Turning to at Page

Page, Arizona was founded in the 1950s to house workers when the Glen Canyon Dam was constructed to provide electricity to Arizona and Utah.  Located near the northern border of Arizona, the dam spans the Colorado River canyon creating the Lake Powell Reservoir in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area a 1.2 million acre wilderness where desert residents ply the waters with recreational power vessels of all types. 

Glen Canyon Dam and a section of the Colorado River canyon.

Chris was so excited to arrive at Page, the home of the Navajo Reservation, Antelope Canyon, The Wave and many other neat rock formations to photograph.  Unfortunately, she learned that professional photographers need permits to photograph in Antelope Canyon, which can take two weeks to acquire from the Navajo Film Office, and some of the other more remote locations in the Vermillion Cliffs area required access permits from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices as they limited the number of hikers each day to minimize the impact on the sandstone treasures.  So, she regrouped and, after two days of internet and local information research, discovered other areas that weren’t so difficult to access. 

Page is within minutes of the Utah border and their first trek was to the White Rocks in the southern part of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, in Utah.  The road to them is not marked and the only way they knew about them was via a visit to the BLM Visitor Center where the helpful staff gave them directions to turn at mile marker 13 and follow the road 4-5 miles to “the gate”.  In possession of this detailed information they set out for their afternoon hike with high expectations of capturing some unique photos. 

A view from Page of Glen Canyon and the gray cliff level of

the Grand Staircase Escalante NM.

The semi truck in the foreground gives you an idea of the
 immensity of the cliffs.

Well, they found the road and passed through what might be considered several gates and after the allotted distance came to “The Gate” which was no more than a “U” shaped passage that allowed people through but not the cows who observed them from the other side of the fence.  Donning hats and backpack and camera equipment, Chris reached for her camera only to find it wasn’t there.  In the hustle to leave the RV and collect equipment, food, water, sunscreen, hiking poles, etc. the most important device had been left behind.  In seconds her mood deflated from eager expectation to  disappointment.  Undaunted, they stowed “the gear” and with only the handy point-and-shoot, decided that it was a good day for a hike and ambled off determined to not waste the day.

The White Rocks created the northern border of a shallow, dry canyon occupied by a small scattered herd of cows and their offspring.  The floor was covered in dry scrub and the hikers wondered what the bovines ate, much less drank.  They followed a dirt road about a mile into the valley and came upon the unusual rock formations they’d anticipated.  Some looked like wet, gray clay that had been whipped by beaters and left to dry into a stiff, swirly mound.  Cliffs of petrified white sand, sporting web-like etchings from eons of summer rains, supported darker brown layers of stone, and irregularly pocked walls resembled Swiss cheese in the amber late afternoon sun.  The relaxing hike and diverse sights were an ideal introduction to the offerings of the area and herding the cows was kind of fun too.

The White Rocks Canyon topped by another “step” of the Grand Staircase.

This formation looks like gray clay that has been whipped by a beater.

Petrified white sand etched by rivulets of rain.

The gorgeous weather of their first hiking day quickly turned foul with gray skies and gusting winds.  They decided to stay close to home and drove the few miles to the iconic Horseshoe Bend.  Chris was uncomfortable with the ideal positioning required to capture the view, sans foreground rocks, which entailed literally hanging the camera over the edge of the almost two thousand foot tall cliff, so she did the best she could with the lens that she had and they called it a day.

Chris would have preferred not to have the rocks jutting in from the left of this photograph but, you get the idea.

Jay felt compelled to complete several “must do” projects that had been plaguing him and he stayed behind a couple of days while Chris explored on her own.   The horticulturist in her was intrigued by the nearby Hanging Garden, a rocky outcropping that sheltered fern, columbine and other shade loving plants from the intense desert sun and she decided to check it out.  The expected green foliage turned out to be very sparse, with most of it brown and dry due to the lack of winter rain but she was entranced with the diversity of the surrounding rocks.  The afternoon was spent capturing abstracts of sandstone above and below her and wandering the red, rocky terrain in search of unusual compositions.

Beyond these rocks resides the Hanging Garden.

One of her abstracts from the day’s meanderings.

