Great Dunes

Would you believe there are sand dunes in New Mexico as big as the Sahara? It blew my mind. Great big dunes of Gypsum, not the normal sand, from a lakebed nearby. The dunes cover thousands of acres, and they move and shift in the wind. The plants that survive there are the ones that can grow faster than a dune can move. Pretty wierd.

It's called White Sands National Monument, which is kind of like a national park, just not as many services. Today's Rangers were Ranger Tirzio and Ranger Flo. They were really glad to pose for me, and one of them found their ranger cap.

When we got deep into the dunes, we found families playing. Some were sliding down the dunes, others building sand castles. I got to pose in the dunes and go on the boardwalk to look at plants. For once, Daisy was allowed everywhere. When she was photographed, she disappeared in the white sand. Good thing she has a black nose.

It was a really fun day. By the way, I really like Carl. He says "Hello bear" whenever he sees me.
Be sure to watch our movie!

my day in fourth grade with anna

hi my name is anna and I took rosabella to school today and we had math together and I went to computer and told her all about it. then we had lunch but my teacher told me I couldn't bring her. after lunch we had a map game then we went to recess so I took her with me and played together. when recess was over we had art. then we went home on the bus and that's my great day. the end.

PS This is my buddy Nolan from down the street.

I'm in 4th grade today!

This is Anna. She lives in Albuquerque and she is in 4th grade. Last night I got to sleep with her (bedtime stories were a little advanced, but great!) and today I am going to school with her. I saw some of her books. Boy does she read big words. I hope I can keep up! I hope her friends like me!

Poor Rosabella

 

I stayed up into the wee hours blogging. I am so tired. I have asked Miss Margaret to to write the blog for a while, so please check turningmypages.blogspot.com

Cliffhangers

Today Miss Dodie took her walk to take pictures of deer, including fawns with spots. That was pretty cool. Then we hit the road in a real hurry. We have ten hours of driving, and that's normal, not RV driving. RV driving takes a lot longer.

It took a while to leave Capitol Reef. It does go on and on. Then we stopped at Natural Bridges. There are three big rock bridges there, and Ranger Stephen said it would take about an hour to tour but not hike to them. We were thinking we should hike until the 6500 foot altitude gave us a reality check. So, we just looked. These are bridges, formed by water erosion, not exfoliation like an arch. The people hiking down to the bridges looked like ants. Some of the formations are 200 feet high. Whew!

After Natural Bridges, we took the side road toward Mexican Hat to see the Valley of the Gods. There are red rock formations there like battleship, seven sailors, and wierd stuff. Right before we got there, the world fell off a cliff. For three miles, we road switchbacks and hairpin turns down a one lane gravel road. The drop was 10% grade and it was so bizarre that a highway could turn into that challenge, just like that! I thought it was pretty scary, and Miss Dodie took a movie, but she forgot to press the button twice, so now I can't show you. Oh well, take my word.

After that, everybody said no stops! We barely stopped for gas, and we put in a gallon more than the tank held. I guess we were pushing it. We got all the way to Pagosa Springs, Colorado tonight, and finally, we have internet so I can catch up!

Tomorrow we are going to Ojo Caliente to soak in the mineral springs, and so Miss Dodie can rest up before we drop her at the airport at the crack of dawn Wednesday. I sure am going to miss her! who will get up and take me for my sunrise walks? And remember to take me into the ranger stations? What will I do?????

Three Parks in a Row Day

Miss Dodie woke before the crack of dawn and took me on a hike to Sunrise Canyon. We
watched the sun peak over the rim and cast it first light on the hoo doos. She was having trouble breathing and balancing because of the 8500 feet elevation where we had spent the last 18 hours. When we got back to the RV, Miss Margaret was moaning too. She said her muscles wouldn't follow her brain commands. They think they have elevation sickness. It too a long time to break camp because Miss Margaret kept sitting down.

After we broke camp, we went back to Bryce Point, and then we took in Sunset Canyon. It was really incredible. More views of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument than you can imagine. We stopped in the visitors center, and Miss Dodie and Miss Margaret decided to skip the film because they were sure they would fall asleep. I bought a great patch though. Wait till you see.

