North Rim and Southern Utah- Part 2

In the morning, we ate breakfast, packed up and said our goodbyes at the North Rim campground. Ric and Jeanne were heading to the South Rim. Dave and Marty were heading home. We were heading to Tuweep.

Entering the Tuweep area

(Note: I took many photos and have posted some of them here. You can click the photos to see a larger version. If you would like to see more photos, they are available here: https://goo.gl/photos/MZFmQadpRWjFdtxF7)


Tuweep is a remote area in the northwest corner of Grand Canyon National Park. Tuweep means "earth" in the Paiute language and came to describe the area of white settlement and now Grand Canyon National Park surrounding Toroweap Overlook. Toroweap means "dry or barren valley." This broad, flat valley was formed by lava flowing from the Toroweap fault underlying the valley beginning about a million years ago.

Tuweep sits at about 4500 feet above sea level, about halfway between the North Rim and the Colorado River below. The area is reachable only by a rough, rocky road requiring a high clearance vehicle after driving about 70 miles on gravel. We had an overnight permit from the Park Service which allowed us to camp for two nights in the small campground near the end of the road. There is no water but there are composting toilets at the campground. We had been warned to bring tire patching equipment and not to expect service in the event of a breakdown. There is no cell service.

The rewards for braving the trip are stunning views of the canyon, volcanic desert scenery and very few people. We were looking forward to it after our time in the more populated North Rim area.

Tuweep Road

We reached the campground about 3 PM after negotiating the notorious rocky road without incident. It was not as bad as I was expecting from our research but it was probably the worst short stretch of road we have driven. Kathy did get out of the truck a few times to spot me over some particularly rough spots. We didn't even lose a mud flap, although I was expecting that to happen at several points.

We picked a spot in the campground and set up camp. There was time before dinner for a short hike so we decided to walk about a mile to the end of the road and see Toroweap Overlook. We were not disappointed.

 The plateau ends abruptly in a precipitous cliff that drops straight to the river below. We climbed around a bit before just sitting down to absorb the beauty and drama of the place. I enjoyed sitting on the edge of the cliff and watching the river thousands of feet below. I noticed some rafts on the river- tiny dots moving along. We could see rapids that looked like ripples on the surface of the muddy river. It was fun to watch the rafts move through the rapids, one by one.

Enjoying the view at Toroweap Overlook

Watching rafts in the river 3000 feet below

Another view of rapids and rafts in the river below

After spending some time at the overlook, we walked back to camp for dinner and the sunset. There were a few other people camped there but not nearby and we appreciated the solitude and quiet.

Campsite at Tuweep Campground

Burning bush at sundown

Sunset on Toroweap Bluff

The next day I was up in time to watch the sunrise. I love the warm first light of the sun on the landscape. I took lots of photos and got a few good ones.

 We made breakfast and discussed our plan for the day. We decided to hike the Tuckup Trail out to Tuckup Point, another overlook about 6 miles round trip across the desert, according to the park guide. We packed our water, some lunch and headed out, following the rock cairns marking the trail.

On our hike to Tuckup Point

The trail wound through the desert, providing interesting views of rocks and desert plants with which we were totally unfamiliar. I was surprised by the number of flowering plants and enjoyed taking photos of them.

We stopped to have lunch. The day was cool by desert standards but the October sun was intense. Finding shade was a challenge. The trail wound out and back around washes and smaller canyons. We were not certain how far it was to the overlook. I was motivated to reach the end, Kathy less so. She had recently had knee surgery. Although well healed, she was beginning to have some pain in her knee and was developing a blister on one toe. We came upon a rock outcropping that afforded shade and a place to sit.

Kathy opted to sit while I continued to the end of the trail. It only took me about an hour total, out and back, but it was too long for Kathy, who started to worry when I didn't return as soon as she thought I should have. To her credit, she stayed put. It turns out we had a misunderstanding about how long I would be gone. In hindsight, we should have established more clear time frames for my return. On my end, knowing Kathy was waiting, I pushed the pace of my walk and couldn't really enjoy the overlook as I might have if Kathy had been there too. It was a dumb decision to continue there by myself. In any event, I made it to the end, took a few photos and returned to Kathy.

