We decided to take a hike on our last day in the Rocky Mountain National Park. There are a great number of hikes from which to choose, easy to strenuous. We chose a 2.2 mile (one way) moderate hike from Bear Lake Trailhead up to Lake Haiyaha. The trailhead starts at 9,475 feet and ends at Lake Haiyaha at 10,220 feet.
Jim seemed to do fine on the hike. The elevation has bothered me from the beginning (at the Grand Canyon), but my breathing leveled out a little ways past Nymph Lake.
Everywhere we looked were absolutely stunning views. We had to really concentrate on a good bit of the trail because the snow was still pretty thick in certain areas. We sometimes had to carefully pick our way over snow that was about 2 1/2 feet thick. I did fine going up but busted my rear twice coming down.
Even though we only hiked 4.4 miles round trip, it took us FOUR hours. Of course, a good bit of that time was spent taking photos (with the small camera) or just standing in slack-jawed awe of the place.
At Lake Haiyaha, the last 75 feet or so of the hike is a field of large boulders. You can see some of them in and around the lake in the photos.
This was a perfect way to end a great vacation. I could easily stay in this one place for a whole month. There's so much to see and do.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Rocky Mountain National Park
This by far was my favorite place to visit. The weather is wonderful and the scenery is amazing. Jim got out of the car near the road and photographed a moose and her calf. A couple of mule deer crossed our path on a hike. But the most plentiful wildlife to watch was the elk. They were EVERYWHERE - even in our campground. We found them down in the valleys, alongside the road; and on the Alpine Tundra above the tree line.
The elk were not skittish but were very much aware of anyone coming a little too close. I stood on the asphalt to photograph a herd which didn't seem to bother the closest bull. However, he raised his head and looked straight at Jim for several seconds when Jim stepped off of the road and on to the dirt. Jim squatted down and the bull continued grazing.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Carson National Forest
Just outside Taos is Carson National Forest where we took the dogs for a couple of hikes (with a rest day in between). This particular area has several trails that are shared by hikers, horseback riders, and bicyclists. The weather was warm but not hot and we always carried water with us, even for short hikes.
As always, Amy's nose sent her off into many different directions but she usually stayed within sight of us. Goliath stayed closer and joined Amy in her investigations only when she came nearer to us. The second hike was more strenuous and so his legs gave out before the hike was over. He kept going, but the back legs were shaky and he sat down every time we stopped. He's a real trooper.
As you can see from the photo of Amy's legs, we had a huge cleanup after the first hike because both dogs got into the mud around a man-made pond and in the stream alongside the trail. The dogs were well behaved during cleanup, though, which made the job much easier.
Driving through Carson National Forest reminded us a lot of northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
As always, Amy's nose sent her off into many different directions but she usually stayed within sight of us. Goliath stayed closer and joined Amy in her investigations only when she came nearer to us. The second hike was more strenuous and so his legs gave out before the hike was over. He kept going, but the back legs were shaky and he sat down every time we stopped. He's a real trooper.
As you can see from the photo of Amy's legs, we had a huge cleanup after the first hike because both dogs got into the mud around a man-made pond and in the stream alongside the trail. The dogs were well behaved during cleanup, though, which made the job much easier.
Driving through Carson National Forest reminded us a lot of northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
Taos, New Mexico
We very much enjoyed the weather in the quaint little town of Taos, New Mexico. Historically, it was a center for fur trading, the home and rinal resting place of Kit Carson, and currently home to a great many artists. Many, many art galleries housing high quality art. Jim's words to describe Taos were ecclectic, funky, nice weather.
All of the buildings in the Historic District are made of adobe. I didn't realize it was deliberate until we ventured out into the countryside and saw homes made of other kinds of materials. Even the McDonald's and the Wendy's were built from adobe.
There are 19 Pueblo Indian tribes throughout northern New Mexico. We visited the Taos Pueblo one day. I didn't take any photographs since it cost $10 per person to enter and $5 for every camera plus you have to ask permission to photograph the residents. The shopkeepers were very nice and one particularly nice shop was part retail and part museum. All of the artifacts were from the shopkeeper's family and many items are still worn on feast days.
Some of the pueblos date back 1000 years and are still inhabited today. We were instructed to only enter pueblos clearly designated as shops. Some outside areas were also off limits. A large percentage of the indians are Catholic as evidenced by the beautiful and well maintained church in the center of the village.
