The big "G"...Grand Canyon

After spending a night with the very friendly couchsurfer, Nicolas, in Phoenix, we headed to the Greyhound station to catch our bus to Flagstaff. Having dropped off our RV the day before we were once again at the mercy of public transportation, but fortunately for us, with the Grand Canyon being such a popular destination, there are regular shuttles running to and from the park, as well as free shuttle buses running within the park. So we organised one that picked us up at the old Flagstaff train station and dropped us off at the visitor center in the park.

Waiting for busses...Part and parcel of the backpacking experience... 

The canyon is only two hours away from Flagstaff but we only departed for the park in the afternoon so we arrived at our campground, Mather, just as the sun was about to set. The ensuing darkness was not our primary concern though, a big set of ominous looking clouds rolled in overhead and the first trickle of rain started falling. Now anyone who has ever camped will know there are two things you'd rather avoid if you can when setting up camp...1. setting up camp in the dark and 2. setting up camp in the rain! Now granted you have less control over the occurrence of the latter, it's still something you hope to avoid!

We managed to get our newly acquired Walmart tent (cost us 24 bucks!) set up pretty quickly, it is a Walmart tent after all, and thus as you can imagine, a camping shelter in its simplest form!

The rain then started pouring down heavily, as fate would have it, and we knew our budget purchase was going to be tested to the limits! We just lay there in our tent like two sailors on an old and weathered boat in a storm, hoping the flimsy sanctuary will hold!

Our Walmart tent after surviving a flash flood! Well maybe not a flash flood
but in relative terms, for a $24 tent, it probably was!

We both drifted off to sleep and I only woke some hours later with the peculiar feeling of something dripping on the bottom section of my sleeping bag...Turns out our Walmart special wasn't completely water resistant, the weak spot being a cross section seam on the entry flap. The rain had dissipated somewhat by that time so I got out one of the rain covers for our backpacks and tied it in a manner so that it covered our entrance flap from the outside. This seemed to do the trick as we woke up the next morning with no further evidence of leaks!

The next day we had a big and exciting adventure ahead of us...To hike down the canyon to the Colorado River and back up to the South Rim! We were recommended this endeavor by one of the couchsurfers in Phoenix who didn't host us but was a keen hiker and thus happy to share his knowledge! Just to make sure, we asked a ranger the night before if it would be possible to do the route, she said she's only spoken to a handful of people who have attempted it but it's doable. It's a 15 Mile route, more than half of it a strenuous climb up to the rim but if we took along enough food and water we should be okay...that made us feel all warm and fuzzy ;)

So we headed out early the next morning, jumped on one of the park shuttles and headed to the South Kaibab trail head. 

Ready to go down South Kaibab!

Having arrived at sunset we both realised while on the bus that we haven't seen a glimpse of the canyon yet! Timed almost theatrically, it came into full view as our shuttle neared the trail head and we were both spellbound at the grandeur of sight that lay before us!

The canyon view from the rim looks more like you are looking at a vast mountain range from above. This unique vantage point makes for a truly breathtaking sight that no amount of expectations can surpass!

That's a loooong way down!

We were advised to hike down via the South Kaibab trail and back up the Bright Angel trail since South Kaibab is a steeper descent with great morning views - and no water points. While Bright Angel is a bit longer but the climb is much more gradual and there are a few water points along the way.

South Kaibab trail from above

The walk down South Kaibab was really something, due to the spiralling nature of the trail you were greeted at each corner and outlook with a different view of the immense canyon below. 

What a view...South Kaibab trail

It took us about 2 hours to get down to the river - the mighty Colorado, it's rushing and relentless waters have carved and sculptured this masterpiece over the last 6 million years... We headed over a bridge to the other side before we again crossed back to the southern bank where the base of the Bright Angel trail was situated.

Colorado River!

We still felt pretty good at that stage and decided to push on for a couple more hours before taking a lunch break. The hike up was obviously a completely different experience, but the more gradual pace did allow much more time for observation and just taking in the vastness of the place!

