SEATTLE TO SAN FRANCISCO
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Don’s time in Seattle was cold, wet, snowy and dark – at least that’s the way he remembers it. Leaving the boat to go to work with a full set of clothes, feather jacket, beanie, gloves – all of which stayed on during the cold drive !! Ooops and the travel mug full of tea – the locals consider a cup of coffee the latest fashion accessory – they are rarely seen without a mug of some description in their hand. Don fitted in well as long as he kept it a secret that it was tea not coffee – the consequences of which may have been a tar and feathering.
After my exile to Australia and arrival back in Seattle we did the usual boat jobs, made a few friends and prepared to leave for San Francisco. Don and I sailed White Rose to Port Angeles (out of Puget Sound and along Juan De Fuca Strait – last “clearing out” point for us) while Mike and his son Nic drove our car and met us there. Mike was keen to experience the sail to San Francisco and I was not so we traded places – Nic was visiting at the time and came along also. The last bay in the Strait before attempting Cape Flattery is Neah Bay. It belongs to an Indian community. Knowing that White Rose was more than likely going to call in to that bay, I drove the car there, checked out moorings and the marina and waited for their arrival. They arrived late in the afternoon – all sailors aboard happy.
The next day we took a walk out to the tip of Cape Flattery and watched the area, at first calm then windy conditions. We did watch one motor boat take the short cut through the middle where rocks are a great danger – then appear to stall. It was an exciting time watching him drift – he may well have been fishing and knew the area well because his motor started again as he got close to the rocks. Regardless Don had no intention of taking that shortcut – calm weather or not.
The first 3 days of sailing was a non-event. No wind in this notoriously windy part of the world. The boys were so tired of the constant engine running and no experience hoisting a sail that they decided to call into Crescent City and wait for wind to arrive.
I drove our car down the Oregon Coast and stopped so often for a walk or stickybeak that I was way behind the motoring boat. I had to do a big very long day’s drive to catch up to them on day 3. When I arrived in Crescent City and went down to the fisherman's wharf to inquire about a slip – all the fisherman were heading in – there was a strong wind forecast and they certainly didn’t want to be out in it. The boys arrived late at night and slowly negotiated their way into the wharf – it is one of those places that is very poorly marked as the locals know where to go and no one else bothers calling in. It was tricky avoiding all the crab pot buoys they thoughtfully laid in the entrance channel – Mike tried out his night vision goggles and found they were an excellent advantage to locate the buoys. The danger of catching one is that the rope can get caught around the propeller which paralyzes the boat. Someone has to go for a cold deep swim with a sharp knife – and no one was volunteering for that !!
After showers and washing the next day we all headed straight for the local pizza joint, it was colorful and served the best pizzas. Oh I forgot to mention, part of the reason for my erratic, fast driving was to arrive in Crescent City before the boat so I had an excuse to book a motel room with hot shower (I had been tenting it for several days) and a soft bed (my thermarest does not cut it anymore). A boat where 3 men had been cooped up for three days, full of smelly socks just didn’t appeal.
The weather forecast sounded promising with NW winds 15-25kts - just what we had been waiting for - some nice downwind sailing. It started off that way - very pleasant making good speed. By the 2nd day out the winds had built to a steady 25kts gusting to 30 - that was ok though the seas were building up a bit and a somewhat confused with a mixed swell. However they were now forecasting gale force winds for the night which wasn't too much of a worry but they turned out to be very strong gale force winds building steadily through the afternoon and into the night. We were gradually reducing sail as the night progressed. The seas had built up to be quite nasty by this stage, short and steep probably about 4-5metres high with plenty of white water around us. The winds increased to over 40kts with many gusts over 50kts - not quite what we had been expecting. We ended up running downwind with bare poles and still maintaining 6-7 kts ! It was a long night and must have been pretty scary for my crew who were quite inexperienced. Pretty scary for me too - but I didn't tell them that ! The wind and seas didn't let up until we got past Pt Reyes and into the Bonita Channel where we got the lee of the land. By the time we got to the Golden Gate conditions were mild and we were back on the motor (though I'm sure it was still raging offshore).
(Lee again) The boys arrived battered and bruised and in very good spirits. We wanted photos of the boat coming under the Golden Gate Bridge so I found a place in the sand dunes and took a few sample pictures. The current was running through the bridge at about 4 knots and with sails up White Rose was catapulted through the area so fast that I only got a few photos of a tiny white speck in the distance. Don and I were in contact via sms and I asked them to go through again – what I hadn’t realized is the fight against the current to get back upstream was long and hard but once they made the turn they quickly shot through again. Anyway here is the result …….
Mike and Nic are wonderful traveling companions – funny, willing to do almost anything, and Mike is a gourmet cook !!! We were sad to see them go and hope we get to sail together again soon.
OFF EXPLORING
Emery Cove Marina is located on the East San Francisco Bay, from here we can see the Golden Gate Bridge (with just a slight crick to the neck) and the island Alcatraz. We also get to monitor the constantly present and moving famous “San Francisco fog”. The view can be spectacular or more often than not, completely obliterated by heavy, damp, cold fog. Once we began driving east we were surprised how quickly the landscape changed to very dry and hot. The barren hills were covered in windmills – mostly still or moving exceedingly slowly as if the thick hot air made the effort too much. Our Dodge was obviously a Washington car, every time we even looked like going up a hill the temperature gauge kept going up and up until there was nowhere else to go. Several stops along the way meant we reached our destination without mishap-just frustrated as Don had had the problem fixed in Seattle and wondered what the coming weeks would bring – cool temperatures and no hills hopefully!! Just as we turned off the main highway to start making our ascent into the mountains we came across quite a large and obviously popular fruit stand. We had passed many aqueducts and canals as we traversed the plains and many groves of green fruit tress in the otherwise hot and dusty plains leading up to the mountains. The fruit stand had tons of fresh peaches and nectarines – all 99c a lb. The yellow peaches were huge and particularly nice in that the skin was soft and not furry like the Australian peaches so easy to enjoy all the fruit. We bought a few bags full and gorged ourselves for days.
