I practice Tai Chi in the park. It's chilly, but sunny. Good to practice.
We want to ride some around Flagstaff. The Information Center tells us about Walnut Canyon. So off we go, it's sunny and windy. There is a great wide bike path directly in front of the Information center and it leads all the way out of town. We turn into a dirt road, which is actually pretty good. For a while. Half way into it, the gravel turns into dried up mud. I slide a few times into the deep tire track and once I don't make it out. Lucky there was a soft-ish bank on the side in which I fell. The next day I see big bruises in places I didn't know they were bruised. But hey, it was fun, we avoided the Highway and the Canyon was totally worth it.
In Walnut Canyon you can still see ancient housing of the native people. First thing you see as you come down is some great rock formations and houses in the opposite side of the canyon in the wall. You walk down many many steps following a path that loops around a large rock and all around the rock under an overhang are the walls.
It's a slow ride back against the wind.
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| relics of time long gone |
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| rockart |
April 23, 2011 Flagstaff 10km, 0.31 hrs, 18.5 km/h
I go to Tai Chi in the morning. We were 9 people, seems like a nice group. It was so good to go to class again. I wish I could go more often, I don't get to practice as much as I like.
In the afternoon I meet Julia. She is organizing her bike, needs parts. They go to a Motel while I cycle out to Alice, who kindly offered me this morning to sleep at her place. It takes me a little while to find it, but eventually I do. We have a nice evening together, a great meal, that Alice prepared and at 10 pm I am dead. Don`t know from what, but I sleep great! Thank you Alice for your hospitality!
April 24, 2011 Flagstaff 19.25 km, 1.17hrs, 14.9 km/h
I leave Alice`s place after a great big breakfast, expecting to cycle it all off again today. We intend to start our trip today.
I left my cell phone at Alice`s and I just manage to call her before she leaves the house, so she will leave it under the door mat. I meet up with Chris, who takes me back to pick it up. At the bike store I meet a cyclist, who came up from Mexico only a week ago and wants to cycle in one day to the Grand Canyon. He tells me, that the wind is supposed to be really strong today and he will stay in a Motel tonight and start at 3 am. So I go to meet Chris and Julia to tell them about it and we decide to stay one more night. Julia needs to arrange a lot for her bike anyway.
I go out to a health food store and just as I turn at the corner I see another touring cyclist. Johannes from Switzerland, he`s taking a room in the same Motel, Motel 6, a great chain, clean tidy, well worth the money. We meet later in the afternoon to go for some food.
April 25, 2011 9 km just around Flagstaff
Again we want to start the trip today, but Julia needs to buy all kind of equipment before we go. So I pack and meet them at this amazing warehouse, they have everything for cycling. Bikehup. Great people, great service! When afternoon turns into early evening, I finally decide, it is too late to start, so we go back to the Motel. We have a great conversation for a while and manage to be in bed by 11pm.
April 26, 2011 Flagstaff to 20 km before Valle on 180 61.77 km, 4.49 hrs, 12.8 km/h
Our time frame is almost met, wanted to leave at 8am, make it out by 9am. It`s 13 Degree Celsius and freezing in the shade.
We have headwind right away. It`s up all the time, still traffic in the beginning, but thinning rapidly. It is fun riding on this road, becomes a quite country road through forest, pass mountains the San Francisco Peaks, climbing steadily to 8064 feet. At some point we decide, I will go ahead riding, instead of waiting in the cold wind. We will either meet at the last turn off in Kaibab National Forest, or at the Grand Canyon at the latest.
On top it is so cold, it goes down to 3 Degree. Even going to lower elevations isn`t doing much, because it is late and I have headwind all the way. It`s hard work! I find the turn off, wait for a while in the shadow of a bush for Julia, it is super windy. I don`t really want to sleep out there by myself, but it is still 20 km to Valle and it is too late now to ride there. So I set up camp and try to make some tea. I notice my camp stove is leaking, so I can't use it. No hot liquid in me tonight! As soon as the sun sets it gets freezing! My mattress is great, but my sleeping bag definitely doesn`t go down to -17 Degree! It is 5 degree in the tent at some point. I'm wearing Longjonges, merinowool socks, 2 merino wool shirts longs sleeve, fleece, hat, fleece vest at the foot end of my sleeping bag, my silk sheet wrapped around my hips and legs, zipped up to the tip of my nose. And I'm still cold!
