Hiking at Kennedy Trail: Last Gasp of Spring

Farewell to Spring

Today's conditioning hike took place on the Kennedy Trail.  There were plenty of wildflowers still in evidence and, though Spring has not quite departed, its departure was heralded by Farewell to Spring.    We also saw Sticky Monkey Flower in bloom, as well as a perfect dandelion.

 

It wasn't long before the sun burned off the fog and we had a tremendous view of the South Bay.  I was quite glad that we began this hike early, because it was already getting quite hot by 9:30 am.  We decided to go as far as the tree today - about half way to the junction - because of our schedules.

We are continuing to put more weight in our packs with each hike.  I'm now up to about 35 pounds.  We only have ten days before we leave for Yosemite National park and Half Dome.  There will only be time for one more short hike with our son and his Cub Scout Pack before we leave for Half Dome.

 

 

2011 Field Day

No hiking this weekend.  Once again, it's Field Day, the weekend that we break out the big radios.  As in year's past, I've done the cooking for our amateur radio group and it's a big job since we usually have about 40 people show up.

 

So even though I didn't hike this weekend, there was a lot of running around, and otherwise being on my feet all weekend.

 

This year, I only camped out on Saturday night.  Friday night, after helping to set up all of the equipment and get dinner, I departed our Field Day site to attend the San Jose Giants game with Duane and our son, who was having a Cub Scout night at the Giants.  Loads of fun, I always enjoy going to the local game.  They are always so much more interesting than the major leagues, with lots for the kids to do and see in between innings.  When we walked into the stadium, we had a bit of a start since instead of their usual orange jerseys, the Giants were wearing pink jerseys.  Apparently it was breast cancer night (with fundraising as well).  A good time was had by all, but there was no joy in Mudville that night.  The Stockton Ports won.

 

Saturday was spent cooking, attending a class on packet radio, and after dinner was over, getting a chance to work the HF phone station.  So much fun, but a lot of work and very tired!

Back to the Kennedy Trail

This morning it was back to the Kennedy Trail.  This is a very good hike for uphill conditioning, so Chris and I keep coming back to it.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera this morning, so I didn't get any photos.  It didn't really matter.  It was very foggy and didn't burn off until almost the end of our hike.  The next time we return, I will make sure to take photographs of the many beautiful wildflowers besides the trail.

Kayaking at Elkhorn Slough

This morning we departed early for Elkhorn Slough and a morning of kayaking.  My friend Deb had organized this event, but at the last minute cancelled because of a bad cold.  We carried on, arriving at Moss Landing and Monterey Bay Kayaks at 9:00 am. 

After signing waivers, putting on wetsuits and taking their instructional course, we hit the waves.  We had reserved a three person kayak to ensure that we would all be in the same boat.  Our son sat in the middle, while Duane sat in the back and I in front.  This would have consequences later on.

It was a very blustery, windy morning and cold since it had been rainy, but at least during the first half of our trip the wind was with us.  We saw lots of kayakers, but only one other kayak that was part of our original group. 

We also saw plenty of wildlife, birds as well as otters and seals.  Elkhorn Slough is National a Estuarine Research Reserve.

About halfway up the slough, our son decided he didn't want to row any more.  He took photos of seals and looked at the estuary.  That left only the two of us to row a three person kayak.  To make matters worse, Duane had great difficulty steering.  So we continued, not straight but zigzagging up and down the slough.  I tried to compensate paddling strongly at the front, but it wasn't enough. 

Somewhat frustrated, we headed back for the beach.  However, the wind was now against us and it was blowing between 15-18 mph.  This turned out to be a much bigger upper body workout than we expected and it took all the energy we had just to get the kayak back to the beach.  As we rounded the dock, and into the final stretch before the sandy beach, a man who was standing on the dock looking at us, said to me, "You look like you're doing all the work!"

Obviously, he had an idea.  I have never been more thankful to be finished with something!

Mt. Hamilton Classic

I did not have a chance to hike this weekend.  Sunday morning I showed up bright and early for the Mt. Hamilton Classic.  This annual bike race is put on by the San Jose Bicycle Club.  The elite of the biking community ride their bikes from San Jose to Livermore, over Mt. Hamilton.  It's a grueling ride, whichever direction you choose to take and a real challenge for communicators.