The road from Sedona to Page ascends a sheer cliff across the valley from the easternmost side of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and when Chris and Jay stopped at the overlook, tears welled in her eyes at the surrounding beauty.  Red faced mesas thousands of feet tall stretched before her as far as she could see and the green valley floor was slashed in two by the jagged canyon of the Colorado River as it coursed toward the Grand Canyon.   On Jay’s second day of project catch-up, Chris decided to find out what the area had to offer photographically. 

An idea of the vastness of the area.

This is one small portion of the Vermillion Cliffs.

Grand vistas are difficult to capture and convey to the viewer the immensity of what is before the photographer.  That is why Chris usually focuses on the decorative and interesting details of the western terrain and she certainly had food for her photography fodder at Vermillion Cliffs.  Fortunately the road at the base of the bluffs abounded with pull-off areas offering ideal vantage points for her lens.

The Marble Canyon area of Vermillion Cliffs are near the Navajo Bridge,

one of the few places to cross the Colorado River.

As the sun tracked west and rocks reflected less light she happened upon a house of rock built in the 1930s by Blanche Russell.  While traveling through the area in 1927 her car broke down and she was forced to camp overnight.  She liked the scenery so much she bought property and built her home around a massive rock at the base of the escarpments.  The roof had collapsed and only wood-framed holes remained where doors and windows once protected the occupant from the elements but to Chris it was her favorite type of subject – old and decrepit!!   She snapped the shutter until the sun dropped and couldn’t wait to tell Jay what he’d missed!!

This tiny abode is built around the huge boulder visible at the top of the structure.

Big Red finally got to show his traveling buddies what he was made of when Chris and Jay decided to photograph Padre Bay on the north shore of Lake Powell.  The overlook is accessed from a winding, rocky road that threads through terrain that seemed more appropriate for the moon.  They cavorted up, down and around mounds of gray and yellow pumice-like soil that swelled around them as they pressed toward their afternoon destination.

They drove through miles of this moonscape terrain.

The pumice gave way to low scrub and then to bare rock on the peninsula near the bay.  They resorted to 4WD low-range and Red expeditiously rose to the challenge of scaling foot-high rocks on a steep slope with Chris at the wheel and Jay out in front providing guidance.  The road ended but the water far below them was not Padre Bay.  Scanning the horizon they saw a road to the left ascending a distant ridge but nothing to connect them to it except a field of rock. 

The outing had taken longer than anticipated and the sun was low on the horizon.  Even if they managed to get to the bay, time would be spent photographing and it would be dark upon their return.  Unfamiliar with the territory and without guidance the adventurers decided it was a little too adventurous for them to press on and reluctantly retraced their way home stopping briefly for Chris to photograph an interesting area she’d spied on the way.

A small section of the Lake Powell shoreline.

To the Southern Paiute Indians wahweap means cedar or pinyon pine canyon while the Utes defined it as salt canyon which is an apt description of where they found the Wahweap Hoodoos.  Chris had seen photos of them and decided it was worth the 3.5 mile hike to capture for herself.  The man at the BLM Visitor Center supplied her with a map which included photos of landmarks and she and Jay set out much earlier than usual to catch the morning light. 

They lied.  The people that made up the maps lied.  Chris and Jay are not prime physical specimens but they are in better shape than most their ages and they do their fair share of walking.  It would normally take them about 40 minutes to briskly walk two miles.  They set out walking at 8:45 a.m. and by the time they reached the Hoodoos it was almost 11 o’clock!   They met a couple returning to their car who said their hand-held GPS declared it was over 5.5miles one way.  Since the dry stream bed they were instructed to follow squiggled through the valley floor like a sidewinder Jay surmised the 3.5 miles was “as the crow flies”.   Unfortunately, the added miles delayed their arrival and by the time they reached their destination, the best light for the view she wanted had passed but Chris found other angles and the outing was salvaged. 

The most iconic of the Hoodoos.

