Category: Campgrounds

Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Morefield Campground, Mesa Verde NP

Mesa Verde National Park

by  •  • 2 Comments

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 

62 degrees at 4:00 am, high of 92

Mesa Verde and San Juan Mountains

Mesa Verde National Park is an American national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States.

Established by Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, the park occupies 52,485 acres (21,240 ha) near the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. With more than 5,000 sites, including 600 cliff dwellings,[2] it is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States.[3] Mesa Verde (Spanish for “green table”, or more specifically “green table mountain”) is best known for structures such as Cliff Palace, thought to be the largest cliff dwelling in North America.

Starting c. 7500 BC Mesa Verde was seasonally inhabited by a group of nomadic Paleo-Indians known as the Foothills Mountain Complex. The variety of projectile points found in the region indicates they were influenced by surrounding areas, including the Great Basin, the San Juan Basin, and the Rio Grande Valley. Later, Archaicpeople established semi-permanent rock shelters in and around the mesa. By 1000 BC, the Basketmaker cultureemerged from the local Archaic population, and by 750 AD the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture.

The Mesa Verdeans survived using a combination of hunting, gathering, and subsistence farming of crops such as corn, beans, and squash. They built the mesa’s first pueblos sometime after 650, and by the end of the 12th century, they began to construct the massive cliff dwellings for which the park is best known. By 1285, following a period of social and environmental instability driven by a series of severe and prolonged droughts, they abandoned the area and moved south to locations in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Rio Chama, the Albuquerque Basin, the Pajarito Plateau, and the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_Verde_National_Park

We went to the visitor’s Center for a more complete study. It was crowded, but we worked our way around exhibits and signs. Then we went for the mesa top loop drive, but getting there takes 30-40 minutes on a twisting mountain road and going through one tunnel. Several overlooks gave the big picture of the four corners area of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. We are driving “The Grand Circle” trying to see all the National Parks and Monuments. These parks house some of the most incredible stone, rock, field and cliff structures that were built around 1,000 years ago. All of these sites were abandoned around 1300. As the modern Indians say, “We are still here. We just moved.”

  • Mesa Verde and San Juan Mountains
  • Mesa Verde with San Juan Mountains in distance
  • Sleeping Ute Warrior Mountain
  • Unusual, large building on the mesa top

Mostly, they lived below the mesas, in the many natural alcoves that provided protection and cover. There was more water then, and they developed farming techniques and incredible building techniques. They are known for their beautiful bowls, rock art and baskets. So many questions run through my mind. Why did they live there? How did they live there? How did they climb those cliffs? Why was it abandoned all over the Colorado Plateau? What were they afraid of?

Early Anglo explorers of these dwellings were often so struck with these places, they became obsessed, like Richard Wetherill, Dominguez, Escalante, Jackson, and others. I am reading a book called, “In Search of the Old Ones” by David Roberts. He too became obsessed in his travels and study, looking for answers, but also just being in these sites thrilled him.

For the many tribes still living in these areas, these areas are sacred. They believe these were their original homes, and the spirits are still there. They are not interested in thousands of people walking through these places. They don’t want them dug up for archaeological study. Yet, they often let their cattle and horses graze the land.

Mule Deer in camp

Perhaps cursed by the spirits of Chaco Canyon, our pack rat licked the peanut butter off two mouse traps, so I put Swiss cheese on them.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Gallo Campground, Chaco Culture HNP, Mesa Verde National Park, Morefield Campground, Mesa Verde NP

Drive to Mesa Verde

by  •  • 0 Comments

August 1, 2022

The 17-mile drive out of Chaco Canyon is excruciating. Roads in the park are paved, but for five miles it is one of the worst roads I have ever driven, and I have driven some rough roads searching for trout. Five miles an hour was my average speed for those five miles. It took an hour and 15 minutes to drive the 17 miles. Even then the paved road was really bumpy. There had been reports of bad storms for our three-night stay, but we had near perfect weather. If bad storms come, you could be trapped in the canyon. There are several areas that could wash across the road, making it unpassable, especially if you are pulling a trailer. There is a wash that the road crosses. A sign instructs you not to cross if there is ANY water. There was a little water when we came in, and thankfully no water going out.

The road passes through Indian land, Navajo I think. This treasure of a park is beautiful and accessible. You can walk up to the ruins, around and above them. The campground couldn’t be any more pleasant, right up against the canyon walls with some ruins at the bottom. If that road was paved all the way in, tour busses would be lined up, putting at risk a delicate environment that is sacred to many Indian tribes. Although torture driving in and out, it is well worth it!

