We leave Zion reluctantly. The kids want to know if we can return to Zion on our loop back. They really enjoyed it. We can't but maybe they can when they are grown.
We leave Zion on our way to the impetus for this excursion, the Grand Canyon. Teresa has always wanted to see the canyon and it was the foundation of our trip.
To leave Zion toward the Grand Canyon, the shortest route goes through the Mt. Carmel tunnel.
Fun Fact: The height limit for vehicles traveling through the tunnel is 13' 1" and requires an escort. Our RV is 13' high, at least that is what the official looking sticker slapped on the dashboard at a suspiciously wonky angle tells me. Now I'm in a quandary. How much should one trust a sticker? Who made the sticker? Is the sticker generic for any large-ish RV? Does the 13' take into account the air conditioning unit on top? How about how much water and fuel is on board, did that lower the vehicle at the time of measurement? How much air is in my tires? We are talking about a 1" variable here.
We approach the entrance to the tunnel and two park rangers radio the other side. They stop traffic for our RV and tell us to proceed directly down the center of the tunnel maintaining 25 miles an hour. We make it through without incident and then drive down some switchbacks through some beautiful slickrock canyons.
We hit our first town in a while and gas up. We are only about 3/8ths down but we will be at the canyon without a hookup which means running the generator which uses the gas from the tank to charge the batteries. I don't know how much gas the generator will use so I decide to fill up. We add 30 gallons and pay only $125. I know I will pay the same in the end but I like the idea of filling up more times for less money than fewer times for more money. Something about dropping $350 at one fill-up makes me want to shoot a sheik.
While we fill up we resupply and head back out. The trip to the canyon is all uphill, which I never really thought about. We keep passing signs that say things like 6,000 feet above sea level. 7,000 feet above sea level. It stops climbing when we reach the Kaibab Forest. There are aspen trees and Ponderosa pines everywhere. We pass some meadows that are immense! I think back to the Great Meadows in the Shenandoah and you could fit several of those into one of these. There are several patches of what is most decidedly snow. It is 70 degrees outside but the elevation and shade keeps patches of snow on the ground.
We enter the Grand Canyon park and find our site. It is about 150 yards to the rim. There is a small rocky outcrop we can climb on and peer over the edge to the canyon floor. We can see down the canyon and across to the South Rim. We set up camp, buy some firewood, cook a lovely spaghetti dinner, and eat s'mores. Again. I might be tiring of this, up-'til-now, annual or bi-annual dessert.
The sunset is incredible and lights up the sky in a sherbert kaleidoscope that intensifies into deep oranges and pinks and yellows. It is gorgeous and Teresa nails that one great shot. Along with 514 others. I know this because she reports her card is full and she had 515 shots available. OK, you say not bad. We've been gone for a few days. But I emptied her card this morning. And we drove most of the day.
It is a cold night and everyone hunkers down for a busy day in the canyon...
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