We later learned that this valley was called the San Joaquin valley, 12% of USA agricultural production comes from this valley. Hemmed in by mountains and rarely having strong winds to disperse smog, San Joaquin Valley is known for having some of the worst air pollution in USA. This comes mainly from petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles and agricultural operations. When we were in Mineral King there was a air quality warning – the pollution comes up from the San Joaquin valley and affects the air quality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon also Mineral King.
Our first stop as dinky-di tourists was at General Grant Grove – the giant sequoia trees are the world’s largest living trees. President Coolidge proclaimed it the Nation’s Christmas Tree in 1926. It is also a National Shrine, the only living memorial to those who died in war.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Mineral King
Then on to Kings Canyon, the top half of the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The first climb to 6000ft left the motor hot and complaining – we were relieved once we started back down only to have the brakes complain (and smell) at the heat and rate of decent. Once back at 4600ft. we began to climb again, and worry about getting back out of the canyon. We drove around a few campsites on offer – Sheep Creek, Sentinel, Moraine, Canyon View. This was the first time we were introduced to “bear boxes”. These sturdy metal containers are 47” x 33” x 38” high are in every individual camp site and parking areas for day walkers use. All food and aromatic goods must be placed in the bear boxes – they are large, very strong and although a bear can still smell food, they cannot open then. We did an extremely good job of packing the car – everything had a container and a place in the boot (trunk for Americans) or back seat – we had no idea that we would have to unpack almost everything each time we stopped. We couldn’t leave anything in the car that had a smell – that includes nail polish (no! I did not have any with me at the time), all makeup (none of that either), detergents, oil, coolant, hand wipes etc. It was a pain but better than getting our car broken into.
We set up the tent and Don cooked nachos in our new gas oven/stove. They were very good. Mosquitoes annoyed us, so early to bed. For the first time the mozzies preferred Don to Lee – yea !!! I kept my best poker face on while he squashed, moaned, cursed and scratched – his turn finally !! That was the beginning of our new lifestyle – to bed by sunset and up with the birds – the birds seem to wake and become very noisy at a ridiculously early hour – 4.30 – 5am !!
Kings Canyon is beautiful, not as cool as we would have liked considering the elevation and trees.
The next day we completed a 10 mile round trip hike to Mist Falls, unused to walks we were tired by the end of day and had to go to the shop for cold beers. The hike had spectacular scenery along the way – lots of waterfalls and high canyon sides. Horses are welcome in the park – we had to negotiate horse poo all the way – you couldn’t avoid stepping in it. The dry stuff was ok but the aromatic type covered in black flies was best avoided. It is rattlesnake country and we took photos of one trying to hide among leaves. They will avoid people if possible like most snakes. Cooked pizzas on our new gas bbq – turned out good.
We went to the ranger’s talk at 8:30pm just as it was getting dark. Good slides showing the variety of wildlife in park especially the yellow legged frog in the alpine lakes. There is a ranger program to remove all the fish from the lakes to allow the frogs to breed and replenish. That will allow other predators of the frog to regenerate. It seems man has a lot to answer for as we blindly go along our way interfering with nature without understanding the long term consequences.
Fri June 26th
Up at 6am after trying to drown out the birds for an hour or so. We took the Hume Lake Rd - a few fishermen were up early trying to catch trout for their breakfast on the beautiful still lake but didn’t appear to be catching anything. We were surprised to find a big Christian camp complex on the other side of the lake – more like a resort really. Beautifully set out on many acres of land, with every amenity you could want. We had a quick visit to at Montecuito Sequoia Lodge in the High Sierra where Don stayed overnight at Christmas 1998 when touring around after the Nevada gravity survey. It looked quite different without the snow and ice.
We continued on to the Sequoia half of this National Park and the Sherman Tree. Sherman is biggest living thing in the world. Not the tallest Sequoia or biggest girth but largest in volume. We did a short walk further away from main attraction into groves of Sequoias. The trees weren’t as big – nevertheless huge and even more impressive where they grow in stands together and you can walk freely between them. You can understand why they might grow in stands together – if I was standing around in the one spot for a couple of thousand years I would want some company too.
Our next stop was Moro rock. It doesn’t look that impressive from car park and looks like an easy climb – but most of it is hidden. Steps have been cut into this giant granite monolith and you really feel on top of the world with panoramic 360° views. Don wished he had a hang glider or paraglider. It was surprisingly calm on top at 6725’ with peaks in the high sierra visible in the far distance at heights up to 13,000’. We could see the winding road far below us.
Then the obligatory drive through the tunnel log before winding our way down the gorge to 2080’ the car being thankful it was downhill all the way. We were even more chuffed at our efforts of climbing the rock – from underneath it looks very impressive!!! Drove into Potwisha campground near the outer boundary of the Park. We setup our tent under a shady tree but greatly upset the local inhabitant – a bushy tailed squirrel. He put on quite a turn when we set up our tent next his burrow – standing on his hind legs making very loud squeaks and simultaneously angrily shaking his tail in synch with his squeaks. After about 20mins he become resigned to his new neighbors and gave up, then came over to check out our food in the bear box and take a close look at us – the ferocious squirrel turned out to be quite cute. The campground is on the Kaweah river and being hot and in need of a wash we went for a wander along the rivers edge and found a foot suspension bridge crossing the river and down to a small beach with a calm eddy at the side of the fast flowing rapids. Don took his bathers and braved the frigid waters. Took him a while to get in (once his legs had numbed) but was very refreshing. He did some bumming down the easier part of the rapid but nearly gave himself a fright when started being taken toward the 12’ waterfall. A bit of vigorous swimming saved himself. He thinks he is still a boy!!
Went to 7:30 Rangers fireside talk. No fire tho – too hot – but might have been good if there was to help keep the mozzies away. The ranger’s talk was on web of life and was really meant for the kids except that none turned up and we adults had to do the active participation with signs around our necks and get tangled up with a string of wool connecting us all together. I think the young ranger girl felt a bit embarrassed to do the activity which was obviously designed for young children not mature adults. The most entertaining part was watching the herd of deer calmly walking past us while all this was going on. It is fawning season and mothers often leave their very young in small hollows while they forage for food. The deer are not afraid of humans but choose not to come closer than a few meters.