Large cairn at Tuckup Point

View to the Colorado at Tuckup Point

I needed to rest a bit after my return, having pushed my pace. We discussed Kathy's discomfort with my absence and identified our lessons learned. Then we began our return hike to camp. We were both tired from the day's exertion and by the end of our hike we were rationing our water. It is clear we were not adapted to the desert and the altitude and were fortunate we did not have any mishaps. But all is well that ends well. It was an interesting hike and a good day with lessons learned.

We had dinner and enjoyed the evening light, watching the stars come out and the moon rise. The moon was only half full but amazingly bright. The next morning we would pack up and head for our next stop in this amazing landscape.

Moon rise over camp

We broke camp early and began our day's journey. After escaping the Tuweep road, we would travel back country roads through the Buckskin Mountains to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, passing the Vermillion Cliffs and the Cockscomb on our way to Kodachrome Basin State Park. It would prove to be a long day but a scenic one.

Sunrise at Tuweep

Jimson Weed along the road- flower made famous by Georgia O'keefe

We turned off the highway near Fredonia and headed cross country into the Kaibab National Forest.

The long road to nowhere

Vermillion Cliffs in the distance

Vermillion Cliffs. Photos do not convey the amazing colors

We climbed quickly up into the forest and had some nice long views to the Vermillion Cliffs. The roads were constantly crossed by small washes requiring us to slow our speed to bump over them. The road soon left the forest and returned down to the Coyote Valley. We came to a trailhead for a hike to Wire Pass and the Buckskin Gulch. Buckskin Gulch is a photogenic narrow slot canyon in red sandstone. The large parking lot was full of cars and people. This was obviously a popular hike.

We were concerned with our time frame to reach Kodachrome Basin since we had a camping reservation. It seems always that every time we set a destination and a certain time to be somewhere, we are sorry we did, having to pass up places we wanted to explore. Maybe that's just the nature of life- there is never time to do everything. At any rate, we passed up the Wire Pass hike and continued on. In a short way, we came to another trailhead that was not crowded and we decided to stop for lunch. It turned out to be the outlet of Buckskin Gulch. We hiked up a short way and found a spot to eat our lunch. We got a sense of the Gulch and what we were missing on the Wire Pass hike.

Buckskin Gulch

Sandstone

More sandstone texture

Dried mud patterns in the canyon wash

Back in the truck, we continued on to the Cottonwood Canyon Road along the Cockscomb, a 20-mile long, multi-colored, jagged ridge of sandstone reminiscent of its namesake. Cottonwood Creek runs along the base of the Cockscomb to its confluence with the Paria River and we saw many people camping in the river bottoms. The scenery was fantastic. The road continued the pattern of crossing frequent washes requiring slow speed. It is apparent that after a rain the road becomes a muddy mess. Sections had deep ruts from people trying to get through when it was wet. There were clouds threatening rain and we were concerned for a time that we might get caught in a sea of mud. But the rain threat passed to the south and we enjoyed the trip through Cottonwood Canyon immensely.

Cottonwood Canyon Road views...

Eventually we came to Kodachrome Basin State Park. We checked in and went to find our campsite. It turned out to be less than ideal, but we made it work. It took all our leveling blocks to get the truck level on the driveway we were required to park on. On the plus side, there was a picnic table under a nice tree and the campground had nice views of the adjacent Bryce Canyon National Park. Also, the park had free showers with nice hot water- worth the price of admission. We had dinner, a nice campfire and went to bed.

The next day we explored Bryce Canyon National Park. Like all the other National Parks we had visited this trip it was crowded with people and tour buses. We decided to hike down into the canyon. This turned out to be a good decision as there were far fewer people and the views were great. We took about a 3 hour hike and enjoyed it very much.

