From the Colorado Mountains to the Shadow of Zion

Day 17 Saturday July 21

Little Molas Lake, near Silverton, Colorado.
We packed up all our stuff which took a little longer since it was still a little wet. But it dried quickly in the sun. We had breakfast and said our goodbyes. What a little treasure we stumbled upon, everything happens for a reason. We weren't meant to stay at the big lake. It was nice to spend a few days in the same spot, and the views were spectacular.

 We headed down to Durango, only 50 miles away, time to stay in a hotel. We needed showers, laundry, cell signal, wifi, and stock up on supplies. When driving across country like this you really have to take advantage when you get the chance to stock up on things because you never know how long it's going to be till the next stop. Since we were in one spot for 3 days, we were all out of drinking water and we carry a 5 gallon container. We could of drove 10 miles down to the nearest town to get a few things but it was in the opposite direction to where we were heading and it meant going down the mountain and then back up. You might not think it's a big deal but when your climbing at 13.9% grade slope upto 11,000ft it's not for the faint at heart.

I was very excited to find a Natural Grocers equivalent to Whole Foods, only smaller but so much cheaper!
We also stopped off at a farm for some homemade cheese. It was so nice,
they had a cafe with outside picnic area, located down by a river with views of the mountains.
Really cute town with plenty to do.

Day 18 Sunday July 22nd

It took a while to load up the car but we finally hit the road.

So this is where we made a few changes to our trip plan. Originally we were going to take 2 weeks to drive up to Montana, heading north after Colorado, but Jorge really wants to visit some National Parks in Utah. Which means driving all the way to the southwestern tip of Colorado, into Utah. But then if we're going that far South, well,  we're so close to the Grand Canyon… But if we go to the Grand Canyon, we're so close to Las Vegas! That's the beauty of unplanned roadtrips.

 Just so that you understand we don't really plan, we wait till we get in the car and then look at the map and decide which route to take. We have an idea of where we want to go, and head that direction. We don't book anything ahead, we wait until late afternoon and see where we are at and then start looking at our options. Jorge goes out to do his thing, he talks to a few people and gets the low down of all the cool places. It's all part of the adventure.

We drove through a small town called Mancos, and at the recommendation of someone we met along the way, stopped off at the Bakery. It was just closing as we got there and the owner was kind enough to serve us anyway. We tried a few different baked goods that were yummy.

We stopped off at Mesa Verde National Park, where the girls became Junior Rangers. If you get a chance to check out the Ruins at Mesa Verde you should.

                                 

The people of the region lived in homes cut out of the very sides of the canyons themselves. We hiked to a section called the Spruce Tree House and visited several ruins. The kids even got to climb down into some of the homes and religious centers called Kivas.

                                  

While on the way back from the trail we saw that our trail hooked up with another trail called the PETROGLYPH trail. This made Jorge curious and we were off on another adventure. Next thing we know we are scrambling up the side of a canyon, sliding through openings not fit for humans, and skirting around large rock formations trying to squeeze through the trail. It was the coolest thing we have done to date. Unfortunately we had the dog in the car, it was getting late, and we did not have nearly enough food or water to make the 4 hour round trip, perhaps another time.

                                          



Tip: For those who don't know, at most National Parks, if you go to the Visitor’s Center you can ask for the Junior Ranger books. The kids have to complete a bunch of age appropriate activities while learning about the park. Once completed, they turn it in and get sworn in by a Ranger as well as receive a special Junior Ranger Badge. It gives them a great sense of accomplishment and gives them a subtle learning experience.

Also, the National Park Annual Family Pass is only $80(totally worth it). What you may not know is that you can actually share the pass with another family (you can name another person on the card).

It was pretty late after leaving the park, we ate dinner on the go.  We were going to keep driving but didn't want to miss anything. So we drove to the next town of Cortez, where we spent the night.


Day 19 Monday July 23rd

Today we got an early start, ready for a long day of driving.
We drove through Monument Valley, a very hot desert region with lots of cool rock formations. This area is the quintessential scenery we have all grown up with when we think about the old west and remember old western films.


                                     

After that, we drove most of the day through Navajo Indian Reservation land.

Not much going on, wish we had more info on what to look for because it all just looked so barren, I’m sure we missed something.
We also drove through and saw Mexican Hat, a large flat stone precariously balanced on a smaller stone pinnacle. Pretty cool.

