Colorado & Return to the Midwest 6/1/10

On friday, May 21st I drove from Moab to Ft. Collins, CO. The drive itself was one the more memorable ones I've taken as I went up and over the Rocky Mountains along I-70. There was lots of snow to be seen and 30 degree cooler temperatures than when I left Moab. The purpose of going to Ft. Collins was to visit my friend Felix. Felix was the friend/couchsurfing contact I stayed with back on the first day of my trip which began July 5th, 2009. It was great to see Felix again and of course a visit is not complete without a couple of challenging bike rides with steep climbs and mile high elevation.


The weekend of my visit just happened to coincide with the showing of Ride the Divide at the Boulder theater. Ride the Divide is a documentary about a 2,700 mile self sustained mountain bike race through the Rocky Mtns. from Canada to Mexico. Felix completed this ride which includes around 200,000 ft. of climbing in just under 30 days. A group of us went to see the film and listen to a Q & A afterwards with Felix and a few of the other riders.



After a stop in Boulder to spend a few eventful and hilarious days with the Schacht family I headed east through Kansas and Missouri. I camped a couple of nights and checked out Kansas City. The final stop before returning to Chicago was to see my cousin Chris on the Shinkle family farm in Carthage, IL. "The Farm" is a place I visited many time growing up but hadn't been back to visit since the early 90's. It was good to get reacquainted with Chris and spend a few relaxing carefree days out in the country.



Finally, on June 1st, after almost 11 months being away, I returned to Chicago, Evanston, and Glenview. I was excited to return knowing I'd be getting to see family & friends over the next couple of months that I'd missed while travelling.

Utah

On friday May 14th I left Arizona and headed north to Utah. The plan for the weekend was to meet my dad and stepmom in Springdale, UT and visit Zion & Bryce National Parks. We spent a day and a half discovering the beauty of Zion Canyon. I have to credit my parents for hiking up hills, through rocks, and adjusting nicely to the higher elevation.


The highlight hike for me at this park was Angel's Landing. At times I have a fear of heights so the steep final 1/2 mile of this hike was particularly challenging. My focus was sharp as I avoided looking down at the 1,500 ft. drop to the canyon floor as much as possible. Pictured below are the final ascent to the top of Angel's Landing and the riveting look down to the canyon floor.



We made a day trip sunday to Bryce National Park. I'd seen pictures of Bryce Canyon but was amazed to walk up and see the hoodoos in person. A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin. Bryce Canyon is filled with these. After viewing the canyon from the rim we hiked down about to the Queen's Garden area giving us an up close and personal view of the unique rock formations.


It was great to have my dad and step mom join me for a few days. Hopefully my insistence they hike a little more and a little further won't deter them from a similar adventure in the future. We parted ways and I drove 5 1/2 hours east to Moab, UT. Moab is home to two more national parks and is well known as a top mountain biking destination. I camped for 4 nights at the quiet tent only Up The Creek campground just a few blocks from the main strip in Moab. The first day I dodged some rare afternoon thunderstorms to do some hiking in Arches National Park. To say this park is filled with amazing rock formations is an understatement. The highlight the first day was hiking up to Delicate Arch at sunset. There were 50 or 60 people up there taking photos and enjoying the setting sun sparkle on Delicate Arch.

The second day I hiked the Devil's Garden trail which took me past 8 different arches as well as several other interesting formations.

The last arch of the day was maybe the signature arch of the park, Landscape Arch. Landscape is the longest natural bridge or arch in the world and often seen on the weather channel.


I set aside thursday to rent a mountain bike and try riding the Slickrock Trail. This is one of two famous trails in Moab not suited for amateurs. I decided to try it anyway. The ride was completely different than anything I'd ever ridden before. The hard surface of the petrified sand dunes made for a strong grip but the uphills climbs were extremely difficult. The views of the snow capped mountains, Arches National Park, and Colorado River added great scenery to the ride. I was able to finish the loop but not without walking my bike up about 15 steep hills.

On the way out of town friday morning I stopped at Canyonlands National Park for a few hours. I would like to have devoted more time to this park but Arches and Slick Rock took precedence. I was able to squeeze in a few short hikes around the Island in the Sky section of the park which offered great views of the Colorado and Green rivers. All in all, Utah and the 4 national parks I visited were beautiful and awe-inspiring.