Bryce Canyon views...

After Bryce we ventured out into the Dixie National Forest to find a place to camp. We saw the Pine Lake Campground on our map and headed there. We arrived late in the day to find one other party camped there. We found a nice secluded site in the stand of mature pines, paid the small fee and set up camp. After dinner we took a short walk to Pine Lake and enjoyed the sunset. There was a nice steel pedestrian bridge crossing a wash to get to the lake. I noticed a plaque on the bridge that said it was built in Alexandria, Minnesota. Go figure! Returning to camp we had another nice campfire and went to bed. As we were lying in bed, we both thought we heard wolves howling but shrugged it off, guessing they must be coyotes. But they sounded more like wolves. Are there wolves in the Dixie National Forest? Someone can let me know.

Our camp at Pine Lake

Pine Lake views...

The Pine Lake camp brought to a close our shared camping for this trip. The next day we had reserved a room in a hotel in St. George and the following day I would start my journey home, leaving Kathy in St. George for her tournament.

On the way to St. George, we passed through Zion National Park from the east, going through the tunnels. The road was very scenic but the traffic gave us a glimpse of what we would find when we reached the visitor center and park entrance. We had to wait at the tunnels. All the pull-outs and trailheads were filled with cars. As at all the other National Parks on this trip, Zion was packed with people. We circled the visitor center parking lot for a time before scoring a parking space. We decided to eat lunch at a picnic table and check out the visitor center displays. The photos and descriptions of hikes whetted my appetite. We discovered that the waiting time for a shuttle bus, which is the only way to enter the park, was exceeding 1 1/2 hours! We decided, as at the other parks, to leave a visit to Zion for a later trip.

Views from the road entering Zion National Park...

We pressed on to St. George and checked in at our hotel. Kathy got registered for the tournament and we went out to dinner. Back at the hotel, we did laundry and Kathy got herself organized for her stay in St. George. I pondered maps and possible routes back home.

My solo trip home will be the subject of the final part of this trip report.

http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-rim-and-southern-utah-part-1.html

http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-rim-and-southern-utah-part-3.html

North Rim and Southern Utah- Part 1

Our story begins 4 or 5 billion years ago...

Southern Utah contains the history of the earth's crust exposed: remnants of ancient seas, deserts, sand dunes, lakes, swamps, volcanic plains; turned into rock by time and uplifted and twisted together. Layers of rocks of every color and composition, cut by water and shaped by wind form a world of visual marvels. The scale of time and event is way beyond human experience. At night, the dark sky shows an endless stretch of stars into the center of the Milky Way and beyond, unfiltered by the light of man. The landscape compels contemplation of the cosmos and our place in it...

Zion National Park

(Note: I took many photos and have posted some of them here. You can click the photos to see a larger version. If you would like to see more photos, they are available here: https://goo.gl/photos/MZFmQadpRWjFdtxF7)


A couple of years ago, my older brother built a teardrop camper. This event generated a conversation about camping and the idea to meet somewhere midway between us (Oregon on one side and Minnesota on the other). It turns out Ric had never been to the Grand Canyon and lo and behold, it was nearly exactly equidistant from us both. Kathy plays volleyball in the Hunstman Senior Games, held in St. George, Utah every year. The Games occur in October. The timing would work well for a trip to combine exploring southern Utah and the Grand Canyon with the Games.

We hatched a plan to meet with our spouses at the North Rim for a mini- camping reunion.  On hearing of the plan, my younger brother Dave and his wife Marty joined in as well. The National Parks for the most part do not allow dogs and Rocky, at 12 years, is starting to have trouble jumping into the truck. As much as we love taking Rocky along, this trip he would stay home, cared for by friends and family.

We each planned independent routes to the North Rim. Our route would take us through the sand hills of Nebraska to a friend's house in Denver. From there to Arches National Park and a scenic route through southern Utah and the Arizona strip to the North Rim. After our reunion at the North Rim, Kathy and I planned to visit Tuweep overlook, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and scenic points in between. I would drop Kathy in St. George for the tournament and then drive home. Kathy would fly home after the tournament.

