We are on a streak of finding one great campsite after the next. This new one might be my favorite. Certainly none of the others are better than this one.
We pulled out yesterday morning just before 10 and drove about an hour and a half into the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Along the way we saw a herd of buffalo grazing in a meadow. Pretty cool. Nobody manning the fee booth at noon on a Thursday. We proceeded and found the remains of the Grand Lodge that burned last July. The entire park felt like the middle of COVID. A complete burn zone. It will never be the same. The trees will probably grow back in 50 years and maybe they’ll rebuild the lodge, but it’s going to be a long, long time.
There’s a gas station in the park charging $6.08 for regular unleaded. A general store with convenience store staples plus Grand Canyon schwag. We found a ranger at the visitor station and peppered her with questions for about half an hour. Good info. The backcountry 4x4 trails within the park are closed for the season, which took that adventure off the table. We made a new plan, piled into Shannon’s van, and spent two and a half hours driving the paved roads and hitting the viewpoints. The camera is frustrating there because it just doesn’t capture the experience. The drone would do a better job but they’re not allowed in the park.
Then about an hour’s drive to our target campsite. Some concern on the way out because we kept driving through areas completely devastated by the fire. Full burn zones, sometimes one side of the road scorched and the other side intact. I was just hoping our destination hadn’t burned. It hadn’t. Green, spectacular view, surrounded by great 4x4 and hiking trails. I’m really excited to be here for a week. I’ve got big designs on this time.
We set up full camp. The van is in full glory right now, everything out. Plan is to stay 10 nights. It’ll be slim pickings on food and water by the time I reach the buzzer, but it’s doable. The Utah camp was about a month and this one will be about a month. I’m learning so much about how to do these longer stays. Next time I’ll have a much better idea of exactly what I need. I like the one month timeframe between supplies. That’s about perfect.
We’re deep in the backcountry of the forest, right on the edge of the park. Thirty minutes out a dirt road. Didn’t see anyone else on the entire drive.
Shannon is studying maps trying to figure out a hiking route where she can go off with her backpack for a few nights. We can see the Colorado River way down below. I think that’s where she wants to go. I need to put some time into cleaning and straightening the van, then it’s all about applying myself to my practice and putting in the time. My energy is back.
Last night I went exploring the network of nearby 4x4 trails on my bike. It’s just one of my favorite things in life. I can’t explain it. Back in Montana in 2020 I bought a vintage enduro motorcycle that I carried on the back of the van for a couple of years. Great, but an enormous hassle to get down when I wanted to use it, it blocked my back doors and backup camera, and it forced me to carry gas. With the e-bike I get everything I wanted from the motorcycle. It’s 65 pounds, folds in three, and charges off the sun. Without a doubt one of the highest value things in the van. It makes an enormous contribution to my quality of life out here. Last night I was whipping around smooth dirt trails under a low canopy tunnel of foliage. Nobody around. Clearly nobody had been around for ages. Love it so much.