed east toward Page, AZ. On the way, we drove down to the Colorado River at historic Lees Ferry. We hiked around along the beach and watch some raft trips preparing to launch. This is where we launched from in 2013 when we did an 8 day, 277 mile rafting trip all the way through the Grand Canyon. Bebop enjoyed wading in the river.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJNa5MzxyHFoDMLLBBgrNdcAf5UQNgoMNqnw5oC2lxNkkAamZ0FORS2kADRjeJcYCspD2PF_jups3-zvfnVhPnX3DNiEZYM_UEoiaLxXWRPLVWe40-_La5vJnkiC1yABIhGbRzdg3opR0Ry63bFhIXh-f9skpjrmww807D4RHZ9INg-8rE7ucI_oWww/s5120/22F-Page.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJNa5MzxyHFoDMLLBBgrNdcAf5UQNgoMNqnw5oC2lxNkkAamZ0FORS2kADRjeJcYCspD2PF_jups3-zvfnVhPnX3DNiEZYM_UEoiaLxXWRPLVWe40-_La5vJnkiC1yABIhGbRzdg3opR0Ry63bFhIXh-f9skpjrmww807D4RHZ9INg-8rE7ucI_oWww/w640-h400/22F-Page.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lees Ferry near Page, AZ<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There are several Antelope Canyon tours around Page, AZ. The Antelope Valley is Navajo land, and there are several places where the wash has cut deep slot canyons in the sandstone. We've toured both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon before. I paddled through Lake Powell once for many miles to the point where the Antelope Wash enters the lake. This time we took a tour to a section above Upper Antelope Canyon called Canyon X. The name comes from the X you see if you look up as you enter the canyon. It was another beautiful slot canyon and our native guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable and pleasant. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEgSTXQGKDAYim2MU2OJ_JdH6-Oq5VKvmvVUDOomkQds1AeWZRFJANV1-8SRazJdnT-He344bQEcuR7LhirWIugNn_Xxd_-Ld3NRvjkqLarolFxKp7htOueN8XPYeEf43YPQPJBQZYhoXXciFSr7Io8jyEBrkfP1hl7SZLtpE80fPX-WO448qVfcLXg/s5120/22F-Page1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="5120" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEgSTXQGKDAYim2MU2OJ_JdH6-Oq5VKvmvVUDOomkQds1AeWZRFJANV1-8SRazJdnT-He344bQEcuR7LhirWIugNn_Xxd_-Ld3NRvjkqLarolFxKp7htOueN8XPYeEf43YPQPJBQZYhoXXciFSr7Io8jyEBrkfP1hl7SZLtpE80fPX-WO448qVfcLXg/w640-h288/22F-Page1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antelope Canyon X<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We are in Flagstaff, AZ for the night. COVID has been a wild ride. The first two days were fever, headache, and muscle pain. Then the fever subsided and we were just tired. Then our noses started flowing like fire hoses. Finally, the flow slowed, and now we are mostly just tired by late afternoon. Our modified plans helped us keep enjoying things without overdoing it. And we've been able to isolate ourselves from others by not going indoors anywhere - our camper van is a good quarantine chamber. Bebop is doing fine and has been taking good care of us.</p><p>- Paul<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0North Rim, AZ 86052, USA36.2134719 -112.05809657.9032380638211563 -147.2143465 64.52370573617884 -76.9018465tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-78306639518351379022022-10-06T10:09:00.000-05:002022-10-06T10:09:10.386-05:00Trying Not to Fall at Kanarra Falls<p>On day 19 of our road trip, and on our wedding anniversary eve, we decided to try the Kanarra Falls hike. The falls are at the town of Kanarraville, UT just a few minutes north of Zion's Kolob Canyon section.</p><p>There are 3 major falls/obstacles along the 4-mile round trip hike, and 650 feet of elevation gain. About half of the hike is in the creek, which is cold spring fed water. Fortunately, the creek is only about ankle deep in most places and with some skilled rock stepping, you can minimize your toe chilling time.</p><p>The early part of the trial is dry land with a couple of minor creek crossings. There are a few small, scenic waterfalls along the way. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjgHy7ZoscnzQyHNyh8mnr6_K1o-pIxHf2t7R-ciBHacCrVL_yDFHUaCasNqUE9AFLrggCQhkcoSHAQHPHutWN6rterMPsqKaIGbW3F_MkvLzFiF43SK_3X3itBQUIvk2uNWGLnP_RYq1-QO2mHP4te2cdvmGy-j4zgGZspOa-xDXwBtNVHVzqDqbmA/s5120/22F-Kanarra_Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjgHy7ZoscnzQyHNyh8mnr6_K1o-pIxHf2t7R-ciBHacCrVL_yDFHUaCasNqUE9AFLrggCQhkcoSHAQHPHutWN6rterMPsqKaIGbW3F_MkvLzFiF43SK_3X3itBQUIvk2uNWGLnP_RYq1-QO2mHP4te2cdvmGy-j4zgGZspOa-xDXwBtNVHVzqDqbmA/w640-h400/22F-Kanarra_Falls.