Their novice hiking legs manage almost without effort on flat terrain of 3 to 5 mile trails.  But, more than twice that distance in hot, dry, desert conditions was laborious especially when they were laden with twenty or more pounds of photo equipment, water, snacks and clothing.  On the return trip, rather than follow the long, winding path of the creek bed, they blazed trails through the scrub cutting off precious yards as their water was running low and each step was becoming increasingly more painful to toes, knees and hips.  After what seemed like hours of tramping over river rocks and chaparral,  Jay looked ahead and saw a bright reflection in the distance.  It was Big Red’s windshield reflecting the sun like a lighthouse beacon guiding them home.  It was well more than a mile away but the vision encouraged them forward.  Finally they glimpsed a red roofline, then a door.  They climbed up the creek bank and plodded the last 50 yards to “home” where they revitalized their exhausted bodies with food, drink and a place to rest their weary, dogs.

Fortunately they were not scheduled to leave for two days allowing them a day to recover and do something a little less strenuous – like cleaning Sonny.  Then on Saturday, April 30^th they made the three hour drive to Zion National Park and the land of “WOW”.

Arizona's Jewel

Over the last decade the name of Sedona, AZ has surfaced in conversations with Chris and Jay’s friends and in publications they have read.  They first heard about it from friends that had visited there in the late 90s.  As Chris expanded her knowledge of spiritual information, she learned that Sedona was known as a metaphysical Mecca because of its many vortices.  And lastly, during their cross-country trip in 2007, it was to be a good halfway meeting point for them to meet Helen and Janet, cousins of Chris’ who lived in Tucson.  Chris and Jay made it there but the blistering hot triple-digit temperatures in early July of that year prohibited the cousins from making the trip.  Everything happens for a reason and the experience of the setting was not wasted on the travelers.  Its rugged, red rock beauty rivals that of any place on earth and they decided a return trip was imperative.  Thus, on Thursday, April 14^th, the voyagers re-entered the valley and were just as mesmerized by the enchanted beauty of the late afternoon sun setting afire the red cliffs of Courthouse Butte and the iconic Bell Rock as they were on their first visit. 

During their stay in 2007 they were strolling through the Tlaquepaque Village and met Carol Hazelette at a shell shop where she worked and discovered that she and Chris shared the same birthday (but not the same year).  After settling in, at the only RV Park in town, Chris immediately called Carol and, to her surprise, received a dinner invitation for that evening.  None of them could believe that three years had passed since they had met and the conversation was filled with events transpired and learning more about each other.  Having worked for a local photographer in the past, Carol was helpful in suggesting locations that Chris would be interested in capturing.

The next day the first order of business was to locate a detailed trail map and create a plan for the rest of their sojourn.  The woman in the RV Park office recommended The Hike House, a hiking equipment and apparel store that was within walking distance.  Chris found exactly what she sought and the staff was wonderful at explaining the types of views and terrain at each trail. 

Feeling a bit out of shape from lack of activity over the winter, and with Jay’s back still tender, the low altitude, less strenuous Thunder Mountain trail seemed the best to begin their series of hikes.  It didn’t disappoint as Chris was taking photos from the trail head parking area and continued practically non-stop until the sun was setting and they were snugly back in Big Red.

 

Part of the Capitol Butte rock formations.

A Prickly Pear Cactus found along the trail.

The weather was ideal with sunny skies and soft breezes, but the hikers know from experience that the weather can turn hot or cold, windy or calm, sunny or rainy, within minutes.  Thus when one dresses for what they expect the weather to be, as in this case, sunny but cool, and it becomes sunny and hot, long, dark jeans tend to be burdensome and raise the body temperature to an uncomfortable state.  While in Phoenix Jay had bought a pair of convertible pants, (you know the ones that have the zipper just above the knees so that you can remove the lower leg portion when it gets too hot).  Chris decided that she needed the same considering the projected hiking schedule through the summer and that many times they start a hike in the warm afternoon and end it after dark when the temperature can drop 10 degrees or more.  So the next morning, back to The Hike House they went and stocked up on convertibles for both of them.

Decked out in their new duds, Cathedral Rock was the day’s destination.  It is a massive mound of red stone capped by jagged white capped rocks resembling –you guessed it- a cathedral.  They got a late start and mistakenly got off their intended path, wasting valuable sunshine but getting some great photos.  As they neared the crest of the mound, the “trail” became almost a vertical ascent with foot and hand holds in crevices containing potentially slippery gravel.  Heavy shade surrounded them and was fading fast with the setting sun. Mindful of the entire summer of wonderful adventures ahead of them they decided that reaching the summit was not worth the probable slip, fall, sprained or broken body part they might suffer if they continued so heavily laden with equipment and they backtracked to a lower level trail to see what photo ops the setting sun offered.