Sat June 27th
Up early at 6am with the arrival of the garbage truck making a horrible racket which echoed around the hills. We read about Mineral King area whose road is described as “only for the not faint hearted”. We decided to give it a try (with the thought that we could turn around at any time – wrong – the road was too narrow!). The Mineral King gorge road follows the Kaweah River back into the High Sierra. It is a dead end road and proved to be very twisty, very narrow, very steep with lots of potholes – the car was not impressed having to climb back up to 7000’ again. She had to have a few rests on the way. Luckily we met the garbage truck now on his way back on one of the sections that actually had room to pass. We did have a laugh at the road sign that read “This now ends the County maintained road” I think this one has been left off their “fix it” list.
It was nice to get back up into the higher mountains with the big trees and cooler temperatures. We stopped at the first campground – Atwell Mill – nice and shady with tall fir trees and a few scattered sequoias – mostly young ones probably only about a thousand years old. After setting up camp – again – we decided on a 2mile walk to a bridge and waterfall that one of the other campers suggested. A pretty walk and downhill all the way which was nice but dreading the walk back uphill all the way. The bridge and waterfall were as impressive as you would expect in the Sierra Nevada and we enjoyed sitting by the roaring waterfall for ½ an hour before the trudge back uphill – which proved not as bad as anticipated. We could hear a constant noise getting louder and closer – it turned out to be a troop of boy scouts arriving at our campsite. We had hoped it was just a meal stopover but no – they were here to stay. It seemed like hundreds of them had invaded our beautiful quiet spot with noise, tents and far too much enthusiasm for a group of boys who had just completed a long hike.
That night a local ranger gave a quick talk on Marmots. Don and I appeared to be the only ones who had not sighted one – these very cute little furry animals, about the size of a large cat, cause constant problems for the rangers – they have taken a liking to coolant, rubber hoses and the electrical insulation under a car bonnet (hood for Americans). They only live in the higher elevations – above 7000 ft. Although our car was safe in the lower elevation campground, we decided to complete a walk to Timber Gap which began at 7800’ where the Marmots were in full force. Cars in the parking lot had their bonnets left open, with the hope that the Marmots would chose the car next door with a darker engine bay so they could chew away in private – also many cars had chicken wire wrapped around the lower half and secured with rocks – it did look funny. One member of the scout team had watched a Marmot run up to a chicken wired car, push his way under it and disappear – so much for that one. The latest idea is to purchase a tough tarp, lie it on the ground and drive your car onto it, wrap up your car in the tarp and secure. Once again a member of the scout team did that and the marmots chewed through the tarp. It is a constant problem for the rangers – they have tried pepper, capsicum spray and desperately want a student or professor to do a thesis on marmot damage prevention. All their cars do not have any insulation left under the bonnet. Our car escaped damage but we did have to check under the bonnet when we left to make sure we were not transporting an unwanted guest down the hill to the lower elevation campground.
Getting back to the walk – oh boy !!! Don has some pretty dumb ideas at times. The walk began at 7800ft and we climbed to 9400 over 2 miles – it just kept going up !!! Sounds easy when writing about it but it wasn’t!! Just putting one foot in front of the other at that elevation was tiring – I have no aspiration to climb Everest now !!
We are off again – decided to get the Mineral King road out of the way early, hoping that everyone else had slept in – seems like a few others had the same idea – some tricky passing along this goat track.
Death Valley
Our entry into Death Valley was similar to other occasions – the temperature on the car rose and the radiating fumes suggested it was a good idea to stop and allow the car to cool down – yet again !! Becoming rather fed up with the car, Don did what all good pseudo Aussie mechanics tend to do, puff out their chests, look important and reach for a spanner (wrench). He proceeded to wack the pipes, fixtures and fittings under the bonnet. I think even he was surprised when it appeared to work – so far (touch wood).
The name of this Park intrigued me and of course, after reading that it was very sparse, hot and unwelcoming, I wanted to go see for myself. The mirages caused by heat and the heat driven shimmer were amazing. We nearly ended up in the divorce court over differing opinions on how to drive a dicky car in the heat – I wanted to go slow so the engine was under less pressure, Don wanted to drive fast to get the air moving through the motor in an effort to keep it cooler – only problem was the air is exceedingly hot!!! I wanted to keep our recently re-gassed air conditioning off to prevent extra load on the motor – Don wanted to turn it on going downhill to make the interior of the car feel like a snow scene (that is me being sarcastic – the air cond does not work all the well!). We politely argued then gave each other the hump…. silent treatment until we arrived at our campsite – actually we both burst out laughing – during our 4th stop within 10 miles (we were only gaining 2miles before a ½ hr stop to allow the motor to cool down) I checked our gps navigating system to find that we were 1.7 miles and 48 seconds away from our campsite – bloody car – it only had to go around the next bend !!! Our first camp ground, Wildrose, was high in elevation (4100ft) and we were elated to find it cooled down once the sun had set. Getting a very false sense of well being, we decided that the people who wrote the travel guides were weaklings and this was nothing for these tough Aussies. It only took a few hours the next day to subtract that thought!! It was hot, hot and hot.
Death Valley is comprised of 3.3 million acres of land and boasts being the hottest and driest place in USA. It has the dubious reputation of recording the second highest temperature in the world. The Valley is a long narrow basin 282 feet below sea level, walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The heat radiates from the rocks and becomes trapped in the valley. Death Valley was a popular site for mining gold, as a result the valley has more abandoned mines than any other national park. It also has elevated levels of lead and mercury from the extract process. Erosion constantly exposes this material and wind blows the dust around – not something you want to breathe.
I read about a place called Darwin Springs, it is 2.4 miles along a rough dirt track, then a walk into a natural spring fed waterfall – the only springs in Death Valley. It purports to be an oasis in the desert with permanently running water, trees etc – now come on – doesn’t that sound like a place to be during the heat of the day and worth cooking the car to get there???? Don relented and coaxed the car up the mountains and sighed with relief as we cooked the brakes down the other side - with the air-conditioning on! We were just a little envious of the cars whizzing past us without a care in the world, their occupants with a smile on their cool looking countenances.
