A YEAR ON THE ROAD IN OUR MOTORHOME
June, 1991 to June, 1992

BOOK 5/PAGE 2

April 8th. After the airplane tour we drove the rim to the South Kaibab trailhead. This is one of the main trails down to the bottom of the canyon. To the very bottom is about 20 miles but it is only 1.5 miles and 1,300 feet down the trail to the Cedar Ridge so we pack a lunch and head down. Looking over the ledge at the trail we discover it is almost straight down and the trail here is a series of switchbacks. After we get down a bit we can see further down and notice the trail has a mule train on it (yellow circle on the right). This is where we are headed.

On the way down we have to get off the trail so a mule train can pass on their way to the top. Quite a few people and coming back and everyone they pass always seems to ask them, "How you doing?" with regards to the riding a mule up the trail for hours. Most say they are doing ok. We do note that the mule trails stops every so often to let the mule rest. The last mules in line are carrying the trash from the Phantom Ranch were the tourists stay overnight. It took us one hour to get down to Cedar Ridge where we ate lunch and left a few crumbs for the ground squirrel. The trip back up took one and one half hours and, boy, we were tired upon reaching the top.

Jeanne took several photographs and made this very nice wide angle view from the Cedar Ridge.

No photos of the Grand Canyon would be complete without one of us there. This was taken on Cedar Ridge. On the right is a replica of an indian tower, located at the east entrance. This is of the inside.

Leaving the Grand Canyon we head for Lake Power and then to Zion National Park, one of the prettiest park you will ever see. It is amazing to see the canyon it resides in from afar.

A ring neck lizard warms itself on a rock and we head for the canyon trail which follows a stream up the canyon. There are signs warning of flash flood danger but there are no storms today so no one is worried. We can't get too far up the canyon as the water level is high in the early spring.

Along the trail we see several deer on the near side of a fast moving stream. They, a doe and two fawns, were browsing. Then they suddenly crossed the stream, the doe in the lead and the fawns, well, we were not sure they would cross. One waited on the near bank for a minute or so before it followed its mother and the other fawn across.