Heading up Bright Angel...no more downhill!

About halfway up we found a nice lunch spot and enjoyed our old Torres del Paine lunch specialty of cheese and ham wraps, they tasted just as good as they did back in April in Patagonia! 

Well refueled and rested from lunch we continued up the canyon quite briskly until we got sidelined by a massive thunderstorm. It was a proper torrential downpour and soon streams of red mud started rushing down the mountain! We took cover under a ledge and decided to rather wait it out given the temporary nature of such outbreaks.

View looking back from the final switchback section of Bright Angel trail

It did break our momentum somewhat and our muscles seemed reluctant to get going again when the weather opened up. Much like a half-marathon race, the final 3 miles were definitely the toughest and seemed to go on for ever! The steepest section of the climb is right at the end so it's just switchback upon switchback until you eventually see the top of the rim. We were pretty exhausted when we reached the top but the view and sense of accomplishment quickly got our spirits up which seemed to also awaken our appetites! 

15 mile / 24 km hike done and dusted!

So we then limped unto the shuttle, rode back to camp, had one of the best showers ever and prepared a well deserved and delicious pasta dinner! Needless to say we didn't have any trouble sleeping that night - passed out stone cold!

We got up the next morning lekker stiff from the previous day's canyon hike and decided to take it a little bit easier! No hikes with more than a 10 degree ascent - that was my request!

Fortunately the Grand Canyon has, due to its unique topography and all its pathways along the rim, the perfect setup for taking leisurely walks with insane views! Which is exactly what we set out to do. We packed some snacks, headed over to the South Kaibab trail head once again but this time instead of descending down the trail we simply meandered along the rim. The morning air was crisp and clean, the rain clouds have moved on with only a few puffy remnants trailing over the horizon. It's really something to witness, the grandeur is so humbling you can't help but be transfixed in a state of spiritual reverie...

Some added theatrics and a good example of the spectacular viewpoints from the rim

That evening we headed west on the shuttle bus to a series of lookout points renowned for their sunset views...We again just meandered along the rim, there were some scattered clouds drifting over the western horizon so the canyon was constantly evolving to the changing light. It was a really beautiful setting!

Sunset lookout point

The next morning we packed up, made some breakfast and headed to the shuttle stop. We jumped on the one that runs to the nearest town, called Tusayan. After 6 months of traveling we finally decided to try out an old backpacking custom...hitchhiking...We were heading to Flagstaff which was only an hour and a half away so we figured that hitching a ride made much more sense that a 70 Dollar shuttle. We found a nice clearing on the main road running to Flagstaff, put on our most friendly and non-serial killer faces, and extended our thumbs! It's quite a humbling experience to say the least, and you swear with each passing car that you'll always pick up a hitchhiker from now on! We stood there for about 25 minutes before a car pulled over. We nearly fell over our bags with excitement as we scurried over to the car, which was a big American pickup truck. 

All set!

The friendly African American couple said that they were on their way to Flagstaff but unfortunately didn't have any space inside, just on the back. We assured them that it was no problem, we're from South Africa after all! So we jumped on the back, got comfortable and enjoyed the great views of the surrounding mountains and forests as we headed to Flagstaff.

We got dropped off at a service station at the northern edge of town and after thanking the couple we headed to the Subway joint across the road, to grab a bite and charge our phones.

Kristi arranged with a couchsurfer from Phoenix who was camping just outside Flagstaff, to meet him at a campground, called Lockett Meadows, in the beautiful Coconino national forest. 

Lockett Meadows, Coconino National Forest

He was already there so told us to grab an uber and try get as close to the campground as possible, which we managed to do. Only thing was that the campsite is situated in a secluded valley high up on the San Francisco mountains - which we didn't know when we looked on the map. So while it was only a 3 mile walk from the park entrance, it was 3 miles up a mountain! So we decided to rather try hitch a ride again as our load was much to heavy to get up the mountain. Fortunately a very friendly Korean couple with their little toddler picked us up. The road was so steep that it took us nearly half and hour to drive up there so we were understandably very grateful for the lift!

