OK, so this is going to be a retrospective. I am on the last few days of my trip Into the Mild. I am currently living it up (not really, but sorta) at Orvis Hot Springs in Ridgway, CO. I got a room ( a real room not a hostel, but I do have shared bathrooms) & plan on soaking tonight & tomorrow with a hike in Ouray thrown in...maybe. It has all been great I need to soak it all in.
After Zion National I went south to Flagstaff (or Flag as the locals call it) Arizona. Flag was by far my favorite city I went to. I love that town. Great outdoors activities in all directions, good beer, good pubs, good food, good vibes...just a nice laid back town. My kind of town. I want to live there some day.
I stayed at the hostel there in Flag & had a great experience there. I met lots of cool people & even met up with a few in Sedona later on. Flag was my base camp for about a week.
My first outing was to the Grand Canyon. It was an hour drive north to the Desert View entrance of the park. At this point my NPS annual pass paid for itself & then some. It cost me $80. I picked it up at Colorado National Monument, my first NPS stop. The Grand Canyon is an experience. It is big and lots of people go there. From all over the world. Most in Tour buses. There is a highway that runs along the rim with pullouts so you can take photos. I saw lots of older women having their picture taken with their dogs, most were wearing sweaters...the dogs & the women.
I didn't get to see the Grand Canyon that I wanted to see. I originally planned on hiking overnight & sleeping under the stars in the big ol' ditch, but it was cold. Too cold for me sleep outdoors. It was in the 20's...& yes, that is snow on the rim in the photos.
I camped with lows in the upper 20's in Moab but I had the car right nearby loaded with my extra parka, blanket, propane heater, etc...
I will plan better next time, because I want to the see what I can of the Grand Canyon that The Man Who Walked Through Time saw (book by Colin Fletcher, read it).
Photos...
I hiked for a bit down a snowy & icy Bright Angel trail. It was a crowded hike, but the vistas were outstanding. After my hike I drove the length of the park like any good ol' American & even stopped & made a purchase at the grocery/souvenir mega-mart....a pair of nail clippers because I neglected to bring a pair & by this point I some wicked talons growing.
I drove back to Flag & made a loop by driving through the San Francisco peaks via Hgwy 100. It was a great drive & I got to see how much snow they can get in Arizona....lots.
I am glad I went & I will be back to do the ol' GC the proper way...backpacking to the bottom...when it is warmer.
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