SOUTHWEST 2003

Link toE-mail TRAVELOGUES if you really want to get details on the trip

In March and April 2002 we traveled to Glendale, AZ and helped our son and his wife tile their kitchen floor. Then I (Ed) hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with my three sons. From there Edith and I went to Death Valley, Hoover Dam, Las Vagas, Zion NP, Bryce NP, North Rim of Grand Canyon, Lake Powell area, Monument Valley, Four Corners and Mesa Verde.

Tile floor the four of us did at Curt and Shellies. We thought a decent job for amateurs

Map of Grand Canyon Hiking trails. The red is the East Kiabab we took to the bottom of the canyon. The Bright Angel goes along the river and then heads to the south rim. The Tonto Trail follows the canyon along the side and on the north side of the Colorado you can see the North Kiabab Trail and going off to the East not to far north of the river the Clear Creek Trail.

O'Neil Butte on the way down

switchbacks on the South Kiabab you can see the mules if you look close

Mule and foot bridge over the Colorado. It was very muddy as it was spring. Later it often is very clear.

Phantom Ranch along Angel Creek an oasis!.

Jack and our tents east along the Clear Creek Trail on Tonto Plateau

Sunset on Zoroaster Temple rock

Trees along the Bright Angel Trail

View of Bright Angel trail from south rim. It looks very, very deceivingly close but the total trail is about 11 miles.

From left, Jack, Tom, Ed, Curt right after we reached the south rim.

Dantes View overlooking Death Valley

Badwater, Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level the lowest in the western hemisphere.

Artist Drive Death Valley

Called the Racetrack in Death Valley, ancient lakebed where rocks actually slide in the wind when it is wet and likely has been frozen and is thawing and a high wind comes up. Scientist definitely believe it is for real

More moving rocks, it is a long, washboard, dusty, lonely, gravel, rocky road to get to the racetrack

Teakettle Jct. on way to the Racetrack

Scotties Castle, very interesting history about gold mining and early days of Death Valley

Sand Dunes in Death Valley

Kilns used in 1800's for making charcoal for smelting.

Interesting story about a dog who the workers who built Hoover Dam loved.

MGM Las Vagas

Ceasar's Palace Las Vagas

Mirage Las Vagas

Beehive Zion NP

mule deer Zion NP

Abraham, Issaac and Jacob Zion NP

Red rock cliffs Zion NP

sheer wall rock climbers

Narrows at the head of Zion Canyon

Zion NP

Checkerboard Zion NP

East Zion NP

Picture looking back climbing Angel Landing Zion NP

If you don't use these chains when climbing Angels Landing Zion NP you could easy fall many 1000 feet

Looking over edge of Angles Landing, Zion NP, Picture does not come close to doing justice to the actual experience

Observaion Point, Zion looking down on Angels Landing, I hiked both the same day

Hoodoo's Bryce Canyon NP

Hoodoo's Bryce Canyon nothing like this anyplace in the world!

Windows Bryce Canyon

Balancing Hoodoo Bryce Canyon NP

Called wall Street down in Canyon on hike, tree growing out of slot

Toroweep North Rim Grand Canyon, 3000 feet straight down to Colorado

Boat on Colorado 3000 feet below

Cactus blooming on north rim of Grand Canyon

$6000 a week rental house boat on Lake Powell

Rainbow bridge, 50 miles over water from Page, largest natural bridge in the world

Water level is down in Lake Powell

House boats in Marina by Page, AZ on Lake Powell

Lee's Ferry only place in 600 miles they could cross the Colorado in the early days. Also where most of the groups put in to float the Colorado and also a good trout fishing spot

Near Jacobs LAKE, north rim in this area not open until Mothers Day

Monument Valley AZ, car commercials have been done on top of the flat castle like rock

Monument Valley AZ, East Mitten

Four corners

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde, CO Largest Cliff dwelling in the US

Petroglyphs at Mesa Verde, CO

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