The destination today was supposed to be the Grand Canyon and we had to choose between the South Rim and the North.

Tip: The North Rim of the Grand Canyon gets only 1/10th of the visitors compared with the South Rim, and the views are just as beautiful. It is closed in the winter though, so check the dates before going.

So, like the Civil War…The North Won!
On our way to Grand Canyon we drove through Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.

                                       

 We also stopped off at an area called Cliff Dwellers where we had the chance to see and play in some stone shelters made from huge fallen boulders, really neat.

                                                



                                     


We made it to an area called Jacob Lake, just outside of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, where we set up camp for the next 2 nights. It would take us 45 miles to get to the park the next day, but we could not take a chance this late in the day and drive to the closer campsites as they might be full.

We settled in and went to bed quite early, but it stormed through the night. It wasn't bad, but a little bit of wind woke us up abruptly around 3am when 2 sides of the tent caved in! Jorge & I both got up and held the sides for the longest 5 minutes ever! Fortuantely, it wasn't really cold, maybe 50's and we didn't get any leaks. Turns out we just needed to reinforce the guy lines from the rain fly and that was that.

Day 20 Tuesday July 24th

Today we woke up early, had breakfast, and drove 45 miles into the Park. We saw several Mule deer on the way in. We spent the whole day in the park. First we went to the Visitor’s Center and got maps, while the girls got their Junior Ranger books. Then we took a short hike up the Bright Angel Trail for some spectacular views of the Grand Canyon. The hike was a little steep, but the views were worth it, even though it was an overcast day.











After that we had our packed lunch and headed over to the lodge for a Junior Ranger Program about geology and the formation of the Grand Canyon. There the kids got their Junior Ranger badges and we were off to do some scenic drives.

 On the way out we ran into an astronomer who had a solar telescope set up and we got the chance to see some solar flares as they shot off the Sun. Some of the flares were 10 x as big as the earth! It seems we are approaching a very active time (the next few years) for the Sun. A time when we will be able to see some pretty amazing things. I believe it’s called Solar Maximum.

A few minutes later we chose the Cape Royal drive and it led us to several great views. Vista Encantada particularly stands out, along with the Angel’s Window. Both should not be missed.


                               

While there we got some great shots of the Cape during "Magic Hour" which always seems to make every picture look cooler.

                               

For those who don’t know, Magic Hour is the period of time just before the Sun goes down that seems to bring out the most amazing colors and hues in everything you photograph.
           
                                 

An hour or so later we went back to the Lodge, had a pizza dinner, and attended a Star gazing session where we got to see Saturn in all it's glory(totally amazing), along with a Nebulae, as well as the surface of the Moon. All while eating pizza. Did I mention we were sitting on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon? Way too cool.

On the drive back to camp the girls slept while the adults got to see several deer, even some bucks, as well as some bats. Over all a great day.


Day 21 Wednesday July 25th

We woke up early, packed up and hit the road. Not a far drive today. But heading to Zion National Park, in Utah was one of the most rewarding drives we have taken. Wow, what a drive through the Park. 

  

We entered from the east side, which is usually how most people exit the park. Every few hundred yards one of us was shouting to stop the car. Everyone would jump out and stare in awe at the contours of the surrounding mountains. The rock formed some symmetrical waves that spread throughout the rock face. It almost looked as if the waters that carved the rock long ago were still there, tracing every line along the rock.

                                   

The girls found one particular spot and shot out of the car to explore. Jorge followed and soon he was coaxed into doing some crazy jump across a small gorge.

                                                    

Mind you, the children had completed the same jump just seconds before, so it was not a stretch to think Jorge would follow. Once on the other side they discovered a tunnel that led to the other side of the road. So the exploring continued.

                                            

Funny thing was few minutes after they had finished we saw a large group of older teen boys and men who had just repelled the canyon beyond the area where the girls and Jorge had jumped. When the boys reached the gorge, the one our kids jumped, they couldn’t do it and choose to wade across by jumping in the water below. So, Jorge yelled out and told them that his girls had made the jump; suddenly every other boy decided they would jump too. Funny how easy guys can be manipulated.

We continued taking in every little spot we could. The beauty surrounding us in the canyons was amazing. Then we reached “The Tunnel”, an incredible feat of human engineering. Carved right out of the surrounding Canyon and through the mountains, this incredibly long tunnel was also filled with windows that gave way to spectacular views of the canyon below. Amazing!