We made a quick stop for gas and some free internet so I could post three days ago's journal, and Miss Dodie bought some electrolyte drinks. Miss Margaret said she felt much better.

So we took off at the crack of noon for the Grand Staircase. We had NO idea what we were in for, but let me tell you that we drove a whole 84 miles in 4 hours, does that help explain it? It was like another planet. Folds, twists, giant valleys, outcroppings, passes with switchbacks everywhere. You will have to look at the photos. We traveled Hogsback Ridge for a while, like driving on top of the world without handrails. Ranger David at the information center said we could take some dirt roads if we wanted to, but the paved roads were enough thank you. At the end of the day, our average speed was 25 mph. This has been a national monument since Clinton's administration, when it was named Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. That's a long name.... The escalante part was from the Powell Expedition. There was a priest named Escalante on the trip. And I'll bet you thought it was just spanish for staircase, huh? While we were crossing the Monument, we were treated to storm clouds that made the sky very vivid and exciting. Fortunately, we never had rain, just views that made it our lucky day.

We have been lucky this whole trip. First in Yosemite, we got to camp in the park, same thing in Zion and Bryce. In Bryce, if we had come one day earlier, we would not have been able to see the whole park because of the prescribed burn. The fire fighters opened the road at noon the day we arrived. That is lucky. I think it proves that there is a breaks pipeline, lucky breaks flowing in a never ending supply, and you can take a drink whenever you need one.

The Grand Staircase Escalante is a great discovery zone for dinosaurs. Even as we speak, archeologists are digging there and discovering grypesaurus. Pretty exciting.

When we finally left route 12 and turned east on 24, we thought we could breath a little bit. But NO! There we were right in another National Park. Capitol Reef National Park is totally amazing. The park was an ocean floor reef. Then the plates started moving, and for 100 miles, up thrust the ocean floor, a mile high ridge that traps the precious moisture of the desert in its watershed fold. All along the edge is a green belt. Early Mormon settlers planted fruit trees, which are now part of the park in an area called Fruita. There's historic buildings from the early settlers, and you can pick you own fruite and pay on the honor system.

Best views of the reef are at sunset, so we took a 20 mile two hour drive into the park. The most exciting part was Capitol Gorge, a dirt road at the end of the drive. The canyon walls were about 50 feet apart, and the road maybe 20 feet wide. I have never been so deep in a canyon in my life. Miss Dodie and Miss Margaret kept saying things that started with Oh My..... Many versions of the same thing. At the end, Miss Dodie and Daisy hiked in, and Miss Margaret too, because she was afraid of going further in the RV, despite what Ranger Catherine had told them. Eventually she went back for the RV and we went all the way in to the Golden Throne Area, where there was a parking lot to turn around in. I guess we should have trusted Ranger Catherine. After all, she had just sworn in three new Junior Rangers. She knows her stuff. We read signs about flash floods, but there were no storms threatening.

Once again, we were lucky and got to camp in the park. There were deer grazing in the campground. Poor Miss Daisy got taken back in the RV again and again for barking at them. Miss Margaret took another cold sponge bath. She and Miss Dodie have been washing their hair under faucets for several days now, ever since Ely. They are quite happy to be in the outdoors, and with the dry weather, nobody minds the lack of a shower.

We took some crazy movies today and yesterday. One starred Balto and Me going through the Zion tunnel, and then several will show you how we drove on switchbacks through the Staircase and Capitol Gorge. I hope they turn out, because you will just DIE!!

Late last night Miss Margaret asked Miss Dodie if she had any idea how to get out of this place? I think Miss Dodie will have to change her plane reservations because we can't possible get to Albuquerque tomorrow night. Unfortunately, remote scenery is so remote.

We are surely going to get there someday......

Bryce is Nice

On the way to Bryce, we passed through Red Canyon, which is just what it says. It was just a hint of things to come.

At first Bryce didn't seem like much more than a mountain forest campground. It does take your breath away, since we camped at 8,000 feet. Then we drove 18 miles to the far end and started making our way back. At the far end, there was a controlled burn by the firefighters. They said that it would prevent flash fires that might endanger people later and it also helps to restore the native grasses. I met the firefighters up close and personal. Firefighters Andrew and Joe were so nice. They talked as long as we wanted to ask questions. They get laid off after the fire season, but they work a years worth of hours during the season, so they are pretty tired. Joe goes back to Baltimore and works in a wood working factory. Andrew travels and rests and does odd jobs to balance the budget. Last year he went to Australia for a month. He majored in psychology, and then he realized that he could work where people like to come for vacation.

