Day 15

Day 15 Today didn’t turn out quite as planned. We all slept in again and had a leisurly breakfast outside at the picnic table. The weather was wonderful and we enjoyed just hanging out. We made our way to the rim of the Grand Canyon around noon to visit the Visitors Center. We noticed a large table set up by Canon. Both our camera and my Dad’s camera are SLR Canons so we decided to visit to see what was up. It turns out that it was a promotional deal by Canon where they offer a free photography class, even loaning cameras and lenses to practice. We spent about an hour and a half with our group leader learning about capabilities of our camera that we didn’t know existed. It was actually vey informative and fun and we learned a ton of information. They actually even email you all of the pictures you took and allow you to print some of the shots you took. They even had a small camera for Grant to use and he actually took some pretty good shots with it. After that we went for a 2 mile hike along the rim of the Canyon. They have a shuttle bus system that will bring you back from the different spots you can hike to. There was of course the typical idiots who were crossing barricades to go out on the very edge of the canyon for that daring picture. The kids were tired at this point and we drove to one of the lodges for them to have ice cream. It wasn’t very good and the kids were acting up so we went back to the campsite early. Amy and I were able to get away for a nice walk while the kids played hide and seek with my parents. A relaxing evening that we needed because we have decided to conduct what we call a long range bombing mission home. That means driving back nonstop. It will save a day before I have to go back to work, but driving that far nonstop with a trailer can be fatiguing.

Day 14

Day 14 We got into Las Vegas by Henrie late. A series of ill timed bathroom stops and diaper changes made for a long day. We stayed up and chatted for a while and then crashed out. Again, it was nice to sleep in an actual bed and take a real hot shower for a change. Interestingly, the same cold front that brought the rain to Yosemite caused an unseasonably cool spell in Vegas. It was actually in the 80’s when we arrived and felt quite nice. We all slept in more than usual and then got up to go do some shopping. We restocked on most essentials and went to visit Henries wife Andrea at work. For some reason I did not realize the length of the drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon. As the crow flies, it isn’t that far, but the route takes you on and end around sort of way. We passed through miles and miles of desert and approached the Grand Canyon area. One change is that you no longer drive over the Hoover damn. They have built a bridge to bypass it. I guess they are worried about Al Queda or some such. We arrived in the Grand Canyon area in the dark and managed to work the trailer into the small pad in the dark. It looks to be a very nice campsite and the weather is wonderful. Tomorrow should be a leisurely day at the Grand Canyon.

Day 12

Day 12 The weather was with us today. We got up early and made a pancake breakfast and fished a bit more. We caught another half dozen trout and then headed into the park. It is quite a bit more crowded today, but it is nice not having to deal with people driving crazy in the rain. We caught a shuttle bus to the trail head and began our hike which lasted in total about 5 miles. It was a trail with some easy grades that winds through the Northeast portion of Yosemite Valley and gave some very nice views of the surrounds granite cliffs and scenery. The kids did well on the hike and Harris actually walked about 2 miles himself. The views and the sounds of running water were very relaxing. It was a bit cool but felt good, once you got going. On the way back, like an idiot, I actually made a wrong turn and started down the wrong trail. Grant luckily recognized an interesting rock along the correct path and alerted us before we had gone too far. We finished the hike tired, but in a good way. We went to the one of the campground cafes and the kids and others had ice cream and I had a cup of coffee. My Dad got lost when we headed back to the bus stop and there was actually cell phone service in this spot. I had my phone off for the past few days. When I turned the phone on to call my Dad, the flood of texts and emails that reminded me of the world I temporarily left behind made me instantly regret turning it on. We finally found him and enjoyed a relaxing drive back to the Mariposa grove, which is a stand of ancient giant Sequoia trees. As you drive amongst them, the sheer enormity of the trees make you feel as if you are a character from a children’s fantasy book in a forest setting. The kids were exhausted at this point and we made a quick dinner and got everyone to bed. Tomorrow begins the long journey home.