We stopped at a Safeway in Aztec to resupply. The parking lot was packed on a Monday. It turned out to be the best Safeway I have ever been in. They had everything we needed and all the employees were nice and helpful. We barely got everything in the refrigerator, but we did. Then back on the road, crossing a big mountain and down into the town of Mancos, Colorado. We needed a mouse trap. We had a pack rat get into the trailer in Chaco Canyon. I think I chased him out, but he came back in. 

We stopped at a Family Dollar that also was one of the best I have been in, and also very nice help, who walked us right to the mouse traps. We drove on to the Mesa Verde Visitor’s Center. Unlike Chaco Canyon, you can’t walk to or through the ruins, you must sign up for a guided trip. A ranger told us everything was booked. Martha got right on her phone, searching for an opening and found two, one to Cliff Palace and one to Balcony House, two of the best sites. There are nearly 5,000 archeological sites in the 54,000 acres of Mesa Verde.

tarting c. 7500 BC Mesa Verde was seasonally inhabited by a group of nomadic Paleo-Indians known as the Foothills Mountain Complex. The variety of projectile points found in the region indicates they were influenced by surrounding areas, including the Great Basin, the San Juan Basin, and the Rio Grande Valley. Later, Archaicpeople established semi-permanent rock shelters in and around the mesa. By 1000 BC, the Basketmaker cultureemerged from the local Archaic population, and by 750 AD the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture.

The Mesa Verdeans survived using a combination of hunting, gathering, and subsistence farming of crops such as corn, beans, and squash. They built the mesa’s first pueblos sometime after 650, and by the end of the 12th century, they began to construct the massive cliff dwellings for which the park is best known. By 1285, following a period of social and environmental instability driven by a series of severe and prolonged droughts, they abandoned the area and moved south to locations in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Rio Chama, the Albuquerque Basin, the Pajarito Plateau, and the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_Verde_National_Park

We drove up a steep mountain to Morefield Campground, where you can drive around and select your spot. After 3 trips around, we picked a nice, shady spot.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Gallo Campground, Chaco Culture HNP, New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historic Park Loop Drive

by  •  • 0 Comments

Saturday, July 30, 2022

65 deg at 6:00 am, cloudy

We took the Loop Drive through Chaco Valley, stopping first at the Visitor’s Center. Behind the center was a 1-mile hike to Una Vida and some petroglyphs. It was pretty impressive. “Una Vida is a Chacoan “great house,” a large pre-planned multi-storied public building with distinctive masonry, formal earthen architecture, and a great kiva. Una Vida exists today in a near-natural state of preservation, free from major vandalism, and with only minor excavations and preservation repairs.” It was built in the mid-800’s AD and had 160 rooms. You can see the two streams that run through Chaco Canyon. There are six major sites on the loop drive, some largely excavated. For many Indian tribes The Pueblans, Hopi, Navajo and others, these are sacred sites where many are buried, and they don’t want further excavation. Some of these were found and excavated in the late 1800’s.

We drove to the next spot, Hungo Pavi, which included several sites, then looped behind to the cliff where there were a lot of petroglyphs. These were pretty amazing structures. Chaco Canyon was the hub of trade throughout New Mexico and beyond. I would like to see Machu Pichu, but this is pretty incredible. It is huge, and the rock work is impressive. Certainly they had the materials, with plenty of flat stones falling off the cliffs naturally, but they way they put them together, using mud for mortar would rival today’s stonework. At times they used tiny stones to fill gaps. In later buildings, they used columns, wooden support beams and flying buttresses. Sometimes they used a double-wall construction. Parts of these buildings still stand 1,000 years later!

The common thread was the kiva, a round building with windows, often aligned with the sun, moon and stars. Several of these kivas are huge! 50 people would fit comfortably. They built roads for commerce with other settlements, often carving steps in the cliffs above. They built irrigation canals and water storage. We talked about the Romans and their incredible construction at the same time. One difference is we know a lot about the history of the Romans. We know little about Chaco Culture. Why did they leave? What did they do in these great kivas? This was a huge, open society where people visited from hundreds of miles away. Artifacts were found from the west coast, Mexico and the north.

We completed the loop drive and went back to the Visitor’s Center.I found several interesting books while Martha talked with a ranger about what hike to take tomorrow. Her favorite hike was out, because we can’t cross the “wash”, which is a river right now, and it is supposed to rain tonight. 

