This Isn't Iceland: Utah

 Just like everyone else, 2020 royally ruined loads of plans for us.  One of those was to spend our 10 year anniversary in Iceland.  We had tickets purchased, a 4x4 camper truck rented and were ready to go when the pandemic hit hardest in early May.  With everything refunded, we held out hope that maybe the world would "normalize" later in the year.  With that not happening, and in desperate need of a vacation, we opted to go camping.

We left mid-morning on a Friday to miss the weekend-escape-the-heat traffic and landed in Mexican Hat, Utah just before dinner.  We scored a sweet camp spot along the banks of the San Juan River, just behind the famous Hat.  With rafting campers flanking us, we all settled in to listen to the river and watch the bats hunt after the sun set.  

The next morning, we sipped coffee while the sun crept into the gorge.  Packed up, waved at the rafters on the opposite bank and slogged our way towards Valley of the Gods.  We do not miss an opportunity to drive through the Valley if we're up here.  It is my favorite place on the planet.  Since we purchased a DJI Mavic drone specifically for Iceland, we got it up and going to hone our piloting and post-editing skills.  

After a leisurely drive through the Valley, we hit slab and pushed north.  While the desert temperatures are icy compared to southern Arizona this time of year, we had better plans: cool fall temps of Colorado.  

Anniversary On Dirt

10 years ago, we were on our honeymoon, zooming around the desert on a KTM990.  This year, we had booked a 4x4 camper to circle Iceland - our first international trip.  After all, 10 years warrants something special.  But like many others, our plans were halted, cancelled and reworked.  We decided to celebrate the only other way we know how - by camping in our favorite National Forest.

Tonto National Forest - The Land of Many Uses

Between Globe and Young lies pines.  Seems silly to bypass the pines for the junipers, but we were on a mission to find a camp spot from 8 years ago.  Before leaving the pines, we stopped at Reynolds Creek - one of our favorite haunts.

We left Reynolds Creek and started towards Young, AZ.  We spent our first evening alone among the junipers and scrub pines.  We felt like we had the whole horizon to ourselves.

Stir crazy as we are, we left Young for the pines.  Tonto really lives by its name - it begins in the desert, among the high saguaros, blooming palo verdes and desolate spaces.  Tonto transitions into juniper and scrub pines before ending in the cool, towering pine forests.  And we love every inch of this national forest.

The pines, as expected were much busier.  But after ample exploring, we found a quiet secluded spot, set up camp and spent the evening listening to the wind in the needles.

Our two days were up and we packed up and headed back south.  Someday we'll head to the ice cold northern island to explore, but at least we spent our anniversary with the girls, among the trees.  Just us.

Vacation Mode Deactivated

The last day of a long trip is always a rough one.  We packed up, made coffee to go and slogged up Old Lime Creek.

We stopped just before pavement to air the Jeep back up and allow the girls one final time to enjoy Colorado.

A quick stop to Honeyville for wine, sandwiches in Durango, fuel in Cortez and into Arizona we went.

It is quite amazing how quickly the pines and aspens turn into Juniper.  And how much faster the Juniper's disappear into the tan vast and empty valleys of the Ute Lands.  I read off and on, we lamented about our trip and soon we crested into Flagstaff.  For a brief second we thought about camping the night, but the winds had been raging all day and we just wanted a long shower and a large, dogless bed.  More miles, less trees, more brown desert and the reappearance of saguaros.

We left Colorado at 9:30AM and 45*.  We were greeted home with a killer sunset around 8:00 PM and 105*.

Back to reality.  Back to work on Monday.  Until we meet again, wilderness.

North Rim: Day 2

Rarely do we spend so much time in a National Park.  But the North Rim is different.  Kaibab NF offers so many different vantage points to see various parts of this geological wonder.

We left the trailer for the day and wandered to the end of the NF road we were camping on to see the valley.

After a quick refuel, we headed back into the park proper to see the Rim from the other vantage points the NPS offered.  I've been told by many that the South Rim doesn't compare to the North, but you don't fully appreciate how wildly different and breathtaking the North Rim is until you make it there yourself.

At Angel Window, dogs weren't permitted on trail, so Mike set up a chair in the shade of the Jeep and read while I wandered down to see the canyon.

Sometimes when something is so vast, so large, you need to change perspective and remember to look for the little things.

I took a turn in the shade with the girls so Mike could go see the window.  

After leaving Angel Window, we hit a few side viewpoints on our way down.  And saw a beggar on our way too.

We made it back to camp, cooked up dinner and squeezed into bed for our last night in Arizona.