Literally a lot of baggage

The campground at Lockett Meadow was already full but the National Forest parks have the nifty system that allows free camping in certain areas of the park - obviously without any amenities, but still it's free and a very beautiful place to camp! So we found a spot on a nearby ridge with good cover from the pines, a reasonably flat area to lay our tent and a great view of the valley below. We then set up camp and gathered some firewood to get a fire going before the ensuing darkness set in. 

Wilderness campsite near Lockett Meadows

Our couchsurfer was set up in another section of the park so we arranged with him to come pick us up the next morning. It was a beautiful night up there on the mountain, the warm glow of the fire danced against the tall trunks of the pine trees that surrounded our campsite, the darkness beyond was pure and calm. It was a great camp spot especially since in the (usually full) registered campgrounds it's difficult to switch off from the civilized world and just enjoy being out in the wilderness...

The next morning we got picked up by our Couchsurfer, Barun, who is an Indian national, who has been living in the states for about 5 years. Barun is quite an exceptional host, he took us on a tour of the surrounding area, which is not a requirement as a couchsurfing host, so he did it out of his own, which was nice! He took us on a scenic drive to some old native American ruins...He is also very knowledgeable about the area and has traveled extensively throughout the states - over 40 states! This in itself is quite impressive for a normal traveller but as Barun told us, exceedingly remarkable for an Indian, who usually never leave their home province let alone their country!

Native american ruins...Apparently not all Indians stayed in Teepees and Wigwams

We had a great day with Barun, who really made such an effort to show us around! In the evening we headed back to Phoenix to his place where he again surprised us by offering us his bedroom while he slept in the living room! It was very thoughtful of him and much appreciated, a soft mattress after a week of camping is a comfort beyond measure...

Selfie with our new friend Barun!

The next morning we headed back to the bus station to catch a ride back to Los Angeles.

We had a great time in northern Arizona! The Grand Canyon was truly mesmerizing and a sight that we will cherish forever. Flagstaff and the Coconino national forest was really an unexpected and pleasant surprise, and our couchsurfing hosts were terrific...So all in all a really great outing and adventure!

Speaking of adventure, as we boarded the bus we realised that we only had a month left on our trip! The last stage of our trip, our journey up the California coast, through Oregon and into Seattle, always seemed so far off, and the fact that we've reached it was a surreal thought!

We couldn't help but thank the good Lord for the all the blessings that have come our way and that we have made it so far in one piece (and still a happy young married couple!)...

Our next stop was LA, for some quality time with the family and hopefully some sunshine to enjoy the Golden state!

Adios el canyon grande!

RV Adventure: Arches National Park and Monument Valley

After having mostly driven along the interstate highways when we headed up into Wyoming, we now decided that on our way down we're going to try some more scenic back roads to take in the rural beauty of this part of the country.

From the get go it turned out to be a great decision. Heading out of Jackson Hole we hit the 191 South which took us first through this amazing mountain pass, zigzagging all along the beautiful Hoback river...

Once we got through the pass we descended into the classic grassy plains of Wyoming, real cowboy country, with small rustic settlements and rodeo venues scattered all along the road.

We made a pit-stop at a relatively large mining town, called Rock Springs, because it was the only town in a 100 mile radius with a Walmart! We had to stock up for the last week of our trip...

After a quick run through the Walmart we headed South again, back into Utah, still keeping to the smaller rural roads. We passed through the very scenic Flaming Gorge valley with its massive lake nestled in between the arrid canyon cliffs.

It was then mostly downhill to our over night stop, a small town called Vernal, which is in the heart of dinosaur country. 