  • Collapsed canyon wall that damaged Peublo Bonito (Beautiful City)
  • Great kiva
  • Great kiva
  • Kivas were covered with timbers and woven materials
  • Plastered walls
  • The great back wall of Chetro Ketl
  • Beautiful Chaco Canyon
  • Gallo Campground
  • Incredible stonework
Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Gallo Campground, Chaco Culture HNP, New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historic Park 1

by  •  • 0 Comments

Friday, July 29, 2022

We were supposed to take a jeep tour of Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “shay” or tsegi in Navajo), but Bobby VanWinkle came to our campsite, and said the Navajo park chief closed the park to visitors. It is monsoon season and Chinle Wash has been a raging river. A truck sinks gradually in the middle of the river. One native said she had never seen it this high. Bobby knew we could cross safely, but the man in charge wanted to err on the side of safety. I was disappointed, as Bobby is known for his excellent tours, and it is the only way to really see this incredible canyon. I hope we can come back.

Why would it take so long to drive 95 miles to Chaco Canyon? Of course I didn’t want to drive the same road we drove yesterday, so we took the alternate route. We started on Rt. 64 north, a major route. A line of cars and trucks all blinked their lights at us. We are in monsoon season. Was the road washed out? Are there cows or horses on the road? This is open range on the Navajo Reservation, so there are often animals on the road, although I am pretty amazed how they seem to be road-smart. I slowed down, but never did see the problem. I think there were animals on the road.

At Alon we turned south on 12, then turned east on 13 and headed toward some big mountains. Martha said we were on a Scenic Highway. As we started up the mountain, we were surrounded by huge, red rock cliffs, and the road wound tightly through them. A car wisely passed us on a double line. We wound up the big mountain around very tight, twisty turns. I was going 10 miles/hr asking Martha if anything was coming down the mountain as I had to swing wide to get around turns. There are times I think this big, diesel truck is more than needed. Then we come to a steep mountain like this, and I am grateful to have such a powerful truck!

It is certainly a beautiful drive. Cows grazed on both sides of the road, and all the land was in use, divided amongst the Navajo in what manner I don’t know, but it’s pretty cool. Crossing the top of Buffalo Pass at almost 9,000’ and in the clouds, I feared going down would be just as difficult as coming up, but it was easier. At the top it was 62 degrees! At the bottom, we were back into arid desert.

We passed through Farmington, New Mexico and made a daring turn to get into a Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch. A trucker had parked out front on the side of the road, and we pulled in behind him, barely leaving room for people to get in and out of the restaurant. As we passed he said with a smile, “I didn’t know where else to park! Oh well, I was hungry. Have a good day.” 

As we drove a very remote road, Martha read the instructions for entering the park. “A four-wheel drive is recommended. If you get stuck on the 16.5 mile, rutted gravel road, you may have to wait a long time for a tow vehicle. If you leave your car, they will not tow it.” Martha called the Visitor’s Center. The lady said, “It is monsoon season, and the road can get washed out. Heavy rains are predicted for the next four days, and you may not be able to get out.” I stopped to fill up with gas and considered the options. I mean it’s a national Park! Can it be that bad? 

Before leaving Martha had called to ask if it was OK to come in from the south. They said it is a VERY rough 20-mile road. Four wheel drive with high clearance is needed, and then came the towing warning. We opted for the north.

At the turn toward the park, we stopped at a food truck and asked if we would be OK pulling the trailer to the park. “Oh yes, it is a good road.” three miles of paved road turned to gravel, but a very nicely groomed gravel road. I breathed a sigh of relief.

From NPS. This is the good part of the road

After 11 miles on the gravel road, a sign said it was the end of county maintenance, and the road turned very rough for the last 5 miles, so rough we were going 5 mph most of the time, crossing sides to find a smoother track. Regular sedans passed coming out. Everyone waved – a sort of camaraderie of the road less traveled. Martha was mad. “How could a national park have a road like this?”

When we FINALLY entered the park, the road became paved. We turned into the small campground and parked in site 20 right in front of some ancient ruins and a petroglyph of a horse. After setting up, we drove to the Visitor’s Center. I showed my Senior Pass and got a 7-day pass to put on the mirror. 

I asked who owned the park. “The United States Government” was the reply. “Why is that road so bad?” I asked. If I interpreted the answer correctly, that strip is not owned by the park and not by the county, but by the Navajo Nation. I asked why the government wouldn’t pay to at least gravel that road. “I guess they have other priorities.” There is a story here I hope to explore, but right now I have one bar of cell phone service.

