05/16/01:
Cleaning the fouled spark plugs fixed the remaining problems with the truck. Started the truck up but the clutch is partially burnt out. Doesn't engage until very high. Not spending another $300-$600 on top of $1200 already spent today. Gettin' outa Dodge.
The big debate was whether to head further south into Arizona to the Grand Canyon National Park or north into Utah and Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. I do have to return to Page next week to pick up mail so I decided to go to the Grand Canyon.
I'm camped outside of the National Park in the Kaibab National Forest. I saw lots of potential free camping spots all the way down from US Alt 89 but took the last one before leaving the national forest and 3 miles before entering the national park. Phoenix is having 100+ degree temperatures for the coming week. I'm at 8850 feet and there's still snow patches lying around. Looks like sand traps on a golf course. I've never been this high before. My previous high was about 8300 feet while hiking. Since I just came from about 4000 feet I expect to wake myself up several times tonight with shortness of breath.
05/17/01 Hiking the North Rim:
Last night was in the 50's, maybe the 40's. I drove past lots of mule deer on the way to the North Rim Visitor's Center. There's supposed to be a large population of elk in the park but I didn't see any. Sigh! Lots of snow patches along the way, some still 1-2 feet deep. Aspen, blue spruce and Douglas fir are the main trees at this elevation.
My Golden Eagle card got me past the $20 entrance fee. The visitor center is near Bright Angel Point Canyon. A nature trail leads along the canyon rim with great photo opportunities. You're supposed to be able to see 150 miles but air pollution supposedly limits visibility to 70 miles. Just so I can see up ahead, although breathing that stuff isn't doing my lungs any good.
Cape Royal is about 23 miles from the visitor's center through heavily forested pines. I passed Vista Encantada, Roosevelt Point and Wallhalla Overlook all of which had great views. Point Imperial, in the other direction, offers some of the best views I've seen. Deep valleys with red buttes rising many hundreds of feet from the valley floor, backed by a huge plateau covered in green. Since I'm not up to any hiking, that's it for the North Rim for me... and it isn't even near the Grand Canyon.
05/18/01 Hiking the South Rim:
This morning I made 3 1/2 hour drive from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim. Coming down from 9000 feet to 4000 feet was a rude awakening. Last night was in the 40's and at 4000 feet it was close to 80.
Much of the land surrounding the Grand Canyon is Navajo tribal land. There's lots of small roadside stands selling jewelry, blankets, etc. What I didn't like was they also took up most of the space at the scenic turnoffs. I found that somewhat offensive and didn't stop.
I got to the Desert View entrance to the Grand Canyon South Rim on AZ 64 around 11:30am and the visitor center was packed on this mid-week day (Thursday). I drove over to the main entrance and found a free camp site in the Kaibab National Forest at 6800 feet.
05/19/01:
Yesterday was overcast. I was also in my second day of serious fasting because of the internal bleeding and didn't want to exert myself anymore than necessary so I didn't go into the Grand Canyon at all.
I did get a great show though. At dusk, (7:30pm - Arizona does not recognize daylights savings time) I was in the back of the truck when I looked out the window and saw my first live elk. And it was a young bull... And it had antlers almost three feet long sloping back over its head and smaller ones point forward. I didn't think they'd have antlers or at least not very big ones this early in the year. He just grazed around my campsite, not more than 100 feet away. I watched him for 15-20 minutes until it really became to dark to see him clearly. The camera was in the front of the truck but it was too dark for a picture anyway.
05/20/01:
Today's my third and last day of fasting. The bleeding ulcer has either dried up again or not. Urine seems clearer but I'll have to wait until I start eating to see if the stool has lightened in color. I'm fairly weak now though. I got pretty dizzy today just bathing.
05/22/01:
Yesterday was spent just lying around. The fast is over and I was eating and trying to get some strength back without exerting myself. I was also trying to miss the huge crowd that probably hits the Grand Canyon on a Sunday. Stool is not black. Does that mean I'm OK? I dunno. It was kinda runny resulting from some soft boiled eggs I had. I'll wait for a normal movement before feeling safe.
I headed up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon around 7:30am. Since Arizona is not on daylight saving time and I saw a bunch of cars and buses also headed that way, I tagged along and it was open.
After driving around the commercial end of the park, my first stop was Yavapai Point. Wow. I had expected the Grand Canyon to be narrow and to kinda disappear as you look a mile straight down into it. Well, it is a mile down but its also 10 miles across so the drop to the bottom is gradual with lots of intervening rock formations, buttes, and sub-canyons. Yavapai Point is an excellent example and provides a huge vista and lots of photo opportunities.
Mather Point is more of the same. The big attraction here, however, was an electric utility vehicle appeared to have gone off the road. Everyone (but me) seemed to just stand around gawking, taking pictures and videos. When I walked out on the point I was surprised that so many people just stood there taking videos of rocks? I was also surprised at the number of people out this early on a Monday. The place was pretty jammed.
After stopping at several scenic overlooks I came to Grandview Point. This was originally where a copper mine flourished in the early 1900's and the miners built a trail to the mine 3000 feet below the canyon rim. When copper prices plummeted they built the first hotel and used their trail for mule rides to the canyon floor. This launched tourism in the Grand Canyon.
A few more scenic turnoffs and I was back at the Desert View exit on AZ 64 east where I had originally came into the park. There's not much camping in the Kaibab National Forest over here. The good stuff is over on AZ 180 at the main entrance to the park.
I drove back to Page, AZ to pick up my mail. I'm looking for truck registration and insurance which are due in a couple of weeks. I found the insurance but didn't see the registration. Jeeze! Now what am I going to do. Drive back to Florida? More likely New Hampshire where I have someone reliable to write checks and forward stuff to me.
I drove over to the Lone Rock Beach on Lake Powell where I got stuck in the sand last week to camp for the night. I had no intention of going near the sand. After going through the mail, I checked the junk mail and discarded envelopes and stuff before throwing them away. I've thrown good stuff away before. Good thing I did... There was the registration renewal, looking like a junk mail post card. Really sleezy looking. I wonder how many other people throw it away the first time. Well, at least I don't have to drive back east.