EagleMoon.net Journals

Journals: Week 12 (July 2-8, 2007)

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DAY 78: Monday, July 2, 2007 (Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ)

So, Jonathan filled you in on the GOOD NEWS!! What a totally unexpected, wonderful and serendipitous week in New Mexico. His proposal could not have been more surprising, or more special (ring or no ring!!). I actually thought the fact that he didn't have a ring made the moment even more perfect, because it simply came from his heart and seized him. What was also really lovely was having all these great new friends to share it with. I could not be happier or more fortunate ~ I have somehow found the most amazing, loving, kind, and generous person to share this journey and the rest of my life with. What an extremely lucky girl I am.

To make matters even better (if such a thing could be possible), Jonathan and I are now camping in Kaibab National Forest, at the north rim of the Grand Canyon. What a brilliant place to bask in the glow of our engagement! We were told the north side would be much less touristy than the south rim, which is much more popular. The north rim is also much higher in elevation, so it is surprisingly greener. We are surrounded by big, beautiful evergreens, Pinyon Pines, and Douglas Firs. It smells absolutely magnificent!!

As we drove through the pine forest toward Grand Canyon National Park yesterday, I really had no idea what to expect. Although I have seen pictures of it all my life, in books, magazines, post cards, movies, etc., seeing it in person is quite a different story. When we drove up to the visitor's center, I still had not seen it; the thick pines act as a great stage curtain. We walked through the Grand Canyon Lodge, out onto the veranda, and I was looking in the wrong direction (it was in plain view, shining in all its glory to my right, but I was walking and looking to my left). Jonathan (who has a much better sense of direction) said, "Honey, look at this!" and I turned around. As I did, the full view of the canyon, glowing in the afternoon blue and purple haze with its magnificent striated red and blue buttes and peaks, sucked the breath right out of my lungs. Out of nowhere tears just rolled down my cheeks and I could barely speak. Jonathan looked at me like I might be going crazy and said, "Honey, you're getting emotional." That was an understatement. I just couldn't believe it. The Grand Canyon is beautiful beyond words. And even though it is right in front of you, and you can bend down and touch the rocks you are standing on, and you can see it with your own eyes, you just cannot imagine it. The vastness and color is incomprehensible ~ at least that was my very first impression.

Jonathan and I took a quarter-mile walk out to Bright Angel Fault where the view is even more astounding. We posed for pictures like good tourists, then perched into some rocks off the side of the trail for a picnic lunch and some post card writing. Afterwards, we walked off the trail a bit to a great rock that jutted right out into the canyon. We just sat there, laying on our backs, then our bellies, peered (very carefully) over the ledge, and attempted to allow our eyes and our souls to soak in the glory before and all around us. All I could do was shake my head in wonder... "Is this actually real?!?!... This isn't on TV?!?", I gawked out loud. Perhaps understanding my awe, Jonathan answered, "It might as well be," agreeing with my sense that this was all too big and too perfect to be real.

We soon learned that the California Condor lives in the canyon. Apparently, in the early 80's there were only 22 California Condors left in the world. The Peregrine Foundation set up protected breeding sites and the California Condors have made quite a comeback, although they are still considered endangered. All of the condors in the canyon are tagged and have numbers on their wings. Spotting them causes quite a calamity among tourists, bird enthusiasts, park volunteers and, of course, the Peregrine Foundation folks. When Jonathan and I first stumbled upon the canyon, we got a special visit from condor number 302, who sat perched on the roof of the lodge. As I am quite a bird enthusiast myself, this was like my own private heaven. The condor mostly preened itself and posed for pictures- Jonathan says I took over one hundred shots, but I think he's exaggerating. Of course, I didn't have the camera ready when the condor finally decided it was time to fly, and took to soaring right over our heads and out into the canyon. Although I didn't capture it on camera, I did get an amazing view of it's 9-foot wingspan that I won't soon forget.