We read some of the signs around the center, learning this is also a UNESCO site. We watched a 30-minute movie about how the Chaco Indians developed this area into a huge city with very large, well-built buildings from the middle 800’s to the 1100’s. It became a hub of travel and trade with well-engineered roads in all directions. A map showed the many Chaco settlements and buildings throughout New Mexico.

We might have taken the Scenic Loop Drive, but I was tired, so we opted for a drink and dinner. We sat outside, looking at the huge, black cloud approaching. With binoculars, we explored the cliffs and walls, noticing a lot of bird poop. Were they owls, bats or cliff swallows. There were multiple holes where birds could live.

As the storm approached and the winds picked up, we put the awning up and lowered most of the windows. There was a little thunder, but it turned out to be just a good, steady rain. Temperatures dropped to the mid 60’s, which made for great sleeping.

Arizona, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Cottonwood Campground, Canyon de Chelly

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

by  •  • 0 Comments

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

We chatted with our neighbors in a cool NoBo trailer with a tent on top. A lady was making pancakes. Martha went over to see the unique NoBo, similar to Ruff and Sandra’s, but smaller. they had five people traveling in it – two small children, a teen-age boy, two women and the mother of one. 

Christine, with a big, beautiful smile, welcomed us, and showed us around. They were Hopi, with various links and marriages. With a slide-out drawer, she was cooking on an outdoor gas stove. There was a large cooler-like refrigerator behind it. Two cute girls said Hi from inside the tent on top of the trailer. The teen-age boy was sleeping inside where three sleeping bags appeared to take up the whole inside. The mother sat at a picnic table. 

They were from the state of Washington on a two-week tour. Once they heard we were headed to Canyon de Chelly, the mother opened up, telling us about the Hopi Nation living within the Navajo Nation. They live on top of three mesas that was largely overlooked by the Spanish, who saw the area as unproductive land. She said the Hopi are a peaceful people who didn’t wander so much as the Navajo. They build homes and grew a lot of their food.

It was interesting hearing their stories, but we finally let them eat their breakfast. The teen-age boy came out and introduced himself. He said he was listening to music, which he then interprets and writes his own version. They were all very nice.

We drove south on 163 through Kayenta turning east on 160, then south again on 59 for a pleasant drive. For the third time we called Sirius XM to try to fix my weather app, always an important feature, but especially on this trip to see how hot it is going to be, or how much it will rain. We are in the monsoon season in this area, so it can get interesting. It is pretty amazing how big, dark storms gather each afternoon. You can see the rain traveling across the area, yet it might never touch us.

Martha got somewhere, but then lost cell coverage. We tried again in Chinle near Canyon de Chelly and got to the travel app division before loosing contact.

We pulled into a nice, little Visitor’s Center and looked around. A young lady explained we should drive the south rim of the canyon in the afternoon/evening and the north rim in the morning. There are various overlooks along the way. She also explained the two campgrounds, Cottonwood and Spider Rock Campground on top of the mountain. She explained Canyon de Chelly is pronounced de Shay, From Wikipedia: “The name Chelly (or Chelley) is a Spanish borrowing of the Navajo word Tséyiʼ, which means “canyon” (literally “inside the rock” < tsé “rock” + -yiʼ“inside of, within”). The Navajo pronunciation is [tséɣiʔ]. The Spanish pronunciation of de Chelly [deˈtʃeʎi] was adapted into English, apparently modeled on[clarification needed] a French-like spelling pronunciation, and is now /dəˈʃeɪ/ də-SHAY.”

They had a very big rain yesterday, and the river or creek had flooded the area. We first drove through Cottonwood Campground. Signs said the bathrooms were closed due to water pressure problems, so we drove 15 miles to look at Spider Rock Campground. It was very rough-looking with trailers and trucks and old equipment at the entrance. With a huge, black cloud looming, we turned around and started back down.

Normally a creek, that has to be crossed to get into the canyon

We stopped at the first overlook and had lunch. I took a long nap since I was up early this morning.  We walked over to the rocky edge to see what was below. We saw an incredibly beautiful valley surrounded by sheer rock walls. A stream ran through the middle. For thousands of years this valley has been farmed and lived in. We couldn’t wait to tour it with a guide tomorrow, but we could see how it might be difficult to drive through the valley with the stream so swollen. 