Day 11

Day 11 Rain. That was the theme for today. We actually got up early and Grant, Alex, Amy and I broke out the fishing poles to go fishing in the creek that runs by the campsite. It is teaming with trout and we figured we should try our hand at it. We initially started out using artificial spoons and eventually caught a couple of trout. A little while later, Grant made friends with a boy fishing further down and found out powerbait was working well for him so we tried that. It was like they were addicted to crack. We caught like seven of the trout and my Mom cleaned them and we seasoned them to have for supper. We got to the park a bit late after the morning of fishing and decided to start out on a 5 mile trail. We knew there was a 30% chance of rain that day but decided to try it anyhow. It actually started out nice, but when we got about ¾ of a mile down the trail the rains came. At first we tried to press on, but things just got worse. A downpour began with thunder and lightning and everyone became soaked. We decided to head back down to the main area of the valley which included the visitor center. We watched some visitor informational films, and had some coffee and hot cocoa at the restaurant. The rain only got worse so we continued on the winding, wet road out of the park and back to the campsite. When we got back, the rain let up a bit, so Grant, Alex and I went fishing again and managed to catch another half dozen trout. We cleaned these fish and put them in the freezer for later. The rain has come with some cold temperatures and as we retreat for the night, the temperature has already dipped into the high 30’s. It’s going to be a cold night.

Day10

“Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike.” John Muir. The Yosemite Valley is everything Jon Muir promised. After a morning at the campsite in which we were awoken by the sounds of running water and birds chirping, we made our way into the park. The Yosemite Valley is only 30 miles via park roads from the campsite, but due to the twisting winding nature of the roads, it takes about an hour to get there. Once you descend into the valley, it is like nothing you have ever seen. Sheer granite walls extend around you and you feel enveloped in nature’s beauty. A quick glance around revealed multiple waterfalls pouring forth from the picturesque backdrop, like honey pouring from God’s own jar. We took the site in for a while and began our hike. We had stopped at the visitor center nearest our campsite and the Ranger recommended some good day hikes in the valley. We began with a popular hike up to a waterfall. The trail is wide and crowded but actually becomes fairly strenuous as you ascend a series of 600 stone steps that can be wet and slippery to get to the top of the waterfall. Much of the trail to get there was uphill, and the kids became fairly tired. We stopped a little early for lunch of sandwiches and Grant met a little kid and they ran and played hide and go seek among the granite boulders. The stone step portion of the hike was fairly treacherous to do with the kids. We held there hands tightly and pressed on. We actually did not go to the top as the steps got narrower and the kids were having some difficulty. We began the long downhill journey back, and my Dad, who has some bad knees, and I with that sprained ankle had some difficulty. We stopped at an ice cream shop and enjoyed some ice cream for our troubles. We then spent some time just relaxing. Yosemite Valley is very crowded and that does detract from its solitude somewhat, but is possible to find a spot to take in the smell of redwoods, combined with the fresh air and the sounds of nature. There is something about the way you feel enveloped in all of that that makes one feel at peace. We stopped in a meadow at the foot of El Capitan Mountain and watched rock climbers scale the immense sheer cliff. I am not sure how those folks do that sort of thing for fun, but it’s amazing to watch nonetheless. We then enjoyed a picturesque, scenic drive home in near perfect weather. We got back and Amy and my Mom whipped up some delicious supper and got some

