Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I crawl under and through the RV, tracking down the propane lines and doing sniff tests to narrow down leak options. Our primary suspect is the joint by the new fridge and, using a soap solution, find a slow leak there. I ride over to the Ace Hardware in the next town and pick up some gasoline specific teflon tape to help seal the threads. Hopefully the fix will be that simple (and cheap!)

It appears to be a quick fix! We hop on the motorcycle and head out to find a campsite in the forest that backs up to the national park. There are a handful of good options less than a mile off the road so we feel confident in our chances of finding a spot tomorrow morning.

On down we go, into the park and down the scenic drive. Following our guidebook’s advice we head straight to the end of the road and check out the sights there – quite worth the trip to see! The rock towers (hoodoos) are fascinating and their colors are magnificent!

   
    
 

Working our way back toward the entrance we now stop at every overlook we pass, thoroughly enjoying the views!

After an enjoyable and productive day we head to bed to enjoy a movie before bed time. Ahhh… unlimited water and electricity!

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

We wake early and head in to the park for a quick visit to the visitors center for post cards and then to an orchard for fresh apples. Turkeys wander around, avoiding us as they hunt for food. We sample a few and fill our bag before heading home.

  

At home we finish loading and head out, bound for Bryce Canyon. We stop for lunch at a roadside pull-off and enjoy a private view of yellow flowers in a field framed by mountains. The 25 mph speed limit makes for slow going but we reach the town of Bryce in the early afternoon.

  

We look for a campsite and settle on paying for a spot so we can empty and fill our tanks while enjoying the electricity. Also, it’s past time for laundry so we can get that done.

Since we’ve paid and also haven’t taken a break in at least a week we opt to stay home instead of going for a hike. Laundry, cleaning, and food prep ensue. Black beans soak, cold brew coffee is prepped, and energy balls are mixed up. We lavish in the available cell signal and catch up on some digital chores.

The downer for the day is the noticed smell of propane. Ashley looks up options. Tomorrow we’ll crawl under the RV and see if we can find a cracked or loose fitting that can be replaced from the nearby hardware store.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

Woke up early and hit the road. We’re at the visitors center just a few minutes later, reading about the park, checking out the 3D overview model of the reef, and picking up some maps. Just down the road we pass some U-Pick orchards – free if you pick and eat among the trees – so we stop and sample an apple each before heading on to the trail head for the Hickman Bridge, Rim Overlook, and Navajo Knobs trails.

   
    

What amazing scenery! It definitely feels like we’re in the west now – brownish grasses, yellow and red cliffs, even cacti! The bluffs, hills, and cliffs are all amazing, each one different than the last. We pause and take in Hickman Bridge, head on to the Rim Overlook, and then on to Navajo Knobs. It’s a tiring trail, more uphill than we expected, but the view is more than worth it! 360 degree overview of the canyon and mountains from up on our rocky perch. We have it all to ourselves (passed one couple heading down as we went up) and enjoy a midday snack while there.

   
    
 

Eventually we head back down, passing at least four more couples on their way up. We beat the rush and the worst of the heat. So glad we didn’t come during the summer – it’s hot enough now!

Back to a nearby picnic area for lunch and then a stroll through an orchard to pick some fruit for a fresh dessert. Delicious!

   
 

There is one more hike that we really want to do and it’s through a canyon so we hope it will be shaded. We head down to the “Grand Wash” and hike up the dry creek bed. No rain in at least a week and no chance today – it’s still a bit intimidating to walk through a canyon carved by water after reading about flash floods in so many western novels.

   
 

Only part of the trail is in shade, which is a comfortable temperature. The rest is pretty warm. It’s very humbling to walk down a narrow canyon, with stone walls looming a few hundred feet on either side of us – we are very small, really. The walls have pock marks, water streaks, undercuts, and many other fascinating features.

   
 

At the other end of the trail we debate taking a side trip to visit Cassidy Arch (an extra 3 miles) but decide that would be too far for today. The Grand Wash is 2.2 miles each way and it was 4.8 miles each way out to Navajo Knobs – that’s a healthy 14 miles, plus detours and orchard trips. So we head on back, exploring the canyon a bit more closely now that the sun is at our backs.

