Day 51: GRAND CANYON day 3-to-Bryce

Day 51:  Bright Angel to South Rim
We slept pretty well despite being kind of concerned about today's hike out.  Got up well before sunrise and had breakfast and coffee.  Normally we'd be the only ones stirring at that hour, but almost everyone else was either up and cooking or had left already.  That's how seriously people take hiking out of this place.  As we were getting to the Colorado river the suns first light was just starting to hit the tops of the highest canyon peaks.  Nothing to do now but put our heads down and grind up those switchbacks.  

Can you find Brett? 

Our goal was to hit Indian Garden campground by 8am, two hours away, so we kept it light and only carried two liters of water.  We made it to Indian Garden around 8:30 am and Brett ate a tuna fish sandwich on tortilla for "lunch" LOL.  We were extremely careful to stay hydrated and eat lots of salty snacks every hour so as to not suffer from "water intoxication", an ailment which had someone staying overnight in the rangers cabin our first night camping.
Feeling pretty good and full of calories we pressed on.  The final stretch of the trail is the hardest, climbing almost straight up 3 thousand feet via switchbacks.  Luckily there is a rest station every 1.5 miles which offer shade, bathroom, and water.  This means we don't have to carry all that weight up.  After all that worry, the climb was not quite as hard as we had figured.  I don't know whether we'd just built up muscle from our previous trips or whether it was the relative lack of elevation (the rim is at only 5 thousand feet), but we hit the top feeling pretty damn good about ourselves.  That's an understatement actually. We found ourselves wanting to run up to everyone we saw and scream "WE JUST HIKED UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FREAKING GRAND CANYON".  The sense of elation and accomplishment was pretty overwhelming to be honest and this hike was instantly elevated into the top 3 most amazing experiences of the entire trip.

When we were out of the Grand Canyon, we stopped by the souvenir shop so Brett could by the book that he had found in Indian Garden. We then got on the shuttle to take us back to the Steed at the visitors center at Mather Point. When we got to the Steed, still on cloud 9...we sat down in the van and had a nice cold beer. We left and went to Mather Point Campground to take a shower because well we needed one and we were about to be camping another 6 nights!!! At the shower facility, this guy was just hanging out!!!

We took our showers and started the 5 hour drive to Bryce Canyon and left the Grand Canyon south rim around 3:30 p.m. Unfortunately, I (Steph) got really sick at my stomach on the drive. We had stopped by Burger King (one of two places to eat) after leaving the Grand Canyon and it just did not sit well with me. I puked in a grocery bag in the van and Brett quickly wheeled the car over and let me finish on the side of the road. Once it was out...I felt better but it also put a dent in time. When we finally arrived at our Campground around 11:30 at night, we had to set up our tent in pitch dark and be cautious of making too much noise so we wouldn't wake the others. On top of that, the temps dropped down into the lower 30's that night and we arrived wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Oh well....after three days in the Canyon followed by a hellacious trip we were just glad to be able to crawl into bed.

Day 50: GRAND CANYON day 2

Day 50- Indian Garden to Bright Angel
Woke up and broke camp at a leisurely pace since we were only doing 4-ish miles and 2000 feet of descending today.  In fact, we were just about the last ones to leave camp.  The hike down to the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon is really something that can't be described.  Each layer of the canyon, hundreds of feet tall, is so distinct and represents millions of years of history.   Brett had read in the aforementioned book that the rocks at the bottom near the river were 1.5 billion years old.  To walk through such ancient and majestic rock formations is kind of like staring into space on a clear night.  The mammoth size and unfathomable time scales just makes you feel so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  It is truly humbling and something anyone who is able should try to experience.
In fact, this was the day we learned that our preconceived notions of the Grand Canyon were dead wrong.  Generally the best viewpoints when hiking tend to be the high ones, so we had assumed that the views from the rim would be the best and that hiking down into the canyon would be underwhelming.  Wrong wrong wrong.  Of all the places we've gone, pictures probably do this place the least justice.

After a few hours of hiking we reached the Colorado River whose fast, blue waters cut this entire canyon out of the Colorado Plateau over the course of hundreds of millions of years.  Its just a very special place.

Pulling ourselves away from sitting by the cool water of the river we decided to move on to Bright Angel Campground. Even though we left late ,we got there  early enough to score a campsite right next to Bright Angel Creek.  This was great because at the bottom of the canyon it was 96 degrees in the shade and 104 out of the shade!!!!  Since it was so hot we decided to head over to Phantom Ranch where we heard they sold beer and lemonade.  Talk about delicious....an icey cold lemonade at the bottom of the Grand Canyon??!?!?!  Does it get any better?? No.  No it doesn't.  We downed two of those bad-boys and headed back to camp for a swim.  The water of Bright Angel creek was deliciously cold. When I say it felt amazing I mean it felt AMAZING.  We both stripped down to our skivvies and took the opportunity to get "clean".

