Cooling our heels at Glen Canyon.

We slept in and had a late breakfast of corned beef and eggs.  Woe is me, no Sunday paper I can hold in my hands, but since it was so late I just read all I needed on the web. I will get back to my fix on Monday with the USA Today paper in full form online just like it is on paper.  So cool.  Now back to what's real...  This is the view from our 5er at the view at sunset. 

The above panorama that I made using the free program from  www.autostitch.net looks good, but I also love the more close up details of the scene as below.

I digress as I have not linked to the  Glen Canyon Rec. web site
and the Glen Canyon Guide 2010 Park Newspaper (pdf 1.89Mb)

Our plan right now written in sand with a stick, is to stay here for a day or two more and then move on to the Monument Valley Area. There is the John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum in Page, (you know how much Terry loves museums). We did stop at the Dam Visitor center but I would like to take the one hour tour down inside.  And do we dare try to investigate the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park Antelope Canyon  Also see the Wikipedia link to this  Antelope canyon.

No reason to rush off down the road when we have more to explore right here. Getting past the vacation mode is still a factor we fight at times. A couple of days in one spot, and we think should we move on...  we know the answer. Not till we are ready. And who could ask for a better boondocking site that has within a couple hundred yards water and a dump site and you saw the views we have here. 
I like Page, AZ and me thinks we need more time here, don't ya think... 
 

We are now calling Lone Rock in Glen Canyon our temporary home.

Packed up and left Lees Ferry in good time this AM and later pulled up the 2000 ft climb to get to Page, AZ. 
Our truck now that we replaced our fuel filter handled the climb like it didn't even exist. 
Now we have landed at Lone Rock in the Glen Canyon Rec. area. 

The above view from our spot we chose to call home for a few days. We unhooked (a first for us) and drive around to see where we could go so we wouldn't have a problem getting stuck in loose sand if we wanted to go down closer to the beach.  This isn't an organized campground, but a do your own thing wherever you want. Boondocking just the way we like it. The lower areas next to the lake was a little iffy on the roads as some of them have soft sand, so for us so we chose to set up in the area high above with grand views close to the campground host site and dump station. There was a MH in the host site so Terry walked over to say HI and he said they have been parked in the host site for about two weeks but they are not the hosts. We asked what the camping fees were, (we knew we got in free with Senior Pass) and also till April 25 all entrance fees are free for all. But the big brown entrance sign didn't talk about camping fees. These squatters at the host site said not to worry as they have been here for two weeks and no one has asked them for any camping fees. So we shall see how this goes. The main  restrooms are closed and locked up so me thinks we are very out of season and not to worry. 

After we unhooked we headed back to Page for a tour of the area and to get supplies. 
We stopped at this grand overview high up over Glen Canyon.

By this time it was about 12:30 and I had planned to stop Mc Donald's for a craving of a Quarter Pounder without cheese, but Terry spotted a sign for a Mandarin Chinese Buffet across the road from Mc Ds. so we turned around and went back. It was in a small shopping plaza right next to where a Bashas' food store had closed.  I was worried and still had thoughts of a Mc D. But it had been a long time since we had had Chinese so I gave in so we stopped.  It was in a small place but many locals were inside and looking happy as they ate. Less selection but more tasty than many big scale type places. Me thinks it was all homemade. You could tell it was a family operation and all were were there working so many hours each day. Who would think a place like this would be a hit in Page, AZ. It was, and you could see the locals were into this cuisine. 

Next off to WalMart just down the road where we needed to stock up. Terry had a big shopping list. I was tired and depressed, because I was so full, so didn't have the urge to pluck those fun food items from the shelves. I did find Corn Nuts in the checkout isle as we were waiting in a long slow checkout line. Yesterday in this same store we were in line in an under 20 or less item line and they shut it down and there were no other 20 or less lanes even open. 

I have not seen these in years and they are so good. I plucked a couple and threw them in the cart. 

Later as we were heading back to our boondocking site Terry said since we had so much to eat at the Mandarin Chinese Buffet don't expect much for supper tonight... And I said... Not to worry "I never expect much for supper".  That got a look that could kill. 
Stop back to see if I awoke OK on Sunday... 

An afternoon day trip to scope out our next stop.

Backtracked out of Lees Ferry over the Navajo Bridge and up HW 89 toward Page, AZ.

You have to climb 2000 ft on the way to Page. so you know there are views to be had looking back northwest form the highway. 

On the way back the view going down this same grade. 

This is a great area for vast vistas. 

We got our truck tire fixed at Big O Tires in Page. They found we didn't have a nail in it, but a valve stem went bad. So $12 for install of a new one and a $5 tip to the nice young man who fixed it and we were on our way. 

Next off to explore Glen Canyon Rec. area for our next campsite. The above map shows Lone Rock that we were told at the Marble Canyon visitor center was where everyone went to camp on the beach. 

