45 days and 45 nights, updated :)

Pictures cant capture the scale of how large the vistas are out West , its something you just have to see for yourself.
Are y'all going to head up 12 towards Capitol Reef?
I've got more "invested" in photo equipment than all my jeeps combined. Every time I have been out west I have come home saying I didnt have a lens wide enough or a lens long enough for what I saw.

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A little fishing. A few bites but nothing special. We struck out on dinner.

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All things considered, do you think the "China Virus" has impacted your ability to travel and visit with less crowds? In a positive way?
 
All things considered, do you think the "China Virus" has impacted your ability to travel and visit with less crowds? In a positive way?


Yes. I feel like crowds are down from what the norm is, for the most part. Most places we visit agree.

campgrounds are crazy busy. Many people are choosing to road trip these places instead of flying and staying in hotels and lodges; many of which are closed still. Many park campgrounds are still closed, so it puts a lot of pressure on the private campgrounds, making them busier even though average park attendance is lower than normal.
 
Did some canyoneering today. Kids loved it and the guide was awesome. Zion Adventure Co was great. Was the kids’ favorite day of the trip so far. That says a lot since they had to get up at 630am and haven’t even been to the pool yet!

the girls did some 75’ rappelling drops unassisted from the guide; no safety rope, nothing, but the girls controlling their own ropes 100% of the time. They did awesome and it was a lot of fun!

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Did some canyoneering today. Kids loved it and the guide was awesome. Zion Adventure Co was great. Was the kids’ favorite day of the trip so far. That says a lot since they had to get up at 630am and haven’t even been to the pool yet!

the girls did some 75’ rappelling drops unassisted from the guide; no safety rope, nothing, but the girls controlling their own ropes 100% of the time. They did awesome and it was a lot of fun!

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Kick ass!
 
Hit up the Narrows hike with the kids today since yesterday was a hot dry day. Today can be a cool wet day.

Lots of people at the beginning but once it got late afternoon, most had already headed out and we mostly had some solitude.

We made it just past where Orderville Canyon splits off before we were running out of time to return our gear by 8 pm.

many people tackle this hike in old running shoes, hiking boots, Chacos, tevas, water shoes, etc. Or, rent specific socks and footwear for this hike. This gear consisted of warm neoprene socks and some lightweight boots with some super sticky soles that grip to wet and slippery rocks. Oh, and the must-have walking stick. I would not do this hike without the rental gear. I saw lots who didn’t, and it’s certainly possible, but those people were struggling, a lot. I could see it in their facial expressions with every step. These special boots stick to wet rocks wonderfully and support your ankles and protect your toes. And the neoprene socks keep your toes warm while wading in 55-60* water. Moral of the story: rent the boots for the Narrows hike. We got ours from Zion Adventure Co, same outfit that took us out canyoneering yesterday. Great folks there and very friendly and helpful.

anyway, on to the good part, the pics.


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I have no idea who this guy is as I didn’t stop long enough to read, but I certainly chuckled at the wear marks on his nips. :lol:

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Awesome scenery, even from the shuttle bus.

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Landed in Sand Hollow today for some fun on the rocks and in the water relaxing.

it’s freakin hot! It cooled down to 107* by 8pm!!! I see why Sand Hollow and the lake is so popular!


No off roading pics from Sand Hollow as I was tied up with something much better...

teaching the kids how to cliff jump!
Rocks were 15-30’ up depending on which line you chose. I think the girls were at the 20’ mark by the end of the day. Of course, I had to do the highest because, well, I’m dad and I’m supposed to. :D

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Olivia dabbin off the rocks!
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Caroline soaring like an eagle!
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Baby rock to start with
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A few pics of the Grand Canyon before my battery died.

we hiked a little. But mostly took our bikes out and rode the bus route along the south rim. The busses weren’t running, So we pretty much had the road to ourselves. Was nice because there were few people there and didn’t have to wait in line for anything.


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Yesterday we left the South Rim and headed up to Waweap Campground in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area in Page, AZ.

Our plans included hitting up Lake Powell for some swimming but mostly floating the Colorado below Lake Powell with our SUPs and kayaks.

we stopped at Horseshoe Bend to get a view from the top as we were floating that part of the river the next day.

the Colorado below the lake is cold (45*) year round, so it’s ideal habitat for trout. We picked up some AZ fishing licenses and were set. Used a back haul service to take us up the river from Lee’s Ferry to the dam and we floated back to the Jeep at the ramp. Lee’s Ferry is well known in the rafting industry. It’s the upper most put in for rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. There were lots of big, BIG rafts putting in and getting set up for their 2-3 week trips down the river. It’s amazing how big these rafts are. One raft on a trailer requires oversized load signs and permits to get pulled down the road.

we ended up limiting out on rainbow trout. And had a good time floating the river and taking in the scenery! Was a good day on the water.


was funny watching guys pay $1500 for a trout fishing trip and not catch much of anything while we floated with kayaks, spinner rods with rooster tails and drank beer and got our limit in an hour. :D



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This whole thread has me green with envy. I'm very glad y'all have had an awesome trip and hope to one day do something similar.


This year the stars aligned and we jumped on the chance to do the trip. It’s been great so far!




We left AZ this morning and have arrived at Mesa Verde. We hoped to stop at Four Corners but it was closed. :(
 
This year the stars aligned and we jumped on the chance to do the trip. It’s been great so far!




We left AZ this morning and have arrived at Mesa Verde. We hoped to stop at Four Corners but it was closed. :(
Get to the ranger station early for a tour ticket if they are doing it now. Four corners was a bit of a let down for us.
 
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