We got up and had breakfast and then we went out on a hike with Lynn & Dick. Dick had asked how long of a hike that we wanted to go on and we said 4 miles. He said okay good - well if anyone knows Dick they know that if you say 4 miles you are probably going to go on a 6 or so mile hike. Sure enough he managed to take us up and down a few hills with beautiful cactus's and desert scenery all around and by the time we got back we had hiked 6 miles - we loved it and we enjoyed every step of it Dick.
We said our goodbye's and headed to Surprise, AZ to meet up with Dana and Bill Brown. Our plans were to go to a Seafood/Oriental Restaurant in Phoenix and then go to the Botantical Gardens before headed to Mesa to see the Dutten Family show. The food was excellent and the gardens were beautiful but we were in for a real treat seeing this talented family perform on stage. They played fiddle, guitar, banjo's, and all kinds of instruments while singing and some even did clog dancing. We totally enjoyed the show - thank you very much Bill & Dana!
A great day with more good friends!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friday, Friday, March 4th, 2011 - Mesa Flea Market with Lynn - John and Dick went hiking
Lynn and I left Wickenberg this morning to drive to Mesa to go to the flea market. I couldn't believe all the cars that were at the flea market when we got there at 11:00 - this obviously is a very poplar place to do some shopping. After driving around a bit (I thought I was going to have to get out and direct traffic) we finally found a place to park. There are 4 huge buildings and each building was full of vendors on each side - we had some serious shopping to do. lol We shopped a while and then sat and enjoyed a chef salad while listening to a gal sing karokee. Both Lynn and I made a few purchases before we headed back to meet up with John and Dick.
Dick had made a Mexican casserole along with garlic bread and salad - great meal with good company. Then John and I had a new experience. We got to play bowling and golf on a WII game. We had never done that before and it was quite fun.
Thanks for another great day Lynn & Dick!
Dick had made a Mexican casserole along with garlic bread and salad - great meal with good company. Then John and I had a new experience. We got to play bowling and golf on a WII game. We had never done that before and it was quite fun.
Thanks for another great day Lynn & Dick!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 - Williams to Jerome to Wickenberg to visit with Lynn & Dick
We slept in a little this morning and went down to the continental breakfast at the Howard Johnson's around 8:30 this morning before we packed up the car to head to Wickenberg. On our way to Lynn & Dick's we decided to drive up to Jerome to do some sightseeing and touring of this very interesting old mining town.The following link tells a little bit about Jerome and different things you can see and do in Jerome: http://www.jerometimes.com/
From there we headed to Wickenberg to spend two nights with Lynn & Dick. We arrived about 4:45 and visited with Lynn until Dick got home around 6:00. We had a outstanding delicious dinner of grilled turkey, delicious salad, vegetables, and dessert! Great meal - no one walked away from the table hungry. Afterwards we played the domino's game called Spinner before we called it a night.
Great day with good friends!
From there we headed to Wickenberg to spend two nights with Lynn & Dick. We arrived about 4:45 and visited with Lynn until Dick got home around 6:00. We had a outstanding delicious dinner of grilled turkey, delicious salad, vegetables, and dessert! Great meal - no one walked away from the table hungry. Afterwards we played the domino's game called Spinner before we called it a night.
Great day with good friends!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
3-2-2011 Hiking from the Bright Angel Trailhead to Plateau Point and back in one day
We spent the evening at the Grand Canyon Park Lodge which is 1/4 mile away from the Bright Angel Lodge where we had a good breakfast and started our hike. We woke up at 6:00AM and in the restaurant by 6:35AM to eat breakfast. We had a great breakfast before heading out.
We started out on our hike at 7:35AM. It was a beautiful day for the hike overcast skies and comfortable temperatures - about 45 degrees starting out and soon warmed up to 50's on the hike down. Right at the top we put on our crampons because the trail was snow and ice covered for the first two miles (thank god for crampons or Kathi wouldn't of even started the hike). We met a mule train about 1 1/2 hours in to the hike. There were a number of mules lead by one wrangler who said he had been doing this for 7 days a week for 7 years. Either he spent his night at Phantom Ranch or he would of had to of started out from the rim about 4:00AM in the morning. We are not sure which! He said he carried luggage for guest on the way down and some luggage and garbage, etc on the way back up to the Bright Angel Trailhead.
