* * * * * * * *
Slideshow
Slideshow
A
slideshow
of photos from my Flagstaff, AZ, to the Utah border can be found at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EgLs9gyGCmay9LnR8
* * * * * * * *
Missive No. 2: Canyondlands (part 1)
Missive No. 2: Canyondlands (part 1)
When President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon early in the twentieth century, he said:
"In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. . . . Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it."
Those words from Roosevelt hold their own to this day. When I first looked into the Grand Canyon, it was his words that came to mind. I could find no better words. I had thought I had seen canyons in my lifetime, but now I understand that they were only ditches. The Grand Canyon has no parallel anywhere.
This will be but a short missive. I'm resting today in Kanab, Utah. I'm in this state for the first time. I'm resting and doing laundry before continuing on tomorrow.
In brief, I've been living almost exclusively at campgrounds since I left Flagstaff. This was particularly wonderful at the Grand Canyon where I met a number of backpackers and bike-packers. We were all together at the hiker-biker site. (If you are over 62 years old, the cost is only $3/night!) In particular, I met Maritsa (from Mexico), Farrell, and three other young backpackers who gave me the trail name "Espresso Mama" when I told them how I had carried my espresso maker the whole way from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 2021.
I spent four days at the Grand Canyon before continuing to the north. I crossed the Navajo Reservation and passed the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. At the campground in Marble Canyon, two remarkable girls Emmy-Lou and Savannah wanted to move into my tent. (See the video.) The climb from Marble Canyon to Jacob Lake was steep and took all my strength. The elevation change that day was more than 1400 meters (>4000 feet) with wind and under a stormy sky. I barely reached Jacob Lake before sunset. And who met me there? Maritsa and three of the other backpackers from the Grand Canyon. They had come by foot through the canyon while I had ridden around it. After a difficult climb, they were a sight for sore eyes. Maritsa's brothers were already there to take her home to Mexico, but the next morning I had breakfast with the other three backpackers before I started downhill to Kanab. The descent was thrilling, the opposite of the previous day's climb.
I'll continue on my way tomorrow. My next stop after several days will be at Bryce Canyon. I'll be in touch as conditions allow.
* * * * * * * *
В начале 20-го века Президент Теодор Рузвельт посетил Гранд каньон и сказал:
"Природная красота Гранда каньона в штате Аризоне без параллели нигде в этом мире. . . . Прошу оставить его как он есть. Невозможно его улучшать. Природа работала над ней веками, а человек может только его портить"
Эти слова Рузвельта стоят на своём и сейчас. При моём первом виде Гранд каньона, это его слова пришли мне в голову. Лучших слов не придумать. Я считала, что я и раньше видела каньоны, но сейчас я понимаю, что они только канавы. Гранд каньон без параллели нигде.
Это будет только короткое послание. Я отдыхаю сегодня в городе Канаб в штате Юта. Я впервые в этом штате. Отдыхаю и занимаюсь стиркой. Завтра поеду дальше.
Коротко, я жила почти исключительно на кемпингах с тех пор, как я была в городе Флагстаффе. В особенности это было здорово у Гранд каньона, где я познакомилась с несколькими пешими туристами и велосипедистами. Мы все жили вместе на площадке, предназначенной только для тех, которые путешествуют без автомобиля. (Если тебе за 62 года, стоит всего $3 в сутки!) В особенности познакомилась с Марицой, с Фареллем, и с тремя молодыми пешими туристами. Они присвоили мне кличку "Эспрессо мама" когда я рассказала, как я носила с собой кофеварку весь путь с Атлантического до Тихого океанов в 2021-ом году.
Я провела четыре дня в районе Гранда каньона и потом отправилась дальше на север. Проехала автономную территорию индейцев Навахо и национальный монумент Скал вермильона. На кемпинге в Мраморном каньоне подружились со мной замечательные девочки Эми-лу и Саванна, которые хотели переселиться в мою палатку. (Смотрите на видео.) Подъём из Мраморного каньона в Озеро Джекоб оказался очень даже крутым и требовал от меня всю силу. Разница в высоте больше 1400м при ветре и грозе. Я еле добралась до Озера Джекоба до заката солнца. А кто меня там встретил? Марица и другие с которыми я была на кемпинге у Гранд каньона! Они пришли пешком через каньон пока я объехала а каньон. После трудного подъёма, здорово было видеть знакомые, добрые лица. Марицины братья были на месте, чтобы её отвезти домой в Мехико, а следующим утром мы с другими тремя пешеходными туристами позавтракали вмести прежде чем я тронулась в путь в Канаб. Хороший был спуск, противоположность подъёма накануне.
Завтра поеду дальше. Следующая остановка у Каньона Брайса через несколько дней. Буду на связи когда обстановка позволяет.
* * * * * * * *
Daily Log
Daily Log
Saturday May 13, 2023 -- 7673 km cum - 129 km/day
A wonderful day and much further than I expected, 80+ miles! I almost quit after 30 when I ran into cold rain and even hail (град) on I-40 as I returned to Williams. But when I turned onto SR 64, the sun came out and I kept going. More than that, I had that rarest of things: a tailwind! So I **really** kept going. I'm camped at the Ten-X FS campground just short of Tusayan. A short ride tomorrow will bring me to the Grand Canyon. To repeat, this was a wonderful day!