The roads have places where loose sand will bog you down and we don't know if it is safe to pull our 5er in here without checking out the many roads before we try to pull over them. We almost got stuck with just our dually truck. But then you know a dually is worse than a normal truck for getting stuck even on wet grass we have found. There is space up overlooking the area with solid ground so may go there to boondock. Close to the campground host in a large like parking lot. Free to get in the Rec. Area and $10 ($5 with Senior Pass). We didn't seen any place to pay so don't know, it might be free to camp.

Next choice was was the main Wahweap Rec.Area. This shot shows just a small sample of the pontoon boats that were up on blocks for use in the summer rental season. Parking lot after parking lot were full of these. 

This area also has a large concessionaire RV campground and prices to match. $43 for a full hookup and $23 for dry camping. They do offer a 50% discount with Senior Pass in the dry camping sections only. No discount on the full hookups.  So $12 if we want to dry camp with use of the dump and potable water. So let me get this straight, it costs $30 bucks more for a power hookup. Sure the sites are paved and nicer, but still. 
Think we will go back to Lone Rock with the same great views for $5 if they are even charging. We have all the equipment to dry camp without missing out on anything. And they even do have a new dump station at this location.  So what's not to like. 

We stopped at a Super WalMart in Page when heading back to Lees Ferry and will do more in-depth shopping when we come back this way. It was getting late and we wanted to get back to our cozy "it factor" campsite. It's the weekend and the sites were filling up while we were gone. The weather has been windy and cool but the forecast sez it's to clear up, no wind, and be much warmer for the weekend. Like going up to 80.

So on Saturday morning we may, or may not get excited and move on, or just hang out at Lees Ferry for the weekend and watch the rafters float by.  We have everything we need to be happy and not in a rush to be anywhere. We are very lucky, me thinks. 
Going to watch Bill Maher on HBO later as it's Friday night. 
Terry is cooking a Friday night fish fry. From the frozen food section of WalMart this is. 
 
 

Today was information overload and working on the web.

I know somthing was wrong when we heard my cell phone ringing early, we were still in bed,  and we didn't get to it in time.  It was a call saying the company I retired from (Qwest Telco) after 33 years had been merged. Or as they say bought out. Not news you want to hear so early in the morning. My heart was a pounding as I wanted to find out how this will effect us as in my pension and benefits. I still do the Des Moines, IA local union web site www.cwa7102.org so I knew I would have to update it big time with all this info. I spent the most of the day researching the whole deal.  Please do go to the the union site if you want to learn more about this. I have on that site links to some interesting aspects of this merger and how it will affect the Telecommunications Industry. 

Now for some wonderful news you if you retired from a company with a Health Ins. plan and you were an early retiree. If you took early retirement and not yet 65.  Do read this fact sheet from the White House.
Early Benefits from the Affordable Care Act of 2010 Reinsurance Program for Early Retirees   The historic Affordable Care Act is now law. Among those benefits is a reinsurance program for early retirees that will be available to businesses around this country. It is an idea that was advocated by large businesses, which wanted it to be part of the Affordable Care Act because they believe it will defray the high and often unpredictable cost of early retirees, helping them to maintain retiree benefits at affordable levels. The Act will pay your former employer to reduce, big time, your monthly payments and co-pays including drug costs. Retroactive back to the first of this year untill 2014. At last some good news so more of us can get into the RV fulltiming lifestyle and get a great break on health care costs. 

Now after all this above information you might have forgotten where we are at, and what we are up to... Still at Lees Ferry.. 
Signed up for a couple of more days as it's to be windy again on Friday. 

Terry got this shot of people heading out on the adventure of their lives. 

We stayed in camp today.

It was sunny but the wind came up as we knew it would, so we hunkered down. We knew the great weather we have been having could not last. I downloaded the USA Today with NewsStand Reader checked email, and read blogs we follow on our site on www.hitchitch.com  Later I did stow the DataStorm internet dish as the wind was even more than we thought we wanted to subject it to.   It can take winds up to 50 - 60 mph but today we were rock and rolling in the 5er so we shut it down. We later watched movies, saved on our DirecTV DVR. No need to start our generator as the sun kept us charged up enough with our solar panels to power it all. 

A view from our site to the west to the road coming down to Lees Ferry. 

A few brave souls did take off in the wind as we saw from up high above in the campground. 
They are on a schedule so had to launch me thinks. But in the lower canyon the weather is not that much of a deal as you might imagine. You are in a hole in the earth... and floating through it. 

I worked to update Terry's netbook computer in the afternoon while watching the DVR movies. 
We were happy to sit tight in this campground while this weather front moved through. 
Terry took a pay envelope with a whole $12 for then next two days. 
This National Recreational Area is a gift to us all, me thinks. 