We located a rough unused track and hoped that was the one we were looking for – we have found that USA Parks are not overly generous with their signage. At the end of the road we hiked in the heat and dust hoping there would actually be water in this spring. At this point in time I think my reputation (and marriage) was on the line. The waterfall was as promised, peaceful, beautiful. (actually the waterfall was a piddle and the small pond shallow with green slime, but the water was surprisingly cold and very refreshing). Don managed to get wet all over – I can’t really claim to the “all over” bit but did get wet. We stayed there for hours, knowing what faced us on the outside – it was the coolest place to be apart from the air conditioned pub we later found a few miles down the road.
When we stopped to take one of our 100’s of photos I decided we hadn’t drunk enough that day and poured water into our bottles. I left the top off to add some powder that promises restored energy etc. I asked Don to hold his while I put the additive in mine – he being an impatient man took a big swig from his drink, the top fell off and drenched all down his front, pants and car seat. He jumped out of the car, swearing like a banshee and proceeded to growl at me !!! I kept quiet and a few minutes when back on the road I just had to burst out laughing – I am sure I would have been thankful for a cool drenching in this terrible heat. What an ungrateful man !! I was beginning to worry about our next stop – Las Vegas, knowing how the laws make it easy to organize a quick marriage, I wondered if a divorce was just as simple !!
It was hot and the wind blowing through the window past Don’s head felt like it wanted to burn the side of my face. I put Don’s phone near my ear to measure the temperature of the wind – it got to 54c before Don realized what I was doing, he growled and told me to put it away before I melted the electronics in the phone (I hadn’t thought of that!). Maybe we had better leave Las Vegas until another time….We did stop at the local hotel, Don ordered an iced tea and got a gallon bucket – the thermometer on the porch read 48c in the shade of the large porch with an industrial blower cooling the area down – I suppose you get the idea now. The hotel should be named “Bronte’s oasis” – anyone who knows Bronte and his habits will understand the draw of an old outback pub with lots of character and plaster falling off the ceiling – but that boasts 100 different types of beer at all times !!!! They even had “Moose Drool” and “Dead Guy’s Lager”. I could have left Bronte and Don there for the next few days while they graded the different beers and I could have enjoyed an air-conditioned room and swimming pool (if they have such luxuries).
We coaxed our temperamental car along the highway and stopped at a grocery outlet. After that we decided to visit Mosaic Canyon – it was 2.4 miles along a dirt road with a slight incline. We had to stop twice along the road for the motor to cool down – Don is getting a little cranky by this time !!! It was time for the wrench to make another appearance. The Canyon was hot but spectacular. We quickly took photos and climbed back into the car in search of somewhere cooler.
The camp ground we had decided on for the night was closed – it was deemed too hot to camp there, the name “Stovepipe campground” should have given it away (and they were probably correct but it meant a long drive to the next one). The next camp ground was named “Furnace Creek” and it certainly lived up to its name. We both headed for the nearest tap and filled up our bucket and tipped it over our heads – much to the amusement of other campers. Don slept outside on the ground with a bucket of water beside him and constantly wet his t-shirt and put a wet tea towel around his head – I suppose he looked too unattractive for the bobcats and coyotes. I slept in the tent – well slept isn’t really the correct word-I tossed and dripped all night. I kept dreaming of rattlesnakes entering my tent (the fly was undone and I was too lazy to sit up and zip it up, then my dreams turned into scorpions – every breeze was a scorpion crawling along my body waiting to sting. Not a good night. Every now and then we could hear the wind in the distance building up to a small tornado – once it reached us it was very hot and not at all welcome. Each camp site has its own aluminum table with attached bench seats – these were too hot to use. We packed up early the next morning and headed for the bright city lights and air-conditioning.
Las Vegas
This city represents all I abhor in life – everything is large, loud and out there!! We parked our car in the hotel car park fairly sure that no one would break into it – the bright red paintwork is now a dusty cream – it is covered with dust, dirt, dead insects and grime. The back seat has pillows, tubs and general mess all over it – it looks as though the Beverly Hillbillies have come to town! I was ashamed of the car but realized it was a good cover. Any thief with a reasonable IQ would leave our car for the thousands of Mercs, Jags, etc.
We weren’t really ready to come in from the bush yet but Las Vegas was next on the road and we really did enjoy a bed and shower. I wonder what the receptionist thought when we rocked up with our supermarket bags and backpacks, stinking of campfire, dusty and dirty to their pristine reservation counter. After we had cleaned up pride made me go back down to the Reservation counter and parade up and down just so they could see we were human after all !!
I won't write about Las Vegas – it is a place everyone should visit once in their lifetime – it is totally unreal.
Grand Canyon West Rim
Having nursed our car up and down mountains we decided to pay for a flight to the Grand Canyon, helicopter ride to the canyon floor and pontoon ride down the river rather than drive the 400 miles, camp in the heat and face the crowds. Our extravagant expensive trip seem doomed from the start –the bus was 40 mins late picking us up from our hotel. The flight gave us spectacular views of Hoover Dam and the land alongside the rim – we were in the back seat of a 12 seater, the door didn’t close properly and we were surrounded by exhaust fumes whilst the plane was taxiing – I felt very ill during the flight and dreaded the return one. When we arrived at the tiny airport in the middle of the Indian Reservation an unexpected thunderstorm hit with large hailstones. The storm lasted over an hour and our helicopter flight was cancelled. With the time left we were advised to hop on the bus that takes you to 3 vantage points – the “airwalk” was the first. Whilst we didn’t go on the airwalk the views around were wonderful and no restrictions as to how close to the edge we could get for our “special” photo. There is a mock village with different styles of tee pees. The entertainment – Indian tribal dances – did not happen – apparently they just went home !! The second view point had a short walk to the top of a rock formation where once again you could peer downwards. The canyon is spectacular but I personally found it too large – for me it was a case of “of yes there it is, now what do we do????” I longed for hikes to really experience the grandeur without crowds.
Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire is a State Park between Las Vegas and Zion National Park. “State Park” appears to mean (by my limited experience) clean restrooms with showers. It is a very small park along a patchy green valley floor scattered with red sandstone formations – very dramatic and beautiful. Once again the temperatures reach well over 100 degrees in summer.