On our last evening in Taos, we visited the Kit Carson home and museum. The 20 minute film about his early years was very informative, and the man in the film who portrayed Kit Carson was a fourth generation grandson.
After five nights in Taos, it was time to move on - to the Rocky Mountains.
All of the buildings in the Historic District are made of adobe. I didn't realize it was deliberate until we ventured out into the countryside and saw homes made of other kinds of materials. Even the McDonald's and the Wendy's were built from adobe.
There are 19 Pueblo Indian tribes throughout northern New Mexico. We visited the Taos Pueblo one day. I didn't take any photographs since it cost $10 per person to enter and $5 for every camera plus you have to ask permission to photograph the residents. The shopkeepers were very nice and one particularly nice shop was part retail and part museum. All of the artifacts were from the shopkeeper's family and many items are still worn on feast days.
Some of the pueblos date back 1000 years and are still inhabited today. We were instructed to only enter pueblos clearly designated as shops. Some outside areas were also off limits. A large percentage of the indians are Catholic as evidenced by the beautiful and well maintained church in the center of the village.
On our last evening in Taos, we visited the Kit Carson home and museum. The 20 minute film about his early years was very informative, and the man in the film who portrayed Kit Carson was a fourth generation grandson.
After five nights in Taos, it was time to move on - to the Rocky Mountains.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
RV Ballet
I thought you might like to see some photos from our RV Experience. Traveling with two fair sized pets required us to quickly develop what we call the RV Ballet.
We have to be extremely careful not to touch even the end of one of Amy's hairs or she either jumps up and moves or looks extremely put out. It's even trickier with Goliath. We have to be careful to move slllooowwwly over him or he too jumps up. This could be disasterous for Jim and me both. We've landed on our feet each time but not without outlandish swinging of the arms and balancing on one foot for several precarious seconds.
Goliath always looks like we're trying deliberately to cause him bodily harm.
When we take my niece's children for a week long vacation in July, they are all going to have to learn the RV Ballet.
We have to be extremely careful not to touch even the end of one of Amy's hairs or she either jumps up and moves or looks extremely put out. It's even trickier with Goliath. We have to be careful to move slllooowwwly over him or he too jumps up. This could be disasterous for Jim and me both. We've landed on our feet each time but not without outlandish swinging of the arms and balancing on one foot for several precarious seconds.
Goliath always looks like we're trying deliberately to cause him bodily harm.
When we take my niece's children for a week long vacation in July, they are all going to have to learn the RV Ballet.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A Day at Arches National Park - Utah
Jim had planned for us to spend three days in Moab, UT near Arches National Park. But it was HOT, HOT, HOT. (Did I mention that Moab was HOT.) Anyway, we stayed only one night and toured the park on our way out the next day. Fortunately, the drive was easy on the RV.
Besides the many arches, the park had some really interesting rock formations. All aptly named. I've included detailed descriptions with each of the photos.
From here we moved on to Taos, NM by way of Durango, CO. Once we were in Colorado, I felt more at home. Lots and lots of trees and grass. Durango itself is a nice city, very clean, very civilized.
Besides the many arches, the park had some really interesting rock formations. All aptly named. I've included detailed descriptions with each of the photos.
From here we moved on to Taos, NM by way of Durango, CO. Once we were in Colorado, I felt more at home. Lots and lots of trees and grass. Durango itself is a nice city, very clean, very civilized.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Look Back at the South Rim
I uploaded some more photos of our time on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We only had one day on the South Rim but saw a lot, took a short hike on Bright Angel Trail, and enjoyed photographing different aspects of the Canyon.
This photo was taken late in the day and I was trying to capture the high altitude plane through the tree branches. The plane was so faint, I had to use a Photoshop feature called "Equalize". It made for an extreme photo but you can definitely see the plane.
This photo was taken late in the day and I was trying to capture the high altitude plane through the tree branches. The plane was so faint, I had to use a Photoshop feature called "Equalize". It made for an extreme photo but you can definitely see the plane.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Zion Evening
On June 13th, we celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary and my birthday by having dinner at the Spotted Dog in springdale. Then we boarded a shuttle for a moonlight ride into the park. Zion National Park has two scenic drives. One is the drive that includes the tunnels and ascends out of the canyon and east out of the park. The other is a scenic drive that stays pretty much at the bottom of the canyon. Vehicles other than the shuttles are not allowed on this route unless you are staying at the lodge.
