5/31/11 – Grand Teton National Park

In the morning after only a couple hours, we had reached Jackson Hole Wyoming, a town that seemed to be made up almost entirely of outdoor enthusiasts. Also the home of Mountain Khaki’s- one of my favorite brands of outdoor clothing. As I spend so much time at work selling their product, I decided to drop in and pay a visit to the designers that work in Wilson, WY- a sort of suburb of Jackson Hole. The small studio consisted of only one room in a modern commercial building tucked almost seamlessly into the small community between the mountains and a babbling mountain stream. 
The two designers and their husky were very welcoming and excited to meet visitors that had come so far. They inquired about the Bill Bartee and life in general at Jesse Brown’s in Charlotte, reaffirming my appreciation of the small size of the company and the personal relationships they keep with their vendors. We left there with a hand drawn map to some local attractions and felt as if we had made some new friends.

After we entered the park and began to review the maps we had received at the gate, it quickly became apparent that the majority of the hiking trails and attractions would still be closed due to the record setting snowfall that had accumulated during the winter. 
According to the ranger station, the snow pack was somewhere between 230 and 250 percent of the annual average- giving us a milder view of the mountains as they would appear in winter rather than the full summer we were experiencing back home.

Like a jagged pile of broken porcelain china, the line of mountains jutted skyward out of the flat sagebrush and pine covered flat lands. The sheer snow covered faces of the Teton range demanded at least a few hours of sitting in wonderment. Sam had a hard time believing how anyone could climb to the summit of Grand Teton and ski down, the subject of an exhibit in the visitor center museum. I think next year, I’ll have to take her up to Brevard to watch the Banff Mountain Film Festival or at least the Radical Reels Tour as they make their rounds there.

After driving the road that loops around the center of the park, we found our way to the campsite suggested by our friends at Mountain Khaki on the adjoining US Forest Service land. 

As we cooked and ate nestled in the aspen grove, we had the perfect view of the sunset as it glowed from behind the jagged peaks of the Teton Mountain Range.

5/30/11 – Grey’s Creek, Wyoming

Another long day on the road headed toward Grand Teton National Park, we left early and soon found ourselves on the belt-loop surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah. It was interesting to see the city as it sprawled into the surrounding suburbs yet downtown remained nestled into the base of the mountains. As appealing as it was made to sound, we opted to forgo a dip in the great salt lake being as the ground was still littered with snow and the wind was blowing a cold front through the area. 

 Salt lake soon gave way to more mountainous highway as we wound our way through the towns that surrounded Bear Lake- a place known for its raspberries and summer water sports, each town seemed more deserted than the last.

Bear Lake

 












As we drove, it became apparent that we wouldn’t be making it to the park that day, so as we wound our way north having dipped our foot into the state of Idaho, we now found ourselves driving north on highway 89 alongside the flooded Snake River in Wyoming. Passing through each small town, we were looking for any of the recognizable signs for forest service land where we could camp for free. Thankfully, in the town of Alpine, some helpful women at the grocery store were happy to help direct us towards our campsite for the night. 
A long dirt road riddled with pot-holes ran along the side of the raging Grey Creek taking us away from the world of pavement- for a few hours anyway.

5/29/11 – Beaver Utah

With these writings, I intend usually to document our adventures in such a way as to inspire others towards having adventures of their own. On this occasion, I personally would have a difficult time saying that the plan we executed was a good idea. With our final day in Zion, we decided to try one of Zion’s longer hikes to see one of the world’s largest freestanding rock arches. The hike was about 14 miles round trip and it was after noon by the time we reached the trail head from the park’s remote northern entrance. The weather that day had decided to be less than cooperative, making for a chilly and terribly windy hike.

The first section of the hike I must admit surprised me with yet another hidden gem of landscape as it wound down towards the river through a seasonally riparian meadow. The stream kept twisting back and forth forcing the hiker to hop from rock to rock in its crossing. Should one ever tire of this landscape, the peaks of the mountains surrounding the Zion canyon were always visible to make you wish you had a camera that could capture them the way we could see it.  Soon we left this pleasant sheltered area for a harsh dry landscape full of stunted pine trees and deep footprints in the now hard dried mud of the trial. After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the arch. Rather than being neatly beside the trail, the trail ended in an area of trees beside a creek with the only indication of where to find the arch being one that someone had scratched into a trail sign that read “look up” with an arrow. High up above where we were, jutting out of the side of a cliff maybe a thousand feet above us was the red rock arch. Following another brief four hour jaunt we arrived back at the car gratefully before dark and completely exhausted.