Our camp site was set in the most scenic area of the park – the area usually reserved for walking trails only and campers relegated to the back blocks. We pitched the tent under the shade of massive flame orange rocks. We only spent one night in the park but certainly viewed (and took pictures) of all the impressive rock formations and stunning colors.
Zion National Park
Zion National Park was originally called Mukuntuweap by the local Indians. When the first Mormon explorers arrived in the valley they changed the name to Zion. Many of the famous rock formations were named by Methodist Ministers: Altar of Sacrifice, Angels Landing, The Great White Throne etc.
The Park is accessed by shuttle bus only – there is only one narrow, winding road up into the park so by using the shuttle it prevents traffic jams, makes crossing roads safer and is more environmentally friendly. The shuttles are run from dawn to after dark – every 6 mins or so – very efficient, always one when you want it and a great way to see the park. After we arrived we thought we would take the 90 min shuttle ride to sit in air conditioning and cool down – humm – I was worried when I saw a bus go past with a multitude of windows open on top like the spikes down a dinosaur's back. That was their form of air conditioning !!! Very disappointed !! The system worked unless you had someone in the seat in front of you who was camping (ie no showers) and walked or rock climbed for most of the day – the breeze brushing past them to you was enough to knock you out. You had to be careful where you sat. We got off and went for a walk to Temple of Sinawava. A beautiful damp walk along a fast running river surrounded by towering rocks. So peaceful (if you ignored the crowds). We found a little beach and went paddling. Returned to our camp when the sun had set.
Before we arrive we obtain information on the Park and research the campgrounds and hikes in the area. One hike in Zion that particularly interested Don was called Angels Landing. I was dubious as it purported to be a very difficult walk with narrow unprotected paths with sheer drop-offs. “not for anyone fearful of heights, ends at summit high above the canyon, last 0.5mile follows steep narrow ridge, chains have been added” !!!!
We got up early and began our steep incline to Angels Landing. It was up, up and then more up. Steep switchbacks (known as Wally’s Wiggles after the park superintendent who designed 21 Switchbacks cut into the cliff) and then a walk along the spine of outcrop then more climbing – this part was so narrow and steep that the Parks had installed a chain to hang on to. We often had to give way to those who found the height too much and were attempting to return to lower levels.
Along the way we were surprised to find a bride complete with wedding dress – the couple had passed us earlier and I thought how strange they looked together –she anorexic looking and he with bow legs and pigeon feet but a tall man. Anyway they were married a year ago and are taking their “Australian” designed dress around the world taking photos along the way. The company were so happy with the promotion they supplied another 5 dresses of the same design. Anyone interested in checking them out - www.twofeetgallery.com and go to One Dress, One Woman, One World. Some of the photos are spectacular.
Angels Landing was a hair raising hike and many times I thought it was time for me to turn around but I did make it to the top – Don loved every bit of it of course – he is a human fly. We met a lecturer from Perth Uni whilst up there and he told us about the best walks in Bryce Canyon National Park, where we were heading next. The top had great views and an entertaining squirrel – they beg for food and look very cute but their bites are known to require stitches. Coming down was more difficult – you could see so far down that people looked like ants – sheer drop offs and the only thing keeping you plastered to the rock was fear and the tight grip on the chain. One man lost the plot and his family were trying to get him down, the poor fellow was shaking badly, hugging the rock whilst uncaring pushy people were trying to force their way past – I was getting mad at them. We blocked their way and allowed him his own time – it was slow and I had more time than I wanted to look down but he made it safely and that’s what counts.
The following day we took the shuttle and checked out all the other spots with short walks (suffering in silence – well near silence - from my efforts of the previous day).
A fast flowing cold river bordered the campground – it was back to the stream to soak tired feet, read a while, dinner and hit the sack. We tend to go to bed with the setting of the sun and rise before the sun – getting an early start is important as you need the cool of the early morning for hikes and our car !!
Packed up camp to head for Bryce Canyon NP. We went through the 1 mile long tunnel cut through the mountain in the 1930’s. If an RV or truck needs to go through the tunnel they have to delay traffic and make it one way while they transit up the middle of the road as it is U shaped and they would not fit on a single side. Luckily we got through early with no delays. We took a short walk just after the tunnel which gave a spectacular valley overlook. Then a stop at the well known Checkerboard Mesa.
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon State Park features scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations. The park is located where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada converges with the El Paso Range. Each tributary canyon is unique, with dramatic shapes and vivid colors.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Tue Jul 7th
On the road we eventually found a supermarket open and with the hope that our next stop, Bryce Canyon, will be cooler due to the higher elevation we took a chance and bought margarine, sour cream and fruit juice – what a luxury (oh and beer of course!).
At Bryce Canyon National Park erosion forms an array of fantastic shapes called hoodoos (hoodoo means to cast a spell). The Prairie Dog is a resident and an endangered species – of course we made it our mission to see one of these cute little rodents (actually not a dog at all but still cute). We did manage to see a few. We camped at the Sunset campground – quite crowded but nice sites under shady fir trees. After setting up camp we walked out to road to catch the shuttle loop. Just did the loop in the bus to get a feel for the place and then to visitors center so Lee could have a snooze in the cool while the 22 minute video played.
Wed Jul 8th
Lee got up early to get sunrise photos at Sunrise Pt – couldn’t raise the old fella especially when she told him the time was 4:45am (and he was still asleep when I returned !!!).
Went for a morning drive out to Bryce Pt – furthest point south you can drive to. Was cool and windy. Stopped at all the view points on the way back, mostly vacant at that time of morning until we decided to cook breakfast (porridge & coffee on portable stove) at one of the lookouts when a busload of Argentinian tourists arrived – they spent more time getting on and off the bus than viewing the panorama and at least half of them used the stop to smoke cigarettes !
That afternoon we hiked the Queen Victoria Gardens/Navajo loop which is supposed to be one of the best and not too long – about 3miles. Great for photos as this was our first venture down from the rim. When you walk down and around the hoodoos you really appreciate their massive size. Went for a welcomed $2/5min shower after the hike.
Baked potatoes and chilli beans for tea cooked in the fireplace – yum – with lots of sour cream –a little sourer than when first purchased !
