Evidence of Lives Past

During our trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon we read about the Kayenta Anasazi who lived on the Unkar Delta along the Colorado river in the bottom of the canyon 900 years ago. Some of the tribe members would hike to the north rim in the summer to farm beans, corn and squash. Chris has a particular interest in discovering archaeological sites and piecing together small clues of the lives that were lived in generations past. His skills as a scientist helped us find spots that would have made advantageous summer homes for these natives based on soil fertility, possible water sources, etc.

There we found the remains of many stone dwellings, some with evidence of mud that held the stones together. We also found countless remnants of clay pots that have survived at least 900 brutal north rim winters with herds of animals walking on them, forest fires and anything else nature has dished out. Some of the clay fragments still bore the fingerprint of their makers. We also found flakes from arrow heads and a river rock with a patina on one side that indicated it must have been used as some type of striking tool. It's illegal to keep artifacts found in the park, so we piled up our treasures for the pictures, then scattered the goods how we found them for the next discoverers. I hope they have as much fun as we did.

After marveling for some time, I looked around the forest and tried to envision the land's previous tenants. Their lives must have been so different than ours, and yet so similar. Living through life's joys - the birth of a baby, and life's hurts and struggles. All lived out right there on the canyon's rim.

I'm a Grand Fan

I've always been captivated by the Grand Canyon. My family drove from Indiana to see this wonder when I was three years old and I still have memories of that trip. During most of my growing up years, I imagined there could be nothing better in life than a return trip to the Grand Canyon, and I finally made that journey five years ago and did the four-day rim-to-rim hike I always dreamed of.

On our recent trip, I was thrilled to stand on the edge and marvel beside my husband. What a great thing to share together! We spent several nights camping in the Kaibab National Forest near Grand Canyon National Park, taking in dozens of viewpoints in and outside the park and hiking many trails. It's such a huge area, a person could spend years exploring just the rim of the canyon, not to mention what's down below. When I think about a trip to Havasu Falls, Horeshoe Mesa or someplace even more secluded I get antsy to pack my bags.

A Little Bit of Backpacking

We did a couple of overnight backpack trips. The first was up the steep Hendrickson Lake trail where we had a gorgeous alpine lake all to ourselves. We watch trout create ripples on the surface of the lake at sunset. Then the sky was light by stars that reflected off the water. Incredible!

Our second overnight hike was in Zion National Park. We were able to escape the crowds while discovering an incredible view of the park's back country. We heard elk bugling late into the night. At dawn eight elk trotted through the meadow where we were camping. Awesome!

On the trip we also saw an endangered California Condor on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, a tarantula in the Utah desert, dozens of mule deer and several Kaibab squirrels, which are endemic to the forest surrounding the Grand Canyon's north rim.

Well above the heat and crowds in the main canyon at Zion National Park, we enjoyed solitude and quite a view!

The hike up the steep Hendrickson Lake trail was well worth it!

Taking Time to Enjoy the God-made

I often long to go camping, and when I finally get out there it's even better than I had hoped. There is no schedule to adhere to and I can spend all day with my sweetheart exploring new places and admiring God's handiwork. We spent the last day of our trip in Las Vegas and the difference between what's God-made and what's man-made was striking. All the flashy lights, fake Lady Liberty statues, pyramid shaped hotels and showy water fountains pale in comparison with the grander of the great outdoors.


Chris takes in the view on one of our hikes.



I had to shield myself from the hot campfire while preparing apple oatmeal on our trusty Pocket Rocket camp stove.

Peering through the golden Aspens in Dixie National Forest.

A Cure for Traveling Woes


The airlines have really taken all the fun out of traveling. Half way through the flight I wonder why I choose to ride overnight in a crammed cabin with a bunch of coughing strangers with no food or water, lugging heavy bags through the airport because they cost so much to check. But after the endless flights and a day of driving we arrived at our first campsite in the Dixie National Forest near Brianhead in Utah. All was right with the world. The smell of pines, the feel of the dry moutain air and the warmth of an evening campfire sent me to sleep with a smile. The next morning we took a hike through the forest up to a ridge with an amazing view.


Chris washes our breakfast dishes in a spring.



Once we arrived at our first campsite it finally felt like vacation.

A South Point Ride

There aren't many places to legally ride dirt bikes on the Big Island. South Point isn't really a riding area, but riding there is not prohibited, either. So we occasionally make the trek to the southern most part of our island, and the southern most point of the country, to ride. Chris, Ben, Christoph and I took in the sights of the ocean, the dry, grassy plains and the famous Green Sands Beach while we navigated the road's rocks and red dust. The weather was typical - dry, windy and ridiculously hot. But we had a great time.