After I got my special gift from the condor, Jonathan got to relish his own private heaven- a photography talk and nature walk, which was being given by a local canyon volunteer who is also an accomplished photographer. Nancy (pictured on left) is her name, and she shared with us some of her sage advice about how to get the most out of your camera when to get the best light ("Sweet Light" appears about 20 minutes before sunrise and after sunset), how to back light and side light your subjects, how to use lines, patterns, diagonals and off-centering to make your photo more interesting, which F-stops create the sharpest images, when blurring images is best, and the like. That Nancy sure knows her stuff! The whole group headed back out to Bright Angel Fault for the sunset over the canyon, and to put Nancy's techniques to the test. Jonathan thinks he took much better pictures after her lesson- you be the judge!

After one of the best days on this trip, we headed back to the campground in darkness, except for the millions of stars shining brightly all around us. Venus twinkled and the big dipper shone right over our tent, as we got in and let the day settle into our bones. The next day we'd be back for round two at the Grand Canyon (today). But I'll let Jonathan fill you in about that tomorrow since it's 11pm here, and I'm still typing by the lantern while Jonathan sleeps peacefully in his warm sleeping bag beside me. Sleep well. ~E

DAY 79: Tuesday, July 3, 2007 (Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ)

Well, we're almost caught up.

I'll briefly recap yesterday, since Elena talked mostly about our first day here on Sunday. Yesterday morning, Elena gave me her Grand Canyon Clipper Special (i.e., she buzzed my hair again). Was feeling like a hippie with all of this hair, so off it went! We drove to the Grand Canyon campgrounds (which were still full), and we were able to use their showers for $1.50 (giving us about 6 minutes worth of shower time). Elena and I were most grateful! After lunch at the Grand Canyon Lodge, we spent some time catching up on our journal entries (even though we can't update the site itself until we hit "civilization" again. Isn't the definition of "civilization" an area that has high speed wireless internet?!). We then took the scenic drive to the Cape Royal area, where we found more scenic overlooks and spent some time simply enjoying them. Back to the Lodge for a couple slices of pizza, another fabled canyon sunset, and back to our campsite just as the night became totally dark.

Just wanted to mention that each day along the drive to and from the canyon, we have been enjoying multiple sightings of deer grazing along the side of the road, some being so bold as to cross the road as we slow down for the occasion. Unfortunately, we have also "enjoyed" sightings of what surely must be the beginning of a biblical plague in the form of moths! Billions upon gazillions apparently enjoy semi-taut green tents and silvery minivans - just our luck! Fortunately, only one was actually able to sneak into our tent last night, but Elena was able to safely escort it outside. (The four flies that accompanied it were not so lucky as they met a less fortunate fate. 'Nuff said.)

This morning, we decided to be as daring as our little hearts would allow. We woke up early (for us - around 6:15), packed up our tent and van, and headed back to the North Kaibab Trail, one of the main trails that lead into the canyon. The trailhead begins at 8,250 feet above sea level. There are about seven stopping points along the way before you would hit the Colorado River, which is 2,400 feet above sea level (i.e., a 5,850 foot drop into the canyon!). Being the experienced hikers that we are, we decided to make other people around us look good by only going as far as the first stop. (Ain't we nice?!) The first stop is the Coconino Overlook, 800 feet below and 0.7 miles from the rim. We packed 47 gallons of water for the steep but quick walk to the overlook (it took about 20 minutes), knowing that the walk back would be treacherous, and possibly even a little hard! The walk was frequently peppered with "gifts" from the mules that were being used to bring tourists down the canyon, forcing us to really watch where we were walking! We rested at the Coconino Overlook, which was, of course, gorgeous. We also met a nice couple from St. Louis, Missouri, Mark and Suzy (pictured on left), who are teachers and are each one year away from retirement, which they are very excited about. They too are headed to Bryce Canyon National Park for their next stop on their summer vacation. (It surely would be something if we randomly met up with them at Bryce!... or would it be so random?... hmmm...) We headed back up the canyon and, truly surprisingly, it only took 30 minutes. Our trick was to really take our time and take as many breaks as necessary. As Elena reminded me, "Slow and steady wins the race!"