We arrived at Indian Gardens about 10:15 and took a couple of breaks along the way. We made it a point to take our time so we wouldn't burn ourselves out because we knew we had 6 miles to get back up the Bright Angel Trailhead (3,100 feet of elevation to climb). We continued on from Indian Garden to Plateau Point which is another 1-1/2 miles and arrived there around 10:50. We sat down and enjoyed our lunch and took a few pictures before we headed back up. At Plateau Point a hiker is still 1500 feet above the muddy and murky Colorado River. The water level was high and the rapids are running wild and the water is very muddy from spring run off. We only spent about 1/2 hour at Plateau Point and then headed out for the long and grueling climb back up Bright Angel Trail. We stopped numerous times to catch our breath and eat some snacks and arrived at the top at 3:15. The last 1-1/2 miles was really tough as we had already hiked 10-1/2 miles and still had that last 1-1/2 miles to go and about 1000 feet to climb..
It felt so good to walk on level terrain once we got to the top and walked to our car. After changing our boots (felt good to put on tennis) we hopped in the car and drove to Williams where we are staying at a Howard Johnson's with a HOT TUB! Boy, did that feel good!
Life is still good but we are really tired! (We can't believe we call beating ourselves half to death fun)
Good night!
We started out on our hike at 7:35AM. It was a beautiful day for the hike overcast skies and comfortable temperatures - about 45 degrees starting out and soon warmed up to 50's on the hike down. Right at the top we put on our crampons because the trail was snow and ice covered for the first two miles (thank god for crampons or Kathi wouldn't of even started the hike). We met a mule train about 1 1/2 hours in to the hike. There were a number of mules lead by one wrangler who said he had been doing this for 7 days a week for 7 years. Either he spent his night at Phantom Ranch or he would of had to of started out from the rim about 4:00AM in the morning. We are not sure which! He said he carried luggage for guest on the way down and some luggage and garbage, etc on the way back up to the Bright Angel Trailhead.
We arrived at Indian Gardens about 10:15 and took a couple of breaks along the way. We made it a point to take our time so we wouldn't burn ourselves out because we knew we had 6 miles to get back up the Bright Angel Trailhead (3,100 feet of elevation to climb). We continued on from Indian Garden to Plateau Point which is another 1-1/2 miles and arrived there around 10:50. We sat down and enjoyed our lunch and took a few pictures before we headed back up. At Plateau Point a hiker is still 1500 feet above the muddy and murky Colorado River. The water level was high and the rapids are running wild and the water is very muddy from spring run off. We only spent about 1/2 hour at Plateau Point and then headed out for the long and grueling climb back up Bright Angel Trail. We stopped numerous times to catch our breath and eat some snacks and arrived at the top at 3:15. The last 1-1/2 miles was really tough as we had already hiked 10-1/2 miles and still had that last 1-1/2 miles to go and about 1000 feet to climb..
It felt so good to walk on level terrain once we got to the top and walked to our car. After changing our boots (felt good to put on tennis) we hopped in the car and drove to Williams where we are staying at a Howard Johnson's with a HOT TUB! Boy, did that feel good!
Life is still good but we are really tired! (We can't believe we call beating ourselves half to death fun)
Good night!
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| John is excited and ready to hike! Plateau Point trail is in the background only 6 miles away! |
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| Bright Angel Trail! Snowcovered for the first couple of miles and then we hiked a mile or so in real muddy conditions! |
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| It's a long way down! You can see the trail in the back ground of exactly where we went! |
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| We are ready for a long day of hiking! Thank god for crampons (you can see them on John's shoes) |
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| Rest Stop on the way down! |
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| Wrangler coming up from Phantom Ranch! |
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| On our way down Bright Angel Trail - next stop is Indian Garden! |
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| Leaving Indian Gardens and heading to Plateau Point! We were on this trail 10 years ago with Deb & Greg Stoiber! |
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| View from the trail! |
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| Looking from the Trail at Plateau Point up to where we have to hike to get to Bright Angel Trailhead! |
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| John standing at the edge on Plateau Point |
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| Plateau Point - Muddy Murky Colorado River 1500 feet below Plateau Point |
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| Only 1/2 mile to go to the top - it was a long 1/2 mile! |
3-1-2011 - Saying goodbye to St. George and driving to the Grand Canyon
We packed up our car and headed out of St. George around 9:00AM this morning. We went up thru Zion National Park and drove to Fredonia. Fredonia is where we had stopped at a gas station on our way to Antelope Canyon with Lynn, Dick, Larry, Paula, and John. When I went into go to the restroom here was a picture of a gal that looked so much like me or like my friend Celeste. So I wanted to stop back there and see if I could find out any thing on this gal. Well, here it happened to be her Uncle that was working at the gas station and he said her name was Mindy Kessler and she lives in Beaver, Utah now. The other surprising thing is that she is adopted. Hmmmmm - has to make us wonder. Anyway, it was interesting finding out a little bit about her.