Day 9

Day 9 I noticed that a bracket on the trailer frame that is designed to prevent damage to the plumbing in scrape situations had broken apart in the near rollover. Henrie who is quite the mechanic luckily had a welder and was nice enough to fix it for me. We had a nice lazy morning and ate breakfast and went shopping for supplies for the next few days as we make our way on to Yosemite. We were running a bit behind schedule and towing was a bear. I15 was closed for construction, so we had to detour around much of downtown Vegas on side streets. We emerged from Vegas to cross the Mojave desert in 102 heat on long grades with a 20-30 mph headwind. As you can imagine, the Sequoia was drinking gasoline like a drunken sailors rum. The drive crossed more high desert into California, but changed abruptly to miles and miles of farmland as we entered the San Joaquin Valley. At one point we were under 5mpg. We stopped for gas and dinner but booked it as far as the driving goes today. Mummy also bought a large box of cherries from some road side vendors. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at our campsite in Yosemite, it was dark and it is very difficult to back the trailer into a tiny spot in the dark, with scattered posts and concrete hazards. We finally got it done, but as we were unhooking (the road is a narrow one lane deal so the car blocks it as you back in) some foreigner pulled up in his car and started screaming that he needed to get by. He looked like some type of Euro and was shrimpy. I glared at him and told him “its camping dude, calm down” He flipped out and ran into the woods to whatever campsite he was trying to get to and left his car in the street. He then came back a second time and continued his rant. Damn foreigners. We were all tired and frustrated and my fuse on this guy was almost up. He managed to squeeze his car by and drove on his way. There are no hookups at this campsite and we will need to be diligent about conserving water and battery.

Day 8

Day 8 We got a bit later start than normal. We planned on doing some hiking in the morning in Zion, but the weather had other plans. It was extremely hot and by the time we started walking it was in the mid nineties. The kids began to whither and complain about the heat and being tired. We decided to let them swim in the little stream that circulates around the campground area while Amy and I hiked up the Watchman trail. This is a trail that winds around some sheer cliffs and leads to an observation point that overlooks the valley. It was very hot and got even hotter as we ascended the rocks up the trail. Poor Amy began to waver a bit in the heat and we decided to turn around. I figure a heat exhaustion episode would not bode well for the next few days. We headed back to meet up with my parents and they had already taken the kids to complete their Junior Ranger badges. The kids were very excited and pleased to show us their badges. We ate lunch in the RV and headed down out of the valley. We stopped for gas and to dump the trailer waste tank. The road of the valley led us out into the high desert to make our way to Vegas. My cousin Henrie and his wife Andrea live there as he is stationed at the local Air Force base. We stopped off at his house and visited for while. It was good to see Henrie again. Henrie grew up with us after the age of twelve and was like another brother to me. We chatted and caught up while the kids ( they have an 11 year old) wrestled downstairs. We went out to eat and went home sleepy with full bellies. It is interesting to see another side of Vegas other than the strip which is what most people know.

Day 7

Day 7 We have been gone almost a week already. Time flies. Today started out long. This portion of I-70 through Utah is very desolate and barren. It is almost like driving through the moon with a backdrop of plateaus and vistas. There is one stretch where there is no gas or services for 110 miles. Once this passed the drive got better. We turned south and made our way to Bryce Canyon. The kids

were getting restless at this point and a stop was needed. Bryce Canyon was fairly hot, but we decided to do a short hike and have a picnic lunch. We walked along the rim of the Canyon and ate. We then noticed sirens and lights and several park rangers showed up followed by woodland paramedics and fireman. Something was up. Grant, being Grant, ran right up and asked them what was going on. They told him that someone fell at the bottom and they needed to get them. They had some sort of stretcher that looked like a wheelbarrow they began to wheel down. This must have not been feasible, because they had to call a helicopter for the evacuation and for the first time in 20 years they landed the chopper on a tiny ridge down in the canyon. Yikes. I wonder what happened to the fellow. We continued on through some colorful high desert and made our way to Zion National Park. This area is amazing if you ever get the chance to look. You leave some scrub desert and enter this beautiful canyon with amazing color and views. It is very stunning and peaceful. We parked the trailer and began a short hike to watch the sun set on the rocks. It was beautiful, and we plan to go back tomorrow to try and do another quick hike. Tomorrow it’s on to Las Vegas.