The shuttle we boarded only had one other couple, so the driver was much more talkative than usual. He used the recorded tour guide for a while and then just entertained us with his own comments. He pointed out some wild turkeys roosting in the trees, a fox at one of the stops (just a grey ghost, really) and then stopped to view The Great White Throne under the moon.
I only had our small Canon with me and got the best shot I could. I slowed the shutter speed way down and held the camera a still as possible. The slow shutter speed is what causes the star burst effect on the moon. The driver and the other couple gave me their e-mail addresses so that I could share the photo.
It was a great evening!
The shuttle we boarded only had one other couple, so the driver was much more talkative than usual. He used the recorded tour guide for a while and then just entertained us with his own comments. He pointed out some wild turkeys roosting in the trees, a fox at one of the stops (just a grey ghost, really) and then stopped to view The Great White Throne under the moon.
I only had our small Canon with me and got the best shot I could. I slowed the shutter speed way down and held the camera a still as possible. The slow shutter speed is what causes the star burst effect on the moon. The driver and the other couple gave me their e-mail addresses so that I could share the photo.
It was a great evening!
Hike to Zion Canyon Overlook
Late in the afternoon, we drove just past the main tunnel and parked for a nice (but narrow in places!) hike up to Zion Canyon Overlook. I really enjoyed the hike up but had to look away while Jim walked over to an area that made me nervous. He then strongly encouraged me to follow to a certain extent and I got this photo. Then Jim took the camera to get the shots he wanted. Unfortunately, his photos were all in the shade and without depth, so you couldn't tell what you were looking at except a bunch of rocks. We made it back to the car well before total darkness.
Virgin River Gorge
Sorry folks, my blog is not in chronological order. We moved from Flagstaff and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on to Zion National Park in Utah. This photo was taken as we moved through the Virgin River Gorge. This had a much bigger impact on me than standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon. I get a much better perspective from the bottom. WOW.
We stayed in a campground just outside the park in a nice little town called Springdale. It was a very short drive to the entrance of the park where you began your ascent out of the canyon. There are two tunnels, one of which is so narrow that RV's have to pay an extra $15 to pass through. Traffic is held up in the other direction until the large vehicles are through. Actually, traffic is pretty much one-way all day long.
We stayed in a campground just outside the park in a nice little town called Springdale. It was a very short drive to the entrance of the park where you began your ascent out of the canyon. There are two tunnels, one of which is so narrow that RV's have to pay an extra $15 to pass through. Traffic is held up in the other direction until the large vehicles are through. Actually, traffic is pretty much one-way all day long.
North Kaibab Trail
Jim wanted so badly to hike into the canyon but (1) there was no time since it takes a day to go all the way to the bottom and a day to come out, and (2) he wasn't in any shape to hike in that altitude. So I dropped him off at the North Kaibab Trail and he hiked a short distance down and back for about an hour. This is a view from the trail.
Aspens
I especially loved the Aspens. They stood out in stark contrast to the fir trees with their white bark and light colored leaves. Some are called Trembling Aspens and are aptly named because each delicate leaf per stem trembles in the wind. Really beautiful. Another aspen photo Jim titled Aspen Rock Band because it looked so much like the typical rock band photo, with the lead singer in the foreground.
Deer Crossing Sign
We saw crossing signs everywhere for deer, elk, and even cattle. This one had been decorated with a red nose. A couple of hours after taking this photo, we were lucky enough to view about five mule deer cross in front of us. Check out the other photos by clicking on this photo.
Prescribed Fires
Driving from Jacob Lake to the North Rim, we saw evidence of "Prescribed Fires" (and maybe some that got out of control). At many of the pullouts, the Forest Service had plaques explaining how the fires are used to simulate natural recurring fires.
Last evening at North Rim of Grand Canyon
We finally had a view of the canyon in early evening. Unfortunately, the air pollution hung over the canyon during our visits of both the South and North Rims. There was always a blue haze in the distance and reduced visibility. Very hard to gauge the distance and maintain perspective.
The altitude on the North Rim was about 7500 feet, so it was easy to become winded and light headed. We just walked slowly.