Thu Jul 9th
Hit the trail at 7:45 to do the Fairyland loop trail – starting at Sunrise point. Was a great trail – managed to take 80 photos without really trying. Was just over 9 miles total with a lot of up and down – staggered into the store at the end of trail nearly 5 hrs later tongues hanging out for ice-cream and beer/coffee.
Hiking here is more strenuous than it would seem due to the high altitude – most of the park is between 8000-9000’ but also has the advantage of much cooler weather than the lower areas nearby. Daytime temps around 90 lows overnight down to 40’s so much nicer for sleeping. We went over to the rim (Sunset Point) for sunset photos.
Lee managed to steal the leftover firewood from our vacated neighbors just before the new occupants arrived (2 motor cyclists – so now feels guilty !). I got dinner duty – tuna mornay and baked spuds – sounds strange but after a long walk anything will taste good!!
This place is mesmerizing – the hoodoos change color with the sun/moon, at times appearing translucent, other times flaming red or soft pink and cream. Each place we visit I declare to be my favorite and this was definitely my favorite of all.
Glen Canyon
Yet another wonderful place to visit and very different from the others. Lake Powell is one of the main features. This lake was made by damming part of the Colorado River. It was very hot (as usual) so Don and I hurriedly parked the car and rushed down to the waters edge. We had been given instructions by the visitor’s center of where to swim – basically where the houseboats won’t run over you. The water is muddy and the shoreline has many tumbleweeds in it – we were scoured clean whilst swimming. The houseboats were everywhere – always several on the beach with people leaving and others waiting to take possession. A huge line of anchored houseboats on the far side – all almost touching – what a holiday !!! Not my idea of fun. We decided not to stay in the local very expensive hot windy (no trees or grass) campgrounds and took the last ferry across the lake – there we saw more houseboats rafted up – what are these people thinking or am I just unsociable.
Antelope Canyon and Rainbow Arch (only accessible via water) are two popular attractions we were sorry to miss. The park is large and we were hot and tired and wanted some elevation which comes with cooler temperatures. I think our bodies had over boiled too often (like our car) and had lost their capabilities to cope with the heat.
Hovenweep National Monument
On our way to Natural Bridges Don saw a sign to Hovenweep National Monument and decided that it must be something worthwhile to see. I had my doubts – we were in the middle of nowhere, this was not the in direction we needed to go but go we did. Hovenweep is part of the National Park Service and holds many archeological sites where ancestors of the Pueblo Indian Tribe lived. No one had lived here for over 700 years and the buildings left behind are still in excellent condition. Many dwellings stood on the canyon rim. Why these people left this site will never be known but thoughts tend to a drought so great that their agriculture failed, seeps and springs stopped flowing and there was little food to be found. We checked out the campsite but found we were not particularly interested in putting up our tent on a hot gravel site without water, toilet and not a tree in sight so on we went towards Natural Bridges.
Natural Bridges
We arrived at Natural Bridges campground early evening but found all of the 13 campsites taken. We drove out of the Park and found an existing campsite down the road and had a beautiful site to ourselves. “Disperse camping” is allowed on National Forest land – this means using an existing site not making a new one. This camping is strongly discouraged but we found it great on many occasions – it is nice to camp under the stars without the crowds.
In 1883 prospector Cass Hite wandered up White Canyon from his base camp along the Colorado River in search of gold. He found instead three magnificent bridges that water had sculpted from stone. The National Parks has made trails through the area allowing public access. The Park was expanded to protect some nearby Puebloan structures. These are rock buildings built into crevices down the canyon wall – we were to see many more of these amazing structures at Mesa Verde. The Park is small and we were able to complete all of the shorter walks – we did walk down to two bridges – their immense size can only be appreciated by viewing them from their base.
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde received international recognition as both a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. The site preserves over 4,500 archeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings. It was the cliff dwellings that fascinated us.
Ancestral Pueblo people made this area their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Using nature to advantage, they built their dwellings beneath the overhanging cliffs. Their basic construction material was sandstone shaped into rectangular blocks about the size of a loaf of bread. The mortar between the blocks was a mixture of dirt and water. Rooms averaged about 6’ x 8’. Smaller rooms in the rear and on upper levels were generally used for storing crops.
In the late 1200’s the Pueblo people left their home and moved away. Despite decades of excavation, analysis, classification and comparison the reason for their departure remains a mystery.
As usual our pathway into this National Park was difficult – the car overheated half way up the steep mountainside and we were in our usual position with the bonnet up allowing the engine to cool down when the Ranger stopped and asked if we required help. He explained that they particularly didn’t like people stopping where we were as the side of the mountain was very unstable and a rock had tumbled down, through the window of a van that had stopped in a nearby position and actually killed a little girl sitting inside. The Ranger told us to keep our windows wound up and move on as soon as possible. How horrible !!
The Park consists of two Mesas, Chapin and Wetherill. Both have amazing cliff dwellings in a remarkable state of preservation (with the exception of safety reinforcements which cannot be seen). Whilst many of the dwellings were available as a self guided tour, two of the more extensive dwellings were available only via a Ranger led tour. The first of these two was Cliff Palace which is the largest cliff dwelling. The one hour tour involved descending uneven stone steps and climbing 5 ladders for a 100ft vertical climb (the only way out).
The second was Balcony House and only for the fit and slim!!! The one hour tour involved climbing a 32ft ladder, crawling through a 12ft long tunnel, climbing up a 60ft open cliff face with stone steps and two 10ft ladders to exit the site. We did have a laugh at a few of the larger members of our group trying to squeeze sideways through the very narrow tunnel – I can’t imagine how they thought they were going to fit through when given the dimensions by the Ranger prior to the beginning of the tour.
Monument Valley Tribal Park
Monument Valley is located on the northern Arizona border and southern Utah border and is part of the Colorado Plateau. The Park is regarded as one of the scenic wonders of the world and is controlled by the Navajo Indian Tribe who call it Tse’ Bii’Ndizisgai or Valley of the Rocks. It offers spectacular buttes, mesas, canyons and free standing rock formations. These structures were created from material eroded from the early Rocky Mountains.