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creek crossings and small waterfalls along the way<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>Eventually the canyon narrows, and you are in and out of the creek. The walls narrow into a slot canyon, and you can hear a water fall echoing around the bend. You round a corner and see a 12' high water fall. Many stop here. If you want to continue you used to have to climb a wooden pole ladder, but the town recently installed this aluminum ladder that made it much easier to continue - almost like an escalator it was so easy.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtDTB5wvcA87iRiqev2L4OOVs1jKHgNLPw3J2Nwkz8ANXPesm0oR0mt9hQWWAUALaDy9neaSN_AxIXyCP7iSow4qz9M4NVwK7xNrxbPNgRlXyxedzKsFjZXKlT2ky79AtAz3NkglZXJXEG-B0pr3H0kBCEOr1xIaJjYspdG-qwjpaTBedmrL3CVYaxQ/s5120/22F-Kanarra_Falls1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtDTB5wvcA87iRiqev2L4OOVs1jKHgNLPw3J2Nwkz8ANXPesm0oR0mt9hQWWAUALaDy9neaSN_AxIXyCP7iSow4qz9M4NVwK7xNrxbPNgRlXyxedzKsFjZXKlT2ky79AtAz3NkglZXJXEG-B0pr3H0kBCEOr1xIaJjYspdG-qwjpaTBedmrL3CVYaxQ/w640-h400/22F-Kanarra_Falls1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slot canyon hiking<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk9oWXpyf0GYq-Msv6IOo4PL7fm585vJINeVrrv3y6AG8N2c0Ny8gY_s5S2MN1RtUsC-bgVgvsBZSfrWq0XmPZ8OnCGraQ8ArHQtEgtVY36CrhpDm_7bQBaS3bELUmikHA5yQzd3ZgEhHkPmE7hNHG8u7csmctHfPdLOagqjnqjDdRgeU6WmjCau4pg/s5120/22F-Kanarra_Falls2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk9oWXpyf0GYq-Msv6IOo4PL7fm585vJINeVrrv3y6AG8N2c0Ny8gY_s5S2MN1RtUsC-bgVgvsBZSfrWq0XmPZ8OnCGraQ8ArHQtEgtVY36CrhpDm_7bQBaS3bELUmikHA5yQzd3ZgEhHkPmE7hNHG8u7csmctHfPdLOagqjnqjDdRgeU6WmjCau4pg/w640-h400/22F-Kanarra_Falls2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former "ladder" (left) and the new fancy ladder (right)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Shortly after the first fall is the Big Boulder. The only way to get over it is to scramble up some wooden poles and sticks that have been piled into the corner. We made it up and over and continued up the stream. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLKypxt4jt82Dtewl-RaEZY3jum4-4L_OY8xdkDSZiDVcxwik5RtFsWNtb-Ie4Db3dy72M34GekZWhcaxDoLLmI9oZIPtkDA85gvgTeuMY-fBv8s052_b_sMsT952OhDmQ3_9u9LGyviD2GJhcJyBf48vFtWqTUYGZCFbLRxVSJFwDE7fpUu_9zYNIw/s4032/Kanarra_Falls-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLKypxt4jt82Dtewl-RaEZY3jum4-4L_OY8xdkDSZiDVcxwik5RtFsWNtb-Ie4Db3dy72M34GekZWhcaxDoLLmI9oZIPtkDA85gvgTeuMY-fBv8s052_b_sMsT952OhDmQ3_9u9LGyviD2GJhcJyBf48vFtWqTUYGZCFbLRxVSJFwDE7fpUu_9zYNIw/w640-h360/Kanarra_Falls-016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting before climbing over Big Boulder<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We got to the final waterfall and scrambled up to the top of it. You can continue, but the water becomes deeper and there aren't any more major features ahead.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tLfNwZg8vauvb1Dgbtn1xFjYknGnqbOHDeVaDDNFHomw3YZt_8jMvM100q5i9X83C3E4u4cst3Bk5oFshQpgcRc_BKkJGbIgmYOmeF66rhYozOuNowKh0GeEWojIw51fFvXgtnz4ox3zRM832xjoNRr8039FYadAUjqrCj4GlZ_a069BfyvIbXjq0Q/s5120/22F-Kanarra_Falls3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tLfNwZg8vauvb1Dgbtn1xFjYknGnqbOHDeVaDDNFHomw3YZt_8jMvM100q5i9X83C3E4u4cst3Bk5oFshQpgcRc_BKkJGbIgmYOmeF66rhYozOuNowKh0GeEWojIw51fFvXgtnz4ox3zRM832xjoNRr8039FYadAUjqrCj4GlZ_a069BfyvIbXjq0Q/w640-h400/22F-Kanarra_Falls3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the final waterfall<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We turned around and headed back down the creek - sometimes down is harder than up. We made it out without incident and back to the van to find Bebop taking a solid nap. What a great hike that was.</p><p>- Paul<br /></p><br />Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Kanarra Falls, 40 S Main St, Kanarraville, UT 84742, USA37.5376656 -113.15244699.2274317638211514 -148.3086969 65.847899436178835 -77.9961969tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-50754454300178508172022-10-04T21:09:00.000-05:002022-10-04T21:09:14.316-05:00Bebop Reviews Kodachrome Basin & Cedar Breaks<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In our last episode my hoomans we were debating about hiking to the Inselberg Pit (Cosmic Navel or Cosmic Volcano) the next morning. They were concerned about the road condition and the weather. I just relaxed and chewed on a stick. At bedtime the night before, the hoomans decided there was too much risk. We woke up the next morning and there were showers and thunderstorms just south of us.Dad said we would have been to the pit about the time a large storm hit there. It was a good call by my hoomans. Also, they let me lick their plates, which is a good call too.