Our radio club typically takes the San Jose side of the Mountain while the Livermore club takes the east side of the mountain.  Multiple repeaters are used to ensure coverage all along the course. 

I spent the morning and early afternoon calling out start times and monitoring the net.  The time I would have otherwise spent hiking, was spent volunteering.  Next week?

First Holy Communion

First Holy Communion Cake

Haven't got much hiking done this week.  I've been finding and obtaining all the necessary items to bake my son a First Holy Communion cake.  This was more difficult than you might think.

 

Baked in the shape of a Bible, I wanted to make this cake special.  I found small plastic grapes and a sheaf of wheat stalks at Michael's that I could use.  Also, at Michael's I was able to find pre-formed roses and leaves, as well as a rectangular cake board.  I also managed to find a small plastic chalice on Amazon, which Duane then cut in half so that I could place it on the cake.

 

It was a beautiful day and the cake worked out wonderfully!

EmCommWest 2011

The most walking I did this weekend, was all over the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.  Well, I also stopped in Cabela's to pick up some items for my Half Dome hike in July.

EmcommWest is a weekend that is devoted entirely to emergency communications.  There is always a small vendor's area to peruse and I usually manage to find something to put in my emergency tool kit.

The highlights for me this year were a seminar in creating your "go kit"  with lots of examples and lists of what to include, as well as a gathering of lady hams.  A "go kit" is a bag of stuff that you have ready to grab and go when the emergency happens.  They can be big or they can be small.  They can be intended to last for a few hours or several days.

The gathering of lady amateur radio operators was one of the first meetings of its kind that I have been to in this largely male activity.  It was fun to meet everyone and I really enjoyed hearing the reasons why ladies become amateur radio operators.

Not much exercise this weekend, but I sure had a lot of fun.  I can hardly wait for Pacificon, which this year will be in my backyard in Santa Clara County.

Canyon Overlook: Zion National Park

Checkerboard Mesa, Zion National Park

We arrived at our hotel, just outside the Zion National Park, late last night.  It was late and I had promised the kiddo that we would go swimming.  The pool, however, was an outdoor pool which had just been opened last week and I didn't relish the idea of 40-50 degree water.  So I passed much to my child's disappointment.  Perhaps we will find another pool to swim in during our trip?

Zion Canyon, Canyon Overlook Trail

Canyon Overlook Trail, Zion National Park

Our first order of business this morning, however, truly was business.  Duane has been unemployed for the past 2.5 months, and all of us have been on COBRA.  Thankfully, he starts a new job on Monday, May 2^nd.  Since COBRA doesn't allow prorating payments, we had to make a decision to either go without health insurance for a day, or pay for an entire month's worth of health insurance.  The decision was practically a no-brainer.  The employer controlled monopoly over health insurance means that rather than getting what you need for the best price, employees get the most costly, most all inclusive plans, which the employer writes off as a business expense, with the employee picking up only a fraction of the cost.  Until you are no longer an employee.  Then you get to bear the entire cost, which for a family can run in the thousands of dollars, when you can least afford it because you no longer have an income.  We decided to go without health insurance for a day, which saved us nearly $2,000.

Indian Paintbrush, Zion National Park

This had an impact on how long we would be able to stay in Zion.  We decided to drive home in one day, since we didn't want to be on the road on a day when we were without health insurance.  We would have to leave Zion at noon.  We decided to hike Zion's Canyon Overlook trail, see if we could catch a bus along the river, and then head home.  Duane drove, while I called the COBRA processing center to see about cancelling COBRA over the phone.  I found out, much to my dismay, that you can only cancel via telephone if you have gone on Medicare or have other coverage, neither of which exactly applied to our situation.  Obviously, they don't want to make it easy to cancel - they would lose a lot more money.  So, we would have to find a copy shop, download the form off the internet, fill it out and fax it in, somewhere along on our drive.  As long as we got the paperwork in by midnight, we would be okay.

Wildflower, Zion National Park

We drove up to side of the Canyon to the trailhead, which is immediately after the tunnel, but kept driving towards the Checkerboard Mesa.  We decided to stop by the side of the road so that the kiddo could climb up the rocks.  He was really wanting to climb up some large rocks, and given the disappointment over the pool the previous evening, it was time for him to have some fun!  The "rocks" here are actually petrified sand dunes, which geological forces have uplifted over time.  They make for easy climbing - perfect for a young boy! 

