Hello From Lake Mead Cont...

The rest of the trip down to Vegas was quite uncomplicated.  We stayed on I5 most of the way into California then followed I15 East until we hit the Mojave.  I never thought I would like the desert so much, even after having been to Zion, and the Moab area.  The landscapes are just so much different than anything I've ever been exposed to.  I never thought I would be in the Mojave Desert, and I didn't have any reason to want to go.  It was to be a convenient camping area on the way to Vegas that would put us just a few hours from the city.  It turned out to be an amazing experience and I will make sure I get back there.

After driving in for hours to get to the campground we had dinner and got to bed early.  In the morning we walked the trail around the visitors center, about a mile, and decided to drive the 10 miles of dirt road through the park instead of going back the way we came to find paved road.  The drive was slow and bumpy but stunning.  The Mojave in the fall is full of colorful little flowers, great rock landscapes and Joshua Trees.  If you haven't seen a Joshua Tree, I hadn't, they are in the Yucca family.  They basically look like a short tree trunk with a Yucca growing out of the top.  Some are taller than others but most of them are only ten or so feet high in this area of the Mojave.  Unfortunately we forgot the camera in Lake Joy and had to have it mailed to us in Utah so we didn't get any pics of the desert.

We hiked another trail in the Cima Dome area of the Mojave and then jumped in the van to get into Vegas and find a place to stay.  Once in Vegas we settled down for the night to get some sleep.  The next morning we went to pick up the RV from CruiseAmerica in Las Vegas. 

Note:  Do not rent an RV from these people.  The RV was not ready when we were scheduled to pick it up.  We waited an hour and a half in the blazing Nevada sun.  When the RV finally arrived the generator wouldn't start and the employee told us it was just a fluke, it would work fine... yeah right.  The radio continually tried to load CDs even though we weren't using the player so it would just stop working for a minute over and over again the entire trip.  The RV itself was falling apart.  The generator never did work.  When we returned the RV the two employees (same ones who delivered it to us) were unresponsive to our problems and really didn't give a shit.  All in all it was a terrible experience except for the price which was very reasonable.  If anybody from CruiseAmerica is reading this you guys suck at what you do.

Once in the RV we drove to get Kevin and Cheryl at the airport and hit the road heading for Zion.  As you all know Kris and I fell in love with Zion last April and we wanted to go back.  Kevin and Cheryl haven't been to Southern Utah for like 20 years and never during the mild fall season.  We hiked in and around the park during the week.  It was stunning as usual, but the park was much more crowded this time.  I would go in the Spring if I had the chance again, it was much less crowded and the weather was actually warmer.  The greatest thing about visiting in the fall was that we got to hike The Narrows as a group.  The Narrows is a slot canyon which the Virgin River flows through.  About 75% of the time you are crossing the river one way or the other and up to about your knees in flowing water.  Using a hiking staff, patience and the proper gear one can hike into the canyon from below, or come down from the mouth.  We opted for the day hike which enters the canyon from below and it was spectacular.  The canyon walls are formidable and keep most of the sun off your shoulders so it does get cold in there.  The water was around 53 degrees so Kevin and Cheryl rented dry suits, Kristen wore dry pants and I opted to go with neoprene booties...  I should have listened to my wife on that one.  While they were warm and mostly dry I was soaked form the waist down most of the trip and by the time we came out of the river I was eating everything in sight and bundled up with all my clothing to keep warm.  Was it dangerous, no, was it uncomfortable, yes.  If I were to do it again in similar conditions I would have opted for the pants with Kris...  All in all it was one of the coolest things I've done in a long time and I would highly recommend it to anyone that like to hike and wants to experience something different.

After three days in Zion we headed out to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Another place I never expected to find myself.  If you have a chance to visit this place in the fall do it.  It is wonderful.  Day temps are around 75 on the rim of the canyon but can drop to around freezing at night.  We spent a few days hiking around on the rim and exploring the area around the lodge.  The lodge is also very cool.  It is built right on the edge of the canyon and from the lounge area, which is huge, you can look out on some of the most amazing terrain I've ever seen.  The sunsets are of course out of this world and you can enjoy a draft beer from the saloon while you're watching them.  We attended a talk from one of the park rangers entitled Death In The Canyon which turned out to be a safety talk although more entertaining.  This is another place I'll return to someday, but next time I'm going down into the canyon and seeing it from that perspective!

After the canyon the four of us headed back to Vegas to enjoy ourselves for the night.  As we all know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas so I can't say much about that night.  I can tell you that Kevin nicknamed himself "Mr. Saturday Night", Kris won $50 playing blackjack, and I drank a whole lot of $2 beers.  I can't give much advice on that city except to say that driving in it is harsh.

We dropped Kris' folks off yesterday and drove a short distance over to Lake Mead where you'll find me sitting in the shade trying to avoid the 90+ degree heat.  I didn't know it got this hot anywhere in the US in October... amazing.  Today we watch football and relax, tomorrow we are scheduled on a self guided overnight canoe trip in the Black Canyon below the Hoover Dam.  Can't wait, we'll bring back pics!

I hope all of you are well.  Most of you I've heard from during the trip in some way or another but if not please drop me a line or call.  We'll be back on the grid the day after tomorrow.  I've just converted over to the new dashboard for this program and it works much better than the old so I will update as much as I can.  Thanks for reading!

Will + Kris

P.S. I purchased new skis and they've just arrived at our friend Sarah's house!  It's almost time to shred everyone!