Dave and Marty traveled by way of Yellowstone National Park. Ric and Jeanne by way of Great Basin National Park.

Our first camp was in the sand hills of Nebraska. We found a nice, isolated boondock site in the Nebraska National Forest (somewhat misnamed since trees are few and far between). We cooked dinner and enjoyed a nice walk and sunset.

Our camp in the Sand Hills of Nebraska

Sand Hills

Sand Hills sunset

The next day we drove to Denver for a visit with Kathy's volleyball friend Donna and her husband Doug. We had a great dinner of pizza and beer and good conversation. Kathy and Donna jumped in the hot tub. I cooked some chicken in preparation for providing a group dinner at the North Rim. Doug, an accomplished photographer, gave some good tips for places to check out on our way. Nice to have pleasant people to stay with on the road. After a good night's sleep and home-cooked breakfast, we said our goodbyes and hit the road again.

Kathy, Donna and Doug

Colorado aspen in their glory

Glenwood Canyon on the Colorado River at a rest stop along I-70

Our destination was the BLM campground at Dewey Bridge along the Colorado River near Arches National Park. We arrived in late afternoon and were pleased to get the last open campsite. We set up camp, cooked dinner and watched a storm approach. While waiting for the storm to arrive, we chatted with a couple traveling on bicycles. They had started in Anchorage, AK and had been on the road for 5 months. They were headed to Baja for Christmas and points south after that. Quite an ambitions journey! They had broken their water filter so we gave them a gallon of water to tide them over until they could replace it in Moab. The storm provided a bit of rain and a spectacular rainbow and sunset. Utah gave us a warm welcome!

Dewey Bridge Campground

Life is good

Sunset after the storm

Beautiful rainbow

Our next shop was Arches National Park. We were looking forward to our visit and were dismayed on arriving at the park at 9 AM to find a long lineup of cars creeping toward the entrance gate. We eventually reached the gate, showed our Geezer pass and entered the park. We drove along the park road, looking at the map to see where the attractions were. The eroded red rock landforms were very cool.

On the way to Arches National Park

Inside Arches National Park

It soon became apparent that the park was crammed with people. Cars and buses packed every parking lot to capacity and beyond. Of note were the large numbers of Chinese tourists traveling by huge tour buses. We stopped at a couple of trailheads and walked to viewpoints which were overwhelmed with people. We couldn't stand it- too many people and too much inconsiderate behavior, both toward the park and other people. We took a few pictures and decided to push on to our next destination, resolving to return someday when fewer people were present.

Double Arch

Another view of Double Arch

Delicate Arch Panorama (zoom to see the arch to the right of center)

At this point we had two days to reach the North Rim where we had camping reservations. After spending a few hours at Arches, Muley Point was our next destination. Muley Point is at the edge of Cedar Mesa, overlooking the twists and turns of the San Juan River as it flows toward its confluence with the Colorado. Monument Valley is visible in the distance. We reached Muley point in the afternoon and marveled at the views.

Panorama from Muley Point

Taking in the view

Another Muley Point view

Looking over the edge I spotted a rock with petroglyphs (left side of photo)

Around 5 PM a large group of Jeeps pulled in with plans to camp at the point. We decided to withdraw to a more protected and secluded location away from the point and the crowd. As it turned out, it was a good decision. We cooked dinner, had a nice campfire and went to bed. Early that night a storm hit with strong wind gusts, spectacular lightning and thunder, and rain. At points I was wondering if our camper was going to get blown over. I was very happy we were not camped on the exposed point and wondered about the Jeep folks. We survived the storm with no issues and slept well.