</span></span></span></p><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We drove to Kodachrome Basin State Park for a two night stay. It was raining on and off through the day, but that was OK because it was day 16 and the hoomans needed to do laundry - it’s not all glamour on these trips. We dogs have sensitive noses, so I appreciate their effort to stay smelling good. I only have my blanket and towel, so my laundry load is pretty light. There was a nice laundromat right in the campground. It was a scenic laundry location.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZuVQwIppKlLlk2tD_MWWnm2XPC0OKXxj99IK5GZLUiymcxagTv32eysBNeTZa9ZcUq10jxrEHtRl9cpD8kk6KNQeQ--w1xOhCAju59ghr4Ztaf0_CycRfP5FGOtGOurkRWT_4vBKkM0JSm4Kk09d_MCVG831OMrI5GEC-mUtOm92k5H6W6a7uHXGEQ/s4032/Kodachrome-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZuVQwIppKlLlk2tD_MWWnm2XPC0OKXxj99IK5GZLUiymcxagTv32eysBNeTZa9ZcUq10jxrEHtRl9cpD8kk6KNQeQ--w1xOhCAju59ghr4Ztaf0_CycRfP5FGOtGOurkRWT_4vBKkM0JSm4Kk09d_MCVG831OMrI5GEC-mUtOm92k5H6W6a7uHXGEQ/w640-h360/Kodachrome-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Very scenic laundromat<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got a couple of trails done between the rain showers - and then my hoomans took actual showers. Again, we dogs with sensitive noses appreciate that. They had no connectivity, so they couldn't see the storm paths - they had to do it old school by looking to the sky. We dogs know how to read the signs. We don’t use the internet, though it would be great to be able to order some treats and stuff. We hiked the short nature trail and the Angel’s Palace Trail in the afternoon. Also, I chewed on a stick.<br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EqO9vrJSQninhOGJOO6Hfi5yOtpDnE-dQoyQcoJbTcbqUTy95r19TBc6WHXmoj5bczdlaPtKs-_3_dPcOu1M5s1ftUsGGV-bWtXGQQwv5o2k5LSNrSkAGfDo08d1TuFENjm3pA0K16J9xChv74Lu8D_6w0POWQGmc_qzJmJ5q0HUtI-0h5Mdzd5EIA/w640-h400/22F-Kodachrome.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hiking the trails<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EqO9vrJSQninhOGJOO6Hfi5yOtpDnE-dQoyQcoJbTcbqUTy95r19TBc6WHXmoj5bczdlaPtKs-_3_dPcOu1M5s1ftUsGGV-bWtXGQQwv5o2k5LSNrSkAGfDo08d1TuFENjm3pA0K16J9xChv74Lu8D_6w0POWQGmc_qzJmJ5q0HUtI-0h5Mdzd5EIA/s5120/22F-Kodachrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Our campsite was adjacent to a large chimney formation - sort of like the hooman foam #1 finger. The evening brought us some interesting colors and rainbows as the sun peeked through the clouds.</span></span></div></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjG-zsVsI0Z3TlohKLjkoBMWJRhzTSXEfMN2imAR-aLrroHJuLWzpvP2USvg0CLBr0eOS0800GUePhlLrLa4i0PWdr_k7U4ns3fobD_u1uENIPjEnwyVBsG_-0b0dLop3El6VUeP42rQy7nBAxrT6HbcEQOaXT-EO7w9MV56sdQujhoYHRK-szMqbMw/s5120/22F-Kodachrome1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjG-zsVsI0Z3TlohKLjkoBMWJRhzTSXEfMN2imAR-aLrroHJuLWzpvP2USvg0CLBr0eOS0800GUePhlLrLa4i0PWdr_k7U4ns3fobD_u1uENIPjEnwyVBsG_-0b0dLop3El6VUeP42rQy7nBAxrT6HbcEQOaXT-EO7w9MV56sdQujhoYHRK-szMqbMw/w640-h400/22F-Kodachrome1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our campsite<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next morning it was overcast again, but not raining. We hiked the Panorama Trail and had it mostly to ourselves. We didn’t see any other hoomans for over an hour. When we did see other people, they all wanted to pet me and compliment me. I’m very popular with hoomans. They either call me puppy (because of my size, trim figure, and bouncy step), or they call me old girl because of my gray markings. Mom tells them I turned gray to match my dad. They all have a good laugh at that one - except dad. Anyway, it was a nice trail. I got my paws very muddy on a couple of creek channel crossings, and dad even threw some sticks for me. In the photo with the skinny tree and rock you might see me running with a stick. One part was called panorama point, and you could see for miles (or kilometers for all the non US dogs) in every direction.