Sunday, May 14, 2023 -- 7688 km cum - 15 km/day
[Writing on Monday, May 15]
Not even 10 miles brought me to the Mather Campground at Grand Canyon National Park. I've reached the Grand Canyon! Living in Tashkent in 2008-10, I watched the Ken Burns documentary film about our national parks, only dreaming of seeing them someday. But now, since summer 2020, I've been in Yellowstone, North Cascades, Glacier (twice!), and now the Grand Canyon. Мечты сбываются -- dreams do come true :) .
And finally, at the hiker/biker site, I'm with other cyclists and backpackers for the first time this summer. I had been beginning to wonder, not having encountered a single bikepacker since starting from Tucson. We're a talkative bunch at the campground, in particular Fallon who at one time was a telescope operator on Mauna Kea. Others include Red, Mark, Diego, and Edwin from Belgium.
But I must also report my first flat since August 2020. I was completely dumbfounded to find my rear tire flat when I started to roll out of the Ten-X FS campground. The cause: the smallest of wires that had worked its way through my **brand new** Schwalbe Marathon tire. Unbelievable. Sigh.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 -- 7733 km cum - 45 km/day
This was a short hop of a day from Mather to Desert View Campgrounds, much of it in the rain. The camp hosts at the latter are the snootiest I have encountered in four years of bike touring. If not for an RV that couldn't fit in its reserved spot, they said they would have turned me away. They kept repeating that Mather campground is "only" twenty-five miles away. In the rain.
The campground market was closed, and with another storm looming, I would have eaten only crackers and hummus if not for Destiny and Jared from Minnesota at the next site over. They treated me to a quick hot dog before the rain started again. Their kindness made up for the snootiness of the hosts. I finished my crackers and hummus in the tent. It was "one of those days." The rain stopped later in the evening.
Today is IDAHOT, a good day for another query rejection to arrive. Isn't there any interest in a trans success story?
Thursday, May 18, 2023 -- 7788 km cum - 55 km/day
This was a super-easy 30+ mile day almost entirely downhill from Desert View to Cameron in Navajo Territory. After five nights of camping, I'm enjoying a motel night and a trout dinner. The motel choice was easy. There's nothing else except dry, wild camping.
Tomorrow promises to be long, hot, uphill, and difficult.
Friday, May 19, 2023 -- 7911 km cum - 123 km/day
A tough day, no two ways about it.
[INTERRUPTED]
Saturday, May 20, 2023 -- 7987 km cum - 76 km/day
Sunday, May 21, 2023 -- 8048 km cum - 61 km/day
It's been a tough but very social three days, hence no writing.
Friday was tough, uphill, and into a strong headwind for all but the last 24 km. There was cold rain and hail mid-way, and in the afternoon there was blowing dust. But I camped at a nice NPS campground at Lee's Ferry in Marble Canyon. There I was immediately befriended by my neighbors Emmy-Lou and Savannah, ages four and five respectively, and their dad Travis.
I knew Saturday would be a serious climbing day, but I underestimated just how serious. A man at Cliff Dwellers told me he would buy me a car if I could ride all the way to Jacob Lake. Although two thirds of the ride was in the realm of normal climbing, the final third was intense. I don't know what the grade was, but I was usually in the "granniest of gears" with breaks every 1-2 km. The sky was dark and threatening, the wind varied from headwind to crosswind to tailwind depending on the switchback, and my fingers went numb from gripping the handlebars. When a couple offered to take me up in their pickup truck, I waved them off. I later wondered if I had been rash in declining their offer when I realized I had underestimated the climbing distance by about 8 km.
But I made it! When I saw the sign "Jacob Lake -- 7935 ft.," I breathed a sign of relief and remembered the man who had said he would buy me a car. When I rode up to the diner/CV, I couldn't open my panniers. My fingers were that numb and weak. I turned to a man sitting on a rock nearby and asked him to open my panniers for me. His name was Matt, and he insisted on giving me $20 for a hot meal. Ironically, I wasn't even wearing a jacket. I had been working so hard on the climb that I hadn't needed one. This climb rivaled the most difficult ones I remember from past years.
When I emerged from the CV and was getting ready to go, who called my name but Maritza, "Red," my backpacking friend from the Grand Canyon! Having just completed her hike on the AZT, she was getting ready to leave with her brothers who had come to drive her home to Mexico. What a nice surprise accompanied by warm hugs!
Another surprise came as I was rolling out of the parking lot. I heard someone calling, "Hey, Espresso Mama!" It was the three young backpackers -- Mud-Slinger, Pinata (Terry), and [???] -- who had also been at the Grand Canyon hiker/biker. They had hiked through the Grand Canyon and then hitched a ride up to Jacob Lake. They said they had passed me on the climb.
My three young friends were heading back to the woods to camp, and I went over to the FS campground. I warmed some hot soup and ate it in the dark. It was cold, perhaps 6-8C. What a difference altitude makes!
In the morning I rejoined my three young friends at the diner. From there it was, blessedly, a thrilling downhill all the way to Fredonia and then flat to Kanab. I've checked into a cheap motel for the two nights to rest up and do laundry. It's been a tough but good several days. Time to rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment