Description

I own no land, instead I have wheelestate. I’ve been a full time RVer since 1997. Working summers as a Park Ranger takes me to many beautiful places and playing during the winter takes me to many more. This blog is simply the story of my life's adventures.

Moved

Thank you for stopping by. Just to let you know, I'm still blogging but have moved to Geogypsytraveler. Hope you'll follow my adventures. Just click here.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Back to Grand Canyon National Park


Highway 67 into the North Rim 2008
Summer is on its way and that means it’s time for me to return to work as a seasonal Park Ranger at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

The road trip was just what I needed. I took the camper to a storage place in Kanab, Utah last Saturday then drove nonstop back to my winter home.

Home at the canyon
I leave Yarnell Sunday and arrive in the park Monday to set up my rolling home for almost six months in the employee campground under the Ponderosa Pines, my favorite tree.

Me ready to hike last year
I’m supposed to have a phone and internet by Tuesday. But I’m being told the broadband is used up, which I refuse to believe, and that I will have to settle with dial-up. No Way! I had DSL last year and want it this year also. More on that later.

Redbud along North Kaibab Trail
A week from today, just in case I can’t get back online, I leave for a four day hike across the canyon plus 4-5 days of training on the South Rim. I’m sure to have 100’s of pics with my new camera so there’ll be plenty to see of the canyon in the near future.

North Rim from Bright Angel Trail
I’m looking forward to another great summer at Grand Canyon National Park. Hope you’ll come for a visit, for real or virtual.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Interview at Adventurous Women

I’d like to thank Michaelle from Adventurous Women and Susie of Arabia for suggesting me for this honor. Funny, I never thought about myself as an adventurous woman.... I guess I’ve lived outside the normal box for so long, it’s now my norm.

Getting into the bloggers world has opened my eyes to many marvelous and adventurous people.

I was asked for an interview by Michaelle and if you’ll pop on over there, you can read about how I became a Park Ranger and where I’m heading for my next summer season.

Sky Watch Friday


Wapatki National Monument
I took this last week on my way out of the monument. It brought the snow that kept me in Flagstaff an extra day. I understand it doesn’t look like that now but is clear and sunny like summer coming on.

Yarnell Sunset
I just couldn’t resist adding last night’s sky, taken with my NEW camera, a Canon PowerShot A1000 IS.

Finally a macro that works
And this shot is my inside sky, and dirty ceiling. An unknown kind of spider less than .25 inch which the new camera could immortalize from only 2 inches away. I’m loving it.

To see more skies from around the world or to share your own go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Escalante Earth Day


What better place to spend Earth Day than the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument, where many amazing discoveries have come from the Earth.

Created in 1996 by departing President Bill Clinton and managed by the Bureau of Land Management this Grand Staircase represents 135 million years of Earth history.

The diverse geology includes many exposed sedimentary layers on top of the Page sandstone seen near Glen Canyon Dam. Tidal mud, windblown sand, lakes, streams and rivers followed by more sand until 94 million years ago when covered by a shallow sea.

About 145 million years ago towards the end of the Jurassic Period, the climate became more humid. Many dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the Morrison Formation from the period.

The visitor center is small yet provides great displays and knowledgeable people.

I’m so blown away by all the beautiful places I’ve visited in the last week. And I’m feeling mentally and physically exhausted. So I don’t feel like this post is up to snuff, and it’s going out anyway. The journey’s not quite over, so I hope you’ll stop by updates.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Glen Canyon Dam - Arizona


End of Echo Cliffs
I drove up through a cut in Echo Cliffs on my way to Page, Arizona.

Page Sandstone
On top of the Echo Cliffs there lies another exposed layer of sandstone, a little different than below. Windblown sand was deposited about 170 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic creating large-scale cross-bedding (angled lines) seen on exposed sandstone.
Coal fired Navajo Generating Station & Navajo Mountain
Page is a place of power, electricity production that is. The dam generates an average of 451 megawatts compared to the generating station's 2280 megawatts.

Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam, built between 1956 and 1966, stands 710 feet high, 25 feet wide at the top and 300 feet wide at the base. The dam provides water, electricity, flood control and recreation to millions of people.

Colorado River
The dam also radically changed the ecosystem of the Colorado River. Below the dam the water temperature dropped at least 20 degrees F causing the loss of some native fish. Without periodic flooding to wash away and redeposit sediments the entire riparian habitat changed, including the establishment of non-native plants.

Lake Powell
Glen Canyon Dam backed up the river 186 miles creating a reservoir called Lake Powell with about 100 major side canyons and five marinas. This flooding buried many Native American ruins and outstanding geologic features.


I continued my journey into the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. Please check back for that part of the story.

Monday, April 20, 2009

My World Tuesday - Echo Cliffs Arizona


Sunrise at Bright Angel Point - North Rim Grand Canyon National Park
When I finished last year’s summer season as a Park Ranger at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (click here for that story) I drove past Echo Cliffs on Highway 89 south back to Yarnell for this last winter. Well, guess what?

Painted Desert & Echo Cliffs
After yesterday’s post about the Painted Desert I also drove past Echo Cliffs just the opposite direction. Funny how life comes full circle sometimes.

Echo Cliffs lies on top of the Painted Desert as deposits of sand from the Early and Middle Jurassic about 175 to 200 million years ago.

This reddish-orange, cliff-forming sandstone is oftentimes veneered with black or gunmetal-blue desert varnish formed in part by the metabolic process of bacteria on the rock.

I continued on to Page, Arizona where I finally saw the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dam, which I’ll post about tomorrow.


This series I've written over the winter for My World Tuesday is over. I've brought you to where I've spent the winter blogging, Yarnell, Arizona. To find out where I'm heading for the 2009 summer season, just keep checkin in. I promise to reveal where with a week.

For more glimpses into other parts of the world or to share your own go to My World Tuesday by clicking here.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Painted Desert Arizona

At last I’m posting Joan’s much requested Painted Desert.

Bridge over Little Colorado River
When you cross the Little Colorado River at Cameron on Highway 89 North you enter the western edge of the Painted Desert.

Enter The Painted Desert
During the Early Triassic, about 250 million years ago, the mass of all continents known as Pangaea began to drift apart between North America and Africa.

The west coast of North America subsided into a flat plain and when sea levels rose these plains were covered with seawater. When the level dropped the exposed land was covered with a deposit of Kaibab limestone.

Because eastern North America had the highest mountainous land at the time, rivers flowed westward to the low coastal plains. The slow moving waters deposited mostly red mudstone and very fine-grained sandstone.

At the same time tidal flows deposited gray mudstone and tan limestone. All these layers represent the Moenkopi Formation.

During the Middle Triassic deposition stopped and erosion began possibly due to climate change, a drop in sea level or a slight uplift of the Colorado Plateau region.

In the late Triassic, about 215 million years ago, the region again subsided and stream deposits filled valleys and river cuts with sediment of very coarse-grained sandstone and pebble conglomerate known as the Shinarump Member of the Chinle Formation.

As rivers continued to dominate the landscape mudstones in shades of red, gray, brown, purple, tan, orange and pink were deposited as water flooded over the river banks.

In addition, ash from exploding volcanoes fell on the Chinle river plains and eventually decomposed to clay with oxidized iron and manganese that give the rocks more vivid color.

Echo Cliffs on right, note the tip of the hills on left
The Painted Desert is referred to by some Native Americans as a “land of sleeping rainbows.”
Native Americans sell arts & crafts along the road
Much of the Painted Desert region is located within the Navajo Nation. The Navajo and the Hopi people have lived in the region for at least one thousand years, however the modern name for the desert comes from the Spaniards who named it "el Desierto Pintado" due to its brightly colored landscape.

Vermilion Cliffs in distance & Echo Cliffs on right
From the flat plain of the Painted Desert I continued up Echo Cliffs towards Page and the Glen Canyon Dam. Hope you’ll come back for more of the journey.

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