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| not too far to go |
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| View down towards Valle |
April 27, 2011 20 km outside of Valle to Grand Canyon 67.8 km, 4.04 hrs, 16.7 Average
Well, that was a night! I wake up at 5 am after trying to find a way of keeping myself reasonably warm. Taking down camp is a challenge in the cold. The water in the waterbag is almost solidly frozen. Sunrise is beautiful and I try to be as fast a possible with my stiff hands. I set off an hour later. No cars on the road and no wind yet, a blessing. It's all a downhill.
I arrive in Valle at 7:15 am and have to wait until 7:30am for the Restaurant to open up. My feet are so cold, I need to take them out of my shoes and warm them up with my hand. They only have black tea so I drink one hot cup of water after the other until the heat starts warming me up from the inside. After an hour I dare going out to my bike and start riding. Immediately my feet get cold again. On the way to Valle I had tried to wear my goretex socks over my normal socks in the shoe, but it only made them colder I think. My right foot starts warming up in the sun, my left is in the shadow of my bike and stays cold. The 89 becomes very busy, but I have a wide shoulder to ride on.
I'm surprise to find Tusayan a busy place with big Tourist Information, an Imax, several Gas Stations and many Motels. I buy my Park Ticket here.
I find Mather Point Camp Ground and pay 6$ per night. The lady warns me, that other campers left early because it was so cold at night.
Grand Canyon is at 7120ft, 2170m. I guess last night I slept at higher elevations. So this should be fine.
I talk with Dan, who has his tent set up in the walker-biker camp site. He's trying to get a permit to hike down to the bottom of the Canyon and camp there. Johannes' tent is also here. I set up my tent and walk to the rim of the Grand Canyon. ( My bum needs a rest!) The view is truly impressive! It's big, just big. And photos as usual can't reflect the vastness of it.
I spend the evening in the warm cafe-restaurant until closing at 10pm. Julia doesn't make it in today. I'm wondering, where she is.
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| Grand Canyon |
April 28, 2011 Hermit's Rest, the west of the Grand Canyon 19.1 km, 1.16 hrs, 14.9 km/h
Johannes is cycling to Hermit's Rest today and so do I. But I'm not ready, when he's leaving. I'm trying to fix my stove, but no luck, I need a new rubber ring I think. I have to buy a new stove, a propane stove, which is a lot lighter and smaller, but also uses a lot more gas.
I'm trying to reach Julia by phone, to find out, where she is and if she's save. We haven't seen each other for 2 nights and I got a bit worried. My cell phone has no reception here, the phone booths at the camp site don't work properly so I ask someone to use his cell phone. Julia is in Valle. She was so cold 2 nights ago that she was shaking all night. I'm hoping she makes it here by tonight.
I do some laundry and sit on my bike to cycle to Hermit's Rest.
A great ride. The first part I push and carry my bike up stairs, just to see to view. The cycle lane is shared with the bus which goes out to Hermit's Rest. At any time you can take a free shuttle bus back to town. Anywhere the bus is free and frequent. This is how the bus system should work in any city!
I take the bus back at the end. I have been wearing new cycle shorts and they haven't been as protective as I hoped for. So I needed a rest from cycling.
Julia is there, when I arrive back at the camp site. She had gotten a ride to the Grand Canyon.
I spend the evening again in the restaurant, nice and warm!
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| I had to take a picture of this, at the entrance to a supermarket. |
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| Campsite at Grand Canyon |
April 29, 2011 South Kaibab Trail
We take a bus to south Kaibab Trail and hike down into the Canyon. We stop constantly to take pictures. It's sunny and windy on top, but getting a bit warmer coming down in elevation.