We could see the main structures of Monument Valley in the distance as we drove the long straight road towards the Valley. Incredible Monuments standing straight, very red against the blue sky background. Fortunately for us we did see most of the Valley whilst driving to the entrance. We decided to go into the actual Park to see the Monuments close up, there is a feel or ambience that surrounds these special places and I wanted to experience that. The small fee the Indians charge for entry goes towards upgrades and improvements. There is a world class hotel on site with all amenities. The only drawback is the many locals who offer their beat up old trucks with metal seats in the tray as a means of transport around the circular drive through the monuments. The drive is approximately 12 miles. These people hound you from the moment you park – you are allowed to drive you own car around and from what we read the road was rough but ok for normal cars if you go slow and choose your path. We began our journey along the road and was rather horrified by the introduction – a steep downhill with massive potholes, sandy, slippery with cars going in every directions trying to either go down or come back up. The visitors who choose to be driven in an open truck often had hankies at their mouths, look dusty, tired and not at all happy – they had been bumped around for over an hour with constant dust from other vehicles thrown over their designer clothes. (he he) why would you come to a place as remote as this wearing white skirts and designer tops with high heels – some people have
no idea!!!
They had the last laugh though – we had to go at the great rate of 1-3 miles an hour because of the bad road (apparently the locals fought against an upgrade to ensure their livelihood) and our car did its normal thing and overheated. We parked off the road for ½ an hour while it cooled down, the heat was disgusting, we ate hot nectarines, drank near boiling water and generally sweltered. When the car cooled we decided to give the drive a miss and headed out – we achieved 1 mile out of the 12!!
Grand Canyon
After bush camping many miles outside the park the previous night, we were lucky enough to get a cancelled campsite inside the Park adjacent to the South Rim. These sites are usually booked out 6 months in advance.
We hiked the rim and ventured part way down in to the Canyon. After having walked down for an hour, realizing it was going to take us 2 hours to get back up 500ft of the 5000ft to the Colorado River, using a helicopter to get to the bottom and back seemed like a sensible idea. With that in mind we contacted the tour company and rebooked our helicopter and boat ride. Prior to leaving for the West Rim we did the tourist thing and fought for a position at Sunset Point to take the spectacular shots one sees in the brochures. We did the same for sunrise – only did not have to vie for a good spot as at 5am only the very keen were up and about.
We drove to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon – it was a long and hot drive and we were both wishing our first visit had not been washed out. The tour company was excellent and we were on a helicopter within minutes. As we were the only ones on the ride down to the canyon floor we were able to take turns in the front seat next to the pilot – an option usually offered for an extra $50. It was scary as land disappeared and the flight took us down the side of the canyon to the floor. Our boat was waiting for us when we arrived and we had the most enthusiastic driver imaginable. He sprouted all sorts of facts and figures and talked non-stop – it was a pity his strong asian ties meant we couldn’t understand very much of what he said. He insisted on taking many photos of us with beautiful scenes in the background and no matter how many times we said no that simply wasn’t to be. I think he thought the number of photos depicted the number of dollars contained in his gratuity.
Devils Post Pile
We coaxed our car up the mountain sides to a place called Mammoth Lakes. This place claims to be “California’s premier mountain resort”. It may well be as in winter it is a beautiful ski resort – a town with all amenities, all types of accommodation and offers a shuttle up the mountain for skiing and other activities. What fascinated me about this place is that during summer it is very popular as some enterprising person has turned it into a mountain bike trail area. The normal ski runs are now taken over with mountain bikes – the ski hire shops now have bikes, safety helmets, full body suits with protection on elbows and knees – some riders look like Darth Vader upon leaving the store rooms. The different level of trails are now marked out for bikes and graded according to the riders skill level in a similar way to the ski runs.
We stopped in at the Visitor Information Center and asked very specific questions about the road to Devils Post Pile including elevation and gradient – we wanted to make sure our car would survive the trip. The young and dizzy female ranger answered our questions vaguely and incorrectly. She obviously did not understand the delicate nature of our car even though we explained it. She told us no problems because it is downhill all the way (wouldn’t that mean it’s all uphill on the way out ?). She said the elevation difference was only 300’ from where we were but neglected to mention that it included going down 1000’ and then up 700’ ! We had the option of a shuttle bus that left in the morning and returned at night – knowing what we know now that would have been the better option!!!
We climbed up and up and up (to reach Mammoth Mountain) and arrived steaming. We went for coffee while the car lost its coolant over the road, refilled and off we went again. Once we went through the Ranger station there was no turning back – the road was extremely steep, winding and narrow – all going down and down and down. The whole time we were dreading the climb back up! We arrived in a hot steamy mass, parked the car and did not move it again until the next morning.
Devils Postpile is an incredible formation of columnar basalt. As basalt lava erupts from volcanic vents and cools, it shrinks and then cracks. Sometimes vertical columns form as in this case. The symmetrical vertical and hexagonal columns are 60ft high – some have cracked and fallen as a result of erosion and earthquakes. Rainbow falls is also incorporated in this Park – a 101 ft waterfall over a cliff of volcanic rock. Rainbows sparkle in the mist rising from the rocks below the falls.
After hiking around the Park we went to bed very early as we planned to be in the car and up the long steep road before the normal traffic and before the sun rose and the heat began for the day. After all our worrying we made it out of Devils Postpile without causing a traffic jam.
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park with over 3 million visitors every year (mostly during summer when we were there) is one of the most visited places in the US and for good reason – there is natural beauty in every direction. The four geographic areas contained within the Park - high sierra, granite cliffs, sequoia groves and valley ensure an amazing diversity. The Merced river flows through Yosemite valley.
The very existence of great cliffs like Half Dome and El Capitan has inspired questions about how they came to be. American Indians tell of a woman and her husband who argued and fought. The displeased spirits changed them into stone, Half Dome and North Dome, forever to face each other across the Valley. I think there may be a lesson to be learned in that!!! In 1868 a Yosemite guidebook declared “the summit of Half Dome will never be trodden by human foot”. It was taken as a challenge. George Anderson reached the top in 1875 – followed by many others.
El Capitan is a 3,000-foot (910m) vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.
The formation was named "El Capitan" by theMariposa Battalion when it explored the valley in 1851. El Capitan ("the captain", "the chief") was taken to be a loose Spanish translation of the local Native American name for the cliff. The top of El Capitan can be reached by hiking out of on the trail next to Yosemite Falls, then proceeding west. For climbers, the challenge is to climb up the sheer granite face; there are dozens of named climbing routes, all of them long and difficult.
