Had a 5th-wheel hitch installed in Flagstaff. Now I’ll be ready to roll in October.
So now I’m reversing my journey. Back past Mt Humphreys.
Back through the Painted Desert.
Past Echo Cliffs.
Across the Colorado River on Navajo Bridge.
Past the Vermilion Cliffs.
Up onto the Kaibab Plateau.
Probably a stop at Jacob Lake for a milkshake.
Through the 2006 Warm Fire burn.
And the Kaibab National Forest.
To home where it might be raining.
Just never know what kind of wildlife might be seen driving through the forest.
Young Merriam turkeys follow an adult.
This lone beefalo didn’t know which side of the road to run to.
At first I thought this was a stump critter.
But I saw movement and stopped for a closer look.
My first golden eagle seen on the Kaibab Plateau.
After a beautiful day out in the forest Mike took me to dinner at the Kaibab Lodge.
The rain had missed us but the rainbow gift showed from the restaurant window.
A Double even.
Who doesn’t love a rainbow.
To see more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.
Going to Flagstaff Thursday through Saturday to have a 5th-wheel hitch installed in my (almost) new truck. Soon I’ll be ready to roll.
Shinumo Rapid ~RM109.4
Shinumo canyon is the largest of all canyon systems in Grand Canyon, though not the largest rapid. In late June 2011, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department made the third translocation of wild juvenile humpback chub to Shinumo Creek. The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is endemic to the Colorado River basin. The species is well adapted to natural conditions of the Colorado River with high turbidity and seasonally variable flows and temperatures. Humpback chub are endangered because of human-caused changes to the Colorado River ecosystem including the introduction of non-native fish species as well as dam-induced changes to the river's natural flow and temperature.
Hakatai is the Havasupai Indian word for the Colorado River. Hakatai canyon is where William Bass mined asbestos in the early 1900s.
Although Hakatai rapids aren’t that big they sure gave us a wild ride.
Waltenberg Rapid is half way between Lees Ferry and Diamond Creek. John Waltenberg worked for William Bass at the camps and mines upstream.
Tapeats Sandstone averages 525 million years old and lies on top of the faulted Vishnu schist. It is made of medium- to coarse-grained sand and conglomerate that was deposited on an ancient shore.
Travertine forms when carbon dioxide and water makes a weak carbonic acid that dissolves limestone, often creating caves, and leaves flowing deposits as the water evaporates when exposed to air. I kept looking for little people peering out of the caves and wasn’t disappointed just a little further ahead.