Canyon Overlook Trail (yellow), Zion Nat'l Park

We headed back to the Canyon Overlook trail.  It looked like we would have a lot of company today.  We headed up the stairs at the beginning of the trailhead.  It's a pretty short hike at only one mile round trip, but the view at the end of the canyon is simply breathtaking.  There were many wild flowers in bloom, it being Spring.  It's always lovely to photograph them. 

Prickly Phlox, Overlook Trail, Zion Nat'l Park

We returned to the car and drove down to the visitor center to possibly catch a bus into the main area of the park, along the Virgin River.  It was extremely crowded, however, and likely would have taken several hours.  We decided to save it for a future trip.

We started the long trip back home, stopping at the Kinko-Fed Ex office at the Las Vegas Convention Center in order to send in our COBRA cancellation form.  Just as we were getting into Vegas and needing the GPS to find the Kinko's, my Subaru's cigarette lighter plug broke and blew a fuse.  No electricity to anything running off the cigarette lighter and, even worse, no air conditioning.  We used Duane's cell phone and Google Maps to get us to Kinkos.  We got the form filled out and faxed in with 5 minutes to spare.  Then Duane came out and spent about half an hour finding and replacing the broken fuse.  The cigarette lighter still didn't work, but at least we had air conditioning on the long drive home!  A bit too much excitement, but we made it home by 12:30 am, just half an hour past being "Cinderella," and without any further incident.

From Monument Valley to Antelope Canyon

Ford Point, Monument Valley

Not a lot of hiking today.  Mostly just walking, but the scenery is indescribable, so I'll take it.

We arrived at Goulding's late last night, making our first stop ever at a Sonic Burger practically in the middle of nowhere, which was probably the worst burger we've ever eaten. 

I had tried to get a reservation in the The View Hotel, which is right in the park with a great view of the Mittens, but it was full and my attempts were too late.  No matter; Goulding's is right across the highway.  We ate a quick breakfast and decided to take Goulding's half day tour. 

West Mitten, Monument Valley

Before taking us to Monument Valley, our tour guide first took us to a Navajo hogan, where an elderly Navajo woman showed us the art of weaving Navajo blankets, including the steps to card and spin the wool before weaving it.  Weaving is becoming a lost art.  There are few women left at home to weave as so many of the young women have left home to go to college and get jobs.   I had a real sense of hospitality and also of their sense of humor.

Ear of the Wind, Monument Valley

We drove the short distance to Monument Valley and got our first view of the Mittens and of The View Hotel, which hugs the contour of the bluff,  its sandstone-colored walls blending in perfectly with the surrounding landscape.  Someday, I would like to stay there. 

We were able to get out at several places and walk around.  The Navajo made sure that there were several shopping opportunities, mostly for buying Navajo jewelry.  Much of it was quite beautiful, but I was not in the market today.  The lookout for Ford Point was one such market area.  But there were also a few places where we could scamper up sand dunes, right under a natural arch, look at petroglyphs on the Navajo Sandstone formation, and see ancient dwellings.

Petroglyphs, Monument Valley

This really is one of my favorite places in the Southwest.  It is grand, sweeping, and majestic, but at the same time it's beauty is desolate and barren.  Hints of olive green from the sagebrush and other foliage give it a somewhat softer feel, but the landscape is always imposing.

Towards the end of the morning, the wind started to pick up.  Eventually, the wind became so strong that it whipped the sand up, scouring our bare knees.  That was uncomfortable, but we escaped inside The View for lunch, where I had a sampling of traditional Navajo food.  The restaurant is beautiful with incredible vistas of Monument Valley.  The View also has a very nice gift store with a good selection of both touristy knick knacks and authentic Navajo crafts.

Entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon

After lunch we piled back into the car and headed for Antelope Canyon, another one of my favorite spots in the Southwest.  The canyon is one of several slot canyons located along a large wash that drains into Lake Powell.  In fact, the entrance is not far from Glen Canyon Dam.  We managed to get one of the last tours of the day into Upper Antelope Canyon.

Slot canyons tend to form in soft sandstone or limestone rock and in areas where there is a paucity of rain.  Rainfall, sometimes from miles away, rushes through the rock so fast that it cuts a deep, narrow channel.  The danger of flash floods is ever present.  Water has been known to lodge fallen trees high up between the canyon walls.  National Geographic once tried to place cameras in Upper Antelope Canyon to record what it was like when the water rushed through. The force of the water was so strong that none of their cameras survived the onslaught.  Several tourists were killed at Lower Antelope Canyon during a flash flood in 1997 as a result of rainfall over seven miles away.   Warning sirens have now been placed at the entrance as a result.