View of Twin Buttes from Cathedral Rock.

Chris came across a cluster of large blue agave and took several photos.

She applied a filter to this one to give it a painted appearance.

Brandishing flashlights on their way back to Big Red they passed a small group of the younger generation going the other way.  One young man stopped and asked them if they were going to the drum ceremony, which he explained they did on the night of the full moon during warm months.  Chris was interested in participating but all Jay wanted was food, drink and a place to lie down.  Maybe next time.

One of the things Chris and Jay learned about Carol was that she had owned a company which provided a hiking service for children.  She led hikes several times a week for groups of children ages 6 to 12.  Over the last few years Carol suffered a detached retina in one eye making it completely blind, and some retinal damage in the other causing mostly blurred vision.  As a result she no longer drives and seldom hikes the area’s trails – a pastime she cherished.   So, on Sunday Chris and Jay had her over for lunch and an afternoon hike.  They let her decide on the trail and off to Soldier Pass they went.

Carol did not act as though she had limited vision.  She took the lead most of the day, kept up a brisk pace with sure strides and was the consummate tour guide.  To keep things simple, light and fun, Chris left the photo gear at home and carried only the point and shoot but was still able to capture some photos of the trail’s interesting oddities including the Devil’s Sinkhole, Seven Sacred Pools, massive arches in the adjacent Brin’s Mesa and spectacular views.  Chris and Jay were pleased that they could treat Carol to an outing that she now seldom enjoys.

The Devil’s Sinkhole.

Three of the Seven Sacred Pools.

One of the beautiful views from the trail.

The Sedona area contains over one hundred trails through some of the most beautiful geography in the country.  The travelers planned to stop again in the fall on their way south and drink in more of its splendor.  But the schedule demanded a departure for Page, AZ and new adventures.

Phoenix Rises

When planning travel and destinations Chris and Jay try to stay near friends to visit, when possible.  Phoenix was one of those places.  In fact, three friends lived there and having plenty of time to share with all three is always a scheduling problem, especially when those friends most always have their own lives and that terrible, 4-letter word: WORK to deal with.  Thus it was with Matt & Sandy Hankerd.  Matt was Jay’s 20^th and last cook on his charter boat in the Caribbean and spent more than a year together both in charter and cruising Honduras and Belize and many fun adventures too numerous to mention.  Matt now is an Assistant Manager of a very posh restaurant in Scottsdale so has a non-standard work-week.  As luck would have it he was off on Tuesday and Wednesday as Chris and Jay were arriving.  This good news was made even better by Matt wanting to show off his culinary skills by inviting the weary travelers to join them for dinners and fed them profusely for nearly the entire week they were there.  The only downside was that Sandy was ill so Chris and Jay didn’t have near enough time to enjoy her company. 

After Matt left the boat he attended the Culinary Institute in Scottsdale and though he never worked as a chef after that he loves to cook.  Words simply cannot describe the scrumptious delights he can conjure up.  Chris took notes and asked many questions while Matt created his gastronomical treats.  Even Jay was attentive as Matt revealed many secrets to preparing incredible food.  When Matt wasn’t cooking he played tour guide and showed them the local spots including the best place to watch landing F-16’s at Luke AFB and the best grocery stores and cheapest fuel.

An F-16 preparing to land at Luke AFB.

Although Jay’s back was somewhat improved by the Tucson traditional Chiropractor, there was no way he would be able to function normally without further professional help.  The priority during the Phoenix visit was to find an A.R.T. (Active Release Therapy) Chiropractor that could actually correct the problem and get Jay back to one hundred percent.  The frustration is that finding ART Chiro’s is difficult; there just aren’t many of them around.  Four were found close to the RV Park in the Phoenix area and with the price of diesel near $4.00 per gallon finding one that was geographically desirable was imperative.  The nearest one was on vacation but the next closest was available.  Jay called and spoke to the most helpful Doctor's Assistant, Melissa, whose smile was evident in her voice, and happlily scheduled a Thursday appointment.  Dr. Michael Jarembek (or Dr. J, of Phoenix Sports & Spinal Medicine www.phoenixssm.com, 602-212-1122) a young, strapping, good-natured guy who performed the most thorough skeletal examination Jay had ever had.  Dr. J then proceeded to adjust things Jay didn’t even know he had; much less knew could be adjusted.  When finished, Jay arose from the adjustment table as if a Phoenix being reborn and at least an inch taller.  After witnessing the nearly magical results Chris immediately made an appointment for herself and they decided to stay in Phoenix an extra two days to allow time for more adjustments from this man with the magic hands.  They even video-taped the next sessions so they would not make a mistake while doing the exercises and ART therapy Dr. J taught them to keep them in good shape for the summer of hiking that was scheduled.  Between Matt’s food and Dr. J you can bet Chris and Jay will return when their summer activities are terminated in Utah and Montana.

