We spent a great deal of our time utilising the reliable internet both at Lindens house, as well as Macy's Cafe to plan the next month of our trip including accommodation, flights, buses and securing some Warm Showers. When we weren't planning the trip Neil and I wandered around town, checking out the shops, enjoying tasting trays from a few of the many breweries in 'Flag', got our bike brakes replaced, and generally prepared for the next leg back on the bikes. Alex and Linden did a great job showing us around the town, taking us to their favourite Mexican restaurant for dinner and bagel joint for breakfast. We were even invited along to see a 'rock band' with the guys at the Orpheum Theatre, which turned out to be a group we had seen and loved many years ago - Cold War Kids! It was really great to see some live music, and hangout with our good friends from the Oregon coast.
The next day we all felt a bit worse for wear, so had an easy-going day after a sleep in, finalised a few things for the trip, and stocked up on groceries. Our first day cycling to Grand Canyon South Rim was to be a long one - over 100km - with some serious hills to begin with. Linden offered to drive us and our bikes the first 30km or so over the 'San Francisco Peaks' which surround Flagstaff. Obviously we thought this was a great idea, but an even better idea was to convince Alex, Linden and their mate Robbie to join us for a night up at the Grand Canyon camping. Needless to say this wasn't hard.
Neil, Alex, Linden and Ollie
This whole trip Neil and I have experienced fantastic weather. I have only had to put on my rain pants once, and our rain jackets have been neglected for months. So we were totally bewildered to find it pouring with rain the morning we were due to leave. But bookings were made and we had to get on the road at some point, so when there was a break, Linden drove us over the peaks and dropped us, the bikes and four small panniers off some 30km from Flagstaff. Linden planned to drive up to the canyon in Alex's car later on in the day with the rest of our panniers, so we had a wonderfully light load to cycle 89km to Mather Campground at the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
Ollie the adventurer at Grand Canyon
It was a great ride, downhill for the first 30km or so, and then a gradual uphill for the remainder. The highway shoulder was perfect, cars very considerate and the enormous rain clouds only threatened, waiting instead until we arrived to bucket down. The guys arrived not long after us, and we enjoyed an evening of food, music, camp fire, slack-lining and intermittently hiding from rain.
The Grand Canyon itself is truly an outstanding sight to see. Even with the clouds and rain this enormous formation is something else. Like Yosemite, it's an area which perfectly demonstrates the power water, rock and time. I'll let the pictures do the talking here.
On top of the world
After a beautiful walk along the canyon rim in the morning, the guys returned home, and Neil and I moved camp to the cheaper (and available) hiker/biker site. We thought our chosen site was just dandy, but a few hours later, the rain came down in droves. Pretty soon our tent and mud mat were floating on a newly formed pond. Ultimately, the Hilleberg held up and we stayed perfectly dry, but the experience has definitely made us more cautious about specifically where we put our tent.
The next day we cycled 40km east along the rim, mostly uphill to Desert View Campground. This area had fantastic canyon views, but also views of the notorious Colorado River which has spent the last few millions of years eroding and shaping the Grand Canyon into what it is today. The rain had cleared up, the tarantulas were out in good numbers wandering across the road and around the campsite, and the Northern Hemisphere night sky put on a great show.
Desert View - watch tower
A Desert View
Little Colorado Gorge
Day three of cycling saw a comfortable downhill for at least 40km, leaving the Park along highway 64 to the town of Cameron, where we veered left and continued north another 40km or so on highway 89 to our destination - Tuba City. Much of the area is the Navajo Indian Reservation - the only area that enforce daylight savings and don't sell alcohol. Dotted along the roadside were little 'trading posts' run by the Native Americans living in the Reservation, selling beautiful handmade jewellery, rugs, pottery, dream catchers and polished gem stones. There were also plenty of these trading posts, empty and forgotten despite the sign saying "Open".