Despite the possibility of danger, these slot canyons are a photographer's dream.  The light filters down to the bottom of the canyon in an amazing array of oranges, pinks and purples.  So beautiful!

We hadn't ever seen Lower Antelope Canyon, and since we still had a bit of time, decided to drive over to see what we could see.  Unfortunately, there were no more guided tours for the day.  So we continued on into Page, stopped at the grocery store for some supplies, and then continued our drive toward tomorrow's destination, Zion National Park.

Grand Canyon

When we originally participated in Team in Training, there were two choices of events: Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Because we were aiming for Half Dome, we chose Yosemite. We had little time to spare for a week long trip, and didn't have backpacks at that time either. But many people in our group did the Grand Canyon event. There were fewer choices of hikes, but at least two of them were the South Rim walk and the overnight backpack into the Grand Canyon. That last was a three day affair where you hiked in one day, did a day hike on your day in the canyon, and then hiked out on the third day.

Two years later, armed with our day packs, poles and hiking boots, we decided to see how far we could get on the Bright Angel trail. We drove up from Williams, where we had stayed the previous night, and arrived at the South Rim at about 11:30 am. This was well past our normal start time, but fortunately, it was early in the season and there was high overcast. The weather was cool and breezy - almost windy, in fact.

We filled our water containers and headed down the trail. Since there was a rest area at the 1.5 mile mark, aptly named the Mile and a Half Rest Stop, we decided to make that our destination for the day. We figured it would take us about 45 minutes to hike down to the first rest stop (with many stops for our son to look at rocks and bugs) and twice the amount of time to hike back up.

When hiking the Grand Canyon, everything you think you know is wrong. It's all backwards. When hiking most trails, you wear synthetics to keep yourself dry and warm. Special synthetics wick the moisture away from your skin. But the Grand Canyon is basically a giant solar cooker, which focuses the suns rays. It gets hotter as you descend into the canyon. Because of this, you wear cotton fibers that don't wick the water away from your body, and which keeps you cool. Always, always take enough water with you. Indeed, if you don't know what you're doing, take extra!

Margaret Bradley, who was extremely fit and who had recently run the Boston Marathon finishing 31st, decided to go for a 15 mile run into the Canyon. She wasn't from the Southwest and wasn't familiar with the area or the high temperatures. The 15 miles that she thought she was going to run, was actually 27 miles. She carried only 1.5 litres of water, an apple, and two trail bars into the canyon. She had no map. She left about four hours after sunrise. She died of dehydration in 105 degree heat and her body was found a day later. Her photo is now plastered on many trailheads and her story serves as a warning to hikers.

One of the most interesting things about hiking the Grand Canyon is being able to see all the different geological strata. One not only loses elevation, one descends backwards in time. Most of the geological formations in the Southwest have a limestone cap on their top. The softer sandstone underneath remains because the limestone is harder for the elements to penetrate. We started at the South Rim (6,782 ft. elev.) and the Kaibab Limestone layer, which is 250 million years old. Fossils such as mollusks and brachiopods can be found in this light gray layer.

We descended a little further and came to the darker, Toroweap Formation, which is also limestone and only just slightly older than the Kaibab Limestone at 255 million years. Soon we come to the very large and very solid Coconino Sandstone layer. The Coconino Sandstone layer is 260 million year old petrified sand dunes! It presents a solid vertical wall. Apparently, no fossils have been found in this layer.

As we completed our 1.5 mile hike to the Mile and a Half Rest Stop, we entered the Hermit Shale. This strata is a rust colored, iron-rich formation, which is 265 million years old. Ferns, conifers and other fossilized plants have been found in this layer.

We had descended 1,062 ft. into the canyon by the time we reached the rest stop. We sat and ate some trail mix and drank some water, refilling our water bottles before heading back up the Bright Angel Trail.

The ascent took us twice as long as the descent, which was just as we expected. We arrived back at the South Rim about about 2:45 pm. We had a wonderful lunch at one of the lodge restaurants, before getting back into the car and heading east along the South Rim towards the Desert View. After that, our next stop is one of our favorite places: Monument Valley.