Saturday, November 5, 2016

Grand Canyon, North Rim

Much less busy than South Rim.
camping area at 2400m...     one morning we got up and our gallon water jugs were half frozen (10 october)...   

Amazing plunging views looking down eons of geological history.  












(Click on  Photo for large view)

Yosemite NP


The famed Yosemite -  where John Muir worked and went camping with the President, Teddy Roosevelt for 3 days.... which president is down to earth enough to do such a thing nowadays ? 

Did a 2 day hike into the high country near "half dome"  very awesome walls of granite.  We were very lucky to get a camping spot up in the valley, even though it was late October, there is no real low season.  The best way to see US Nt Parks is to have a big pack and arrive on foot, do through hikes ... car camping can be frustrating.  State parks and State forests just outside NPs are far less busy.

We had a day and night of solid rain which made the waterfalls go from dry to massive.


 El Capitan

 Half Dome









 Bridal Veil Falls
 Bear or Coyote

San Francisco walkthrough


Went on Foot through the steep streets of San Fran. Saw a part of the city.  
Lots of different trams - art eco 60s ones,  old 1900 style ones - variety and diversity of people and lifestyles, far more than in Australia.  Lots of characters on Market street.

We stayed in a YHA in the state park just the other side of the Golden Gate bridge.  Great ocean, with seals,  sea lions, dolphins and great whites.
Suprised to see "Drake bay", as Sir Francis Drake, who helped defeat the Spanish Armada,  sailed around South America and as far as San Fran... repaired his ship and then sailed to Asia and back to England .... they were much tougher and more intrepid than we are... 











 Board at REI, the USA's big chain Outdoor store









(Click on a Photo for large version)





Saturday, October 22, 2016

Zion NP, Utah























(Last 3 photos are from the net)


A magical place where you feel gently dominated by huge walls of red rock.
Magical names like "Temple of Sinawa" ,  "angel's landing",  "the patriarchs"...  

Did a 2 day hike in the high country (West Rim trail),  Started on a plateau at 2400m  and the 2nd day,  went down to 1400m.   via "angels landing",  which is a rocky promontory where you used chains to go allow the narrow precipitous ridge.  

Called Zion by the Mormon settlers - "the promised land".  Was also sacred to the indians who were there before.  And inhabited by very ancient pre-Indians,  who mysteriously disappeared after 1500 years of settlement.