I also talked to Ranger Linda. Her degree was in architecture, and she got into being a ranger when one of her jobs was working on a park building. She just loves being outdoors instead of in an office all day.

I am thinking about being a ranger myself, and Margaret bought me a book about all the ranger jobs there are. I'm going to share it with my class when I get back.

Then we started looking a scenery. If you work your way north from the southernmost end, you build scenery as you go. Ranger Linda told us the best of the 15 viewpoints to stop for. My favorite upper view was the Natural Bridge, which is technically an arch since it was formed by exfoliation, not water. We also stopped at Farview, Agua Canyon, and Swamp Canyon. Each one was more breathtaking. At times it felt like we were looking 100 miles away, and in fact, Navajo Mountain is 80 miles away. It was like Zion with a Grand Canyon vista. The formations of rock, called hoodoos, are eroded spires of all colors.

In the north canyon the most spectacular viewpoints waited for us. Paria View was layers of hoodoos. Dodie said, "It just keeps going." Bryce had to be the most breathtaking for me. There was an exhibit about the people the canyon was named for. Mr. Ebenezer Bryce was a mormon preacher who farmed in the area. What he had to say about the canyon? "Heck of a place to lose a cow." I could hardly catch my breath at the vistas and the formations. Dodie got dizzy, and so did Margaret. She says it is the altitude, 9,115 feet at the highest observation point.

We finished the day at Inspiration Point, and by then we were all too dizzy to look. Oh my what a place.

When we got back to the RV, we were ready to crash. But the night sky was too special to do that. There's no light pollution here, and the stars were right on top of my head. I have never seen so many stars in my life.

Well, I really must get some sleep. More vistas tomorrow.

Son of Zion

 

Today we started our day looking at the Watchman. Margaret and Dodie had named it something else (Tamm-Teragram) but the mountain above our camp already had a name: Watchman. It's a pretty good moutain. We actually got up at 3:30 am, because the wind was blowing everything not tied down: the awning of the RV, the lawn chairs, the bathroom vent, the skylight. Then we got up again at 7 am and had a great morning hike from the campground up the Parus trail to the History Center. We met Ranger Michele, and she said there were some friends of hers working the East tunnel who would really like to meet me.

At the History Center, we saw a great movie on Zion. Very Very beautiful. The movie made us most excited about leaving out the east entrance. It's a wild and crazy landscape that way.

Then we boarded the bus and boy were we lucky. We got Bus Driver Chris. He knew everything about Zion and he talked a million miles an hour to tell us the history, the geology, the flora and the fauna. He's "retired" after being a tour operator. He does this for fun and leads four or five tours a month. In the winter, he teaches third grade for fun too. Four or five times a month he hikes up Angels Rim, and every night he and his wife ride their tandem to the Temple of Sinwawa. He says the ride down is a blast. He's only 54. Chris told us the difference between and arch and natural bridge. The bridge is formed by water, the arch by exfoliation. That's a big word for rocks falling off.

We stopped to see the Weeping Wall, where ferns are growing from cracks fed by water dripping year round. Chris said the water that is dripping out now entered the Sandstone above 4000 years ago. He also said some of the formations in the park will erode during our lifetimes. Geologists think so. The sandstone is constantly eroding and falling down. The Navajo sandstone comes in many colors, depending on the minerals in it. That is why you see layers of white, pink, red, orange. So beautiful.

Chris also said that there are no mountains here. This is a mesa, and the valley was carved by the virgin river. Where it is really wide, the river had an easy time carving an old ocean bed.

I could not believe how quickly the morning flew by. It was time to move the RV and let someone else have our spot. We exited the park's east entrance, a very exciting exit through a one mile tunnel with 5 arched windows blasted for peeking out into the canyon. The RV had to be escorted. What that means is the rangers stop traffic and we drive right down the middle of the road. Margaret says she was not really as big as they said by four inches wide and 1 foot tall. But driving down the middle was cool, even if it did cost $15. We were still trying to decide whether we were going to Bryce or the Grand Canyon, so we asked the escort ranger. He said BRYCE. So that's where we are going next.