Of all the expenses of our trip, our stay that night in the near-by town of Beaver at the Old Country Inn may have been one of the most appreciated.

5/28/11 – Zion National Park

In the morning, as our two parties breakfasted, we said our goodbyes and exchanged contact information. Because Aurora was with them, in nearly every park, Brad and Courtney were extremely limited as to which trails they could explore. We, on the other hand had nothing holding us back from setting our sights on the most ambitious trails in the park. The Virgin River Narrows is a section of trail that winds down through one of the most alien canyon landscapes in the park. These long hidden corridors of carved red rock are the most frequently depicted in imagery of Zion National Park.

As we rushed to beat out the herds of other humans for one of the few permits to hike through the Narrows, we had forgotten to generate our plan B. I reached the permitting desk in such a hurry that I failed to notice the sign behind the counter explaining that the “Narrows” would be closed for another few months due to flood stage water.

With no idea what would make a good second best place to visit in the park, we jumped on the shuttle and headed for a trail labeled “Hidden Canyon” near the end of the line. The trial was only listed as one mile long, so we had planned on seeing what lie at the other stops on the bus route after exploring here. The hike as it turned out was quite steep, and Sam was keeping a surprisingly quick pace for having short legs. Whether it was from pent up energy after days of sitting in a car or the fact that I was experiencing the reverse effect of sitting in a car for too long, we soon reached the final section of the trail leading to the mouth of the canyon.
The last few hundred feet were worn and slanting steps hewn out of soft sandstone (more sand than stone it seemed) with lengths of heavy metal chain pinned to the cliff side with pieces of rebar to hold onto.

The narrow walls of the shady canyon were brimming with lush green plant life, swaying in the warm breeze that blew up from the sun-baked rocks below. The delicate ferns and mosses seemed to thrive everywhere the water filtered out of the sandstone to collect in clear cold pools around the boulders along the canyon. As we proceeded upward through the canyon, the types of rock to either side of us changed from soft sandstone to harder types of sedimentary rock and patches of volcanic rock as well. The canyon walls seemed to beacon those with the inclination to climb rocks. After lunch, we reached the second of two free standing arches that were found in the canyon. There still seemed to be no end to how deeply the canyon went.

Invigorated by the endless scrambling and kept fresh by the cool breezy temperatures, it was hard to convince ourselves to turn around before we had to, but the remaining daylight was fast becoming our biggest enemy.  

Exhausted by the time we reached the bus stop, the ride back down to the visitors center gave us time to both relax as well as bask in the glory of having seen such wonderfully remote and intimate landscapes as the inside of that canyon without having to hike for days and days off trail.

After leaving the park to seek out our campsite, we wound our way up to the reservoir finding an incredibly unique landscape that few likely knew existed as a part of Zion National Park.
At this higher elevation, we found breathtaking alpine meadows nearly flooded with the amount of snow-melt from the previous winter. The hillsides up here were mostly private ranches, but when we reached the small campsite, the wind and temperature had us both glad that there were no available spaces. As we descended the plateau back down beside the Virgin River, we were blessed with one of the most fantastic sunsets of the trip to date. With the Zion peaks in the background, the thin clouds lit up in a symphony of oranges pinks and purples, bringing perfect closure to such a majestic day.

5/26-27/11 – Grand Canyon, North Rim

After hours of driving towards the desert with line after line of carved rock cliffs looming out of the distance, we pulled off the road to investigate one of the many roadside stands where Navajo families would sell their arts and crafts to the tourists that pass by.  We finally emerged facing a ridgeline that could only be a part of the Grand Canyon, yet we still could not see any hint of the Grand Canyon I knew from pictures and movies. After checking the map, they were in fact the Vermillion Cliffs of the Colorado Plateau. As we wound our way closer to this ridgeline, we crossed a bridge that caught us both unawares. As we crossed a bridge, the ground fell away into a canyon dropping nearly 500 feet to the river below. When we stopped to take a picture, we learned that this was indeed a part of the Grand Canyon and that the dam that released the Colorado River water into the gorge was only a few miles upstream.

We drove down to the nearby river access at Lees Ferry and quickly got our fill of the frigid 43 degree water. We watched the enormous expedition rafts launch off of the 60 foot long trailers it took to haul them. Groups of excited rafters surrounded us doing final checks of their equipment packed neatly into different colored dry bags. A quick stop at the local fly shop aided me in deciding that a day of fishing here might be disappointing due to the high flow level, and soon we continued our trip towards the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The landscape leading to the park quickly changed from desert to rolling hills covered with tall conifers, broken up by expanses of lush green alpine meadows. Small streams and pools of icy cold snow melt spotted the landscape while areas of near constant shadow still protected snow drifts, remnants of the intense winter. The 40 mile stretch of road leading out to the remote North rim of the canyon was the most lush landscape we had seen since leaving Charlotte!

