Capt Steve
US Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2008
- Messages
- 1,674
- Reaction score
- 2,974
Greetings one and all. We returned to Tucson this afternoon after twelve amazing days. The trip covered 1900 miles and took us day one to Flagstaff, day two up through Page, across the Glen Canyon dam and over to Zion. Three days at Zion - hands down the most incredibly beautiful place on the planet - a day trip up to Bryce, up over the peak (10,500'), just south of Brian Head Utah and down into Cedar City. From Zion we went south to Jacob Lake(not much more than a large muddy pond), but located 45 ,miles north of the North Rim it served well for our foray to the Grand Canyon. After two days here we drove up to Monument Valley (just across the Arizona Utah border).
We decided we would pass on the $80 to $400 guided tours of Monument Valley and set off before dawn in the truck to do it ourselves. The gate is locked until 0800 but I found a local Navajo who was delivering water and hay to the horses kept in the valley. He led us down a dirt side road into the valley and as the sun was beginning to rise we drove the 17 mile loop of Monument Valley. Now the road leaves a lot to be desired, don't try it in a car, but the scenery was mind blowing.
From Monument Valley we headed southwest to the mountains southeast of Flagstaff and spent two incredible nights at Pine Grove on the southern tip of Lake Mary. Elk season is in full swing and we watched bow hunters come and go. Three guys came out about ten in the morning carrying close to 250 lbs of Elk (two large hindquarters and an enormous bag stuffed with meat). They took this one about 2 miles from our campsite.
We finished out the trip at Christopher Creek, 21 miles northeast of Payson. Two days in a nearly deserted, beautiful, creek side campsite. It was about 3.5 hours back home where we checked our mail, did some laundry and few chores around the house and will be heading out day after tomorrow for another ten days/two weeks in New Mexico. The truck and trailer performed flawlessly. I got 10.8 MPG while towing (4K lb trailer pulled by a F-150, 5.4 liter, 316 HP/365 lbs of torque), up more mountains than I had ever seen. With one or two exceptions we were able to pull 55 MPH up just about anything (this takes about 3800 RPM occasionally but by in large I was able to keep the RPM's at or under 2k). I really felt the extra HP from the K&N intake system and credit it with an extra MPG but more importantly more omph on the many grades. We took several hundred pics and will only show you a couple...but lets start with my favorite from the entire trip.
Dawn in monument Valley, our Navajo friend had just released the horses to graze along the road as he unloaded hay and water...here you go
Our campsite at the Watchman campground, 30 amps and flush toilets for $18 a night. The trams into the canyon run every 6 minutes
Another shot from Zion
Bryce Canyon in all its glory
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 34 degrees at 0830
I'll stop with the pics now but I think you get an idea of just how beautiful these places are. If you have never been to this magnificent area of our great country find the time and DO IT!
We decided we would pass on the $80 to $400 guided tours of Monument Valley and set off before dawn in the truck to do it ourselves. The gate is locked until 0800 but I found a local Navajo who was delivering water and hay to the horses kept in the valley. He led us down a dirt side road into the valley and as the sun was beginning to rise we drove the 17 mile loop of Monument Valley. Now the road leaves a lot to be desired, don't try it in a car, but the scenery was mind blowing.
From Monument Valley we headed southwest to the mountains southeast of Flagstaff and spent two incredible nights at Pine Grove on the southern tip of Lake Mary. Elk season is in full swing and we watched bow hunters come and go. Three guys came out about ten in the morning carrying close to 250 lbs of Elk (two large hindquarters and an enormous bag stuffed with meat). They took this one about 2 miles from our campsite.
We finished out the trip at Christopher Creek, 21 miles northeast of Payson. Two days in a nearly deserted, beautiful, creek side campsite. It was about 3.5 hours back home where we checked our mail, did some laundry and few chores around the house and will be heading out day after tomorrow for another ten days/two weeks in New Mexico. The truck and trailer performed flawlessly. I got 10.8 MPG while towing (4K lb trailer pulled by a F-150, 5.4 liter, 316 HP/365 lbs of torque), up more mountains than I had ever seen. With one or two exceptions we were able to pull 55 MPH up just about anything (this takes about 3800 RPM occasionally but by in large I was able to keep the RPM's at or under 2k). I really felt the extra HP from the K&N intake system and credit it with an extra MPG but more importantly more omph on the many grades. We took several hundred pics and will only show you a couple...but lets start with my favorite from the entire trip.
Dawn in monument Valley, our Navajo friend had just released the horses to graze along the road as he unloaded hay and water...here you go
Our campsite at the Watchman campground, 30 amps and flush toilets for $18 a night. The trams into the canyon run every 6 minutes
Another shot from Zion
Bryce Canyon in all its glory
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 34 degrees at 0830
I'll stop with the pics now but I think you get an idea of just how beautiful these places are. If you have never been to this magnificent area of our great country find the time and DO IT!