Meanwhile, let me tell you that the east entrance is not to be missed. It is a wierd landscape of layered and carved rocks, and the checkerboard mountain is a must see. It has cracks going horizontal and vertical, and the colors of the sandstone make it look just like a checkerboard. Margaret kept saying oh wow, this is wierd. Balto and I starred in a canyon movie so you can experience the drive. Hope it turns out.

See ya soon!

Rosabella and Balto Leave Zion Movie

Oh my Zions!

All the mountains surrounding Zion are RED. That's the first hint that you are not in Nevada anymore. Red mountains everywhere. There are actually three layers to Zion; the highest and northernmost is Bryce National Park, about 75 miles north. Then there's Zion National Park, and incredible canyon of wonder. Last, Zion National Park is the upper edge of the Grand Canyon.

Zion makes me breathless. I have never seen such canyons. The canyon is relatively narrow, especially compared to the Grand Canyon, which is up to five miles across and one mile deep. Zion's walls seem like cathedral walls. The names of some of the formations reflect their grandeur, like Temple of Sinawava, the Grotto, the Sentinal, the court of the patriarchs, the great white throne.

As soon as we checked in with Ranger Helen, photo'd above, we took the shuttle bus to the top of the canyon for sunset photos. Oh what a grand evening. Although the canyon is in the 90's in the daytime, it cools to a delicious 60 at night.

Dinner was really late, after dark, and we made plans to get up realy early before the heat. Sure enough, there we were, on the bus again in the early morning light and cool. We were able to take three hikes before it got hot. We hiked to the Emerald Pools, named because of the green algae that colors them. They are fed by waterfalls year round, and in the spring, the waterfalls roar off the canyon walls. You can walk behind them on the trail.

Then we hiked along the river above the Temple into the narrows. We were short of time and river shoes, so we did not hike all the way in.

The last hike was from Big Bend down to Weeping Wall, named because of the water that leaks out the crevices and hosts a natural hanging garden of ferns.

By then it was almost noon and checkout time. We asked the ranger if we were lucky enough to get a spot for another night, and she said we just might be, but we'd have to move next to the river. Oh well, I guess someone has to. While we were relocating, Daisy and Balto and I and Mom watched a rental RV leaving its site. First thing they did wrong was try to go in the out door. In doing so, they took down the metal pole marking the site. The passenger got out to survey the damages, then the driver. They backed in and started over, this time going out the out door, which worked much better. While they were angling out of their place, the rental Rv next door decided it was time to leave, and they too wanted to go out the out door. It was a funny scene. We just waited our turn. Mom says a year ago that would have been her too.

We took long naps in the afternoon in the air conditioning of the RV. What a luxury. Then we went to the river and sat in the cool cool water, took baths in the river and under a faucet, cooked out on the grill, and had a leisurely twilight walk. We met Ranger Adrienne taking down the flag and helped her fold it. She said even purple bears can be junior rangers. At night we sat under the stars till the Milky WaY sat right on top of our faces as we leaned back, counting shooting stars and Satellites. Goodnight world, see you tomorrow.

Cave Diving in Great Basin National Park

When we parked the RV last night, we backed up to a back yard with three dogs. Before you could say lickity split, a lady in the back yard starting asking if Daisy spent the night outside. No, we said. Good she said. I was thinking it would disturb her dogs and that's why she was concerned. But she went on. There's a skunk between 3 and 4 am and we were to be sure not to let Daisy meet her. With all that fur, we would never get the smell out. We would hear one of her dogs barking if the skunk came. Well, Miss Dodie confirmed that the dog was barking at 3:45, right on schedule. Boy, I surely don't want to meet a skunk either.

We arose at the crack of dawn this morning. off to see the Great Basin National Park and Zion, two parks in one day. First we bought groceries so we could survive in the wild. Mostly Dodie cooks, except when it's time to grill, and then Margaret and Daisy cook. They are both pretty good cooks; I think I have put on a few lubs.