Even now I find myself unable to describe the vastness of the canyon. Our first view being from the lodge, and later from the overlooks that dotted the canyon rim to either side of it, it was quite obvious that it would be impossible to see the entire expanse of the canyon from any one point. After finding one particularly nice overlook, we rushed back to the car to cook a quick dinner so that we could return in time for the sunset. As we watched the colors wash over the layered rock of the canyon, we found ourselves ill prepared for the temperature and the wind.

After finding a campsite outside of the park, we spent the next morning visiting some of the more remote overlooks on the north rim. From cape Royal, we were able to see all the way down to a section of the Colorado River giving the most complete sense of scale possible from the north rim.

As we prepared to leave by enjoying a brief shower near the park campgrounds, we met a nice young couple and their dog who were traveling from Ontario to British Colombia via a number of national parks in the U.S. Brad and Courtney and their collie/sheppard mix- Aurora had uprooted themselves following work across the continent and were making an epic go of it. After discovering that we were both headed to Zion National Park next, we joined forces and caravanned the reasonable 5 hour drive North.

As we entered Zion, having planned to make an early camp and enjoy some delicious camp food with our new friends, we were forced to pull over just to gawk at the breathtaking canyon that engulfed us. The road into the park twisted for miles through what seemed to be quilted and patterned rock formations, broken up by passing through first, a tunnel drilled through rock solid enough that no re-enforcement was needed, and later through a low ceilinged tunnel over a mile long lit only by the headlights of the cars passing through it. About every quarter mile, a window would appear for only a split second giving the passenger a terrifying glimpse out and down into the dizzying abyss.

Unfortunately, the realization that we had arrived here on Memorial Day Weekend came a bit too late. We didn’t have any trouble finding the plot of land later described by a ranger as our “refugee camp” for the night. Crammed into a lot about 1 acre in size we parked side by side along with probably two dozen other vehicles full of campers. Thankfully, the bawdy crowd settled down in time for us to sleep after sharing stories and comparing our two countries for hours after dinner.

5/25/11- Flagstaff, AZ

Having left the last of the planned architectural sites behind, we were looking forward to the next phase of the journey involving towering landscapes and mighty rivers- on a scale that should have no trouble blowing my mind. Our first glimpse of that were the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. We didn’t stay long in Sedona, the “Pink Jeep Tours” spoke volumes about the fact that the entire town was just out of our price range. When we stopped to inquire about divey little resteraunts or a dirty bar that possibly had a white guy with dreadlocks that could serve you a craft beer and a burrito- we were nearly laughed out of the tourist information center. Winding our way up through the mountains from Sedona offered us some breathtaking views of the red rock canyons and rivers that had shaped them.

We emerged from the mountains in a foreign landscape of alpine wilderness, as we approached the town of Flagstaff, we spotted the first snow on the trip. High up on the nearby mountains, we could hardly understand how there could be any left after the heat and dry climate of the places we had been in the past week. Flagstaff turned out to be a very cool little town- it’s people young and lively, there was a palpable appreciation for the outdoors evidenced by the number of bicycles, pedestrians, and outdoors shops.

Humphreys Peak, near Flagstaff AZ: Elev 12633

Best Hotdog Restaurant Ever!

After getting the scoop at a local outfitters on where to camp for the night, we ate what I would argue was one of the best hotdogs I’ve ever had at a miniscule hotdog restaurant in town and a beer from a local taphouse, we navigated easily to a local camping spot in the nearby national forest. On our way out of town as we stopped for gas and groceries, we found a string of Tibetan prayer flags to give us continued good luck and to decorate the Jeep. In our short time in Flagstaff, we became quite fond of its wealth of unique independent stores and restaurants, many occupying the same old buildings that remained along the corridor of Route 66. 
With a similar vibe as Asheville, NC only on a smaller scale, we would love to spend more time enjoying the old buildings with their elaborate and dated neon signs.