   
 

At the motorcycle we head a bit down the road to see the petroglyphs – carved into the stone walls by the Fremont culture (ancient Hopi Indians) in 1300ish. Ancient graffiti. 🙂

   
 

Finally we head down the scenic drive – a 10 mile curvy road that runs down the valley paralleling the Waterpocket Fold. Beautiful stone structures jut up into the sky.

 

Tired and hungry we head home for supper. The visitors center is closed and we don’t have much cash to use for fresh fruit (it’s $1 a lb if you take it out of the orchard). So we will return and pick in the morning.

  

Porkchops, onions and mushrooms, and potatoes are grilled and then we eat on the roof to enjoy another beautiful sunset.

  

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

A travel day, we wake and eat breakfast and prepare to hit the road. Our little turkey flock wanders through as we are doing so. We disturb them as we pull around to hook up the trailer.

I drive to the end of the gravel road and then Ashley takes over. She covers most of the day on into Utah, up and down mountains and through a couple of towns. We fill gas, stop at Walmart and the Family Dollar and eventually at a ranger station. The ranger tells us of a common dispersed caming spot – their map is huge and also includes BLM lands – it should help guide us for the next week or so.

    

Ashley turns over the keys. I was able to catch up on journaling and typing then do some reading but I’m a better driver than passenger (while Ash prefers to passenge) and we head on. I miss the turn so we circle around in the park entrance and join the dozen others in the camping area. We set up and enjoy supper outside – in shorts!

    

The red mountains and bluffs have been gorgeous and we’re enthralled by the landscapes. We climb up on the roof to enjoy our tea and watch the sunset. Spectacular view!

  
 

Plan for tomorrow and a bit of reading before bed.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

We sleep till nearly 7, missing the sunrise. Over breakfast we watch a jackrabbit (they’re fast!) and a flock of five turkeys wander through our campsite. We gear up and hop on the motorcycle to head back to the trailhead. Along the way 3 pronghorn run across the road in front of us and through the field.

Today we’re going to summit the mountain – highest in the Snake Mountain Range. From the town of Baker (5,317 ft) to the top of Wheeler Peak (13,063) we will be gaining 7,746 feet – 3,177 of which will be on foot. We’re pretty sure that’s a dual personal record – the highest we’ve been and the greatest elevation gain in a single day.

We start at the same trail head as yesterday but quickly venture on to a new trail. It soon leads us out of the trees – the trail is a gravel path, or a rocky path through the giant pile of rocks that comprise the mountain. The further we go the steeper the trail grows – challenge increased by loose gravel underfoot.

    

Ahead we see ravens, must be more than 100. Eventually we end up hiking above them. While at a sitting break a flock of smaller birds whip by us. A few moments later two birds chase a larger one away, they sound like a jet flying by – they’re moving so fast and pushing the air around so quickly!

Along the trail are stone walls – crescent wind blocks. Patches of plants sprout between the rocks. Eventually we spot clumps of snow. I throw a snowball at Ashley. 🙂

  

Within feet of the summit we stop to take in the view. Craggy rock outcroppings and stacks jut out from the mountainside with the valley below and more mountains beyond as a backdrop.

  

Continuing on to the summit we find two more stone shelters. The first has a mailbox, with flag up, that is filled with notebooks and hikers’ sign-ins. Unexpected and fun to read. We add our visit to the list.

  

We move on to the highest point for lunch, enjoying the view. I find signal and send out a quick photo email from the top of the mountain.

    

Finished eating we walk across the ridge to look down into the valley we visited yesterday – overlooking Rock Glacier from above.

      

Time to head down, we resume hiking – taking care how we place our feet. Good thing there aren’t bears in the area as we’re breathing too hard to talk much and watching our feet too intently to look around often. It’s wierd without our bear spray or signs warning of imminent danger. Good, but something we have to readjust to.

      

Back on the motorcycle we head down the mountains. On the way I recall the Million Dollar Homepage and wonder if we can do something similar with the RV. While stopping for gas I look it up to refresh my memory. I mention it to Ash at home and she likes the idea. Worth a try, at least!

Fish for supper, with spinach and squash. Pretty tasty! We’re both tired – hiking, elevation change, and sun have worn us out. As it darkens we head back to the picnic table to stargaze more before heading to bed.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I didn’t sleep well last night (or the night before). Before leaving we top off the propane. Convenient to know that the Flying J’s can have “RV Islands” with separate pumps, water, dumps and even propane available.