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUm8d30UBAjRlSjxUZXBz1kw-FESDxDgZLe6GK4Z1_AAxnGUy0mEd3Ekcb0Z7Nj4pFJDryOa9HY2HLNoVqUUVFrhnWsdyzV0tiuhWcDJ7SZxG4YMWMIAPraHKEsxywqo7Abyz_CN8L5skouQcx7SSlZuGTQamS--J0pXEpE_o0nukPIx3IoQcGVRGIQ/s5120/22F-Kodachrome3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUm8d30UBAjRlSjxUZXBz1kw-FESDxDgZLe6GK4Z1_AAxnGUy0mEd3Ekcb0Z7Nj4pFJDryOa9HY2HLNoVqUUVFrhnWsdyzV0tiuhWcDJ7SZxG4YMWMIAPraHKEsxywqo7Abyz_CN8L5skouQcx7SSlZuGTQamS--J0pXEpE_o0nukPIx3IoQcGVRGIQ/w640-h400/22F-Kodachrome3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm the leader<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflbEe2WdZzHvEkLx8_lxOu58cQzCQW1AEtAwkqThm3LBR9mYf1BMjkopXUbjb3PuF0PHXc7sFigUjAPGYgiDK1ozqoBT0-dlkE0Al2BO_DnXyWChlq30fOqjeeKyYNlAXfqorAz7EZpglmcxXNW4pnjys0UaTBpc7AxzIQRVw24f3ietx7LoBizEyeg/s5120/22F-Kodachrome2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflbEe2WdZzHvEkLx8_lxOu58cQzCQW1AEtAwkqThm3LBR9mYf1BMjkopXUbjb3PuF0PHXc7sFigUjAPGYgiDK1ozqoBT0-dlkE0Al2BO_DnXyWChlq30fOqjeeKyYNlAXfqorAz7EZpglmcxXNW4pnjys0UaTBpc7AxzIQRVw24f3ietx7LoBizEyeg/w640-h400/22F-Kodachrome2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nice hiking - can you find me on the upper right photo?<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the campgrounds and on the trails, there are many dogs, and we met quite a few here. They were mostly very nice, though some get a little too playful and enthusiastic about the butt sniffing part. We do all enjoy sniffing in circles and getting our leashes all twisted together. One little dog was anxiously sitting in the driver's seat of his van looking for his people. I sit in the driver's seat and look too, but I’m much cooler about it. Overall, this was a nice park.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We got up the next morning and it was clear and 38ºF. I already have my coat on, so it was no big deal for me. It was a beautiful day. We decided to skip Bryce Canyon NP for the following reasons: 1. Dogs aren’t allowed on the trails; 2. It was very crowded; 3. My hoomans have been there before; and, once again, 4. Dogs aren’t allowed on the trails. Instead, we stopped at Red Canyon. I don’t know who named this, but it’s not red. I’m a dog with limited color vision, and it was obvious to me it was more orange and pinkish. However, it was very pretty, and we hiked up a big hill. Dad taught me a new word - switchback. I prefer to call them zig-zags. We did several nice hikes in the area.<br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq_E0UKNduQywv-lChFreAERmajnqDPECTbcpaQy9FETOSr4NiecJawR6EidQDwhzzvTdCWqfdKdZ8yuo9EqV6zA2h-exJYI5n-v_g5swuMTZ5z-ob2hsMrszWiT84tLK9yFCDT_lLHi4GdrsIdNZs-Hvj0A6qCW6WkXyvunj6X4DaFKGeHZzbCSVww/s5120/22F-Cedar_Breaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq_E0UKNduQywv-lChFreAERmajnqDPECTbcpaQy9FETOSr4NiecJawR6EidQDwhzzvTdCWqfdKdZ8yuo9EqV6zA2h-exJYI5n-v_g5swuMTZ5z-ob2hsMrszWiT84tLK9yFCDT_lLHi4GdrsIdNZs-Hvj0A6qCW6WkXyvunj6X4DaFKGeHZzbCSVww/w640-h400/22F-Cedar_Breaks.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Red canyon - I'm chewing a stick on the lower right<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally, we visited Cedar Breaks National Monument. My hoomans said it was prettier than Bryce Canyon and with hardly any people there. It was high too - we were at 10,500 feet above sea level. Most of the stops were near the parking areas, so dogs were allowed to visit. It was indeed very pretty, and I give it two paws up.</span></span><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPISdyWrYSG-TqeY1BL9RGqdOi8CXMAPbq_G5uyO_tWAeLKIcPlzNMqbC_IlupxM3XEOQUTn_drbnaoNxmEWq87DNWubLtEP_PZXe3GX94Th3qIBU8jzHMoWixA8yeCKRS8MKBKbA01wgVjcn24nC2OO9UXmDft7sSz23_AcG_xcxjjWVOP7rBSx9uw/s5120/22F-Cedar_Breaks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPISdyWrYSG-TqeY1BL9RGqdOi8CXMAPbq_G5uyO_tWAeLKIcPlzNMqbC_IlupxM3XEOQUTn_drbnaoNxmEWq87DNWubLtEP_PZXe3GX94Th3qIBU8jzHMoWixA8yeCKRS8MKBKbA01wgVjcn24nC2OO9UXmDft7sSz23_AcG_xcxjjWVOP7rBSx9uw/w640-h400/22F-Cedar_Breaks1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cedar Breaks National Monument<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Bebop</span></span></div>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Cedar Breaks National Monument, UT-143, Brian Head, UT 84719, USA37.636269899999988 -112.84523459.3260360638211424 -148.0014845 65.94650373617884 -77.6889845tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-72059731611282663682022-10-01T20:49:00.001-05:002022-10-01T20:49:54.313-05:00Grand Staircase Escalante<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, which President Biden recently restored to the original boundaries, is an enormous 1.7 million acres. It was also the last area in the continental US to be mapped in the late 1800s. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We came in from the north side. When we left Capitol Reef NP we headed south on beautiful UT 12. This road climbs to 9,500 feet as it skirts the side of the 11,300' Boulder Mountain. We stayed at Singletree Campground at 8,100 feet one night, then headed toward Boulder, UT. This section of road had scenery that went on forever - even when we were looking into the sun and there were clouds from rain the night before. The aspen trees were already golden in several areas.<br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPHB3pCD3mJMfOK00Bm1oU4XH8mwzyfccyxptmupcpEc7H1wYZEmgq3QaiyuRffxxBLlLwWuLBilKZQJ4qHV4zwp7lqgNoFJOQWUzN8T6gZqpTMhRAy39IhXhKmonh2tGu5AFXwosRdtS7518LEdQ0lfUIai1EmBlKa0jrP4sIZpwx6k4YZOiwzbADg/s4032/BoulderUT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPHB3pCD3mJMfOK00Bm1oU4XH8mwzyfccyxptmupcpEc7H1wYZEmgq3QaiyuRffxxBLlLwWuLBilKZQJ4qHV4zwp7lqgNoFJOQWUzN8T6gZqpTMhRAy39IhXhKmonh2tGu5AFXwosRdtS7518LEdQ0lfUIai1EmBlKa0jrP4sIZpwx6k4YZOiwzbADg/w640-h360/BoulderUT.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlook crossing Boulder Mountain in Utah<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition to the slow climb up the mountain, we were delayed by numerous cows just standing in the road. It's open range, but it's so steep the cattle just follow the road up and down and often stand in it, drinking water from the depressed rumble strip divider. We had to completely stop several times and slow way down many others. </span></span><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When we arrived in Boulder, we turned onto the Burr Trail Road and entered the national monument. Highway 12 was beautiful, but Burr Trail Road topped it for scenic beauty. We went in for about 24 of the 30 paved miles, then drove back out - it was stunning in both directions. <br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7rqWIPfgbYEZ21s9WoYPIw0ckIrbQ1ZPEgOqVkYkQo7SXHpUXAHadd-wU5Xg13Srh-iY6z8of5SgAFpdkvjSeF2gILebr0-4rtOzYqWtCT7Q2p3G6UmAZI42CJ2Ky1iJ-IvJsMnQx72aSsW5jkYqWBoPISCzTxDqXBevO4Qcqha7mySE0L6z79b0Bw/s4032/Burr_Trail-042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7rqWIPfgbYEZ21s9WoYPIw0ckIrbQ1ZPEgOqVkYkQo7SXHpUXAHadd-wU5Xg13Srh-iY6z8of5SgAFpdkvjSeF2gILebr0-4rtOzYqWtCT7Q2p3G6UmAZI42CJ2Ky1iJ-IvJsMnQx72aSsW5jkYqWBoPISCzTxDqXBevO4Qcqha7mySE0L6z79b0Bw/w640-h360/Burr_Trail-042.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burr Trail through Long Canyon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xSKZ79EUtlAjBCRz4Pb2bLHYwA7sJi1SOvl_SAzw_AnZqoGa3v8VMiysdXBNOtxIRHliar2LB1s3Ank-_Nisgyb0GRrcGRBrU6LKrghMlFiVyBYQy9_syn_o8hKkm43JNj07wAnOU69dQEhha7HGP8K-OB5K5EF6rmrNCq0-UR4Nv4SfFQpSYfCPAg/s5120/22F-Escalante.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xSKZ79EUtlAjBCRz4Pb2bLHYwA7sJi1SOvl_SAzw_AnZqoGa3v8VMiysdXBNOtxIRHliar2LB1s3Ank-_Nisgyb0GRrcGRBrU6LKrghMlFiVyBYQy9_syn_o8hKkm43JNj07wAnOU69dQEhha7HGP8K-OB5K5EF6rmrNCq0-UR4Nv4SfFQpSYfCPAg/w640-h400/22F-Escalante.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Long Canyon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholcxToW96fsLs4uPP7vzroXGt9hzhCzxSESbwZXNR2_y3UyQLMDYfx0pVYJFuJl3qDYO55LkK0rQWeWs4WOLaoQk03-eii1rB7mpwYxn8N_Lbaipi6h2mF4eZtRXUlD41T6TuWnR8PMkilVzpSYxmyfTd_tvbdl48208kX6e3yrpYiVILwBK615XykQ/s5120/22F-Escalante2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholcxToW96fsLs4uPP7vzroXGt9hzhCzxSESbwZXNR2_y3UyQLMDYfx0pVYJFuJl3qDYO55LkK0rQWeWs4WOLaoQk03-eii1rB7mpwYxn8N_Lbaipi6h2mF4eZtRXUlD41T6TuWnR8PMkilVzpSYxmyfTd_tvbdl48208kX6e3yrpYiVILwBK615XykQ/w640-h400/22F-Escalante2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along Burr Trail<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We stopped at singing canyon, which has amazing acoustics. I wish I had brought my saxophone.