5/24/11 – Arcosanti , AZ

The design studio at Taliesin West

Upon reaching Phoenix the next morning, it didn’t take long to find the first of the architectural destinations. We headed directly for a place called Taliesin West, which is one of the locations of the Frank Lloyd Wright school of architecture, the other in Wisconsin. Designed by Wright himself, the complex was the place where he worked, taught and lived the last 20 years of his life. The name: Taliesin (meaning ‘shining brow’, as he believed in building on the brow of the hill, rather than on top of it,) and West referring to the location of his desert masterwork. This place was representative of an architecture that is of the land, rather than on it. Of course, it was necessary for us to visit this legendary site, but it was unfortunate that the tours and visitor center seemed solely profit based. There was more talking about the legacy of Wright and what Sam calls ‘archibabble,’ rather than allowing the architecture to speak for itself. Thankfully, the powerful forms of the buildings there spoke loudly enough that they were nearly able to drown out our babbling tour guide; a credit to him, however, had Sam and I not both studied architecture previously, he would have been a truly amazing host. The trip was definitely worth the expensive ticket, but reminded us what patience meant that we might study the building and grounds for ourselves. Not to mention that the oranges we ate from Mr. Wright’s orange grove never tasted so sweet as in that hot desert landscape.

Cast bronze bells at the Cosanti Foundation

Ceramics studio at Cosanti

After leaving Taliesin West, we headed just down the road to see another architect’s home and workshop- Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti. Soleri became known in the United States in the 60’s and 70’s for making bronze and ceramic bells, and later for his architecture. The compound is a series of organically shaped concrete structures containing ceramics studios, a foundry, drafting room, gallery, and Mr. Soleri’s residence. Compared to the strict and capitalistic Frank Lloyd Wright School, we were able to wander freely around Cosanti, were welcomed by a worker, and allowed to discover the architecture and art ourselves. The warmth and peacefulness of the complex was overwhelming, and the architecture seemed like a part of its landscape- merely a beautiful staging ground for people to work, interact, and create.

Later in the 70’s, after Cosanti was established, Paolo Soleri began translating his designs for compact-self sustaining cities into a new compound in the Arizona desert called Arcosanti, about 60 miles from his home. We had planned to spend the night at Arcosanti, but all of their accommodations were full. However, as we were leaving Cosanti, we asked the gallery cashier about accommodations again, and she said that a room called the ‘sky suite’ was open. After a few minutes of Sam begging, we decided to stay the night in what turned out to be the penthouse suite of Arcosanti, a room at the top of the complex with incredible views of the desert sunrise.

Our room in the "Sky Suite"

After leaving Cosanti, we headed straight for Arcosanti, and arrived just in time to get our key. Arcosanti had similar architecture to Cosanti, but on a much larger scale. The complex has been slowly growing towards its goal of becoming a self-sustaining, car-free city for 5000 people since the first structure was completed in the 1970’s. Funded only by the rent from guest rooms, student fees, and the sale of the artisan bells, vessels, and sculpture by Soleri, Arcosanti grows by one building at a time. Currently, they are working on additional green house structures to allow for more in-house vegetable farming. Unlike the ‘counterculture’ label that is many times given to the residents of Arcosanti, everyone we met proved the opposite. The only noticeable difference of the residents that they were more sensitive to the impact that their existence had on the earth and others. Visiting here was almost the complete opposite of the suburban sprawl of the Phoenix; the dense living spaces and the emphasis on making a vertical environment made for a richness of life and work. Staying there was an eye-opening experience- Paolo Soleri offers a viable alternative to the accepted suburban consumer lifestyle that many of us follow.

A view of Arcosanti from across the gorge

Tomorrow we head towards the Grand Canyon- or someplace in between we decide to camp for the night. Plenty of driving time to figure that one out though.

5/23/11 – Tonto National Forest

Restored German VII Rocket

The next morning presented us with a lovely 7 hour drive through the desert, and a campsite about 45 minutes outside of Phoenix. On the way out of the valley, we decided to make a quick stop at the museum at the White Sands Missile Range. After passing through the military checkpoint we spent a couple of hours walking through the exhibits including a restored German V-2 rocket captured at the close of WWII. Also on exhibit was one of the helmets used by Darth Vader in the Star Wars films- given to the museum in thanks for being allowed to record sound clips that they used in the movie. Outside the museum were dozens of different types of decommissioned missiles used by the US government at some point in the past. Interestingly, as we went through the checkpoint, we were informed that while on the base, each picture we took had to have the nearby San Andreas Mountain Range in the background (the government’s way to help assure that pictures and videos of US military experimental missiles from falling into the wrong hands).

As the sun went down, we found a campsite in Tonto National Forest among the sage and mesquite trees. With a flat surface to cook on and a level place to park, we settled in early to try and refine our technique for sleeping in the cramped cabin in the back of the Jeep. Waking up wedged sideways in the fetal position, it was determined that we had yet to figure it out.