                               

The land continued to share its arid yet gorgeous landscape and then we saw it, a luscious river flowing under the Zion Lodge Bridge. It didn’t take long before the entire family was swimming in the river. The girls had a great time as they let the current carry them along the banks. Even the Dog had a bit of a dip.

By the time we reached the Visitor’s Center on the other side of the park it was getting late. We decided to spend a few nights in Zion so we prepaid and set up our tent. We looked over the potential trails for the next day. Jorge wanted to do some strenuous trails, while I suggested some easy ones. We will see what the day brings.

Day 22 Thursday July 26th

We woke up early and took the dog to a Kennel just outside of the park in the town of Springdale. Pets are only allowed on one of the trails in the park and unfortunately it is not one of the trails we wanted to do. It was a little tough on some of us leaving the dog!

We went to the Visitor’s Center and got the kids Junior Ranger books. Then took one of the many shuttle buses that lead to the inner canyons of the park. No personal vehicles are allowed in due to the sensitive nature of the land.

We rode the shuttle to the end of the line, to an area called The Temple of Sinawava. There we would do the Easy Riverwalk Trail. That was the good news. The bad news was that the end of the Riverwalk Trail was the beginning of The Narrows Trail, one of the strenuous trails that Jorge wanted to take.
The River trail is an easy hike of about 1 1/2 hrs round trip. The Narrows is an 8 hr round trip hike that takes place mostly in the river itself! Jorge and the girls were begging to do this trail, but I was not excited about it. Until I saw it.

It was the most amazing hike we have ever done as a family! The start was intimidating, and most people turned around once faced with the first challenge. A deep section of water at the center of the canyon that was waist deep or deeper for most adults and shoulder deep for the kids. Jorge carried Sophie in a backpack, and only the bottom of the pack got a little wet. He also carried all of the girls’ backpacks on a big hiking stick he picked up along the way.  I carried all the camera stuff and carried my pack high on the front of my chest. What a thrill it was!!  Everyone just wanted to keep going after this. It was a beautiful day, with a high temp of 103 F, fortunately we started early so it wasn't too hot in the canyon, but later in the day when it got hot, it didn't feel too bad because of the cold river water.

Coming back was faster than we thought so we did another short hike to the  Emerald pools, but it was such a disappointment after The Narrows.

                                               

                                      

We caught the shuttle back to the Visitor’s Center and then headed out to pick up Bella (the dog).

Once we got back to camp, we had nice refreshing and quick dinner. We found a Mule deer at our camp, who wasn't bothered by our presence.   


                                         

Then we went down to the amphitheater for a ranger talk, where the girls became Junior Rangers and even got a chance to throw some spears at a Deer Skin to see who could bring home the dinner for the family. FYI Abigail, Emily, Jessica, and Sophia all hit their targets with both spears. Go Girls. While Jorge missed both! 

After that, we saw some “Real” deer in the campground, they weren't shy, and we got pretty close, but no spears were involved and the only shots we took were with the camera.


                                    

It didn’t take long for everyone to collapse and get a great nights sleep, that is except for the adults whose air mattress collapsed in the middle of the night. Still, we were so tired that we slept right through until morning on the flat mattress.

Day 23,24,25 Friday,Saturday,Sunday July 27^th, 28^th, 29^th,

Reluctantly we left Zion, somehow knowing we would return someday and finish The Narrows hike all the way through. Our original intention was to surprise the girls with a trip to  Las Vegas for a few days just to break the monotony, but then we realized it was the weekend and the hotel prices are triple! So we decided to find a hotel in the town of St.George, Utah.
Perfect timing to get a room instead of a tent since tonight is the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games and we can always use a much needed catch up on showers, laundry, as well as charging all the electronic devices. And of course we always need to update the blog!

We also need a few things, primarily an air mattress and some provisions. Jorge and I have spent the last 2 nights on a deflated mattress! Jorge tried everything to find and repair the leak; he even submerged it in the swimming pool! But with no luck, so we have to buy a new one.
The weather here is extremely hot, in the 100's!!
Guess we will spend the weekend relaxing in the Hotel, watching the Olympics, and catching up on stuff. Next stop Monday is Las Vegas.