From there we drove to Marble Canyon and Lee's Ferry. Lee's Ferry is the spot that several years ago we got on a raft with Jerri and Patti Brecke and other's and rafted 185 miles of the Grand Canyon. We stayed the night before the rafting trip in Marble Canyon. So that was kind of fun to go back and see the area again. From there we went to the Grand Canyon and did a lot of sight seeing on the way and got a hotel about a 1/4 of a mile from the Bright Angel Trailhead.
Tomorrow we plan on doing the 12 mile hike (round trip) to Plateau Point and then back up Bright Angel Trail. That will be 4-1/2 miles of switchbacks going down to Indian Garden and then another 1-1/2 miles to Plateau Point. We hope to have lunch there and then head back up the Bright Angel Trail.
I am sure we will be tired tomorrow night!
Life is good!
From there we drove to Marble Canyon and Lee's Ferry. Lee's Ferry is the spot that several years ago we got on a raft with Jerri and Patti Brecke and other's and rafted 185 miles of the Grand Canyon. We stayed the night before the rafting trip in Marble Canyon. So that was kind of fun to go back and see the area again. From there we went to the Grand Canyon and did a lot of sight seeing on the way and got a hotel about a 1/4 of a mile from the Bright Angel Trailhead.
Tomorrow we plan on doing the 12 mile hike (round trip) to Plateau Point and then back up Bright Angel Trail. That will be 4-1/2 miles of switchbacks going down to Indian Garden and then another 1-1/2 miles to Plateau Point. We hope to have lunch there and then head back up the Bright Angel Trail.
I am sure we will be tired tomorrow night!
Life is good!
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| On our way to Marble Canyon! |
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| Colorado River - down by Lee's Ferry - there were actually rafts being loaded for a rafting trip! We wanted to hop on! |
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| Colorado River! |
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| Rafter and Kayaker - taken from the Marble Canyon Bridge! |
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| Marble Canyon Bridge! There are two bridges - old one you can walk across and then a new one for vehicles! |
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| Awesome Grand Canyon and beautiful Colorado River! |
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| Pictures taken along the way to the Grand Canyon Lodge area! We stopped at numerous scenic sights! |
Monday, February 28, 2011
2-28-2011 - last day in St. George
John and I got up this morning and ate breakfast and then went out to hike the Bear Claw Poppy Trail for the last time. We hiked up to the cairn's and then back down under blue skies and Signal Mountain in the background with clouds hanging low on the mountain. What a beautiful view and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Afterwards we came back to the condo and finished up packing as we will leave tomorrow morning for the Grand Canyon. John has decided that we will go through Page, Arizona to get to the south rim of the Grand Canyon as it is really a pretty drive.
After we got done packing everything up I went swimming and enjoyed some time in the hot tub. Our two months in St. George has been wonderful and I am certain that we will be back. This area has everything that we could possibly want. There is hiking trails all over, bike trails (hopefully they will all be repaired when we come back next time) and just about anything else we could ask for.
Life is good!
Afterwards we came back to the condo and finished up packing as we will leave tomorrow morning for the Grand Canyon. John has decided that we will go through Page, Arizona to get to the south rim of the Grand Canyon as it is really a pretty drive.
After we got done packing everything up I went swimming and enjoyed some time in the hot tub. Our two months in St. George has been wonderful and I am certain that we will be back. This area has everything that we could possibly want. There is hiking trails all over, bike trails (hopefully they will all be repaired when we come back next time) and just about anything else we could ask for.
Life is good!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
2-27-2011 - Going to mass and then taking a ride to Pine Valley
We got up this morning and went to Mass in St. George and then decided to take a ride up to Pine Valley. As soon as we got north of Snow Canyon we were surrounded by freshly fallen snow from the night before. It is about a 30 mile drive up to Pine Valley with mountains and valleys all around us. We first drove through a little town of Veyo (it is known for there fantastic pie shop) and then turned off of highway 18 to head towards Pine Valley. What a beautiful drive and with fresh snow from last night it was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining on the snow. My understanding is that Pine Valley was discovered in 1855 when Gunlock Bill and Isaac Riddle were caring for some cattle and one of the cows strayed. When they went looking for that cow they found Pine Valley. It really is a peaceful looking little village up in the mountains.
Now we are going to start packing up in hopes that the sun will be out tomorrow and we can spend our last day hiking in the St. George area before we leave on Tuesday!
Have a great day everyone!
Now we are going to start packing up in hopes that the sun will be out tomorrow and we can spend our last day hiking in the St. George area before we leave on Tuesday!
Have a great day everyone!
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