DAY 9...CONTINUED

After dinner at Ruby's we took a quick spin through Bryce and checked out the wildlife and sights. We saw turkey, prairie dogs, and some...deer? I am thinking they were not deer or elk, but some form of antelope.

We turned in early, ready for our departure to Moab tomorrow.....

THUNDER MOUNTAIN 2010

DAY NINE: THUNDER MOUNTAIN RIDE!

It had been over a year since I had ridden Thunder, but each day I was away made me want to go back MORE! This was an epic ride- the scenery, the challenge, and the fun- make this ride one of the most well-rounded out of all the rides I have been on. Some rides have the technical, but offer very little in the way of downhill. Some offer downhill, but offer a sick climb or boring fire road opposed to singletrack. Thunder delivers the total experience.
We started off from the campground early, and began the grueling 4+ mile climb along the paved portion of the Red Canyon trail. Although paved, this portion of the ride will kick your ass if you are not in good cardio shape. We took it slow, since Charmaine was still getting acclimated to the altitude, and she was having some issues with getting her breath.
We finally made it to the dirt path that heads over to the Coyote Hollow trailhead. We took a break for lunch, needing to refuel after burning some decent calories on the ascent.
About a mile and a half later, we arrived at the Thunder Mountain trailhead.

We started off the ride already somewhat beat. Charmaine especially had a difficult time, and was getting frustrated on some of the climbs. We were fully committed; no turning back now. As we hit a series of climbs with alternating descents, we took our time and took a lot of photos to distract us. We topped out at about 8200 feet elevation after reaching the summit.
After hitting the summit, we traveled through some more forest until finally the scenery changed, and we began the descent into Red Canyon. The sand turned deep red, the hoodoos appeared, and Charmaine's (as well as my) spirits and second wind picked up.

We handled the rocky, sketchy and technical descent with renewed vigor, and the ride seemed new at this point. We finally hit the much deserved 1.5 mile singletrack BOMB back down to the Red Canyon trailhead, and the gateway to our camp. Words can't describe this, you have to watch the video in the next post.
We got back into camp utterly and thoroughly exhausted but smiling.

16 miles with a total elevation gain of 2194 feet...
After a shower and a change of clothes, we headed out and ate the ALL YOU CAN EAT buffet at Ruby's Inn...which is chock full of mashed potatoes, ribs, chicken, corn, desserts, you name it. I went back 3 times. And then I ate desert. I needed to refuel after that ride.

DAY EIGHT: PAGE AZ TO RED CANYON/BRYCE CANYON UTAH

I wish we had more time to spend in Page, because I very much wanted to do some kayaking, but money and time constraints had us leaving this day.
We left relatively early, and headed out across the Glen Canyon Dam bridge, out past Greenhaven, and into Utah. The drive through this section of Utah was a mix of boring desert towns, beautiful green meadows with flowing streams, and then eventually the red cliffs of Red Canyon.

We set up our camp in Red Canyon Campground, which is off the main roadway and about 15-20 minutes away from Bryce Canyon.

This is a very nice campground. The restrooms are clean, there are shower facilities, and the sites are spread well enough apart to afford privacy and a "true camping" experience. In fact, everything appeared clean- right down to the fire pit and the concrete pad where the picnic table was. The whole place appeared brand new! Very impressed...good job to all the workers who keep this place up. Very pleasant stay.
After setting up camp and enjoying the view for a bit, we headed out to Bryce Canyon to take in the canyon and hike Navajo Loop. It was important we got plenty of rest today, since the ride tomorrow on Thunder Mountain would be quite brutal!

Although this is a short trail, it's rough on the knees. There is a pretty significant change in elevation in a short time, so it is definitely a good aerobic workout. There are a pretty decent series of switchbacks that get you down to the floor of the canyon.

You can see how steep it is down to the bottom of the canyon....

But once you're down there, it is an amazing view. One thing I noticed out here, was HOW BLUE the sky was! The pictures you see are totally untouched-the sky was really that brilliant blue. I think it has a lot to do with the altitude combined with the lack of smog or air pollution.
We headed back up out of the canyon, sucking some wind because of the steep climb, but all in all it was a pleasant hike.
After shopping for a blanket for my girlfriend at Ruby's General Store, we headed back to our camp, and cooked up a good pre-bike ride dinner:

Steak, grilled corn on the cob, and potato salad. Gotta fuel up for the big ride!!

DAY SEVEN CONTINUED...ANTELOPE SLOT CANYON

Needed a post all on its own for this one. This is just a fun tour. Unfortunately, it was very hot and dry, and the 4x4 ride out to the Navajo nation was hot and dusty....but still fun as heck! Once at the canyon, I was a bit disappointed that we could not catch the sunbeams, but the photo opportunities were different and the canyon was still very peaceful and beautiful.

Absolutely amazing in there. We hung out for an hour, and decided to head on back early to rest and relax for the drive the next day. Had a hearty (and cheap) dinner at Taco Bell, and called it a day. What an awesome place.

DAY SEVEN: PAGE AND ANTELOPE CANYON/THE CHAINS

We woke up semi-early and well rested. We went to the Antelope Canyon slot tours office right by the hotel, hoping to get on an early tour, but the morning ones were all booked. Probably because everyone knows it is the best time to catch the sunbeams in the canyon.