I make it back to the camp site, get some food and rest. Another cyclist has arrived, Johnathan from Japan. He's been cycling all the National Parks for the last months, very impressive on his skinny tires fully loaded.
Restaurant in the evening again.
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| This is Grand! |
April 30 2011 Grand Canyon to Desert View, Elev. 7438ft, 2267m 41.54 km, 3.13 hrs, 12.8 km/h
A great ride, up and down pass many great view points.
Desert View is again a big surprise. They have a gas station, a big supermarket with all the sweets I wish for and even a cafe. I buy a muffin and sit in the sun, out of the wind and finally heat up from the inside! I don't want to leave, I haven't even looked at the view yet! I spot Julia without her luggage. A few miles before the camp site the warden of the camp site at Desert View, Dick, took her luggage. We originally planned to keep going down to lower elevations, because this night is supposed to be -8 degree. But at Desert View I talk with a nice Bus driver, who tells me the cold air channels down that valley and even 1000 feet lower it will still be as cold as here. And here we can sleep in the Washrooms, nice and warm!
And Dick had offered Julia the same, we can sleep in the bathroom right next to his Camper, it's all clean and ready to go for May 2, when the camp site officially opens.
We look at the view, stunning. Actually almost more stunning, that at Grand Canyon. It's windy there and we go into the cafe to warm up and get some food. Dick appears on his bike and we sit together for a bit. He leads us to his camper the back way with all the best viewpoints you can imagine!
We have a cup of tea in his camper, Dick has retired 15 years ago from being a Throat-Nose-Ear Surgeon. He also had started a annual ride of doctors, which is still happening even after he dropped out into retirement. When we want to set up the beds, we notice there is a bright light in the bathroom, so Dick is very helpful in climbing up a ladder, inventing a shading system with black plastic bags and elastic. It works! We spend a good night in the bathroom, nice and cosy!
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| Julia and I at desert View |
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| Finally warming up in the sun! |
May 1, 2011 Desert View to Cameron 55.92km, 2.40hrs, 20.9 km/h
It's hard to leave, it is so peaceful and Dick is such a good host. We pack our bags in the sun, Dick sits in a chair, watching, I guess amusing himself at how much luggage we carry! He used to be a bike mechanic and helped me with the brakes. Being a Surgeon he had to be an inventor too, which comes in handy with repairing bicycles. He also points out the names of all the birds, that are coming into the Juniper Tree, including hummingbirds.
Finally around midday we set off. It's almost all downhill from here with some tough uphill parts with headwind. It is a great ride with wonderful views, partly you can see the Little Colorado River, where we have a break at one of the Navajo Markets. Julia buys some pendants from a woman, who sells on this market regularly, but also goes to native Shows around the country to sell her jewellery.
It's late, when we get to Cameron. We go into the restaurant which is famous for their food, we have a Navajo Tacco, delicious!
The night we spent behind the Gas Station in bright light, but I can sleep with my eye blinds.
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| 5 am in the morning |
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| Our night was spent in this Bathroom next to our friendly camp host |
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| The landscape changes dramatically coming out of Grand Canyon area, Little Colorado River |
May 2, 2011 Cameron to Kanab
We pack our bikes, ready to drop all the bags off the bikes in an instant, in case someone is willing to give us a lift through the Navajo Country. We where told by many different people, that it might not be the best idea to cycle through their land, as there are no camp sites and we need a permit to camp. And the distances are too big to cross the land in one go. Also we hear about dogs on the road, chasing after cyclist sometimes, even Rottweiler! People in cars wouldn't notice, would they?!
So we decide to try and hitchhike.
We make a few signs with Page, North and Lee's Ferry. Cardboard from the store, Felt from the Post office. Whatever works!
We stand there by the Gas Station for less than 10 minutes, when a woman drives in, calling out " You want to go to Page?".
Sharon is driving from Sedona to Salt Lake City and is a most interesting woman. We get to talk about a lot of things and we learn about her special gift being in contact with Fairies. We have such a good conversation, that we decide to keep going with her to Kanab. We seem to have quite a special connection or maybe it is just 3 similar aged women together for a day! Just magic! In the park of Kanab she offers to read us the Fairy Cards. She is very intuitive and takes her time explaining. I can say I feel lucky to have met her. Thanks Sharon!