As the sun went down some, we decided to go back up to Phantom Ranch to have ONE beer before dinner.  One because tomorrow would be a day that would truly test our bodies and minds.  5 thousand feet up with backpacks over 8 miles.  They say canyons are like reverse mountains when it comes to hiking.  If you can get UP a mountain you can usually get down because on the way down gravity is your friend.  A canyon is the opposite.  Lots of people can manage to get INTO a canyon but end up having to get heli-lifted out.  We enjoyed our beers and the AC before heading back to camp for dinner. Before leaving we also sent postcards to our family which would be delivered out by mule.  Nice.

On our way back to camp we decided to stop and say hello to Helen and Della and grab some tape to bandage some blisters Brett had forming on his pinky toes.  While we were there we mentioned to Helen that we had read a book about the formation of the Colorado Plateau and how much we had enjoyed it.  She asked us if we remembered who it was by.  "Wayne something or other from Arizona State, he signed and donated his book to the Indian Garden campground" we replied.  "That's my husband!" she said happily. As it turns out Helen's husband quit his job after visiting the Grand Canyon which inspired him to get a degree in Geology.  How neat is that?  She insisted that we  get back in touch and have her husband guide a rafting trip down the Colorado river when we're ready.  Something we are very likely to do!
After eating, we walked back down to the Colorado River to watch the last rays of the sun disappear before bedding down around 8 PM so that we could get started around 4AM.  An early start when doing river to rim is non-negotiable.  If you don't start early you risk hiking the final 2 thousand feet in direct desert sun.  This can get you into REAL trouble, as the sign so graphically  points out.

That night in the tent was extremely hot, but luckily the sound of Bright Angel Creek was so loud in the tent it reminded me of the crashing ocean in Shi Shi.  Thankfully sleep came more easily that it would have otherwise in such hot conditions.  Definitely a blessing.

Day 49: GRAND CANYON day 1

Day 1: South Kaibab to Indian Garden
Woke up bright and early this morning to catch the shuttle for our 2 night/3 day backpacking adventure in the Grand Canyon. We got on the shuttle at 6:00 and started on the South Kaibab trail-head around 6:30.  Sounds early but it was honestly later than we needed to get started to avoid the mid-day heat.  We decided to go in via the South Kaibab Trail because unlike the Bright Angel Trail, there is no water at all on the trail and it is exposed to the sun since it travels across a spine for quite some time.  To see the sun rising while you're hiking in this massive place is something else.

After hiking the first four miles descending 3000 feet it was approaching 11:30 so we had a snack in the shade of the only pit toilet facility on the trail and prepared to hike what we knew was going to be a pretty nasty 4-5 mile stretch across the Tonto formation.  The problem is that it is completely sun exposed for the duration and water is questionable.  As we got started we both immediately realized that the trail was very narrow and this looked like  rattlesnake heaven, but we pushed on.  

The trail was what we thought it would be.........HOT.  We rested by a small trickle of a creek around the 2 mile mark and tried to cool down in the shade of a small boulder, but it offered little comfort.  Brett filtered some water out of the nasty looking creek and we drank it hesitantly.  We pushed on.  After another two miles we were both getting extremely hot and only had about a liter of water left.  Fortunately we knew that Indian Garden, the site of our first nights camp was just around the corner.  When we arrived around 2 pm we were absolutely beat.  On the positive side, Indian Garden is an actual oasis there in the middle of the Grand Canyon complete with large shade trees and a nice cool creek to lay in.

After washing off in the creek and waiting for the sun to go down  we set up camp and cooked supper.  After we had eaten, one of the rangers came up to check our permits and invited us to watch the sun set on the deck of the rangers quarters.  We accepted that generous offer and sat there with a few other backpackers as the sun set.  We also spoke to the rangers, Helen and Della for a while and during the conversation mentioned that we had tried to acquire permits to hike the "Rim to Rim" trail which is down and across the Grand Canyon, but were unsuccessful.  I guess they liked us because they said that, since they were heading in the same direction, we could do the rim to rim permits or no permits!!!  As tempting as this was we just could not accept because of our tight timetable.  We may regret this one day because they turn down something like 97% of applicants for that hike.

Della & Helen!!!!

After leaving the rangers cabin, Brett grabbed a book out of the campgrounds "loaner" box called Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau.  This was a great find because he had been wanting to read about the formation of the Grand Canyon and this book fit the bill.  As I went to lay down, he was still laying on the picnic table reading it by headlamp.  The weather that night was perfection.  Mid 60's with a nice strong breeze blowing through the trees all night  was so absolutely blissful.  I remember it was strikingly odd to be in such a lush, green  place in the middle of a canyon so massive, dry, and otherwise desolate.  It was an experience we'll remember forever

Day 46-48: Sedona

Woke up this morning with the goal to explore some of Joshua Tree on the way to Sedona. Driving through Joshua Tree was beautiful and it was amazing how the scenery changes as you go through the park. We also stopped off to explore one of the oases that is in Joshua Tree. 