The RV Park in Phoenix was chosen partly for its location but mostly for its price.  It seems most RV parks in the area are set up for winter “snow-birds” with “frosty” prices to match and it turned out the park’s heated pool and hot-tub were perfect for jay to relax his tortured muscles as his back was healing itself.

 As Chris was tending her garden, which travels with us, a rather well-fed Road-Runner paid her a visit walking right up to her and looking around.  All was well as Chris got some photos of the bird until it flew up on the table with her herbs.  All Chris could envision was the bird eating her garden that has had to endure creatures of all descriptions at all locations doing just that.  Needless to say the Road-Runner was given a quick flying lesson as Chris chased it away with great enthusiasm.  A few days later, as Jay’s former Commanding Officer from Houston, Dave Ciancaglini, visited for dinner, the bird dropped by for another visit.  Dave informed Jay that the birds were carnivores and would probably not bother the plants.  As if on cue the bird flew up onto the table and walked through all the planter boxes investigating what was there but then, showing no interest in the vegetation, flew away looking for a more pleasing hand out.

The visiting Road Runner.

Rounding out the triad of friends to visit with was a day spent with Tom Luttrell and Val Cialkowski who operated the Charter Boat “Prego” in the Virgin Islands when Jay lived there.  They had become good friends over the years and Chris had met them several years ago when they were all in Colorado together.  Jay only learned they had moved to Phoenix while in Tucson so it was an added plus to see them while there.

While traveling the country Chris wants to visit galleries that may show her work and there is one in Scottsdale that she has had contact with so a meeting with them was advantageous.  It so happened that Matt’s restaurant was only a few blocks away and he wanted Chris and Jay to visit him there.  Now chain restaurants aren’t usually on the list of places for them to patronize but they were completely blown away by the décor and quality of food.  Grand Lux Café would rival any restaurant anywhere in the world and FORCED Chris and Jay to over-eat to the point they not only took doggie bags home but had to walk off dinner at a nearby mall before they could climb into Big Red for the journey back to the RV Park.

The Grand Lux Café, the restaurant where Matt works.

On Thursday, the 14^th of April, the well-adjusted (chiropractically speaking) and stuffed (gastronomically speaking) travelers departed Phoenix heading to Sedona, AZ where the spring and summer of serious photo work was to begin.

Recovery in Tucson

The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base RV campground, in Tucson, did not take reservations and was a popular destination for the Snowbirds that wintered there.  In the cooler months campers may have to wait in the overflow area, where there are no hookups for water, electricity or sewage, for a week or more for a site to become available.  By mid-March, the winter residents were beginning to head home and within two days those awaiting a site were able to move in.   Jay’s back was in good enough shape to allow him to drive from Tombstone to Tucson and they arrived on Thursday, March 17^th, pulled into the overflow area and waited their turn.

An ART (Active Release Technique) practitioner was located and an appointment was made for the following morning.  With Chris’s assistance, and taking miniscule baby steps, Jay hobbled into the office and waited his turn.  It was then that they discovered the ART practitioner was not a Chiropractor but a Physical Therapist.  The tiny, but mighty young lady worked him over but did not adjust his whacked out skeleton and he left, not only poorer but in just as much pain has he had arrived and efforts to secure an appointment with a local Chiropractor were futile.  Jay returned home went to bed and stayed there through the weekend.  Occasional forays to the “facilities” were accomplished by slithering on his stomach until his feet, then his knees, touched the floor and crawling on all fours until he reached the vanity counter.  With Chris’ assistance (which then caused strain on her back) he was able to push himself upright and, clinging to walls and door jams, shuffle into the bathroom and relieve himself.  Chris would have videotaped the painful but comical effort to share with their readers, but thought some might be offended by his lack of attire.