After lunch, we headed to Utah, both of us feeling a bit uneasy at the prospect of leaving the Grand Canyon after only three days, knowing there are many sites and trails we had yet to experience. However, with the canyon campground full, the De Motte campground lousy with moths and lacking in showers, we decided that the canyon will still be there when (not if!) we return in the future, and there are beautiful sites in the country still ahead of us. We headed north up route 89A, through Fredonia, a small town in northern Arizona, where we stopped at the local post office to send some post cards and mail home some unneeded and unused items: mainly a suitcase full of excess clothes taking up valuable real estate in the van! (Be on the lookout for said suitcase, Dad and Jane!) The woman who helped us at the post office, Jennifer (pictured on the right) is soon to be a 35-year-old grandmother! She also said two of her grandparents are still living, as is one of her husband's grandparents, making three full 5-generations in her family! She was very helpful and patient as Elena and I packed and repacked the suitcase and van. We wish Jennifer well in her newfound grandparent status!

Elena and I are now in our tent in a KOA campground in Glendale, Utah, somewhat in the middle of Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. So far, this campsite is top notch in my book: no bugs!!! (not to mention that the bathrooms have compact fluorescent, energy-saving light bulbs!). Besides that, it really is a very nice campsite and we may plan to be here for a week, exploring both national parks and more if we're able. I also built a pretty nice fire tonight with nothing more than twigs and a lighter (which I know how to do from our friends Matthew and Beth, whom we met in Santa Fe - thanks again!). We're not sure which park we'll visit first, but I'm sure either one will be great! Until then... ~J

DAY 81: Thursday, July 5, 2007 (Glendale, UT)

We made it to Utah yesterday, the Fourth of July! We decided to stay at a KOA campground in Glendale, in between Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. This campground is pretty sweet- we have cell phone service, an internet connection, running water, electricity, and SHOWERS!!! No moths and very few bugs, along with beautiful scenery make this our favorite campground so far! There are horses on either side of our site, and we are parked right across from the bathroom ~ we're loving it! We spent almost the entire day yesterday updating the website and lounging by the pool. It was great to finally publish all our journals and pictures from our stay in New Mexico. And now that the Grand Canyon pictures are online, we are completely up to date and free to move about the country!

Since not much is new in Utah (we haven't gotten out quite yet to explore Bryce or Zion), I will fill you in a little about how this trip has changed us for the better, and opened us up. (Well at least me. I'll let Jonathan give his own "testimony" when he has a chance.) The other day we were perched on a cliff overlooking the Grand Canyon, and Jonathan decided to interview me with the video camera. Some of the questions he asked helped me realize how much this journey has helped me discover the essence of my own being.

As we've been driving through this amazing country, I've come up with a kind of theory that I call the "4-foot bubble theory." Basically the theory states that most of us get so sucked into our daily routine grinds that we end up moving through life in a bubble that is about four feet wide, kind of like our own personal fish bowl. When we're driving, the four-foot bubble is our car. When we're at work, the four-foot bubble is our desk area, computer and to-do piles. When we're at home, the four-foot bubble hovers somewhere around the vicinity of the couch and the television.

But being on a trip like the one we are on, we are forced (thank God!) out of our four-foot bubbles. It is impossible, when standing at the edge of the north rim of the Grand Canyon, or the Smoky Mountains, or the Taos Pueblo, or the Rockies, not to see beyond four feet in front of you. It is impossible when sleeping outside not to look up at the moon and the stars in amazement. And it is unthinkable not to look up at the endless blue sky out here in the west- it takes up the whole view no matter where you are standing.

We also have had to really slow down out here. While camping, we usually have to walk about 100 feet to wash our dishes or to use the bathroom. Pretty much everything takes longer because we're living out of a van, which requires setting up the stove to cook, building a fire for warmth and entertainment at night, and setting up and taking down our bed when we want to sleep, or need to move on. And if you want to catch deer sightings or other beautiful views while driving, you have to drive the actual speed limit (which we've managed to do for most of this trip!!).