</span></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpknEv-MfcnAnFhHUw_b3BPxiTWCD9eIGRtfaKEYEDzBNTnv6nRdOsb_4iKLAokM-ybaURN_k-TYxXsGW8J4HRGb4nFDPCdckQ45N0Ww9qLe8EY9OtOtjPqWLlm9yl0RcVfCjoB47g1d7DXJs0OImiuptGc-lqr9jqdzRE8lIMH3JdFn5fyy6DyePW3g/s5120/22F-Escalante1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5120" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpknEv-MfcnAnFhHUw_b3BPxiTWCD9eIGRtfaKEYEDzBNTnv6nRdOsb_4iKLAokM-ybaURN_k-TYxXsGW8J4HRGb4nFDPCdckQ45N0Ww9qLe8EY9OtOtjPqWLlm9yl0RcVfCjoB47g1d7DXJs0OImiuptGc-lqr9jqdzRE8lIMH3JdFn5fyy6DyePW3g/w640-h480/22F-Escalante1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singing Canyon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We intended to hike Lower Calf Creek Falls on our way to Escalante, but another round of monsoon storms started rolling through. Instead, we headed to our campsite at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. We took their 2-mile hike and saw a lot of petrified wood. The lake next to our campsite was very low, attesting to the drought conditions in the west - and despite the heavy monsoon rains the past couple of days. </span></span></div></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next morning, we got up early and headed back to Lower Calf Creek. It was clear and 48ºF when we started the hike and clear and 71ºF when we returned about 3.5 hours later. It was a 6.5 mile RT hike to the end of a box canyon where a 130' waterfall spills over. There was a wild turkey mooching snacks from a couple of other people who were there when we arrived, but it quickly fled when it saw Bebop. We hung out at the falls for about 45 minutes. The entire hike is nice and has only 200' of elevation gain. <br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwPRwiEajSQHYGwypUqyJirwy5ZgxJOixzUvqX2iMeLpwQBZky8wUy-X5PvJ5OSmIQ-dtGDZWMhI5NADUDbZkjFs3B5SEUuki9QhK_ZfsqsdsBRP00ed1PtGp-eg6QBWZZXcvp_VQJ0rzxbUHjR5y399wiwOz_-YpkVO7LrK4GlnR0HfUAT6tYA991Q/s5120/22F-Escalante3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwPRwiEajSQHYGwypUqyJirwy5ZgxJOixzUvqX2iMeLpwQBZky8wUy-X5PvJ5OSmIQ-dtGDZWMhI5NADUDbZkjFs3B5SEUuki9QhK_ZfsqsdsBRP00ed1PtGp-eg6QBWZZXcvp_VQJ0rzxbUHjR5y399wiwOz_-YpkVO7LrK4GlnR0HfUAT6tYA991Q/w640-h400/22F-Escalante3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGdcZsJoJ2c6FmlIJQYpAVZ5tP0f__RKyBBWE7kdO_mxjPgQjbn0tBvbOYB3GP23BoAnQB-1rjuEdyDGeKPeCTdpV-8H3rLCStt2qXYd8E0kROCPCEvCGipwywshbDyeyHNe2pHSBSOi5bn-t4uXKlcx8OHd1GSn6yeUL2V2FVsLwezwJSb1y_WW5RQ/s5120/22F-Escalante4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5120" data-original-width="4096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGdcZsJoJ2c6FmlIJQYpAVZ5tP0f__RKyBBWE7kdO_mxjPgQjbn0tBvbOYB3GP23BoAnQB-1rjuEdyDGeKPeCTdpV-8H3rLCStt2qXYd8E0kROCPCEvCGipwywshbDyeyHNe2pHSBSOi5bn-t4uXKlcx8OHd1GSn6yeUL2V2FVsLwezwJSb1y_WW5RQ/w512-h640/22F-Escalante4.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Lower Calf Creek Falls<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then we had to make a decision about the next morning. We really wanted to hike to the Inselberg Pit, which is the largest cylindrical sandstone weathering pit on Earth. It's also called the Cosmic Navel. The hike isn't too bad - about 9 miles and 800' of elevation gain, but the road to the trailhead is a 7-mile gravel/sand road. There is no cell service and our van doesn't have a spare tire. With the chance of rain remaining high, we had extra concerns about trying to make it out there. Our plan was to boondock at the trailhead and hike out early Sunday morning. It's Sat afternoon, and we're still deciding - a flash flood warning just popped up on my phone, but the rain is staying just northeast of us for now. We'll probably save the Inselberg Pit for another day. Here's one of those storms in the distance.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuutPrcR6-njjrkxC5flGSCldkXqlcI4nj7WNBKqPlQq3k6HoSL8rhLQbv9YjYrayRlpKjS8pfgmlTMpZIbxRuS6g27q4hNARbsWDe5jfJ8ilFlwGsrinEb-coLFiDD893D1PkirQyA732DL5OWbhKJIjQWL7Dh5FZzp4-HpTFZmPD4-uBQYRYZgnOFA/s4032/Escalante-storms-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuutPrcR6-njjrkxC5flGSCldkXqlcI4nj7WNBKqPlQq3k6HoSL8rhLQbv9YjYrayRlpKjS8pfgmlTMpZIbxRuS6g27q4hNARbsWDe5jfJ8ilFlwGsrinEb-coLFiDD893D1PkirQyA732DL5OWbhKJIjQWL7Dh5FZzp4-HpTFZmPD4-uBQYRYZgnOFA/w640-h360/Escalante-storms-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That storm just missed us earlier<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p>Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Lower Calf Creek Falls, Boulder, UT 84716, USA37.829155 -111.42011139.5189211638211546 -146.5763613 