We explored every overlook on the way down, and all were beautiful. The Navajo people still farm the valley and the top of the mesa where horses roamed free. 

We set up camp back at Cottonwood after talking with a ranger. She said two bathrooms were open now with flush toilets, so Martha was happy. We settled on site 35, apparently a popular site. A tour group of kids set up behind us as that dark cloud crept closer. Fortunately, the bulk of it went around us. Depending on where the bulk of it went, we may or may not be able to take our tour tomorrow with the highly-touted Tsegi Jeep Tours and Bobby Vanwinkle.

Indian tribes in the Four Corners
Open range where horses run free
Street-smart
Arizona, Monument Valley KOA, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Ten-X Campground, Kainab National Forest, Utah

Move to Monument Valley

by  •  • 2 Comments

We have been in a lot of places without cell coverage or WIFI, so I am 21 days behind! We have been in some spectacular places. Our national parks and monuments are great places. For the next 12 days, we should have good service, so I should catch up.

Sunday, July 24, 2022

We packed up at Ten-X Campground, with one more visit by our elk. Suddenly, there were barking dogs. I looked up to see a couple of mixed breed medium-sized dogs running after the elk. He took off at a big trot, leading those dogs to who knows where. Soon a young lady came after them, calling futilely. She may never see those dogs again, depending on how long they chase the elk, and if they have any sense of finding their way back to the campground.

 We hooked up and headed east, making one last stop at Lipan Point for some spectacular views of the Grand Canyon. Once down the mountain, we turned northeast on Rt. 160 toward Monument Valley. We were a little concerned about the heat, as we had been very comfortable at Ten-X. Except for the yellow jacket invasion, I would rate the campground a 9 or 10. As we drove out, we saw traps that were working well around the fresh water spigots. 

It was about a 2.5 hour pleasant drive to Monument Valley KOA campground. Once settled, we went to the Visitor’s Center. Although open, it was pretty stark inside. We wandered around reading signs and looking at pictures. A young foreign couple asked an employee about maps and trails. She was very curt. “All we do is sell maps. We don’t take credit cards. This is an all-cash park.” She gave them no information or help of any sort and should be relieved of her position immediately. The Welcome Center was not very welcoming.

We drove through the traffic circle to Goulding’s Lodge and Trading Post to look around. Harry and Leone (called Mike) Goulding came here in the 1920’s, starting the trading post, hotel and bringing people here to see this great place. They were influential in bringing John Ford here. Ford would later film “Stagecoach” here. That would start a long history of movie-making in Monument Valley.

Back at the KOA, a big, black storm was approaching from the north. With monuments right on the other side of the street, we headed out for some pictures. It made for some very dramatic shots.

Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, Ten-X Campground, Kainab National Forest, Western South Rim Trail, Grand Canyon NP

Western Rim Hike, Grand Canyon National Park

by  •  • 0 Comments

Friday, July 22, 2022

We caught the red line bus to the western part of the South Rim Trail, most of which is unpaved. We walked along the rim for an hour seeing very few people. No cars are allowed on this section, so bikers took advantage. Early in the morning it would be a great bike ride. We passed a small group that were on a bike tour. 

We caught the bus, went up a stop or two, then walked the last mile to Hermit’s Rest. I love this building that blends in with its surroundings. It has the most incredible fireplace!

  • Hermit’s Restt
  • Grand View

Back at Ten-X Campground, we had to stay inside the Airstream. Yellow Jackets have infested the campground. They don’t sting you, but they buzz all around you and whatever food or drink you carry. 

We have been fortunate to have elk in our camp almost every day, mostly three males. Patty educated me on what males are called. they are spikes until their horns branch. Then they are called bulls. 

Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, Ten-X Campground, Kainab National Forest

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon NP

by  •  • 0 Comments

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

We hiked Bright Angel Trail to the 1.5 mark, where there is a spring and a restroom! It was certainly easy enough walking down. It was about 7:30 when we started – not early enough! there were a lot of people already at the spring when we got there, and I had to stand in line to go to the bathroom. 

As we started back up, we talked with a nice lady ranger. I asked how far it was to the edge of the mesa below. We could clearly see the trail below us, and it didn’t appear to be a bad walk. She said, “It is 6.5 miles to that overlook. You have been a mile and a half.” I quickly acknowledged we could not hike back up 6.5 miles. She said a lot of people walk down to Indian Garden, a green area we could easily see. They would often spend the night there, walking out to the end in the evening. Then hiking back up in the morning. 