The altitude on the North Rim was about 7500 feet, so it was easy to become winded and light headed. We just walked slowly.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Jim and pets
On the drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon we passed through the Grassy Lakes. They are part of the National Forest (not Nat'l Park), and we were told we could walk through the Grassy Lakes and didn't have to have the dogs on a leash. This was as much a treat for me as for the dogs. I loved seeing Amy try to catch butterflies and grasshoppers. Goliath had a great time in his quiet way and kept up as best he could. He is 11 years old and has arthritic knees, but he doesn't let it stop him. Once back at the RV, I gave him a small meal and a buffered aspirin. He was pretty stiff but didn't seem to be in pain. WHAT A GREAT MORNING!!!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 5 - Petrified Forest & Painted Desert
No, I didn't petrify Deborah with my driving. Amy (the white dog) is a different story. She doesn't like a lot of the noises the camper makes on bumpy roads.
This is the Petrified Forest Nat'l Park in Arizona which includes a section of the Painted Desert. This spot is near the beginning of the Painted Desert portion. Deborah and the dogs are sitting on what used to be beachfront property. The formations and colors are stunning (and we will probably use that word a lot)!
CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS!
This is the Petrified Forest Nat'l Park in Arizona which includes a section of the Painted Desert. This spot is near the beginning of the Painted Desert portion. Deborah and the dogs are sitting on what used to be beachfront property. The formations and colors are stunning (and we will probably use that word a lot)!
CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
ARRIVED
After traveling across the country for five days, we finally arrived in
Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday afternoon. We're actually staying about 20
miles south of Flagstaff in Munds Park. The photos are from our first full
day spent driving through Oak Creek Canyon and seeing the sights in Sedona.
The weather is great and the views spectacular.
The city of Sedona itself is beautiful but for a lot of road construction.
Sedona opens out from Oak Creek Canyon into a wide valley. Everywhere you
look are these amazing red rock formations. We found an easy trail called
Margs Draw and took a late afternoon hike. The elevation is about 5000 feet
and the air if very dry. It was hot but there was a nice breeze most of the
time. Part way into the hike and coming back, we heard drums up in the
hills.
Before getting to Flagstaff, we took a side trip into the Painted Desert and
Petrified Forest National Park. I'll back track a little and post those
photos on my next blog.
Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday afternoon. We're actually staying about 20
miles south of Flagstaff in Munds Park. The photos are from our first full
day spent driving through Oak Creek Canyon and seeing the sights in Sedona.
The weather is great and the views spectacular.
The city of Sedona itself is beautiful but for a lot of road construction.
Sedona opens out from Oak Creek Canyon into a wide valley. Everywhere you
look are these amazing red rock formations. We found an easy trail called
Margs Draw and took a late afternoon hike. The elevation is about 5000 feet
and the air if very dry. It was hot but there was a nice breeze most of the
time. Part way into the hike and coming back, we heard drums up in the
hills.
Before getting to Flagstaff, we took a side trip into the Painted Desert and
Petrified Forest National Park. I'll back track a little and post those
photos on my next blog.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
CHECOTAH, OK!
Hi Everyone,
Jim and I spent last night in Arkansas and tonight in Checotah, OOOOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA!!! HOMETOWN OF CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!!
I haven't started a blog yet, nor have I uploaded any photos. We had no internet access last night and haven't been at this campground long.
The trip has been uneventful so far other than Jim encountering a rattle snake at the campground yesterday afternoon. Other wildlife at that campground were deer, tortoise, raccoon (only saw paw prints on our canvas chairs this morning), hawk, and birds different from what we have in Atlanta.
Tomorrow night we'll be in Amarillo, TX and then Flagstaff, AZ on Thursday where we'll stay four days and explore the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
That's all for tonight - tired, hot, and sweaty - off to take a shower.
Love to all, Deb
Jim and I spent last night in Arkansas and tonight in Checotah, OOOOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA!!! HOMETOWN OF CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!!
I haven't started a blog yet, nor have I uploaded any photos. We had no internet access last night and haven't been at this campground long.
The trip has been uneventful so far other than Jim encountering a rattle snake at the campground yesterday afternoon. Other wildlife at that campground were deer, tortoise, raccoon (only saw paw prints on our canvas chairs this morning), hawk, and birds different from what we have in Atlanta.
Tomorrow night we'll be in Amarillo, TX and then Flagstaff, AZ on Thursday where we'll stay four days and explore the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
That's all for tonight - tired, hot, and sweaty - off to take a shower.
Love to all, Deb
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