66.139388836178853 -76.2638613tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8971471470089239679.post-26487752080688957292022-09-29T17:57:00.001-05:002022-09-29T17:57:58.857-05:00Capitol Reef NP (Waterpocket Fold)<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I don’t think I’ve visited Capitol Reef National Park before. It is stunningly beautiful. I prefer to call it by the geologic feature that formed it - the Waterpocket Fold. The fold was a 100-mile-long uplift running north-south. Early pioneers found it impassible - like a reef in the ocean. Some of the white sandstone features reminded them of the US Capitol, so that’s how the park got the official name. The heart of the park is the old town of Fruita where the early homesteaders who made it through the fold planted hundreds of fruit trees, which are still here today. </span></span></p><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The drive from Goblin Valley to Capitol Reef was captivating as well. Very interesting colors on the rocks. We also saw Factory Butte (early settlers thought it resembled a factory building). We wanted to drive up to it, but the dirt roads were not in good shape due to recent heavy rains.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8RIJejsnaSXPUlJfBUgZ9PXSzcBy-vO4S85trfS7TzdbFMyFWF-n9hgdwvNyd5dPyvG_r-vvaCaS3GSaVhGBQXejmSGLVpwffPepmjOn3bKWwx7cEaMi2oJuOO-uaTa_MwcGKZGtyE9NznrxmrbxAbnzHEUlVIoPdbE9lmnm4qNDB9bbdjq5SyEmKQ/s5120/22F-Capitol_Reef3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8RIJejsnaSXPUlJfBUgZ9PXSzcBy-vO4S85trfS7TzdbFMyFWF-n9hgdwvNyd5dPyvG_r-vvaCaS3GSaVhGBQXejmSGLVpwffPepmjOn3bKWwx7cEaMi2oJuOO-uaTa_MwcGKZGtyE9NznrxmrbxAbnzHEUlVIoPdbE9lmnm4qNDB9bbdjq5SyEmKQ/w640-h400/22F-Capitol_Reef3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Factory Butte (top 2 pics) and some colorful formations along the highway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We planned several hikes in the park, but another flash flood (they’ve had a few this summer) a couple of weeks ago closed many of the roads. There were road crews working throughout the park during our visit. All paved roads had been restored, though some were alternating one way traffic. Most of the 2WD dirt roads to access some of the hiking trails were still drying out and being repaired. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The layers and colors are amazing. We drove the scenic drive (which put most other scenic drives to shame) along the west side of the uplift. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgab0Vi79S5yVGfg8TgnRLLDV1jkVkQPhwfc5KtGpBLTAQIwX0HI6LiceI1bRz0JM_jjBpsXBIPBj6w0iq2x3JjZfIePC4faVnVk-XN8r-45sSUpeFZ4A0uiN9PZfJHZuPaqGB7uuKogx60U411tI08F92WafJQmzw16UJ5a4224897Ntr-TAb0n6paUQ/s5120/22F-Capitol_Reef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgab0Vi79S5yVGfg8TgnRLLDV1jkVkQPhwfc5KtGpBLTAQIwX0HI6LiceI1bRz0JM_jjBpsXBIPBj6w0iq2x3JjZfIePC4faVnVk-XN8r-45sSUpeFZ4A0uiN9PZfJHZuPaqGB7uuKogx60U411tI08F92WafJQmzw16UJ5a4224897Ntr-TAb0n6paUQ/w640-h400/22F-Capitol_Reef.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the Scenic Drive Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We hiked the Hickman Bridge trail, which leads to, and under, an enormous arch. A bridge is created when water cuts under and erodes out an arch. It’s also flat on top, so it looks like a bridge. On our hike down, we were stepping carefully because of the fine sand spread across the slick rock. Elena said "You don't usually think of sand as a lubricant."<br /></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOM4I-S5VV_xeeXYojDowXJ2Vs0Apb-YuPIx3FM0OMk1tyhnCEO1whBz0Ke0HLFN712WBvdhDyinsstI9oPczmaj-fQIjTwcNylKKqyXUcFu_7utUV23fWojNpU0PBJb3qEjI2224hDtvHvRactWqTkosmepJwnNGTFbnfStviaOLTZwLu7-TSdK0UQ/s5120/22F-Capitol_Reef1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOM4I-S5VV_xeeXYojDowXJ2Vs0Apb-YuPIx3FM0OMk1tyhnCEO1whBz0Ke0HLFN712WBvdhDyinsstI9oPczmaj-fQIjTwcNylKKqyXUcFu_7utUV23fWojNpU0PBJb3qEjI2224hDtvHvRactWqTkosmepJwnNGTFbnfStviaOLTZwLu7-TSdK0UQ/w640-h400/22F-Capitol_Reef1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hickman Bridge Hike<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a nice hike around our campsite in Fruita. There were deer everywhere and a turkey roaming around too. Bebop was very interested in these critters.