Friday, June 1, 2012 – Glen Canyon National Recreation Center and Lake Powell

Lake Powell

We started the day with a nice hot breakfast at one of the best hotels we’ve stayed in yet. It’s always a challenge to book hotels on the internet in places you’ve never been, but we’ve been lucky, so far! As we were leaving we asked for advice at the front desk. It changed our plans a little, but made our day. We had a little time to kill, so we drove to the Glen Canyon Dam. 

At the Carl Hayden Visitor Center we got our first glimpse of the canyon and the dam that created Lake Powell. Inside we enjoyed looking at a topographical model of the whole region showing the canyons and rivers that eventually merge into the Colorado.  But most surprising was to round a corner and find a NASA display about Heleophysics (study of the sun). I’m not sure why it was there, but the sun is certainly a big player out here.

The dam that created Lake Powell

The entrance to Lower Antelope Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

We headed for our recommended tour of Antelope Canyon. It is on a Navajo Reservation, so our tour is guided by a very nice young man named Eric. We walked across some red sand before Eric points to a crevice in the ground and tells us that is the entrance. It is extremely narrow and I am relieved to make it in with my camera backpack attached.  We find ourselves in a narrow slotted canyon unlike anything you can imagine. 

It has been carved by both wind and water, creating captivating patterns of ridges in the sculpted canyon walls. They are made of Navajo Sandstone that contains a number of minerals including iron. The walls are washed in pale pinks, orange and cream. It is impossible to capture the depth and beauty, but is an experience we will never forget.

We very reluctantly left Antelope Canyon. Next was a short hike. This is our path into the desert that led to the Hanging Gardens. Oh, did I mention it is 97 degrees today?

 

Our next stop is the Hanging Gardens. A short, but blazing hot hike across a desert –like rim rewards us with the most unusual site – Maidenhair ferns hanging from the shaded crevices of the rock walls. You can’t imagine how hard this is to believe if you hadn’t hiked through the desert to see it.

 

Maidenhair Ferns growing in the rock

Lake Powell from our desert hike.

Lake Powell from an overlook.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and came to this overlook to watch the sunset.

Sunday, June 3, 2012 - Zion National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent the night in the small town of Mount Carmel which is between both Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. There is a great story about the history of the hotel I will add later. After church, we headed toward Zion to grab a quick breakfast before we hit the park. The scenic drive is incredible, including a drive through a tunnel that is more than a mile long. It was built in the 1930's and all I can say is wow! We thought we'd find a McDonald's, but Springdale is not that kind of town. We stopped at a quaint place just before the town ended. We sat outside and shared a table with a "local." It was pleasant enough, but we soon discovered the cook hadn't shown up that day and so 1.5 hours later we finished our "quick" breakfast and headed to Zion. They say it is the prettiest place on earth. I'm certain it is at least in the top ten. There is no way you can visit this place without believing in creation and our Creator. Such majesty! We've had a really long week, but have seen the most amazing things. It is truly "America the Beautiful." I'll leave you with these scenes and fill in the missed days when I 'm not on a trail or in the car.

The welcoming committee is ready to greet us.

You will have to take my word that the person in the picture is me standing in the coldest water I've ever put my feet in. This is the path people cross to get to "The Narrows."

 

Hanging gardens along the "River Walk" path include grasses, Maidenhair ferns and columbine.

A nice climb along "Weeping Rock" trail leads us to another hanging garden where lush plants grow in the crevices where water "weeps." A beautiful bird stopped by to see if we had anything to eat.

 

The contrast in colors in the sandstone is mind boggling. The early Mormon explorer named the white mountain "The Great White Throne" in 1916. The reddish structure is called "Angel's Landing" because one man exclaimed "only an angel could land there." Today we met a group that climbed it. Based on the tattoos and their attire, I'm guessing they were not angels.

This is how we feel after a day of hiking in 97 degree heat. And yes, it really IS a dry heat, so it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We have been blessed with perfect weather, even if it is a little hotter than it should be this time of year.

On the way out of the park we saw a big horn sheep and a little down the road, a ranch with bison. This one got pretty close. If you click on the picture, you can see the birds that hitched a ride on his back.

Thursday, May 30, 2012 South Rim of the Grand Canyon - Part 2

Note: Having trouble with internet connections since we are often in the middle of what seems like nowhere. Will post as able.


We left Williams, AZ via Historic Route 66 heading north to the South Rim. We parked our car and hopped aboard the free shuttle that links the various overlooks, lodges and cabins, and scenic areas. We repeated a few of our stops because I discovered my white balance had been improperly set the previous day. The photos from today are much better! We stopped at Bright Angel, Powell, Hopi, Pima Points on the west side of the canyon. Powell Point had a really nice overlook that protruded into the canyon. It is named after John Wesley Powell who led the first explorers through the canyon.  

 

We had a yummy picnic lunch sitting under a tree overlooking the canyon at Hopi Point.  Food always seems to taste better from the top of a canyon or mountain.

 
We spent the afternoon stopping at overlooks along the east side to the canyon. We can see more of the Colorado River from this area. We stopped at Yavapai, Lipan and Desert View Points.

The Colorado River

There was another fantastic overlook protruding into the canyon and one of the highlights was watching a large black bird (Sounds better than a crow!) playing in the air currents.







We left the beauty of the canyon behind and started our journey to Page, AZ. The drive was a striking contrast of plains, gorges, and enormous sandstone cliffs of varied colors and textures. We stopped along the way, but pictures just don’t do any of this justice! We will spend the night at Page, AZ and explore Glen Canyon tomorrow.

May 30 - Visiting the Grand Canyon the Old Fashioned Way

We’ve just barely browsed the surface of Sedona, but we were up and out early today for our drive to Williams, AZ where we will take the Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon.  We took a chance and ventured out of town on Highway 89A instead of taking the interstate. It was a small, winding road that snaked along stunning walls of red and white rock formations that seemed to reach to the sky. We caught glimpses of a stream meandering along the way and neat cabins and retreats tucked away in coves of trees and rocks. We all agreed, we should have spent more time in this area!

 We boarded the train, formerly the Santa Fe line which was established in the 1800’s for the mining industry, for our 2 hour and 15 minute trip to the Canyon. We were entertained by a guide in our car and later by a young man that played the banjo. The scenery from the train ranged from forest like to barren. Our guide told us it takes 80-100 acres of land to feed one head of cattle. I can understand why!

 

 We were treated to two Antelope sightings along the way. They were a long distance from the train and it was moving, but hopefully you get the idea. They watched us go by, just as we watched them.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon and boarded a tour bus. We stopped at three overlooks: Mohave, Hopi, and Maricopa Points. The size of the canyon is just more than the mind can grasp. The colors and structures are unlike anything you can imagine. Pictures cannot begin to capture its beauty and grandeur. We caught glimpses of the Colorado River. It is almost 300 ft across in some places, but it looks like a tiny stream from our vantage point.

I’ll leave you with pictures from the day. It’s Thursday morning and we are headed back to explore on our own.

Cultural Demonstration at the Hopi House

On our way home we were "attached" by bandits.