Day 6

Day 6 Today we almost died. Almost. The day started out well enough. We got packed up and going as usual. 1 mile down the road Grant realized that Alex had unbuckled the tethering to her car seat so we pulled over to fix that. We continued on out of Estes Park taking a scenic route that led us East and then South down out of the mountains. It was a very scenic slow going road with lots of wildlife. We saw, deer, elk, and a moose. The weather was perfect. We ended up in an old mining town named central city that is about 7 miles from I-70. There is a long highway that connects the city to the Interstate. It is 7 miles long, four lanes that are divided in the middle, and an 8% grade downhill. This is a fairly steep long winding downhill. Towing a trailer required some transmission braking and the like to help keep your brakes cool. This is when it all went wrong. I was behind some red small car. A Scion I think. This car pulled over onto the shoulder, and I instinctively moved over into the left lane to give him space, in case he opened a door or something. The red car then inexplicably made a U turn right in front of me. I was going about 60mph and the car was about 30- 40 yards in front of me and turned really slowly. I had barely enough time to react. I pressed the brakes as hard as I could and braced for impact. As I did that, with the amount of momentum we had the trailer, she jackknifed and the trailer slid out sideways from the Sequoia and the Sequoia began to go into a flat spin and pitch like the whole rig was about to roll over. Suddenly I heard some sort of alarm siren go off in the Sequoia, as if I fighter jet had been locked onto by a missile. I felt several thuds and thumps and the Sequoia took the controls from me and fixed the spin and roll and then released and we were angling toward the shoulder which I was able to correct. Apparently the Sequoia has some sort of computerized skid control that detects such impending disasters and applies differential braking to the four wheels couple with transmission work and the like to correct the situation. This all happened in a matter of seconds. My thoughts went from fear, to wanting to kill the driver of the other car for putting my family at risk, and then relief. We had to pull over shortly after as this situation caused one of the rotors and brake pads to overheat. I think it has warped just a bit. Nonetheless we live. The Toyota Sequoia gets props for being a hell of a tow vehicle. We got onto the Interstate, which at this point and for the next 100 miles or so, is high altitude grades and descents. Very fatiguing driving. We stopped in Vail, and found a local park to make lunch and have a picnic. The park was clean and beautiful so we ate hot dogs and played a family game of soccer with a mountain backdrop. We continued on through the mountains which changed to high plains desert as we entered Utah. We decided to take a scenic back highway on the way to Moab. This was an excellent choice as the road wound along the Colorado river and afforded some awesome views of some rock formations in the Canyon. We arrived in Moab in the evening, dropped our trailer at the campsite and went to Arches National Park. The setting sun cast some amazing light and color in the park and we went on a short hike to the arch. All in all a very relaxing evening to end a stressful day.

Day 5

Day 5 So I finally got a touch of altitude sickness as I sit here typing this blog I have a splitting headache and feel numb and weird. Perhaps I overdid it a bit today but it was worth it. We decided to have a lazy morning and slept in a bit and got up to get ready to hike. This was a mistake. Apparently the main road that goes through Rocky Mountain National Park is getting resurfaced this summer

. This means that the main road is closed from 9am to 4pm all season. Today was the first day of this. The rule is that you must park just inside the park and shuttle busses will take you to the desired destination. I know this may come as a surprise, but a federal agency was woefully unprepared for a contingency. The bus system was a disaster. They would not come for an hour and then come all bunched up. It literally took us 2 hours to get to our trailhead which was just a few miles from the gate. We were not able to start hiking until noon. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful hike up to a string of alpine lakes. The kids and I had another snowball fight and just relaxed next to the lake. There was something about that level of solitude combined with the view and weather that just made me feel at peace. If only for a moment. We continued back down the mountain to deal with the bus fiasco yet again. By this time the baby was melting down and we were very pleased to get back to the car. The children had completed their junior ranger badge workbook so we stopped by the ranger station and they turned it in to receive their badge. They still get very excited by this and its fun to see them get so happy. We left to go back to the campsite and cooked the trout from yesterday in foil with some lemon pepper and butter and some brown rice with beets and beet greens we had squirreled away from our garden. It game out splendid. With full bellies we put all three now miserable children to sleep. We are worn out and there is laundry yet to be done, but a good day nonetheless.