Flagstaff/Sedona, AZ

After completing the Grand Canyon hike I returned to Grand Canyon International Hostel in Flagstaff. This terrific hostel would be my home base for the week. After a good nights rest I ventured down highway 89A to beautiful Sedona. This scenic route gave me my first views of the incredible red rock formations that make Sedona famous. After picking up a an excellent hiking map at the visitors center I checked out a couple of trails the best of which was the rocky climb up to Cathedral Rock. Cathedral Rock is an impressive rock structure that affords great views of the surrounding rock formations and happens to be one of five vortex spots in the area.

I also hiked Airport Loop, Huckaby, and Boynton Canyon Vista. Part of the Huckaby trail ran right along the Oak Creek, a lush area with a variety of trees that doesn't feel at all like Arizona. There are so many good hiking trails in Sedona you really can't go wrong.


While I didn't have time to delve into the spiritual aspects of Sedona it's worth mentioning this town is the epicenter for all things "new age". I did make make time to spend an afternoon mountain biking some of the red rock trails around town. Many of the hiking trails in the area double as great rides for mountain bikers. The Bike'N'Bean set me up with a great bike and easy to read trail maps that had me enjoying riding on big rocks, little rocks, flat rocks, bumpy rocks, and everything inbetween.

The Grand Canyon

When I purchased my National Parks Pass last July I knew I'd be visiting Grand Canyon National Park approximately 10 months later. This weekend that 10 months later became now. The enjoyment of the trip to the Grand Canyon exceeded all other National Park visits I've made in the last year. It's difficult to put into words the awe and beauty experienced while hiking into the canyon.


I had a bit of good fortune planning my Grand Canyon visit when I lucked into a slot at Phantom Rance thanks to another persons cancellation and some persistent phone calls. Phantom Ranch is q backpackers resort at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. With my reservation in place I was able to hike 9.5 miles from the South Rim (7,000 ft.) down the Bright Angel trail to Phantom Ranch at 2,550 ft.


The hike started out relatively easy but by the half way point the temperature had reached the upper 80's and my legs were starting to get a little tired. I drank lots of water and and took a nice long break at Indian Garden, a midway oasis with lots of shade and water.


A couple more miles with more amazing views of the canyon and I reached the Colorado River. I hiked along the river for a couple of miles and then crossed a suspension bridge into the Phantom Ranch grounds. The hike down took about 6 hours and was well worth every step. I took it easy the rest of the day and got a good night sleep in one of the dorm houses. I took off back up the canyon at about 7 am. The first half of the hike up was pretty easy with cool morning temperatures and lots of shade. The 2nd half got a lot tougher as I moved into the higher elevations and the midday sun became more direct. I finally reached the top about 1 pm, making the trip up about the same as the trip down. I was tired, sore, and hungry but thankful for the work my legs did for me. I know I will sleep well tonight as I dream of my next trip to the Grand Canyon.

Springtime in California

The last 4 weeks have been spent visiting family and friends around California. I was able to spend time with my Mom, Stepdad, Aunt Sue, Nate, The Gilligan Family, Dad, Stepmom, Beni, Spence & Rita, Cousin Lisa, Jim, and Haley. One of the highlights was the opportunity to prepare and feed 1-year old Haley her breakfast. Collaborating with Lisa to make a mashed mixture of bananas, oats, and cinnamon was a lot easier than getting her to actually eat it.


Springtime in California means wildflowers and they could be seen in a variety of vibrant colors all over the state. None were more prominent than the wild mustard plant. In some places this wildflower is so thick it will make an entire hillside look yellow from a distance.


Much of my free time was spent biking and hiking as usual. I also took the time to photograph some San Francisco wall art as well as a beautiful duck.


Another highlight was hiking up Mt. Wilson with Jim and Sergio. This 14-mile hike took us up 5,700 ft. and left me with sore legs for two days. The best part occured about 3/4 of the way up when we broke through the cloud cover and could see above the clouds.


I'm grateful for all the time spent with family and friends but now it's time to hit the road for some more adventures. I'll leave friday, May 7th for Arizona, Utah, and Colorado before returning to Chicago around June 1st.

Kaua'i Part II

The second half of the time spent on Kaua'i was filled with more exploration of the island. Several of us hiked from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapi'ai Beach along the Na Pali Coast. This was a scenic 4-mile round trip much of which was done barefoot along muddy trails. It was well worth the effort for the views and seeing the turbulent surf at the remote beach.

A second trip to Waimea Canyon gave me a chance to hike the "Canyon Trail". This trail wound through some serene woods before funneling us out to some breathtaking views of the canyon as well as Waipo'o Falls. I ate my picnic lunch on a rock 5 ft. from the top of the falls.

The last couple weeks a group of five of us staying at Ahupuaa Village in Kapa'a bonded together very nicely. Griffin, Leif, Malia, Kiki, and I did several excursions together, shopped the Kapa'a Farmers Market, and cooked delicious meals in the community kitchen. This group also got me to step out of my comfort zone by taking me to a costume ecstatic dance party. Ecstatic dance can be defined as sacred dance encompassing all movement that expresses or enhances spiritual experiences. I ended up dancing for 2 hours straight and had a great time.

The five of us also made a trip to Polihale State Park for a night of camping on the beach. This park has a beach that goes for miles, great sand dunes, and a beautiful mountain background. I saw a great sunset over the ocean in the evening and then the sunrise over the mountains in the morning. With few people around I also enjoyed an early morning ocean swim... in my birthday suit.


On my last day Griffin and I did a kayak and hiking adventure on the Wailua River. We paddled about 45 minutes up the river to a shallow docking area. From there we hiked through and open meadow, across a rushing river, and then up a different branch of the river to Secret Falls.




It's hard to believe 3 months have passed and it's time to return to the mainland. I've enjoyed a lot of warm weather, seen many beautiful places, and made lots of new friends. The spiritual energy of the islands has brought so many good people and horizon broadening experiences into my path and for that I say Mahalo!

Kaua'i

Kaua'i is the oldest and northern most Hawaiian Island. I landed here a little over a week ago with a renewed feeling of excitement for exploring a new place. This island can be summed up in one word, magical. My accomodations the first few nights were at the Kauai Beach Hostel. This hostel is centrally located in the town of Kapa'a and just 75 yards from the ocean. My desire though was to find a community to stay in for my 3 weeks on Kaua'i. I found Ahupuaa Village and moved into a cabin also bringing new friend Arnold who I met at the hostel and old friend Leif who traveled with me from the Big Island. This community is much different than Kipuka Temple in that the majority of people here are doing their own thing as opposed to getting involved in a lot of group activities.

Arnold, Leif, and I along with another hostel traveller, Safira, traveled all over the island. The typical day trip would include sightseeing and hiking followed by swimming at a beautiful beach. The size of Kaua'i makes it easy to go anywhere on the island, spend the day, and be home by early evening.


Our first excursion was to the south side of the island to the towns of Poʻipū and Kōloa as well as Spouting Horn, Maha'ulepu Beach, and Kawelikoa Point. We hiked through some sand dunes to reach Maha'ulepu Beach and then continued along the coast checking out various cliffs, pools, hidden beaches, and caves.



The next day we headed to the "north shore" side of the island which is centered around the town of Hanalei. We first stopped at Queen's Bath which is a unique and sometimes dangerous tide pool. We did an afternoon hike on the Okolehao Trail which gave us great view of Hanalei Bay and the surrounding area. Finally, after searching several side roads we found Secrets Beach which was as beautiful beach as I've ever seen.




If these excurions weren't enough we followed these up by going to Waimea Canyon State Park. This was mostly a driving and sightseeing trip taking in different views of the incredible Waimea Canyon. I plan on returning here to do several hikes. This picture is a good representation of the vast beauty this canyon offers. If you find any of the pictures on this blog too small remember to click the picture to see a bigger version.

I've covered the highlights from the first week but also have to mention a few other amazing places I"ve been fortunate to visit. This list includes Kapa'a Beach, Donkey Beach, Larsen's Beach, Ke'e Beach, Tunnels Beach, Salt Pond Beach Park, Waikapale'e Wet Cave, Waikanaloa Wet Cave, and Maniniholo Dry Cave.