Well, I digress. Great Basin National Park is just southeast of Ely, 66 miles to be exact. It is one of the nation's least visited National Parks. It's big attraction is the Lehman Caves. We took a tour with Ranger Jessica. She's the ranger in the photo, and she's studying theatre. The cave was 50 degrees, a nice cool place on a summer's day. We learned about stalagmites, stalagtites, soda straws, bacon, wedding cake, ribbon candy, drapes, shields, and all sorts of other wierd formations. People used to spend the night in the cave, get married in the cave, and have secret meetings in the cave. The cave is named for the man who discovered it in the 1860's. He used to charge $1 to go into the cave; that was about a days wages back then. With the entry to the cave, you got one candle to explore by. Unfortunately, he also allowed visitors to take anything that fit in their pockets, so many formations have been broken. The cave is about 4 million years old. It takes that long for the formations to grow, maybe an inch every hundred years.

The second attraction of the cave are the overlooks up to 13,000 feet of Mount Wheeler. We took the RV up to 9500 feet for lunch and photos. Just as we were chopping lettuce, the wind began to gust and the RV swayed and shook. It was freaky. We decided to pack up the lunch and get down before we were never seen again.

The rest of the day was long and straight. We drove for hours to Zion. The only changes in the scenery were the small mountain ranges that ripple across Nevada like ribs. Most summit at 6500 feet or so. Did you know Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state?

Around 5 pm Mountain Time (I changed time zones, you see) we crossed into Utah and started our approach to Zion. Zion is so cool, that's another blog in itself. See ya soon!

Across Nevada

Oh my gosh. It was 40 degrees this morning in the high sierras. My little purple coat was hardly enough.

Yesterday Miss Dodie took the Ansel Adams Photography class at Yosemite, and boy is she getting artsy with the photos. You should check out the photos at Daisy's blog. Just follow the link to Daisy and then Mom's photos. In addition to photography, Ranger Christine taught her about bears in the park and hybrid buses, which are really cutting down on the emissions in the valley. Way cool.

Then today, Miss Dodie learned to drive the RV. She did two hours, 4 mountain passes, and she backed up twice, once into our space tonight at Valley View RV Park in Ely Nevada. Yep, I crossed the state line today into Nevada.

I am getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning. Tuesday, that was day three of

my trip, we were still in Yosemite in the Valley. We left about 2ish and drove to Tuolomne Meadows. Along the way, we saw where Uncle Carl, whom I have not yet met but know lots about, worked on the survey crew to widen the road to two lanes near Lake Tanaya. Very scenic job, if I must say so. Course that was long before anyone alive today was born. He said he got extra pay for climbing the glacier polish rock.

When we got to Tuolomne Meadows, we found the campground full, but just outside the park, we got the last remaining space at Ellery Lake, a beautiful spot in the Inyo National Forest.

It got down to 40 in the night, 9500 feet. Miss Margaret and Dodie and Daisy hiked to Ellery Lake, a pristine little spot. This morning the moon was still up, and I was photographed in front of it.

Then we took the road down to Lee Vining. Uncle Carl said to be real fresh and real slow for that section of trip. Miss Margaret did great. At the bottom was Mono Lake. It looks so flat. I guess all lakes are flat by definition, but the land around it is flat.

We took Hiway 120 east just south of Mono Lake. It felt like being in the Sahara desert with Pine trees. Not that I have been to the Sahara. yet. It was called Lunar Craters area.

It was a long day across Nevada to Ely. We chose Ely because it had elevation. That means it's not Las Vegas Hot. In the middle of the trip we stopped at Benton to see Hot Springs. Well, that didn't work out. There's a B & B with several tubs, but since they were all used last night, they were cleaning and refilling them. Nothing would be ready till 3 pm.

We couldn't wait, because we didn't want to spend the night in the middle of the desolation. Miss Margaret was afraid she would run out of propane if we did and then the frig would get warm. This RV thing is more complex than I thought.

So we kept going to Tonopah. What a bleak little place. We got diesel and met the Navajo Hotshots. They are firefighters, and they were on their way home from California fighting fires. Pretty cool. I wish I had a picture!

Then Miss Margaret went on a search for propane, but she struck out three times. She kept begging people to save her lettuce, but they were so heartless. Sorry, no one here to fill your tank.