Day 4 I sit here typing today’s entry as all the kids and Amy are passed out. A fun day it was indeed. We got up and had big bowls of oatmeal to get ready for the days hike. Since it was Memorial Day we expected large crowds in Rocky Mountain National Park. It actually wasn’t crowded however. Initially, we were going to repeat a day hike we did last year, but Amy felt the kids got tired and bored on that one. We decided instead to do a loop hike to an Alpine lake called Bierstadt Lake. The first portion of the hike had quite a bit of uphill trail segments. To the kids credit they seemed to handle it well. Harris rode on Amy’s back while Grant and Alex hiked. They were excited to hike this time because they were able to wear the new Camelback water pouches they had. Once we got up to the lake, the wind was whipping around something fierce. We stopped for lunch and froze while we quickly ate. There was still snow up at that altitude, so of course Grant wanted to have a snowball fight and of course I obliged. We did this for a bit too long as my hand began to ache and throb. I convinced Grant it was time to stoop and we continued on. The second half of the hike was amazing. It was a series of switchbacks along the side of the mountain that afforded some amazing views of the mountain range with its snow capped peaks. We had to stop several times just to take in the views. We slowly made our way down to the shuttle bus stop which took up back to the parking area. Halfway on the hike Harris actually wanted to walk and probably hiked almost a mile by himself at 9000 ft elevation. Not too bad for an almost 2 year old. We decided to take a drive along Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge Road is a road that goes along the Alpine Ridge in the park and is very narrow and winding but has some spectacular views. We arrived at a scenic overlook high in the mountains on a sheer cliff. We stopped and watched a family of idiots climb over the security wall and horseplay on the 3 foot ledge in front of that that dropped of into oblivion. The foolish risks some people take never ceases to amaze me. They climbed back over the retaining wall and then got back to their car. I then heard the father screaming and swearing loudly. “Who locked the doors ^#&^#%%” . Then the wife responds. “Oh, no the dog did it”. These people left the keys in the car high up in the mountains miles from anywhere with a Chihuahua in the car to horseplay. Apparently, the dog stepped on the door lock switch and locked it up. They were SOL. The boy was at the window screaming at the dog to please open the door. We sat for a while and watched this comedy unfold and then proceeded on down the mountain. We again witnessed human stupidity. I was going the speed limit of 35 down the mountain road. Some idiot began to tailgate me and then for some reason decided to pass me going around a blind curve in a no pass zone. Once he passed I noticed he had Texas plated and it was from Round Rock Toyota. Idiot. Embarrassing to Texans. We continued on out of the park and went back to the fishing pond. Today our luck was different. The winds had died down and the fish were biting. We managed to catch a couple. I went to trade in one of the rods and the guy gave me one with a spoon. This was like cocaine to these trout. I hooked one and let Grant try and land it. He got a little too excited and jerked the rod so hard it pulled the lure out of the fished mouth. The lure flew back and ended up buried in his scalp. I investigated it more and the hook was pretty well embedded in there. I went and asked one of the fish workers to loan me a pliers to work on this. I went back to Grant who had a very frightened look on his face. I told him to take a deep breath and pushed the hook through. I clipped the barb off

and removed it. Kudos to Grant for being tough. He didn’t even cry. I guess all that training good for something. Grant and Alex made up for this setback by catching 7 fish. They shall make a nice supper tomorrow. We went back to the campground and played a bit of put putt golf roasted marshmallows and got the kids to bed. Tomorrow there is more hiking to do. Pictures to be posted when I get a better internet connection.