It got given this title due to the mountain of dinosaur fossils that were discovered in the area. After the big fossil discovery it didn't take long for a posse of oil men and miners to follow suit which is probably the bigger reason for the settlements in the area and the elaborate dinosaur propaganda! Anyways we booked a spot for Harvey in the Dinoland KOA RV park...classic...and just chilled the evening. Kristi made us one of our new found favorites, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup - thank you Sam and Kelly!

The next morning we headed South East and actually cut through a section of Colorado, we only realized this when we saw the "you're now leaving Colorado" and the "Welcome to Utah" billboards. 

It was again a small rural road but the change of scenery was crazy, we went from desert canyons to aspen forests to pine covered mountain slopes and back to desert canyons within a 150 miles!

One of the beautiful fir forest valleys we passed through...

The final stretch of the drive revealed a glimpse into what lay ahead for the next couple of days of our adventure, massive red canyon walls stood stark against the barren landscape with the characteristic rock formations strewn almost purposefully atop the gigantic red cliffs...We've arrived at our next destination, the town of Moab and Arches National Park.

Arches National Park

On our first night we camped out at the usual last resort venue, the local KOA. Autumn is a particularly busy time of the year for Southern Utah, because it's not that hot, so the campgrounds are mostly filled up by noon, and we arrived in the afternoon...The KOA's at least offer great facilities (and wifi) so we could enjoy some luxuries before we found a more scenic, no frills, campsite...

The next morning we headed out early to try and get a campsite along the nearby Colorado River that runs adjacent to the National Park so the scenery is really impressive. The Bureau of Land Management has established a whole series of campsites along the river, all first come first served, so we drove to each one till we found a spot that was available and to our liking, at the Big Bend campground.

Our campsite next to the Colorado river

It was still early so we clipped our reservation slip unto the site post, parked our two camping chairs and headed to the Park. Unlike Zion, Arches doesn't have a nifty shuttle service running into the park - something that they should definitely consider - so you have to drive to the different viewpoints and trail heads.

In the park you'll find the world's largest collection of natural stone arches as well as an amazing array of fins, pinnacles and natural rock bridges. The whole lot of them have been carved out, almost artistically, over the millennias by mother nature's patient hand...

Setting off the Broken Arch trail

We decided to do the Broken Arch trail on our first outing, it was just a 3 mile return trip so a relatively easy stroll in relation to our usual hikes. The arch, unlike its name portends is actually fully intact and from up close you can really appreciate the natural wonder of the structure.

For these arches to form you need just the right ingredients of sandstone, annual rainfall and ground minerals - and a whole lot time - for the erosion process to do its thing! 

The sandstone fins or narrow canyons are the bodies of rock from which the arches are made, and were formed from salt layers being squeezed up to the surface from the pressure weighing down on it. The rainwater then seeps into the porous sandstone and will collect above a harder stone level, breaking the mineral bonds that hold the rock together until the whole section just crumbles away, leaving an empty arch in its wake...We obviously only see the final result but it's insane to see what can be created by nature!

Classic rock formations in Arches National Park

After completing our trail we drove around the park for a while but by that time there were so many cars on the roads that we decided to head back to our riverside camp to make some lunch - the best times to be in these parks is definitely early morning before 10:00 and late afternoon, after 16:00 so we decided to head back later for a sunset hike.

Now there's one arch in particular that has gained a lot of publicity and even made it unto the state of Utah's number plates...This is of course the delicate arch, and since it's a big crowd puller we decided to go see it at sunset. It's a short hike to the arch which is remarkably situated right on the rim of a canyon, with a natural amphitheater around it so the onlookers can enjoy a comfortable seat and a great view for the sunset showing. It was unfortunately an overcast evening so we couldn't get a glimpse of the arch lighting up with the last rays of sunlight but it was nevertheless a great spectacle to observe.

Delicate Arch

It was already dark when we got back to our camp, we grilled some German (walmart) sausages for dinner and just enjoyed the tranquil desert night sky with the soothing sound of the Colorado River in the background.

The next morning we wanted to do a longer hike so headed into the park just before 07:00 to get a bit of a jump on the masses and the chance to walk in the crisp, clear morning air. 