There was not very much to see in Tuba City, apart from the magnificent 'Painted Desert' - layers of easily eroded stone that together look like they have been painted. There are also some amazing dinosaur footsteps, at which we were given a tour by a young Navajo girl pointing out the prints and which dinosaurs made them. We also saw some entombed velociraptor eggs. We stayed at the only campground in Tuba City which was nice enough for the $19 we spent. Although there was no alcohol to buy, a kind man who had driven past us as we slowly pedalled up the final hill of the day, gave us two icy cold (and locally famed) PBR cans to drink while we did our stretches. Thank you kind stranger!
Entombed dinosaur eggs
Something walked here 65 million years ago...
We had a long day to come - 114km - so after a good night sleep, and an early, very organised and timely pack up the next morning, we were nearly ready to go. We were then approached by an older couple - Jim and Linda, to say hello and ask about the trip. It wasn't long after they arrived Linda said, "Are you two Believers in the Lord Jesus?" We weren't expecting this, but politely replied we weren't religious etc (insert fluffy line here). Jim went on to explain they were Preachers travelling the States, and preach to us they would for the next 25 minutes. We were informed (very kindly) that we were being controlled by the enemy (aka the Devil), and that scientists cannot prove the Bible wrong, in fact science was proving much of it right. Jim asked if he could pray for us, and of course we said yes, that would be fab. So we all stood around the picnic table as Jim asked the Lord to guide us in the right direction and help us see the light (while Linda uttered some suspicious tongue noises). Finally, later than we anticipated, and feeling enlightened by this experience (ha ha), we finally started our ride to Marble Canyon.
En route to Marble Canyon
What a fantastic cycle it was! We were treated to the stunning Arizona desert, made up of fantastic colours, smells, sounds and mountains. The shoulder was good, (apart from the roadside corrugations we occasionally hit) and the cars were kind - it was the most pleasant 114km we have ever done (and a new record distance). It was capped off by an extremely fun and exhilarating decent into Marble Canyon. On arrival, it took very little to convince ourselves that we deserved a real bed and hot shower at the lodge (avoiding an additional 14km round trip to the campground).
A bit of bike mechanics going on
We decided after a good rest we were capable of pushing on (and skipping a rest day) to generate an additional day off at the North Rim Grand Canyon. This was a noble goal, but failed spectacularly. We awoke to whistling winds (nice when snuggled up in a bed), that after we began cycling evolved into 35km/hr headwinds. There was little option to stop halfway, as we journeyed across harsh and arid Arizona desert. That's not to say the scenery wasn't beautiful - it was absolutely gorgeous (an eight hour view of the Vermilion Cliffs). However, we were acutely aware of our agonisingly slow speed, limited accommodation options and what was eventually waiting for us across the desert....a 5000 feet (1600m) climb to our destination - Jacob Lake. To sum up the day, it was without a doubt, the most mentally and physically strenuous day we have ever had in the outdoors. Nothing compares. I realised crying was a waste of precious energy, and quickly stopped the tears from rolling. I played two Richard Fidler podcasts and two music albums, which never cease to help me immensely up any hill. We walked, we attempted to hitch a ride from passing utes, we ate spoons of peanut butter and honey, we ate Snickers, we laughed, we swore and as we had 500 meters to go, I let a few tears roll, I cursed nature for testing me and I realised how frozen my feet and hands were.
We stumbled like two aliens into the Jacob Lake Restaurant and Lodge, finding some reprieve from the near zero degree temperature outside. Neil was shivering, could hardly string a sentence together, feeling nauseated and unwell as his body finally let him know it was not happy. We were told there was no vacancy at the lodge so we would need to pitch our tent. We decided to think about it after dinner, and a sit down by the lobby fire. Just before our dinner came out, I returned to the reservation desk to ask about any lodging near by. To my surprise and glee I was told that they just had a room come available which I happily paid for, and gave my hypothermic husband the good news. And boy was it worth it - a heater, hot shower, bed, cable TV, and internet. We decided it was so nice we would stay two nights to completely recoup before cycling the 70km to the North Rim for 3 nights. That's where I sit now. I have been so enjoying tent living, camp cooking, my comfy blow up mattress, sleeping bags, star gazing and peeing in the bush at midnight, but it is amazing how much the comforts of the modern world are quickly desirable for the very weary travellers that we were last night.
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