We skip breakfast and head west, toward Nevada, off the interstate. Beautiful views as we pass through mountains, deserts, and seas of sagebrush. Stopping at a summit along the way I make food and we enjoy brunch. We cross into Nevada and the Pacific Time Zone together, arriving about lunch time.

At a quick visit to the visitors center we learn of free camping at the south end of the park and that we have arrived at a great time for the fall colors.

After a couple of false starts we motorcycle up to the Wheeler Peak parking area. Our RV can’t go as the roads are too curvy and nothing over 24′ is allowed. A sign at the entrance proves accurate – “Caution narrow steep winding mountain road next eight miles”. Over those 8 miles it climbs almost 3,000 feet. Along the way are 3 guardrails. Not stretched along the length of the road but in total covering about 500′.

  

We really did time it perfectly – the aspens are absolutely beautiful! A fireworks display of yellows with hints of orange. They’re lit up by the sun and contrasated by the blue sky and evergreens.

      

We hike about the glacier lakes trail, visiting Stella and Teresa Lakes. They are ponds formed by glaciers and refilled each year by snowmelt. Overlooking everything is Mt. Wheeler.

  

On up in to the Bristlecone Pine Grove. They’re the oldest living organisms on earth – some found to be almost 5,000 years old! Their needles alone nearly have a human lifespan, living up to 40 years. I took an Egyptian Art History course that covered the last 5000 years – some of these trees were already old when the pyramids were built! They’re fascinating to learn about and see. Long lasting, even when dead, we walked past one mummy that had been dead for 300+ years. They are very resistant to dying – all but a sliver up the trunk and a single branch can be dead. The oldest live tree we saw was 3,200 years old!

      

Due to the environment (I imagine) they grow in very twisted ways. No straight trunks for these guys! That makes them gorgeous – gnarled trunks full of swirls and patterns. Their silhouettes are fascinating.

  

Passing through the forest and up to the foot of Wheeler Peak leads us to Rock Glacier. We snack overlooking a remnant of the Ice Age – towered over by looming, rocky sentinals on three sides.

      

On back we hike, heading for the bike. We gear up and head back down the mountains. It’s like driving on a real life topographic  map, with elevation markers showing every 500′ in change.

Back at the visitors center we load up the motorcycle and head south to find camping. It’s a few miles back on a gravel road, but our site is spectacular – dual parking areas (for RV and trailer), a grill and fire pit. The Snake Creek runs just behind us. As we pull in a Jack Rabbit runs away. He’s big, with long legs – more like a cat, size-wise.

After supper we wrap up in blankets and lie on the picnic table, stargazing. The half moon is bright but we still spot three shooting stars, a dozen planes and as many satellites. The burbling creek and short waterfall combine with the crickets, frogs, and rustling leaves to provide a wonderful auditory backdrop.

Eyelids heavy we finally head in to bed.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

After breakfast we stroll about the campground, exploring. Looks like we had the choice of campsite last night, as we’re only one of two who stayed the night (other than the host). Our site is right off of the Snake River so we have good views out our windows. It’s still cold, though, so time to mosey along.

  

We take a beautiful highway into Idaho for a short jaunt to get on I-15, heading down into Utah. With our looming job deadline we decide to visit 3 of the 5 parks (Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion) before heading south to hit the Grand Canyon’s north trim. I think that on the way is our best chance to visit Great Basin National Park in Nevada. It’s as close as we’re going to get to it along the way.

We aim for Ogden where we stop for a stretch break. Ashley has been looking forward to a Pumpkin Spice Latte now that the fall season is here, so we find a coffee shop and sit outside to discuss route optoins. We brainstorm a couple of routes before a lady sits next to us and begins chatting. Easy to talk to, as we would answer her questions with a sentence and she’d launch into a story in response. Sounds like she’s lived quite an exciting life. Across the street is a Super Target so upon finishing our drinks we head over, get groceries and eat supper before heading on.

    

Salt Lake City has a Trader Joe’s. We like their cheap wine (and everything else they offer) so we detour downtown to visit. Tight fit but no problems. No wine at this location! Oh no… I do grab some more coffee, though, which has been on the list for a month.

Back on the interstate, we stop at a Flying J in Nephi for the night.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I just can’t seem to get moving this morning, though I do get two articles written. So we get a later start than intended. We pull out of camp, empty tanks and refill water, then go park in front of the lodge.