Wayne Merry, Fresno resident George Whitmore and Warren J. Harding, who took 47 days in1957 and 1958 to climb El Capitan's so-called "Nose Route." Theirs was a full-blown siege, complete with sizable support crew, fixed ropes and established camps along the vertical way. Today, climbers can race up the same route in two or three days. Some daredevils have done it in one; in July, two climbers did the Nose Route in two hours and 43 minutes.
We crossed the Sierra Nevada mountain range into Yosemite via the Tioga Pass entrance. We didn’t want the crowds nor the touristy village scene so we camped just past the summit of the pass (9945') in Porcupine Flats beside a rushing creek (great for keeping beer cold). We were delighted to watch a family of marmots next to our campsite – the dad sitting up on his hind legs keeping watch while 3 babies tumbled over each other in play.
After exploring the area including a hike to “Dog Lake” we descended 5000' down to the village.
Yosemite Village has everything a tourist could want, museums, restaurants, hotels, cafés, a supermarket, bike and canoe hire etc. It is a very busy place with private cars, shuttle buses and tour groups. There are many spectacular views right in the village area including Yosemite Falls – the tallest falls in North America (2425'). The famous Bridal Veil falls are within a short walk to a spectacular waterfall. The sheer granite cliffs are visible everywhere you go as you follow the cool waters of the Merced river running through the lush forest floor.
To get a campsite we had to enter a draw for the very few campsites that become available day to day. Most people book their campsite months (or sometimes years) in advance. We had to be at the Rangers office at 3pm sharp when they read out the names if you weren't there to answer the call you miss out and they go to the next name on the list.
Our campground was quite picturesque by the river among huge Douglas Fir trees but with so many campsites crammed into the area and so many SUV's and RV's it felt more like camping in a parking lot. Surprisingly they allow every campsite to have a campfire (in a fire ring and byo wood) so it was also quite smoky and then many of the RV's have gensets to keep the beer cold and power the dishwasher etc. Most US National parks allow you to bring your pets with you and it was quite amusing to see a number of campsites with separate little tents for Fido ! Even with all the water running through the park there are no showers provided in the campgrounds. If you want a shower you have to go to one of the hotels where you can get a 3 minute hot shower for $2 ! A swim in the river made do for us though getting completely immersed in the frigid waters took some time for the wimps among us.
A tip to enjoy the hiking trails near the village is to get out early before the crowds otherwise it is like battling your way down the sidewalk of a city street which doesn't really enhance the atmosphere and enjoyment in such a beautiful place. We got started on the trail to Vernal falls nice and early. The last 1 ½ miles of the trail leading to the top of the falls is very steep with lots of switchbacks making its way through the mist from the falls. With the early morning light shining through the mist it felt and looked like we were ascending into the realm of the gods.
Despite the crowds at Yosemite the sheer beauty of it leaves a lasting impression and it certainly lived up to its reputation.
Return to San Francisco
The red car was by this time weary of mountains and high altitudes and was looking forward to getting back to sea level. It was only a few hundred miles and a day's drive for us to get back to the boat. However the last big climb out of Yosemite Valley before the long easy descent to the coast proved to much for her ! She boiled over in spectacular fashion in clouds of steam and gurgling boiling water. We thought it would be the usual hour wait to let her cool down, fill up the radiator and off we go again. However after getting over the summit and beginning out descent there were a couple of small hills and on the next uphill we were redlining the temp gauge once again. After refilling we discovered that the radiator tank had a split in it. Fortunately it was near to the top so we could get a fair bit of water into it, but as you can imagine it was a slow trip with frequent stops to fill the radiator and fill the water jugs. If the grade was down or flat and we kept moving it was ok and we thought once we were on the freeway we would be right – but roadworks and banked up traffic foiled those plans. By 10pm with only 60 miles to go the sight of a cheap (and air conditioned) motel was too good to pass up. A not too early start the next morning with full water bottles to miss any peak hour traffic slow ups was the plan and it nearly worked. We managed to negotiate the freeway maze through Oakland without any muck ups (thanks also to GPS routing) and could see the Bay Bridge in the distance which is just next to the marina. But oh no the traffic is slowing the temp gauge is going up quickly. We were only 500 yards from our exit ramp when the traffic came to a standstill and of course at this point there was no emergency lane to pull into – we were stuck in traffic. So we turned off the engine while we were stopped – but that also means no fan so the engine gets hotter anyway. Then the traffic moves forward a couple of car lengths – only 400yds to go and we could coast down the exit. On the next move the engine stops and now won't even turn over (we are hoping not for good). The traffic is now moving again but not us, so on with the hazard lights and Don has to get out the passenger side to avoid being run over and try to get some water into the radiator. Just as he is getting the hood up a police car seems to appear from nowhere. Oh oh whats going to happen now. The police officer was friendly and sympathetic but wanted to get us off the road asap with the traffic building up behind us and everyone trying to get out of our lane around us. He said he would push us from behind with the big heavy duty front bumper on his patrol car. He would push us along for a hundred yards or so then we could coast down the off ramp and there was a gravel area at the bottom where we could pull over and let the engine cool down. It sounded good and we were keen to get off that freeway. So into neutral and he comes up behind – foot off the brake and he starts to push nice and gently at first then a bit faster then a bit faster, we are starting to go downhill now so I thought he would ease off – but no he is still accelerating us faster and faster - it felt like we were in a slingshot – we must have been doing 60mph now and at last he let us go. It was getting a bit scary by then with no power steering on a front wheel drive. No power brakes either so we shot way past the gravel area we were supposed to pull off onto, eventually pulling off just before the emergency lane ran out again ! The cop zooms past with a friendly wave and a shake of head. Must have thought we were down and outs from Washington state with our very dusty car and camping gear and dirty clothes strewn about on the back seat of the car. It was good to be out of the traffic- out with our books again to sit and wait for the engine to cool hoping it was not seized for good with less than 1 mile to get home. To our relief she fired up again after cooling down and we limped back to the marina car park glad to get back to our floating home.
