Grand Canyon and AZT

                                          Not labeled...

                 The Mittens, Monument Valley

Hey All,
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon was closed, so I got some good hiking on and around the Arizona Trail (AZT) at the northernmost part of Arizona. It would be on the Kaibab Plateau near the northern entrance to the Grand Canyon.
Next, I wound up at the southern entrance of the Grand Canyon. I found a good spot right outside the National Park in National Forest land so that Bella can run around. She is also allowed to be on leash in the park, so I can explore the Grand Canyon a little more. One thing though, the map the park gives you is terribly confusing and only shows a few trails. Tomorrow, I'm going to start up on some more AZT. It's still kinda high elevation but it's nice and warm, so I'll start getting a few overnight trips to break in Bella.

http://aztrail.org/

Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Moab, Goosenecks State Park, and Mesa Verde NP

                                                                          Doug at Arches long ago...

Jan 22, 2014 

It's been a bit of time, so I might be forgetting a few things here and there about my travels.

...Arches NP was a good drive. Then I hung out till it got dark and did a night hike under the light of the moon.

...Next, was Canyonlands, Part One, which was the north section of the north, east, and west sections of the park. There wasn't much to hike and I knew I had some good hiking ahead of me in the east section.

...I was getting kinda stinky and there was a dog friendly Motel 6 in Moab, UT, so I had a good long shower and for some reason my body decided to feel sick that night. But, oh well, at least I was in a motel.
...The east part of Canyonlands, called the Needles, was the best part of the trip so far. I did the hike to the Confluence of the Green River and the Colorado River. The rivers weren't flowing that fast. It actually looked like they were going backwards! So I didn't get to see the cool Confluence of the rivers.
...The next day I got up early and hiked in what must be "The Needles" because there sure were a lot of needle-like rocks. Very cool. I definitely suggest if you are in Utah and only want to do one hike, do that area. There's a bunch of zigzagging trails though, so bring a compass, or a dog that can smell her way back to the car! I love my doggy!!!
...I realized I should see Mesa Verde NP in Colorado. It needed to be done now or never, so I took the long drive. Most of it was shut down, but the two visitor centers had a lot of information and took half of my day anyway. The hikes were very short and straight to the point, the point being ruins of the Ancestral Pueblo people who built them.
...After realizing I have been doing a lot of driving, I'm at Goosenecks State Park and plan on taking it easy on the driving tomorrow. I met a local that told me about a ruin that's not on the map, so I'll see if I can find it tomorrow. He pointed and said, "Ya, it's about that way, near that Mesa."
So...

http://www.mesaverde.org/
http://www.utah.com/stateparks/goosenecks.htm
http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/needles.htm
 

Nemo's Drive-Thru In January 2014

                           

January 2014
So I've decided to start logging notes on where I eat and how 'it' is since I like to treat myself to a nice meal in town every once in a while.
On my drive through Nevada I ate at McDonald's and some place that made me think I should have just gone to McDonald's because it was no bueno. The HWY 50 section of Nevada was depressing. It's not a scenic drive in terms of the towns and restaurants and I didn't want to eat at a casino. Maybe that's where the good food is, but I doubt it. Anyway, it was tough finding a place to eat out in Utah since most towns are mostly empty for the winter. But after searching long and far I came across a spot on Hwy 12...

Nemo's Drive -Thru
40 East Main Street
Escalante, UT 84726
(435) 826-4500

Burger joint style, order at the window.
Only place open in the area.
11$ for a half pound burger.

The menu was reasonably priced with basic burger joint options.
Great burger and fries. I was so hungry Bella didn't even get a taste.
Outside dining but it was so windy I ate in my car. There were a lot of other places in that town but this is the only place that is open year round (besides Subway).

Donating to Appalachian Trail Org

If you donate to the AT Org, the group quickly sends a good AT map along with an every-other-month magazine titled A.T. Journeys.

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/ To Donate

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/find-a-hike/interactive-map   Map

Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, and Capitol Reef NP, Utah

                                      Bryce Canyon NP
January 2014
In Utah, I started out with a night at Zion NP. Dogs aren't allowed on trails, so I did the scenic drive and a 2 hour hike to Angels Landing while my dog Bella slept in the car. I was in need of a No Driving Day, so I went to a spot in Dixie NF and took two nights to take it easy and get Bella tired from running around. I found a good spot out of the wind and had a nice fire to keep us warm.
From there I visited Bryce Canyon, did the drive, took a short hike, and then drove to the local NF so I could hike with Bella. What I've learned is that where there's a National Park, there's something, if not a few things that are just as spectacular right around the corner. But it's nice to hang out in the visitor center and learn how all them crazy looking mountains got there.
Next was a drive to Capitol Reef NP where staff seemed relaxed, so I won't name names of the cool ranger that said it's ok for Bella to come on a night hike with me. The moon was almost full so we set off into the night. It was an experience beyond words. I think I smiled the entire 3 or so hours. The towering cliffs seemed alive. Very fun, and I plan to night hike in Arches and Canyonlands NPs. I'm hooked. Once my eyes adjusted, I didn't even need my headlamp.
Today was a long day of driving, but the driving miles haven't been all that bad. I stop regularly, maybe every 30 minutes to run around and climb because there is so much neat scenery. Also, my car gets about 35mpg or so, and gas is around 3.20 a gallon. So, you do the math. It's not breaking my wallet. One of the stations was 2.80 a gallon. I filled up for 30 bucks and it got me 400ish miles. (Don't do the math too exact though. I didn't.) I found a great free spot in between Canyonlands and Arches. And looking at my schedule, I can't be as lazy as I wanted to for now since I would rather save my lazy time for parts of AZ and New Mexico. I'm really looking forward to that time, but also happy with where I am right now.

 Bella

                                                                  Zion NP ???

Happy New Year!

                             I've got 3 down comforters, a Mexican style blanket, a nice soft
                                fuzzy blanket, a sleeping bag, and a warm dog at my feet.

First of all, Happy New Year!
Well, I'm back on the road and there was a lot of road in the past two days. I drove all the way out to Utah. I was planning on stopping in Nevada a bit longer but there wasn't much to see and the elevation was a little too high for me, so I just kept going.
It's been a while since I posted so I'll explain again what my plan is for the Appalachian Trail. To begin my travels, I will be car camping and National Park hopping throughout the southwest. I will be mostly picking a spot and staying there for 2-5 days. The hikes will mostly be day hikes, and maybe I'll even get a few overnight trips in. I'm not too eager for that as I will be starting the Appalachian Trail around early March with all overnight trips. For now, some days I might not even hike at all! Think positive thoughts for my car making it the entire way, but if it doesn't, I'll survive. I'll do a post for every National Park and I'll try to get them off as soon as possible, but it might be hard to find Internet out here.