Our camp at Muley Point

Morning view from camp

The next day's drive would take us down the Moki Dugway, a steep cliff-side road with narrow switchbacks descending 1100 feet to the valley below. The road was built in the 50's to allow trucks to bring uranium ore down the cliff from the mine on top of Cedar Mesa. I was a bit apprehensive as the road is hyped as being narrow and dangerous. Large cautionary signs as you approach the road warn of steep grades and tight turns. As it turned out, we had no problems, with nice views as we descended.

The sign at the start of Moki Dugway

A view of the Moki Dugway

The Moki Dugway sent us out into Valley of the Gods, a level plain with striking rock formations towering over the valley floor. From there, we turned west and proceeded to the North Rim. We were not aware that we would gain an hour due to the Arizona Strip not observing daylight savings time. Thinking we needed to hurry, we passed up some places that were probably worthy of checking out. We ended up being the first of our group to get to the campground, arriving at mid-afternoon. We registered for both campsites and proceeded to setup camp. Dave and Marty soon arrived and then we heard from Ric and Jeanne that they would be delayed. Their car's alternator had died and needed to be replaced. That had been accomplished the day before and they were on their way expecting to arrive by dark.

Along the Moki Dugway

Valley of the Gods

We prepared our happy hour and group dinner and waited for them. In due course they arrived. We had fun greeting each other, hearing stories over dinner and a campfire and retired to bed.

First view of the Grand Canyon North Rim

Another view

And another view

We spent two days seeing the sights around the North Rim. We attended an informative talk on Condors at the lodge. We had nightly campfires and the evenings were cool around the fire. Nighttime temps were in the 30's and we appreciated our furnace to warm things up before bed and in the mornings. Kathy and I had showers and did laundry. Our stay was capped off with a group dinner at the Grand Canyon Lodge, hosted by Dave and Marty. We all agreed it had been a fun reunion and resolved to do it again next year at a new destination.

Along the Transept Trail from the campground to the lodge

Another view along the Transept Trail

Sunset dinner at the Grand Canyon Lodge

Grand Canyon Lodge entry at night

The nightly campfire

Kathy and I retired to bed with anticipation of our next adventure- a visit to the Tuweep area of Grand Canyon National Park. That, and more is covered in Part Two of this report.

http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-rim-and-southern-utah-part-2.html

http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-rim-and-southern-utah-part-3.html

Solar Power!

Our upcoming trip to Utah and the Grand Canyon was the excuse. We hope to do some extended back country camping. One concern with extended stays in the back country is running out of battery power. 

I've been watching for sales on solar panels for some time. I finally found a deal and bought a panel. 

I bought one of the 160 watt panels on sale at Solar Boulevard and a Morningstar 10 amp PMW controller. I shopped around the internet to assemble the various parts necessary for the installation. The solar will charge a Trojan sealed true deep-cycle battery with 110 amp-hour capacity. We expect to run the fridge and a CPAP machine off this battery. 

 Our setup also includes an auxiliary battery in the truck engine bay which is charged by the truck and is wired to the camper. After the solar addition, I think we will use that battery only for lights, charging electronics and to occasionally run the furnace. It will be a nice backup. 

Since the two batteries are different, I didn't try to hook both of them up to the solar panel. It is a long wire run and I don't know if I will get sufficient voltage to the battery. The wire from the roof into the camper is only 14 AWG and about 15 feet long- not the best. At the time I ordered the camper, I didn't know enough to ask for larger wire. Even so, I might try to connect the truck battery in the future with larger wire and an additional controller. For now, I think we have enough capacity as it sits. 

When all the pieces finally arrived, I set to work. The day was threatening rain but I decided to blast ahead anyway. I finished just as the rain came. I was rushing to finish so I didn't take pictures along the way. I mounted the battery in the only space I had- under the bench by the door. It's a good out-of the-way place. I mounted the controller directly above the battery. 

 Here are a few photos of how it turned out. It was fun to see the controller charging the battery even in a rain storm. 

Rain on the new panel.

A view underneath the panel.

I attached the panel using z-clips to the Yakima tracks.

The controller and battery box.