An Angel in devil's garden...;)

We headed to the Devils Garden trail head, which is located in the north eastern part of the park. The trail took us along varying sections of rock formations, with loads of climbing so we got some amazing views of the valley around us. 

It was about a 14 km round trip but not too strenuous and we got to see the popular double O arch on the way as well!

Double O Arch

It was a great morning outing and we were for the most part walking by ourselves which is a feat in itself in this notoriously busy park!

Afterwards we headed into the town of Moab for brunch at the Moab diner, done in the classic style of the popularized American diners. We have been hoping to stop at these type of joints on our road trip but the sad truth is that most of them have been forced into extinction by the mainstream fast food chains. So unlike in the movies you're pretty lucky if you find one still operating in the small American towns!

Anyways our diner fit the bill for the most part, our waiter Joy had that homely charm but with the telling signs of long shifts and the faded dreams of making it in Hollywood if it wasn't for Jim with his Harley and reckless charm - I'm stereotyping here but hey when in Rome!

After a bit of chill time by the river we headed to a nearby trail head, outside of the park, called Negro Bill's Canyon. Negro Bill, or William Grantstaff, was a half-black, half native American (really the short end of the discriminatory gene pool) cowboy, who grew up in Alabama but then like so many people at that time decided to move West in hope of a better life...So he landed up in South East Utah, in Moab where he teamed up with a Canadian trapper named Frenchie and the two of them acquired some property near town and kept their cattle in the canyon where the trail lies today. The significance was that he was actually one of the first non-native land settlers in the area but eventually was busted for bootlegging alcohol to the Indians and was driven off to Colorado...and there's no account of what happened to poor Frenchie...

Negro Bill Canyon

Anyhow it's a really cool 4,5 mile hike that ends at a big natural rock bridge, hanging a good 50 meters in the sky! There's also a steady river running all along the sheer canyon walls, which has allowed for some vegetation to grow along the banks and thus gives the walk a bit of a different edge to the far more barren landscapes in the park.

Afterwards we headed back to our campsite to light the fire, the sun was just setting and the tips of the canyon behind us were clasping desperately to the last bit of sunlight...

Vier bietjie Nasionale Braai dag!

We might be 15000km from home but we could still celebrate our heritage day in the best way we know how, with a braai! Okay so we braai'ed hamburger patties which is a bit of a 'faux pas' but like I said earlier, when in Rome!

The next morning we were to continue down south into even more desolate and barren landscapes, or Arizona as its also known ;)

Where's Harvey

Monument Valley

It didn't take long for the surrounding canyons and brush to give way almost completely to the red sandy escarpments and rocky plains...We knew by the characteristic and idle mesas drifting lonely on the horizon, that we've entered Monument Valley, home of the Navajo Indians...

Anyone who's watched a Western movie in his life would probably have, at some point, seen this classic desert landscape that has come to personify the West...

Monument Valley

This valley was once a massive sandstone dome but centuries of harsh flooding and relentless winds have eroded most of the rock, leaving dry empty plains, rusty river beds and of course the iconic Mesas, Buttes and Spirals - the last surviving remnants of sandstone rock, that now stand like Monuments in the clear desert sky...

Classic sandstone Mesa

I actually didn't know we could drive this way until I scanned through one of the pamphlets that we got at a RV park in Moab. We were set on driving down via Bryce Canyon which would have been a big detour and would have deprived us of the unique scenery attributed to this small stretch of country!

We booked a spot in one of the Indian Reservations in the area, called the View, and boy did it's name do it justice! The campsite sits right on top of an escarpment looking over Monument Valley with an undeterred view of the lonesome red mesas and buttes standing proudly in the otherwise barren desert landscape...

The tent sites are absolutely phenomenal so if anyone is ever looking for a campsite in the area, look no further!

We found a spot for Harvey, prepared some lunch, opened a couple of budwisers and parked our camping chairs on a nearby ridge. No 5 star restaurant in the world could have offered a view like that!