The drive to Sedona was absolutely beautiful. We took the Scenic Highway (SR 179) into Sedona and stopped off to take in the beauty of the red rocks. 

We checked into our hotel,the Sedona Rouge & Spa. Our room was in the corner and was very spacious. Really nice hotel. We decided to drive up to the Airport Lookout for sunset but unfortunately, so did everyone else. It was so crowded that trying to view the sunset was not enjoyable so we headed down the road. We had reservations for Sedona Stargazing at 8:00 so we arrived early (like 1.5 hours early) and fixed a sandwich and took in the scenery around us. When it was time to get started we were assigned an astronomer for a group of 10 people. They walked us out into the middle of a soccer field where they had chairs, blankets, and a telescope set up.  It was partly cloudy with a 3/4 waning moon and perfect temperature. Our astronomer was extremely knowledgeable and set the telescope up for us to see Saturn, two views of the moon, a beautiful yellow and blue binary star, a nebula in the milky way galaxy and finally the Andromeda galaxy.  She also confirmed that we did indeed spot both Cygnus and Cassiopeia in Joshua Tree.  It was simply awesome.

Day 47
Woke up this morning with the goal to see the Chapel of the Holy Cross and to do some shopping. We figured since we will be hiking the Grand Canyon soon, we needed to save our legs and energy so we kept it low key. We stopped off at this eclectic store with a big statue of a chicken in front of it. This place had a little bit of everything but the best part is that most of the items were handmade from different artisans. We picked up a few souvenirs and then off to see the Chapel. 

The chapel was truly a gorgeous place and very unique.

After the Chapel, we stopped off and had some amazing Tamales then back to the hotel for some pool time. We spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool/hot tub and then headed to bed. 

Day 48
We are leaving Sedona today to head out to the Grand Canyon. It wasn't a long drive so we wanted to spend some time this morning exploring some more shops around Sedona. Brett had his eye on a Native American Flute of all things.  He had heard a lady playing a hauntingly beautiful melody in the middle of the Redwoods and had been looking for one ever since.  I wanted to find Rigby and Roady a dog collar but was unsuccessful. I looked all over and NO ONE carried dog collars. UGHHH...oh well...Brett ended up buying a flute and I get to listen to him playing it now!!!! :/
We arrived at the hotel in the Grand Canyon around 4:45, stopped by the visitor center and went to Mather's Point to get our first glimpse of the magnificent canyon.

We headed back to the room to start packing our backpacks for our 2 nights in the Grand Canyon. We went to bed early because we need to be up and on the shuttle no later than 6:00 a.m. In the Grand Canyon...you HAVE to start early to avoid being caught on the trail in the middle of the day. 

Day 45: La Jolla to Joshua Tree

Today is a big day for our us and one that finds us with mixed emotions.  Its the first time in over a month that we turn east.  Back toward home.  Toward the end of our trip.  Back to our dogs and our own house...our family and friends.  But also back to reality and all the good and bad that comes with it.  Its also the day we head to Joshua Tree.  Back out into the wild and away from what has been a relaxing and pampering stretch of beaches and wineries with no camping.  Roughing it again.  If I'm being honest, we almost talked ourselves into extending our stay at La Jolla and skipping Joshua Tree altogether.  We love camping.  We really do.  But after almost three weeks of returning to the creature comforts of civilization we hesitated but, after some deliberation, we decided to press on and we're so glad we did.
We arrived at Joshua Tree around 4pm and set up camp in Jumbo Rock campground which ended up being one of the most beautiful campsites of the trip.  The desert climate was perfection.  Perfect temperature, zero humidity, and the sky turning brilliant orange as the wind whipped across the white rock formations. 

This is a stunning place and camping in the desert is something everyone should experience. As the sun was setting we ate Chinese takeout at the picnic table.   That night we decided to finally get out one of Brett's dads old star map books to see if we could make any sense of the brilliant night sky.  After mulling over the book for a bit we found what we would later learn is the "Summer Triangle" which contains three of the brightest stars in the summer sky.  With this point of reference we were able to find our first constellation, Cygnus the Swan.  Later Stephanie spotted Queen Cassiopeia up there looking beautiful, even though hanging up there is punishment for her vanity.

That night the wind never let up and pounded the tent all night with what had to be 30 mph gusts, but the old girl held up just fine and we slept fairly well.  Brett woke up at 4am to use the boys room and looked up to find a sky so brilliant with stars that it looked like you could pluck them right out of the sky.  We're definitely coming back to Joshua Tree.