Day 3 Today we got up semi-late and decided to take it easy since the drive to Estes Park is not really that long. We made a pancake breakfast and then made the short drive to Garden of the Gods Park for a short morning hike. Last night some sort of wind storm blew through and there were all sorts of downed tree limbs and such. This wind also seemed to blow out a lot of the dust and smog. The views were amazing and the temperature just right for

a hike. We hiked for about an hour and a half. Even Harris insisted on walking a good portion of the way. We went back to the trailer and my Dad and I tore down the trailer for departure while Amy my Mom and the kids went to the springs to fill up our water bottles with spring water. We set out North towards Estes Park and at the last minute decided to swing by the burger joint called Hamburger Mary’s. It is kind of crazy driving through downtown Denver with that trailer rig, but the burgers are delicious so we decided to hazard it again. If you will remember last year we got stuck in some side Alley and had to reverse that thing the whole way out of there. This year I was much more careful in selecting a route. Amy parked the trailer in a lot a couple blocks away while my Mom and I ran over to pick up a to-go order. We then took the food to a city park and parked the trailer in a city pay lot. This was no big deal since it was Sunday and there was no traffic. We ate in the park and the kids kicked the soccer ball around for a bit. There were many sleeping vagrants in the park and I had to watch the kids closely to make sure they did not nail one of them with a ball. We left the park, bellies full and made the drive to Estes Park. We drove through Boulder and ran into heavy traffic as there is some sort of marathon or something called the Bolder Boulder going on that seems to have caused traffic jams. We arrived at our campsite at a good time, got set up and had some time to burn. We decided to take the kids fishing again at the local trout pond to try and catch some fish. They had so much fun doing that last year we decided to do it again. This time however luck was not with us. The winds were still high and despite our best efforts not a single fish was caught. Grant was crushed. He is fiercely competitive and seeing a few other folks catch fish upset him. We returned to the campsite with a very disappointed Grant. We told him we would try again. By this time I think the fatigue of the past few days began to catch up with the kids and they all fell asleep early. Harris even fell asleep in mid crawl on the floor of the trailer. Tomorrow is our first full day of hiking and it is better the kids get some rest. My Dad seems to have a touch of altitude sickness and spent much of the evening resting. Hopefully that resolves by tomorrow.

Day 2 Wind. That was the theme of the day. We got started a bit later than expected in leaving Amarillo. Apparently some sort of front has come through and there were all sorts of winds today. I went to log in to my weather iphone program and there were severe wind advisories throughout much of today’s route. Towing a trailer in winds that are gusting up to 50 mph is no fun at all. It is very fat

iguing and can be frightening at times. We made our way across the panhandle into New Mexico and made the same lunch stop as last year at Capulin volcano national park. It is essentially an old dormant volcano that has some short hiking trails and makes a good place to stop over for lunch. This year Grant has developed a fear that the volcano will spontaneously erupt and kill us. Alex wanted to know what dormant meant. I told her it’s like the volcano is sleeping. She then became very concerned on our hike that the volcano would hear us talking and wake up. Kids. We ate some sandwiches and continued on our way. Amy was driving after this as a strong gust of wind caused the open car door to slam on my knee and it was still throbbing and painful. We ran into some sort of dust storm that the wind had kicked up. Once you got into it there was almost no visibility. It reminded me of how my brother described the dust storms in Iraq that would blow through. The rest of the way to Colorado Springs consisted of fighting the crosswinds and pressing on. We arrived at our campground in Manitou Springs in one piece and quickly got set up and cooked spaghetti dinner. Our campsite backed up to a babbling brook and we ate dinner right next to the sound of running water. After dinner we went to downtown Manitou springs to the penny arcade and let the kids play on many outdated rides. They are the sort of thing that would have been at Showbiz pizza when I was a kid but now, there is no way they would meet safety standards. I was struck with a bit of nostalgia while watching them play on the same ride toys I grew up on. The kids began to melt down not long after and we headed back to get them to bed. Harris for some reason these two nights has refused to go to sleep. It must be the excitement of new surroundings and the like. Tomorrow it’s on to Estes Park.