In my "regular life" I have certainly found myself rushing around on auto-pilot, failing to spend more than a few minutes a day looking at the sky, day or night. I have had trouble stepping away from the fluorescent lights and four walls of my office to go outside for a walk. And instead of reading at night, I have drifted off, drone-like, in front of the television. Come to think of it, can you remember the last time you spent an entire day without watching television? Or the the last time you really slowed down and drove the speed limit? And how many of us (like the Lutheran group we met in New Mexico) begin and end each day with a meditation and a prayer of gratitude? I know I have fallen short of this many, if not most days.

Well, I have to say that even though I like to think of myself as a "stop-and-smell-the-roses" kind of person, I can very easily find myself in the category of people mentioned above, who rush through life inside a four-foot bubble. I was thinking how amazing it is that some people don't even need a life changing jaunt across America to figure this out! Some people actually realize this, and take their time living life to the fullest AMIDST all of the stuff that can make the rest of us so oblivious to the beauty of life and nature all around us. Those people are the real adventurers of life! And I hope that the epiphanies I have realized stay with me long enough to remind me of this when I land back in the "real world"; that I am a person with a spirit, and not a robot! I need sunshine, fresh air, and water, and I need to move slowly in order to feel most alive. I function best when I take time to have breakfast in the morning, and open up my arms when the wind blows. No more rushing around in a bubble for me! Go ahead and try it (if you dare)- turn off the TV, read to each other before bed (use a flashlight, it's more fun!), gaze at the stars on a clear night, drive the speed limit for an entire day, and let me know what it's like for you. ~E

DAY 82: Friday, July 6, 2007 (Glendale, UT)

Today we did something we haven't done on our trip so far: we got up very early (4:50am) and drove almost an hour to Bryce Canyon, specifically Bryce Point, to watch the sunrise. It came up over "The Amphitheater," which was beautiful, as you can see here. Despite the early hour, there were many other people on the overlook who apparently had the same idea as us. (Who knew there were other "crazies" up so early just to catch a simple sunrise?!) But it was worth it, since it's not something we do everyday, and won't likely happen for a while - we were pooped by 10am! After the sunrise, we parked at a nearby picnic area and had some breakfast (the staples, which are cereal with blueberries, coffee (for J) and tea (for E). Elena found yet another friend named Chip (as in chipmunk!) and got it to eat almonds right from her hand. (Actually, we could tell it took the almond and stored it in its mouth as it ran back to its hole in the ground to stash it away for later.) It wasn't until after we got to the visitor center and got the park "newspaper" with an entire article about why it's not only frowned upon to feed the animals, but it's also considered cruelty! (Apparently, human food can mess with animals' digestive systems so that they are unable to digest food from their natural habitat.) Lesson learned.

We spent about an hour at our breakfast picnic site taking everything out of the van and repacking in such a way to make things more accessible and to find out where things are. (We end up asking each other about 50 times a day, "Do you know where [enter item here] is?!) We then headed to the park visitor center where we watched a 20-minute video about Bryce Canyon. We talked with a volunteer who recommended a few sites to see and hikes to walk. So we took the scenic drive to Rainbow Point, and stopped at the many overlooks on they way back. Storm clouds were coming as there was a 30% chance of thundershowers today, which, at the time we saw them, looked more like a 99% chance! So the hike, which will be under the canyon rim and into the canyon (I think), will wait until tomorrow.

Despite our intentions of getting up to see the sunrise, exploring the canyon all day, seeing the sunset, and joining a ranger talk at 9pm about astronomy, we overestimated our stamina and underestimated how tired we might feel by noon. We were back at our campsite by 4 as we lounged around and had dinner followed by a campfire and s'mores. We headed into the tent before it was entirely dark for an early night.