What a lunch spot!

Later that afternoon we headed out for a short hike along a trail that runs down into the valley and around some of the big stone 'monuments'. The sun was just getting ready to make its final descent over the western horizon, and  thus a long shadow crept over the valley with just the tall mesas and buttes catching the last rays of sunlight. The contrasts were striking!

When the sun finally set, the afterglow painted the whole valley with soft hues of red and blue, making for some great pics - Kristi didn't miss the opportunity and joined a group of avid photographers in capturing the beautiful  setting!

A classic Teepee with a great view

That evening Kristi made us our tried and trusted tomato & salami pasta and the realisation hit us that our time with Harvey was running to an end!

The next day's drive to Flagstaff wasn't a long one, and we were winning an hour heading West, so we took it easy in the morning, made some flapjacks, got some coffees at the restaurant and just enjoyed the fleeting cool of the early desert hours...

We received a welcomed tip from one of the couchsurfers who we were going to stay with in Phoenix, that there's a very quaint and picturesque little mountain town only 30 miles from Flagstaff called Sedona. We called the Rancho Sedona RV park and managed to reserve one of the last two open spots in the campground. It was still quite early when we drove through Flagstaff so we headed to the nearest Walmart, again (it's really not so bad), to get some things that we still needed for our Grand Canyon camping trip.

It's a beautiful drive down to Sedona, the town lies at the bottom of a canyon and is surrounded by these massive red mountain cliffs, covered in dark green junipers and pines.

Sedona Valley

Our RV campgrounds was just on the other side of town, right next to the Oak Creek river with troves of Cottonwoods and Sycamores lining its banks. 

Rancho Sedona RV park

It really seemed like a great little town to spend a weekend, with an arty feel, laid back presence and such spectacular surroundings...

Sedona

We cooked up the last few hamburger patties and topped them with all we had left in the fridge and cupboards! It was a very tasty last meal at our small dining table in Harvey. Afterwards we reluctantly started to pack all our things and cleared out most of what had to go with us at the end.

It's only a 2 hour drive to Phoenix from Sedona so we had some time in the morning to get cleaned up, make some breakfast and prepare Harvey for delivery!

I ran the numbers and saw we did nearly 3000 miles on our trip! Not too shabby! Thank goodness petrol is really cheap here! You get charged, by the RV rental agency, 35 cents for every mile you go over the first 1000 free ones so we were facing something like a 700 Dollar surcharge. We managed to talk our way out of it, thankfully, because of the toilet valve issues and other little ailments that Harvey presented during the trip! So after signing the last few papers and waving a heartfelt goodbye to old Harvey, we had to make some arrangements for our Grand Canyon trip the next day. 

The route of our 15 day RV trip...we really covered some real estate...

Fortunately the place had wifi so we just parked off in the lobby for a couple of hours before getting an uber to our Couchsurfer, Nicholas' place.

While chilling at the Cruise America we also got to meet our first Apache Indian - and lived to tell the tale! He heard us speaking Afrikaans and came over to ask us where we're from. It was quite funny, so after we told him we're from South Africa, he pondered it over for a minute and then asked us "so which tribe are you from?" Haha...that was a first! I hesitantly answered, Afrikaner...which is probably true, right?! Anyway he told us a bit about the native American history in the area and some of the local words...like for water which is 'minne' - appropriate for the desert I suppose - and lots of water is 'minne' 'sota' - which as we can attest from experience is a pretty accurate for the state with ten thousand lakes!

It was really a great couple of weeks and a truly memorable adventure. The one thing that we've never really been afforded on our trip was the ability to explore a place on our own, with our own wheels and agenda. 

The RV experience allowed us to revel in the freedom of the open road, to venture off into the vast unknown of the distant horizon and to witness on our own accord the natural beauty of the world we live in!

And for that very reason, it will always be remembered as one of the highlights of our travels!

A great way to explore this vast and beautiful country!