We signed up for the 1:30 afternoon tour, and decided we had time to kill. I had read about an area along Lake Powell called "The Chains". This area is located just before the Glen Canyon Dam on US89 off a dirt access road. Although there is no sandy beach like Lone Rock, the Chains looked like a really cool place to hang and relax, and it seemed a lot more quiet than Lone Rock did.
Well, we were not disappointed:

This was a beautiful beach. We explored and hiked about a mile along the rocks, saw a cool fat lizard, and just relaxed in the cool lake water. This was definitely a good spot. Only a few people, and it was very relaxing.

DAY SIX: SEDONA AZ TO PAGE, AZ. via GRAND CANYON

After breaking down camp, we loaded up and struck out west towards the town of Williams and then north to the Grand Canyon National Park.

We spotted an elk grazing just as soon as we entered the park. This was a large female, ans she was right by the road, which seemed very odd especially in broad daylight. I guess the elk feel very safe out here.
We got to the south rim visitor's center and headed out to the viewpoint. The whole area was under construction, so there were detours, construction equipment all over, and of course tons of people. The south rim is very commercialized; I wished I had gone to the north rim instead.

You still can't argue that the view is amazing. No one really has any clue how massive the canyon is until they stand right up on the edge of it...it truly is an amazing sight. Charmaine was in awe, she had never been to the Grand Canyon before.

We proceeded up the road to the Desert Watchtower which, you guessed it, was also under repair. An unsightly crane took away from the photo, as did the fact the view platform area was closed too. We climbed to the top of the tower, took in the sights, then scrambled back down.
As crowded as ever, we waited for two groups to take pictures overlooking the canyon, then figured it was time to head toward Page.
I had not yet made any arrangements in Page, but I was planning on camping at the Lees Ferry campground.
As we drove, the weather became increasingly hot and dry...a far cry from Flag and Sedona. Once we hit the Navajo Bridge over the Colorado, we realized that camping at Lees Ferry would not only be brutally hot, but it was also very far away from the town of Page, making our exploring there more of a task.

Navajo Bridge is really cool, and it's really neat to just walk along the old bridge and check out the view.

Not as high as the Glen Canyon Dam bridge, but still pretty stomach churning. After checking out the bridge, we drove into Page in order to grab a couple nights at the Page Boy motel. Wahweap campground was filled, so we were fresh out of camping locations. Besides, we both could use a nice comfy bed and air conditioning for a few.
We drove along the lake and snapped some pictures, then headed out to Lone Rock beach where we walked along the beach (TONS of ATV'ers and campers out there...looked like a major holiday weekend!). We saw a coyote run across the road, but I didn't have my good camera handy and missed the photo opportunity.

We also checked out some model homes in Lake Powell view estates... seems the realtors left the doors unlocked after having an open house today...hahaha...

That evening, we decided to head out to Horseshoe Bend and take some sunset pictures. Well, I waited til the last minute and realized the sun was on its way down...and FAST. We drove up to the trailhead parking lot, and we literally sprinted the whole way...and I mean at some spots I was in a dead RUN...and this is not an easy hike...soft sand and slippery rock make it tough going on the way to the viewpoint, and the initial hill climb is a cardio challenge. We made it, and I tried my hand at some pictures, which (and I can be honest) came out like crap. Either way, it was a nice view, and we did get some nice pictures.

The sun was pretty much down when we headed back into town. Here is the city of Page from the trail:

SEDONA TRAIL VIDEO

DAY FIVE: SEDONA, CATHEDRAL ROCK LOOP

We headed out early, and took on the Cathedral Rock loop trail, as recommended by Cosmic Ray. This ride took us from the Bell Rock Pathway out to the Templeton Trail, down some major switchbacks after circling Cathedral Rock, and down into Oak Creek. It then goes out to the Baldwin Trail and empties out onto Verde Valley School Road before winding back into town.

The Templeton Trail was amazing. Technical ups and downs, nothing too difficult, and some amazing scenery. There were two tunnels that went under the highway to get you to the opposite side of Bell Rock where Cathedral Rock is. Once on this trail, you a re treated to some nice views, and some awesome slickrock riding.

Once we rounded Cathedral Rock, we hit a series of STEEEEP switchbacks. There was some serious exposure on a couple of them, so we opted to walk the bikes down instead of riding and risking a bad tumble. You can see where the dropoff occurs in the above chart.

The respite on Oak Creek offers and amazing and relaxing time after the tough ride. The cool water is nice to ease your feet. If you go further down the trail and don't stop right at the first access point, you will reach Buddha Beach, where there is a "swimming hole". The water looks inviting, but the water doesn't seem to flow too well and appears a bit stagnant. This always makes me nervous, due to the presence of bacteria, so we avoided it and hit the Baldwin Loop.

Let me forewarn you: Baldwin loop should be ridden COUNTER CLOCKWISE if you are looking for some more fun. There is a fence marking the Baldwin Loop, and offering a left or right option. We chose the option to the left through the fence. Not a good idea. It was pretty much all uphill, no real downhills to speak of. We hike-a-biked through most of this area, and the afternoon sun was beginning to bake us. We made it out to Verde Valley School Rd. after cursing a good portion of this trail. If you ride it the opposite way, you're in for a treat, because it sure looked fun.

Being our last night in Sedona, we headed back to our camp after the ride, got cleaned up and ventured out into town for some exploring. The shops are pretty much all tourist traps, and offer a few cool items, but nothing you can't get in any gift shop at any other desert town.

We also took a short hike along the roadway and hung out and enjoyed the views.

Tomorrow, we head out to the Grand Canyon via Williams and then end in Page.