Somewhere along the way, Miss Dodie started driving. She learned to downshift down the 6% grades and navigate the curves. Then she started backing. It was just amazing. Miss Margaret is very excited that we can make great time now without stopping so much for breaks.

Tonight is my very first night in a private RV park. The park has wifi, tv, showers and full connections (electric, water and sewer). It's like being at home. I can't wait for my shower in the morning. I hope they have fruity soaps.

Tomorrow we hope to reach ZION National Park. More then!!!

Hello World video

Rosabella does Yosemite

 

The minute we got to Yosemite, we went to the registration desk to snag a campsite. Ranger Lori found out I was in third grade, and she said, "Wait, let me get my ranger hat for a photo". I felt very important. She's going to check my blog to see everything I did in Yosemite.

We got a campsite for Tuesday night and wait listed for Monday night. At 3 pm, we were lucky number 9 and we got a site for Monday night too. We are in Lower Pines, very convenient. It is a little confusing tho. We were in number 44 the first night. We were waiting to move to 43 for the next day when 34 came over and said they needed our site 44.
Maybe we should just swap numbers? But they really wanted 44. Personally, I thought 43 was primo, right on the Merced river, with a big open area. Daisy got to be on a long line there because there was so much room she couldn't bother anyone. Not that she does. At first I was afraid of her, but we are used to each other now. She only bothers squirrels, and Miss Dodie is trying her best to use dog whisperer training on her about the squirrels. Good luck, I say, because Daisy lives to chase squirrels.

I just love Yosemite. While we were here, I walked to Happy Isles Nature Center and joined in a junior ranger walk on insects. The ranger went over all the rules for safety before we started. Dodie and Margaret hiked to Mirror Lake too. Right now, in August, the park is seasonally dry. Yosemite Falls is just Yosemite Wall, and Mirror Lake is a few little ponds. Bridal Veil falls is more like Bridal Mantilla. But at night, it is wonderfully cool, and the days are sunny and warm but dry. It is a wonderful time for a frolic in the meadows. The deer are very tame and so are the bears. I am positive I heard one in camp last night. Dodie woke me up because she was afraid of the bear, but I told her, don't be afraid it's probably purple and harmless like me. The ranger came by our cookout last night to warn us to put all our food smells away before bed. I guess that's why she was a little concerned.

I took a bus tour to Glacier Point overlook, where I learned about trees, bears, glaciers, rock slides, and many things. Half Dome is really a 7/8 dome; about 1/8 of it is sheared off. It takes 4-5 hours for an in shape hiker to get to the top. The last 600 feet is a cable walk. Sounds pretty scary, but I am going to hike every day this trip till I get in shape. Maybe next time.

Coming down from Glacier Point we stopped to view El Capitan, where 2000 climbers a year make the summit. It can take up to five days. The climbers attach a little aluminum cot to the wall to sleep at night or wait out a storm. The oldest climber to summit was 81 years old, and he took 10 days to summit. Way to go!

Today Miss Dodie is going to be Ansel Adams, and Miss Margaret is trying to get internet connections so she can post my story. I hope she does! After lunch, we are driving up to Tuolomne Meadows, maybe to spend the night.

Yosemite Bound

 

It's always first things first on a trip. Lunch. That's what's first.

Here I am in a cafe in Mariposa. I found that they had fresh berry pie. Very important for me to keep up my color.

So far things are going okay with Daisy. She sleeps on the ground, and I sleep way up high with Balto. You'll get to meet Balto soon, and Daisy too!

Gotta run!

I'm off!!!

My teacher, who has repeated third grade 21 times, says it would be good for me to expand my horizons. So, I'm traveling east with a really nice lady named Margaret and her dog named Daisy. We're traveling in an RV...a totally new adventure for me. We've got beds, a refrigerator, a table, and even a bathroom. Daisy says we never have to stop unless we want to.

I'm a little afraid of Daisy. She weighs about 65 pounds and she could swallow me in one gulp if she wanted to. There's another little dog just my size, named Balto. He was born in Valdez, Alaska.

We're headed east and we are going to stop at every National Park from here to Texas. First stop, Yosemite! I can't wait--I'm so excited I can't sleep. More later. Bye for now.