June 4-24, 2008 - We drove from Chanute, Kansas to Flagstaff, Arizona (1,200
miles) in just 3 days. We stopped long enough to weigh the truck and trailer at a
Flying J truck scale and found we were right at the limit. Even though we had filled
only 1/3 of the cabinet space, our weight (with water and propane) was 13,850 lbs
-- and the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is 13,995 lbs. No wonder the truck
noticed the load!! This wasn't the little Lynx any longer! We had met a lot of fifth
wheel owners whose cabinets and closets were stuffed to overflowing. They must
run about 2,000 lbs or more over their GVWR.
As we traveled across
country the air got
dryer and the terrain got craggier. On I-40 in Texas, 10 miles west
of the New Mexico border, there was a very distinct transition from
open plains to a desert landscape. We had left tornado alley in the
middle of tornado season and we were glad to leave the severe
storm warnings and tornado watches behind. However we drove
straight into a vicious headwind all the way across the country, and
in New Mexico and Arizona the winds were staggering. We were
paying far more for gas than we ever had -- and we were getting
8.2 miles per gallon!! At an Arizona visitors center we heard
another fifth wheel driver discussing routes to Wasington with the host,
trying to find a way to get out of the horrible winds. Not possible!
When we arrived in Flagstaff it felt good to be among the tall pines
under clear blue skies again. The winds eventually subsided, and we
relaxed at our favorite campground northeast of Flagstaff, Bonito
Campgroud. We retired the truck for a while, sticking to our bikes as
much as possible.
Flagstaff has a fantastic store for solar power related items
(Northern Arizona Wind and Sun), and just like the previous year,
we used our time in town to purchase a complete solar setup. We
upgraded to 490 watts of power (from 130) and a permanently
installed pure sine wave inverter. We boondocked in the Cinder
Hills OHV Area and Mark took his time installing the new panels on
the roof and the charge controller
and inverter in the basement.
After three days it was done, and
the system has been
phenomenal ever since. Wherever we are, it
is always as if we have full electrical hookups.
The hummingbirds loved our feeder, and we
enjoyed watching them zip around. One
morning a pair of warblers came to the feeder
for a visit. Their beaks weren't shaped quite right for the feeder, so they didn't
stick around, but I was thrilled to get their picture through the window.
We took some leisurely bike rides through Sunset Crater National Monument.
This is a beautiful area for cycling, as there is no traffic and the road is smooth and scenic. Sunset Crater blew its top 800 years
ago, filling the skies and covering the ground with cinder ash. The cinder ash (black gravel) is so thick that little can grow in it.
This makes the area seem as though the volcano erupted just a few
years back. The cinder hills seem smooth from a distance, and there
are places
where the
gravel is
actually black
sand. In other
spots the
black gives
way to shades
of red and
brown, again
making it
seem as
though this
mountain
were engulfed
in volcanic flames sometime within my own lifetime. There is a region
where the lava flowed, and today it is an impenetrable strip of sharp
black rock. If you look closely you can almost see the ripples and
waves as this thick angry goo washed down from the mountain.
In the distance the San Francisco peaks were still snow capped.
Standing over 12,000 feet high, the tallest of the peaks is easily
visible from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon some one hundred
miles away as the condor flies. The Navajo and other native
peoples have long felt that the San Francisco peaks were sacred.
I had never really understood exactly why until a few weeks later
when we were camped on
the North Rim and were
looking back at these peaks
across the canyon. Every
afternoon, like clockwork,
the clouds would begin to
form over Mt. Humphreys.
There was no doubt that
those mountains attracted --
or were even the source --
of rain. Looking down at the
barren plateau on the
Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon I could understand why the ancients revered
that distant mountain. It brought them much needed water for their crops.
We took a hike with friends up
the Lava Flow Trail and found
some spectacular views of the
San Francisco peaks and the
valleys surrounding the
mountains. It was a steep but
short climb up the hill and well worth the view at the top.
When we first arrived in Flagstaff the overnight temperatures
were in the 30's and daytime highs were in the high 60's. After
a few weeks the highs were getting into the 90's. Even
boondocked in total shade (we found it was a miracle that the
solar panels still fully charged the batteries everyday despite
being in full shade!), we were too hot. It was time to move on to
somewhere cooler.
We headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is a significant
drive to get there. Even though condors and intrepid hikers can
cross the chasm in just 21 miles, it is a 200 mile trip by car, because
you have to go way to the east, then a bunch north, way to the west,
and then drop south to get there.
The drive takes you through some beautiful desert areas. The
Vemillion Cliffs are stunning, jutting up out of the desert floor in
vibrant shades of orange, red, and even turquoise.
There is little in the way of towns on this drive, just occasional
hamlets with perhaps a store and cluster of trailers. We drove
with our eyes glued to the beautiful scenery.
After taking the big left turn near Lees Ferry to head west, the red
desert suddenly gives way to greenery and you begin a steep
and winding climb up onto the Kaibab Plateau. The desert floor is
at about 4,000 feet elevation and the top of the Kaibab Plateau is
at about 9,000 feet. North Rim here we come!!