Saturday morning came and Chris trundled up to the campground office, selected a site and moved the RV out of overflow.  Jay felt so helpless lying in bed while Chris maneuvered Big Red and hooked up Sonny, raised the front and back stabilizing legs, secured the stairs and drove to their new digs.  Fortunately it was a pull-through site and, with a neighbor’s assistance to make sure she didn’t hit vehicles and utilities, within moments she was in position, connecting electric, water and sewer, bumping out the slides and setting up the household comforts inside.  

The weekend dragged as Chris searched the internet for treatments she could administer to her ailing spouse and attended to the nursing duties required to keep Jay fed, warm, cool, relieved, washed and entertained.  Fortunately a Saturday night dinner invitation from her cousins Helen Nazzaro and Janet, Corey afforded a welcome break.

Helen was Chris’ mother’s first cousin and Janet is Helen’s daughter and visiting with them was the primary reason for stopping in Tucson.  Janet has spent untold hours researching the Clark/Harmon genealogy for the last several decades and over Chris’ three week stay they shared generations of family photos (including tin types of relatives Chris had never heard of), military records, documents and letters.  Chris left a legal sized accordion folder stuffed full of family records for Janet to digest over the next six months, since her attention would be on traveling and photographing and not on family research.

Janet (left) and Helen (right) after our dinner at the Country Club.

Helen and Janet referred Jay to a Chiropractor they used and after a few treatments he was ambulatory and eager to re-engage in life, albeit at a slower pace than normal.  Janet chauffeured them to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum located over a mountain to the west of Tucson.  The term museum to describe the attraction was a bit of a stretch for Chris and Jay to accept as they associate the term with brick and mortar structures.  The museum is open desert covering 100 acres with broad paths winding throughout that take you past 1,200 kinds of plants and animal exhibits.  Tucked into the hillsides are enclosures containing more than 300 animal species including mountain lions, bobcats, prairie dogs and Gila monsters.  One of their favorite stops was the hummingbird house where dozens of the tiny birds zipped past their heads building nests and feeding their young. 

A view of the Desert Museum terrain with valley and mountains in the distance.

An exciting event they attended was a Raptor Free Flight Demonstration of a family of Harris’ Hawks.  That day the trainers released five birds and the audience learned that they live and hunt together as a family in groups of three to seven.  They soared above then swooped so close that Chris felt the wind from the beat of a wing as one flew through the crowd then perched atop a Saguaro cactus.

A trainer with one of the hawks.

Another outing was to the Mission San Xavier del Bac , an active church constructed in the late 1700s by Franciscan missionaries with money borrowed from a local rancher.  It is beautifully restored inside and out and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.  The intricate carvings, paintings, frescoes and statues in the alter areas must have been designed to wow the Indians whom the missionaries were there to convert. 

A view from the back of the church of the ornately carved and painted altar

 and frescos on the ceiling.

Janet insisted that a visit to Tucson wasn’t complete without lunch at the Tohono Chul Park Tea Room – one of her favorite places.  Tohono Chul Park is recognized as one of the great botanical gardens of the world and is located on 37 acres in the northwestern section of Tucson.  It is home to a plethora of reptiles, birds, and every kind of desert plant known to the area.  The park is a popular location for weddings, art exhibits and talks of all types.  After an enjoyable lunch Jay bought a zebra succulent plant from the greenhouse to replace one that died months before and he returned home, literally, a happy camper.

Chris and Jay at the Tohono Chul Park.

Jay is holding his new Zebra succulent plant that he bought to replace one that died.

The travelers didn’t do half of what they’d planned during their stay since every other morning was obligated to chiropractic appointments but in a way it was relaxing and forced them to slow their pace and “smell the cactus flowers” that were just beginning to bloom.  A week-long stop in Phoenix was next on the itinerary and they knew that after that the main focus would be photographing for the rest of the summer beginning with Sedona, the Jewel of Arizona.

Some of the cactus that were blooming when they left Tucson.