We hike up Signal Mountain Trail to Signal Mountain (3 miles each way) for a fabulous view looking over the plains toward the Grand Tetons. I quickly sketch the view as we snack and then head back down. The trees have changed colors and it’s beautiful! Of course, it stays cloudy until we return to the parking lot – the mountains are playing peek-a-boo.

        

Back in the RV we continue South to Jenny Lake. After eating lunch in the parking lot we head out on the Jenny Lake trail toward Hidden Falls. At a trail junction 3 fellas are singing so we get treated to an impromptu a capella concert in the woods. How fun!

The falls aren’t much further on and they are stunning! The trees around us are huge – old spruces. All of the forests we’ve been in recently have been burned down in the last few decades so these old growths seem even larger in contrast.

    

The trail up to Inspiration Point provides fabulous views of jagged, snow covered peaks. Along the way we pass within 30′ of mule deer eating. Quite a fabulous vista as we sit on the point for a mid-hike snack.

    

On the way back down we pass at least 6 more deer, one of which holds up traffic as he stands on the trail, chewing. There are a lot of hikers, both ways. The most we’ve seen out on the trails, by a high margin.

  

A couple of hikers were talking to the backpacker in front of us – discussing pizza places. That sounds good! It’s past supper time when we return to the parking lot and we don’t feel like cooking. (Detoured through the gift shop where they apparently sell battery-powered electric fences to deter bears when backpacking. No thanks!) So we head on to Dornan’s in Moose for a pizza. With two walls of windows we get to watch the sun set over the mountains while enjoying our delicious pizza.

    

We debate our next step. We could coffee-up and drive on to Salt Lake City – it would be a long night and we don’t know of any stops along the way. There is a nearby forest campground we could overnight at for a reasonable cost.

We decided to see how the campground looks and how we feel when we get there.  The campground has the first spot we come to available and our 12 miles of hiking have tuckered us out so we pull on in for the night. Plus, we don’t want to miss the mountain views along the way.

Shut up the RV for the night’s cold temperatures and then bed time.

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

Chili smells great when I wake. Coffee and word-smithing before we pack up and head down to the Grand Tetons. Cold and still rainy so I get everything in from outside to save Ashley the chill.

Ash volunteers to drive so off we go with me in the passenger seat. We top off gas before heading in to the park. Traffic isn’t too bad, though there are still quite a few people out and about. As we gain elevation we notice snow on the ground, though nothing on the roads.

  

We don’t remember them previously, but edge marker poles for snowplows are lining the roads. Ashley smacks one with the passenger mirror, cracking it. Combined with possibly slick roads we switch seats at lunch. Chili is delicious!

  

On into Grand Teton National Park, still drizzling. We find a campsite at Signal Mountain ($22 for a tent site!) and settle in. Finally able to dump tanks! We can do it again tomorrow and top off our water so we can use the H20 freely. We walk down to the general store and gifts shops before settling in for the night.

We plan tomorrow’s hike, put our water jug in the bear proof box and read a bit before bed.

To help trap the heat (it’s going to be in the 30s again) we close all of our curtains and hang a blanket over the library and cab, building a fabric wall blocking off the living from driving quarters.

  

Journal entries are just that – the digital copy of my hand-written entries in my journal. If you aren’t interested in the daily details of our adventure, feel free to skip on to the next “regular” post.

I wake with the alarm and write while having my coffee. It rained most of the night and is still dripping from the sky. Great day to have planned to laze about indoors.

I set about consolidating all of my loose notes into a handfull of over-arching mind maps. It’s nice to be able to see everything in a single place at a glance. This takes me most of the day, working off and on.

Ashley finally wakes and I make her tea and breakfast. Before long we’ve retreated to the bed to contine movie watching. We started the Harry Potter movies last night and will work through them today.

Left overs and salad for lunch. Wish we had more snacks – it’s definitely a snack/junk food kind of day.

We make a broth fondue for supper – chicken, mushrooms and potatoes with some cucumber and hummus on the side. Tasty and a nice change of pace from “regular” meals.

Once supper is finished we put chili ingredients in the crockpot. It can slowly simmer overnight and be ready for tomorrow.

Back to movie watching – I type up notes for a Scavenger Hunt Date ebook.