Martha asked about shade going back up. She said it is mostly shady in the morning, so round-trip hikers will sometimes walk down Kaibab Trail, spend the night, then hike back up Bright Angel, taking advantage of shade going down and coming back up. She said we were smart to start back up. 

We might have been considered smart if we had started at 7:00, or even 6:00, but it got hot as we made our way back up. We had to stop many times to rest and catch our breath. I had soaked my shirt in the spring water before starting. By the time we got back to the top, we were exhausted by a tough 3-mile walk!

We went back to Bright Angel Lodge for lunch and a lot of water! Then back to our campsite for a nap. It was very hot, so we turned the air conditioner on, set to 85 degrees. It cut back on in 20 minutes, and we did that for three hours. We were not plugged in, so this was an extreme test for our batteries. It ate up all of the charge, by the time we turned it off in the evening. I hoped the Arizona sun would help regain power tomorrow. 

In the evening we went to Grand View to watch the sun set. It was interesting to follow guides, listening to their talks. I cringed as parents crawled over the wall with their kids too get to a “better” spot. One guide noted buzzards circling below us. He said someone probably fell down there. “It happens all the time”, he said. They might have a broken bone or worse.

We decided to leave a bit early to beat the crowd. Driving back, the whole sky lit up! 

It was too hot to cook, so we went out to dinner. It was just OK, but it beat cooking on a hot day. Fortunately it had turned cooler and was fine for sleeping. Worried about battery power, I cut off the fan at midnight and closed the vent. It was 60 degrees when I got up!

Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, Ten-X Campground, Kainab National Forest

Move to Ten-X Campground

by  •  • 0 Comments

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Back on Rt. 89 going south, it was hot, very hot. Our 4.5-hour drive was at first very pretty, but then became more of a desert. we stopped at the very nice Glazier’s Market in Kanab, Utah and stocked up. They gave us a receipt for 15% off at their gas station.

Crossing into Arizona, we stopped for lunch at an overlook of the Colorado River and Lake Powell, which is now at 27% capacity. It was a nice spot for lunch under a covered picnic area.

The next two hours was desert, and the land looked like a giant gravel yard with gravel mountains. As we began to climb the mountain into the huge Kaibab National Forest, it became more green and temperatures dropped from 105 to 88 at the top.

We entered Grand Canyon National Park, showing our Senior Pass, and drove south on Rt. 64 to Ten-X Campground in the national forest. Two reasons led me to Ten-X. first I couldn’t get a site in the park, and second there were pictures of elk in the Ten-X campground. It is also in a forest, and well-shaded.

We liked our campsite fortunately, because we would be here for a week. Ten-X got its name because it is 10 miles from the south entrance to the park. We hope to visit the north rim later, but we will still be in the Kaibab National Forest.

We took a drive up to the Visitor’s Center, which has moved outside, using big signs to introduce visitors to the park. We walked along the South Rim Trail for a while. It is so immense, it boggles the mind. The Colorado travels 277 miles through the park, is about one mile deep and 10 miles across. At the narrowest point, it is 600 yards across. The river’s average width is 300 feet across, although it narrows to only 76 feet wide at mile 135, where the river, 85 feet deep, is also at its deepest. On average, the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon is 40 feet deep. (https://www.gcex.com/grand-canyon-trivia/) One sign said it is the largest example of erosion in the world. 

Three beautiful bucks came to visit
The Watchman Trail, Zion NP, Utah, Watchman Campground, Zion National Park, Zion National Park

The Watchman Trail, Zion National Park

by  •  • 2 Comments

Wednesday afternoon, July 13, 2022

It has been hot, very hot, in Zion National Park. Temperatures soar over 100o in the middle of the day. Our air conditioner can’t keep up, often tripping the 30amp breaker to the Inverter. Makes us all a bit grumpy mid-day. Our routine is to get out early and hike, come back for lunch, quiet hour, then an afternoon hike.

The afternoon hike was The Watchman, for which our campground is named. The trail winds around a canyon and to the top of a mesa. Two REI tour guides were giving a tour, so we got to listen to the comments. The mountain is called The Watchman because it is the last in line and looks back up the valley at all the other mountains that make up Zion National Park.

As we stood admiring the scenery, a man in his 60’s came for his afternoon run, jogging past the people, down the mesa, back up, then down the trail! It is a beautiful spot and well-worth the effort.

error: Content is protected !!