May 3, 2011 Kanab (4970ft, 1514 m) to Zion East Entrance 48.63 km, 3.51 hrs, 12.6 km/h
Our Motel, the Red Rock Inn, is great, it feels good to have a warm night for a change. The owner David is a very young man with a 1 1/2 year old trying to make a living for the last 8 years with this Motel. It's old but clean and very spacious.
We again get a late start. It is so nice to have a room and it take a while to have everything packed. We are on the road by noon, a a slight uphill with changing winds. We rest at Mt. Carmel Junction (5308 ft), I have a Coconut Cream Pie, mhmh...
The next part of this trip is actually the hard part, it goes up, up, up... steep, not so steep, steep,....but mainly up, up, up...
Since we started late we have not much time left in the day, so we keep looking for a suitable place to camp wild. Just before the park entrance we see a sign for Camp site. Great! It's a pretty site, quiet, no traffic at night.
May 4, 2011 East Entrance Zion to Springdale (3898 ft, 1188 m) 23 km, 1.18 hrs, 17.6 km/h
We start off late-ish, since there is no rush, we don't have far to go, though we need to be in the Camp site in time to get a free site.
It's again uphill but the landscape is breath taking. I stop often to take pictures. The traffic is not too bad, so I can stop most times, when I want to. There is one short tunnel, through which I race through ( I have no lights on). But the second tunnel is long and we need to get a lift with people. Julia already is ahead and got a lift in a Van. The Ranger at the tunnel is asking drivers for me to find a suitable lift for my bike. It works smoothly. I drive through in a pick up truck and get dropped off on the other side of the tunnel. Loading my bags back on my bike and down I go. It's steep with a great view!
I will have to check on my brakes again. Even though I had it in the store in Victoria for a tune up, the brand new brake pads seem to cut into my rim, there were metal pieces in my brake pad, when I checked the last time. And they still make a funny sound and don't brake well at all. So my back brake is my main brake.
We take a camp site at the RV Camp Site in Springdale, it has showers and a pool. 30$ for 2, not too bad.
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| We have to get a ride in a car through this tunnel in Zion |
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| After the tunnel, this is the view of Zion |
May 5, 2011 up to the North End of Zion "The Temple of Sinawa" 36 km, 2.04 hrs, 17.4 km/h
We first take the bus to go to Emerald Pools, but there are so many people already on the bus, that we changed plan, went back to get the bikes. I cycle all the way to the end of the road. I meet a senior man with his tricycle. He has had a flat tire, which he was able to fix, but he looked pretty exhausted sitting on a rock. His back wheel wasn't straight in and together we managed to straighten it out. And off he went with his little engine on it.
I stop for a short hike to look at the Court of the Patriarchs and go for a hike on the Riverside Walk to the beginning of the narrow Canyon. Unfortunately it was not allowed to go any further because of high floods.
It's a nice and hot day just as I like it, a slightly refreshing wind on the bike. I make it in time for a cooling swim in the pool. Perfect Day!
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| Comfort on the road |
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| Cycle path in Zion |
May 6, 2011 Springdale to Glendale( 5771 ft, 1759 m) 38 km, 2.19hrs, 16.4 km/h
We decide to get a ride up the hill since we will need to unload the bikes anyway to go through the tunnel. We stand for maybe 10 minutes in the park, when we get a ride with someone from Colorado. He takes us to the campsite at the East Entrance, where we load up and start riding mostly downhill to Mt. Carmel Junction. From there it goes slightly uphill again but with tale wind to Glendale. First time we are in a place, where there is no store!
I meet 4 cyclists who have been on the road for a year, cycling 49 States. For some reason they have a lot less luggage than we do?!
We fix Julia's bike, she couldn't change gears anymore and we figured out, that her disc brakes are constantly rubbing against the pads. Hopefully, this will help.