We may go for a day trip to Page, AZ  tomorrow to see what has changed, and plan our next move. 

To end this post a shot from yesterday from the raft launch point at Lees Ferry looking west.

We day tripped around Lees Ferry. 

A warm breezy sunny day.  We keep waiting for the weather to deteriorate but so far it hasn't. 
We have been so lucky at GC and now here at Lees Ferry. 

Maps, got to have maps so you can follow along. 

We were a bit worried when we go here that our satellite would get not get a signal out over the canyon tops the south, but it did at last. For you DataStorm users I had to do a stow to stop a wondering search. Did a new search and then it locked right on. Makes for happy internet connected campers.

I forgot to mention they have on the entrance road an automated electric fee machine to collect a NPS fee of $15. Free for us with my Senior Pass and the campground was $12 but for us $6. Life is good, but me wonders at times if I would just rather pay the reguar fee if  I didn't have the health issues that go along with the age thing. 

Today we drove back to the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center at Marble Canyon where HW 89A 
crosses the Colorado River. A very nice NPS visitor center will all the goodies of books, maps, etc. that you could ever want about the area, both Glen Canyon and the Grand Canyon. It had a nice person behind the counter to answer questions. There is a nice motel gas staion and general store here for people to get the items they need on their river trip. Our group many years ago spent a the night in the motel the night before we hit the river. It was here we told the outfitter what kind of beer and how much, we wanted to be placed in the bags to be dragged behind the rafts. The river is cold and it kept the beer cold all except for the ones who ordered Koors, as back then it wasnt pasturaized, and it got kind of stinky by the end of the trip when the river warmed up. 
They were offering us big time cash for our non fancy beers like  don't ya know. 

A short video by Desert USA about Lees Ferry. 

The Interpretive Center is located right at the bridges, the old one and the new one. 
Old one built in 1929 and the new one in 1995. Want more info see Wikipedia on Navajo Bridge. 

Back on the road to Lees Ferry is this balanced rock. 

Down a the put in point at Lees Ferry for rafts headed west through the canyon for multi day trips. Here is a biggy outfitter. 
We saw their semi truck and trailer come through with all this stuff so they could build this adventure. I as I have said before I have been on one of these trips and they do treat you well with great food. Only so many people are allowed on the river each year by the NPS so as not to upset the conditions in the lower canyons. I checked their web site Western River Expeditions and they have openings in June of this year for about $2700 each for 7 day trips to book online. Or they say call for openings sooner. I don't remember paying near that amount so the less people allowed to do this must raise the cost factor. 

A shot from their site... and let me tell you it is just like this. 

I just had to search out the outfitter I went with years ago. Moki Mac River Expeditions.
Me thinks their prices might be lower if you are looking to do a trip of a lifetime and cost is a consideration. 

Now you get to the smaller float trip outfitters who were getting set up and checked in by the Park Service Ranger. 
She had a clip board checking off items they must prove they have to get approval for a river trip. 
This is serious stuff as if you are not equipped correctly you can get in trouble and it is a long way down in the middle 
of the GC to be rescued. These small float trips are normally for 14 days. You are on your own with 4 or so people and your guide. The big boats are for 6 to 7 days and they have outboard motors to move the big rig along. 

Watching these outfitters getting ready, will bring back memories of an adventure of a lifetime for anyone who has done this. 
You know who you are if you have had the opportunity to do this life changing experience. 
This is not an E ticket ride at Disney World to be sure. 
 
 
 

We left Trailer Village in the GC Heading to Lees Ferry. 

But as you can see we had a bit of a delay. As we hooked up I noticed the left outside dually didn't look right so I kicked it and then  knew it was flat. Just what we wanted as we were ready to pull out and head out of the park to the east entrance and on down the road.  I know so many of you have fancy tire monitors and so should us, but so far we have been ok... we shall see. 

Doesn't Terry look like he is having fun getting the spare unhooked. Would you believe the spare DID have air in it..
A RVer  across the drive, who had been on the road for two days straight  from TX,  came over to help get the spare unhooked from the drop wire. When in a RV park all you have to do is get under your truck, lift your hood,  or look confused and another camper will rush over to help. We of course have a road service (we are fulltimers) but how long would we have to wait for that at the Grand Canyon. So we, as in Terry changed it. There was a small nail in it so we will get it fixed in Page, AZ in a few days. 

Later we headed out the east entrance of  the GC and landed at   Lees Ferry.    just west of Page,AZ. 
This is where the float trips leave from to go down through the full  GC adventure. 

Lees Ferry is the only place within Glen Canyon where visitors can drive to the Colorado River in over 700 miles of Canyon Country, right up to the first "rapid" in the Grand Canyon. A natural corridor between Utah and Arizona, Lees Ferry figured prominently in the exploration and settlement of Northern Arizona. Lees Ferry is now a meeting of the old and the new.

More later....
 

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