Day 1 Friday Sept 10 - Pictures
Departed St. Louis, stopping in Hays, Kansas to tour Rans Aircraft. I received a great personal tour of their facilities for manufacturing bicycles and an extensive line of homebuilt aircraft. I continued driving to camp just outside of Denver, CO.
Day 2 Saturday Sept 11 - Pictures
On my way west down highway 70 I made a side trip to Aspen for lunch, then continued to Colorado National Monument. This place has steep cliffs and a great view. The road runs right along the cliffs - no sightseeing while driving. Back on the road to Arches National Park in Utah. Walt Disney must have sent his artists here for the Roadrunner cartoons. I saw the balanced rock and hiked to Delicate Arch. The campground there was full so I drove a few miles up Hwy 128 to camp along the Colorado River. I forgot to bring along dinner food, so dinner was a bananna and a box of snack crackers.
Day 3 Sunday Sept 12 - Pictures
Back to Arches and a hike around the Devil's Garden, then I drove to Capitol Reef National Park. This park isn't one of the most visited, but has lots of colorfull cliffs and open spaces. After a quick hike down the Capitol Gorge trail to the waterpockets, I was back on the road to camp at the Singltree Campground (8500 feet altitude - 40 deg in morning).
Day 4 Monday Sept 13 - Pictures
At daylight I drove to Bryce National Park. Bryce is famous for its "hoodoo" rock formations. I hiked among the hoodoos a bit, ate lunch at the lodge, then back on the road to Zion National Park. After a bit of hiking, I camped at the Zion South campground.
Day 5 Tuesday Sept 14 - Pictures
Tuesday began with clouds and a chane of rain, however I was able to get in several hikes including a 800 foot climb (including narrow paths along sheer cliffs) to hidden valley. After lunch at the lodge I was back in the Durango and off to Great Basin National Park. That afternoon I took the tour of Lehman Cavern in the park, then camped in the park.
Day 6 Wednesday Sept 15 - Pictures
In an effort to get to Reno ASAP, I was up and hiking on the trail to the glacier on Wheeler peak before sunrise. Along the way I passed the Bristlecone Pines, oldest living things known - some 5,000 yeas old. Next I was off to Reno, where I checked into the hotel (a shower sure was nice after 5 days of showerless camping), and went out to see the end of the air racing activities for the day.
Day 7-10 Sept 16-19 - Pictures
From Thursday to Sunday I watched the air races, talked to other race teams, and helped the Aero Magic Formula 1 team by hand propping their plane for each race.
Although disappointed not to have my own plane there, I was able to relax and enjoy being a spectator (hopefully for the last time).
Day 11 Monday Sept 20 - Pictures
Drove to Salt Lake, stopping to view the Bonneville Salt Flats on the way. I hopped to get some paragliding instruction at Point of the Mountain (just south of Salt Lake), so I went there just as the sun was setting, and found an instructor, Dale Covington, who agreed to give me instruction the next day. A web site for more Utah paragliding info is here.
Day 12 Tuesday Sept 21
In the morning I began with learning how to inflate the wing and control it overhead in wind (standing more or less stationary) - this is perhaps the most difficult skill in paragliding, and essential to safe launches. Then I went to near the bottom of the hill and made some "crow hops" a few feet off the ground, perhaps flying 50 feet along the hill. In the afternoons the wind becomes less steady, so I returned to my hotel for a nap. That evening Dale took me up on a tandem flight "benching up" in thermal and ridge lift to 1500 feet above the ground for a 1 hour 40 minute flight - a great way to learn the flight characteristics of a paraglider, and a remarkable flight experience.
Day 13 Wednesday Sept 22
In the morning 2 flights from the bench (about 200 feet high), and another in the afternoon. In between I went for a hike in the Wasatch mountains in the Little Cottonwood Canyon up to Red Pine Lake. I also spent part of the day talking with Dale's other student Carol who is an airline captain. I had originally planned to leave Wednesday for Yellowstone, but I was enjoying the flying and the people so much that I had to stay an extra day.
Day 14 Thursday Sept 23 - Pictures
Two more flights in the morning, and received my P1 beginners paragliding rating. Then on the road for Yellowstone. I went through Jackson Wyoming, passing through Teton National Park. I camped that night just outside the south entrance to Yellowstone.
Day 15 Friday Sept 24 - Pictures
Geyser day. I began at Old Faithful and the surrounding geysers (remarkable) and worked north to the Mammoth hot springs and to Tower Falls, and camped at Norris capmground that night.
Day 16 Saturday Sept 25 - Pictures
Before sunrise I arrived at the Grand canyon of Yellowstone. I proceeded to different views of the upper and lower falls.
Then off toward Rushmore. I arrived at Custer state park after dark, got lost, then found a campground and spent the night.
Day 17 Sunday Sept 26 - Pictures
First thing in the morning I visited Crazy Horse statue, then went to Mount Rushmore National Park. Next I drove to the Badlands National park, and began hiking on several trails. Along the way I met a rattlesnake in the path (I know it was a rattlesnake from the way it rattled at me). Remarkable formations and not crowded. I camped in the park overnight.
Day 18 Monday Sept 27
850 miles and 13 1/2 hours and I was home. Total distance was 5300 miles. Great places and great people I won't forget.
Lessons Learned:
1) When camping, take more food than just snack crackers
2) Don't forget to use the lip balm with sun screen when in the
desert all day
3) When hiking, let the deadly animal have the right of way
4) Break in hiking boots before going on a hiking trip