</span></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesk337B-NGSOAI6ae4PrPFQrydiXkH4oBiptzYcp-LLopl-a1NFRnHZdvMKpS7yBqLT6iuVluKct4IpNqSIvNJXWQiq_X9dOe7Artjln-fSRua3V-2TqZP5ZdsKQE7a5UJK_vSVYVKhdQwPL4uANssMACtQ0eysU9sxZRmA6VueH5Zcu362foHkQauQ/s5120/22F-Capitol_Reef2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesk337B-NGSOAI6ae4PrPFQrydiXkH4oBiptzYcp-LLopl-a1NFRnHZdvMKpS7yBqLT6iuVluKct4IpNqSIvNJXWQiq_X9dOe7Artjln-fSRua3V-2TqZP5ZdsKQE7a5UJK_vSVYVKhdQwPL4uANssMACtQ0eysU9sxZRmA6VueH5Zcu362foHkQauQ/w640-h400/22F-Capitol_Reef2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pics from our campground in Fruita (note the turkey and deer Bebop is watching)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We also hiked the Grand Wash, which was very nice when flash floods aren’t ripping through it. We hiked it early in the morning, and monsoon storms appeared about noon - long after we were out to enjoy a fresh baked apple pie.</span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fzNBGrAYGqRW0bNWjK99s2hN_sXf4RJYjRBdbpWEsykxZgaOQ_t8Lzb4xL_9l6pmd29S8N9yQDkYCNhXQr6s_vDEpmwUgutDtAMdJ46D_J_p1PJueVGW-TpW-MSreIR4oj3VtlTWIhC1dunoqOp06qzJWozXpfr161XIGPqPdH2xeQtwIGr3dA86qA/s5120/22F-Capitol_Reef5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fzNBGrAYGqRW0bNWjK99s2hN_sXf4RJYjRBdbpWEsykxZgaOQ_t8Lzb4xL_9l6pmd29S8N9yQDkYCNhXQr6s_vDEpmwUgutDtAMdJ46D_J_p1PJueVGW-TpW-MSreIR4oj3VtlTWIhC1dunoqOp06qzJWozXpfr161XIGPqPdH2xeQtwIGr3dA86qA/w640-h400/22F-Capitol_Reef5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Wash<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Long before the settlers in the late 1800’s this area was also inhabited by some early cultures about 4,000 years ago, and the Fremont culture from around 300-1300. There are petroglyphs and pictographs from both cultures. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HbU6l1A_hCqu2EIOPcAKXGbwFn58L554l533Q-uBFRD6-XGaoO3hyso7xdMVt96Wulpbf1zDUvhaOddGBURZ2ngeeynWVEkNZsTn60GiA8COjdAv0NtAyv_iy3uYAOY4D-4TmbiFuF3BTBS7Z2xSxVx2uuoDKC_5WBVqnVb12736IMn_Y1bzvNqCdA/s5120/22F-Capitol_Reef4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="5120" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HbU6l1A_hCqu2EIOPcAKXGbwFn58L554l533Q-uBFRD6-XGaoO3hyso7xdMVt96Wulpbf1zDUvhaOddGBURZ2ngeeynWVEkNZsTn60GiA8COjdAv0NtAyv_iy3uYAOY4D-4TmbiFuF3BTBS7Z2xSxVx2uuoDKC_5WBVqnVb12736IMn_Y1bzvNqCdA/w640-h400/22F-Capitol_Reef4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictographs and Petroglyphs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here's the view from Panorama Point as we were driving out this morning.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEDwic8c_VbcX5SgCbhKsriprtrtMUsXnHWw4ilMZHivO78rgnDT70KhabRudAJHmUFo5P_y4R1ZYW2lEYLf_HebVYZ1S17pIYANgxUcWyAJG9a_-iHchYeaIJf3SPXzypjDDOqDnUIrWEVItczqF89hIUAFfqpJBKpHCG5UDgS4qqhAxXsES7ifDkQ/s4032/Capitol_Butte-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEDwic8c_VbcX5SgCbhKsriprtrtMUsXnHWw4ilMZHivO78rgnDT70KhabRudAJHmUFo5P_y4R1ZYW2lEYLf_HebVYZ1S17pIYANgxUcWyAJG9a_-iHchYeaIJf3SPXzypjDDOqDnUIrWEVItczqF89hIUAFfqpJBKpHCG5UDgS4qqhAxXsES7ifDkQ/w640-h360/Capitol_Butte-014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama Point looking east<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I just realized I don't have a Bebop photo in this blog. All the trails are closed to dogs in most National Parks, so this was along the scenic drive next to our camper at a pull-out. </span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-ISZHhHA2vKfnBOBa_GoBSYPYEvDVCPXqud8dwpSLQH8_4WO8AHJJEhPRYv8MkUdQinLvn3_H3xh3PI7n1kcEzgc0d7neVUfUB0ndfTHb9d9-zi-9kYFVgBcAH4dMHgSEU_6GBuUpFRJkU8XBEjP0n-tOdq4dBaZGgSkYOyDQu1BJAlhLKPMC7rdVw/s4032/Capitol_Reef-033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-ISZHhHA2vKfnBOBa_GoBSYPYEvDVCPXqud8dwpSLQH8_4WO8AHJJEhPRYv8MkUdQinLvn3_H3xh3PI7n1kcEzgc0d7neVUfUB0ndfTHb9d9-zi-9kYFVgBcAH4dMHgSEU_6GBuUpFRJkU8XBEjP0n-tOdq4dBaZGgSkYOyDQu1BJAlhLKPMC7rdVw/w640-h360/Capitol_Reef-033.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bebop enjoying the scenery with storms in the distance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- Paul<br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-moz-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />Westbrook Travel Loghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17060117038909730971noreply@blogger.com0Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA38.0877312 -111.13549839.7774973638211549 -146.2917483 66.397965036178846 -75.9792483