Grand Canyon Religous Experience 03/05/04

Rushy

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Tuesday 4th May 9.30am

Y'day I did something slightly daft but it paid off big time.

I had left Vegas ,spent a couple of days around the Zion Canyon area and then headed off with a view to staying 2 nights in a spot called Jacobs Lake.

PLAN A Pitch tent then drive the 50 miles or so to the North Rim of the big GC ( i had seen the south rim last week) THEN the next day visit Lake Powell (75miles) and return to J Lake setting off the next day from Bryce Canyon and the CAnyonlands etc.

DISASTER I arrived at J Lake to find the road to the GC closed until 10th May . CAnt wait a week! Bitching about my misfortune to the waitress in coffee shop & she says speak to the office manager , she knows a dirt trail and you can get to the GC that way. Sure enough you can get there but its 39miles of unpaved roads.

PLAN B Pitch tent, remove luggage, take dirt trail to GC. NO GOOD both campsites are also closed.

PLAN C Take fully fuelled fully & heavily loaded ( i am not good at travelling light) GS down dirt roads to GC. I am an off road virgin!

To cut a long story short the road was OK in parts by "off road" standards and not so good in others. You can easily bomb down most of it at 35 to 40mph in a car slowing to 10mph for some of the hairy gravelly turns . But when you are 6000miles from home, half way into an 8000mile trip and on a fully loaded bike it was a bit dodgy in parts. 5 mph and first gear for some steep downhill switchbacks and 30mph third gear max for most of it. I was also worried about punctures mainly.

Made an error right near the end and went down the wrong trail. Ended up less than a mile from my destination ( or so I thought) after 2 hrs of riding and decided I had either made a wrong turn ( I HAD) or discretion was the better part of valour. I had negotaited 3 fallen tress and was now on a very rocky slope with a very steep, almost boulder strewn drop off 15yrds ahead.
I had to remove my luggage ,and managed to get some nice burny smells from my clutch, in order to perform a U turn.

Back 3 miles and I found the right (incorreclty marked) trail. WOW 5 mins later there I was, on my bike right next to the big GC. I walked a short trail up to a place called Monument Point. And there I was standing above the GC, feet from the edge. No artificial viewing point, gift shop, railings, japs with cameras, people saying DONT GO NEAR THE EDGE!. It was the best thing i have ever done. It was so beautiful , so quiet and peaceful. The sides of the Canyon were changing colour as it was now 5.30pm with the sun getting low. ACE!

I took a slighly different route back which gets you on to a lovely tarmac road a bit sooner and then drove to the next town which was Fredonia 50 miles and 2hrs in total and I never saw another car on the road! Bizzare as the road was really good. Some great pictures as I headed N' West away from the GC, the sun was setting ahead of me and behind me a full moon was hanging in the big Utah sky as it turned to a dark blue/purple colour.

These are the days you dream about. I love this place.

This morning I leave my motel in Kanab (got here 9pm last night) and head back to Lake Powell. Met a couple here last night who are embarking on an 18 day rafting holiday (they have their own raft on a trailer) down the Colorado thru the GC. I am going to see if I can catch up with them and watch them launch.

Bye for now.

Ian
 
hello!!!!!!!1

sounds great..

but where are the pics..


and i want a tshirt too..


:D


sounds amazing rushy..

very jealous sittin here at my desk..

looking ot the window at the rain..


enjoy

pthag
 
sorry

Sorry but still no piccies.

Every few days I get them down loaded onto CD and then post them to my pal in Seattle for safekeeping. I have 3 discs with me and have just tried every which way to post a few using the motels system but its a no go due to the lack of software available. I really. really would like to post some piccies on the site as I know its a bit boring just reading about these places.

Will post a few of the very best from each state when I return to the UK!

Ian
 
Re: sorry

Rushy said:
Sorry but still no piccies.

Every few days I get them down loaded onto CD and then post them to my pal in Seattle for safekeeping. I have 3 discs with me and have just tried every which way to post a few using the motels system but its a no go due to the lack of software available. I really. really would like to post some piccies on the site as I know its a bit boring just reading about these places.

Will post a few of the very best from each state when I return to the UK!

Ian

Ian - have you tried using the public libraries? Free internet connection, don't know if they'll let you upload...

Mike:)

ps Enjoy Utah - a spectacular state - try staying at the desert motel in Hankville...
 


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