Something I want to mention is that on Wednesday, Elena and I assessed our current financial situation. It turns out that, for some reason (many actually!), we are starting to see the end of our trip in sight. Though we are becoming much more experienced campers now, the first two months of frequenting hotels and motels more often than campsites has finally caught up with us. This, and the fact that we ate at more restaurants than we should have, has also contributed to our current financial situation. (A recurring joke we had with each other when choosing extravagance over frugality was, "Who do we think we are? The Gatsbys!" Obviously, the joke is now on us!) This being said, we have determined that, barring a random lottery ticket winner along the way, we have about a month left of the trip, which includes the trip back to the east coast. This means we must now prioritize our remaining stops as we can no longer be as carefree as we have been. We have identified our top ten must-see places (which includes places like Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Redwood National Parks, San Francisco, and Seattle to name a few). We will have to skip other places we might have visited (like Vegas or San Diego) that would have been great to see but aren't on the top ten. It also means more, if not all, nightly stops will be at campsites, and meals will be mostly from our own stash. Small price to pay for being able to continue this trip for another month or so. Fortunately, we can say that we have seen and experienced many great places and met some phenomenal people on our trip so far, and we have another month to do more of the same! So if we don't visit places that might be on your top ten, now you know why. Next time, right? Even though we may have to end this particular trip earlier than we might like, it has inspired both of us to continue to be life long travelers.

DAY 84: Saturday, July 8, 2007 (Glendale, UT)

On Friday (yesterday) Jonathan and I took a while getting ourselves out and about. We spent the majority of the hottest hours of the day relaxing and updating the journals and pictures for this website. I think I was still pretty pooped from our early rise the day before, so I definitely relished our late start to the day. After lunch at the campsite, we headed out to Cedar City to pick up a few necessities (at Wal-Mart, where else??), and then headed out to beautiful Cedar Breaks National Monument.

The monument itself is not a man-made monument (like I was expecting). It is a natural monument- carved in the form of a canyon, with striated spires, balancing rocks, and rainbow-colored "hoodoos" (tall, beamlike rock structures formed by millions of years of erosion). We got there at approximately 4:30pm, just in time for the sun to start sinking a bit in the sky, which created some really nice shadows in the "monument." Perfect for picture-taking!

As we made our way to the overlook, we noticed a woman with a very nice camera set up on a tripod, overlooking the vista. Jonathan, intrigued by her professional-looking lens, stopped to talk to her a bit about her career in photography (he does this a lot, as he really likes photography and is always interested in how professional photographers got their start). Ann Torrence was her name, and she was very generous in sharing her story, her photos and some professional advice with Jonathan.

Ann told us she left her 18 year career as a "bureaucrat" at a university to pursue her love of photography. She started four years ago and is currently working on a book about historic Route 89, the highway which runs north and south from Canada to New Mexico. Ann showed us her book prototype, and explained how she took some of the beautiful pictures featured in it. Some shots she was able to get because of expensive equipment, while other shots required her to get up early for the sunrise. Some she said she had to endure being "skunked" to get just right (this happened twice!), and some she captured with pure "dumb luck." Ann showed Jonathan how to use remote flashes to make an image appear less flat and more highlighted (she even took a few of me that she said she would email to us). She also told him about some classes and workshops to check out in this area.

After we thanked Ann for her advice and shared expertise, we headed out for a hike to Spectra Point along the rim of the monument. It was about 6pm at this time, so it had cooled down nicely and the shadows were really moving for some great pictures. We spent about an hour and a half hiking this 2 mile round-trip trail. It was really lovely- it wasn't too steep, and it offered views of both the monument and the forest. Spectra Point has one of the best views in the west that we have seen so far! It is really spectacular.

After our hike, we made it back to the campsite just in time to make dinner and a fire before it got dark. Jonathan made his biggest and best fire yet (and captured it on video)- great for making s'mores! We turned in for the night, after deciding that we would head back to Bryce Canyon for a hike the following day. We should have some great pictures to share! We're hoping everyone at home is well!! ~E

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