RE: Should I sell the Outfitter and get a Northern Lite???
I certainly understand your rationale for wanting a hardside TC, especially since you aren't really utilizing the full offroad capabilities a pop-up is better suited to. But having owned both types I have noticed another positive regarding a pop-up vs. hardside and that is less wind resistance and getting blown around on the highway by wind or passing truckers.
Everything is a trade-off and you need to to examine what is more important for your use. Since what I do is almost exclusively rougher roads, I can't justify a hardside (again). With a hardside, you'll still get to 95% of places - and you might even manage the rest depending on your pucker factor tolerance levels.
RE: Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
what you smell is the sweet blossom of a new friendship of manly men with huge walking schticks. (Was that funny? I tried to be funny...I'm not sure it was funny.)
Dave,
If we hiked the Arctic Circle during the winter solstice, would that be the same as "schticking" it where the sun don't shine?
Or if I am walking in an extensive area of cryptogamic crust, would I walk softly and carry a big "schtick?
Or if we actually were able to organize and carry out a hike soon, would we "schtick" to the plan?
Or if I persisted in making these awful puns would that be "schticking" my nose to the grindstone?
Gotta go - I need a new schtick!
RE: Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
Aha Cal, you have a good nose. If it smells like sweat and dirt...that be Seldom. If it smells like suave and deboner, that be me.
No --- neither of those.
Gee Cal, I dunno....
If good-natured banter has a smell, that might be it. Dave and I have exchanged several emails in an attempt to find an outing we might partake of before the year's over (I tried to get him on this hike but the timing was all wrong), and I have come to appreciate his wit and humor, although for all I know it could all be a carefully managed illusion. :)
Eric
RE: Last Chance Get Away Of 2009-part2
Sure, go ahead and torment those of us who are likely house-bound until next spring. I love the Strip country (heck I love ALL of it) and I'm glad you folks got out of Californiacation to see it. Thanks for the report!
A young couple had gotten there Honada Accord out there, no doubt with a lot of scrape marks on the under side.
Where there's a will, there's way - of course it was probably a rental car!
RE: Trip Report - Devil's Fork State Park, SC
Nicely done. It sure looks like you had great weather and a wonderful time. Thanks for demonstrating that camping season doesn't have to end in September!
RE: In your spare time,
I work to pay taxes & provide the people of our planet with crude oil. Guess thats renders me outside mainstream political correctness!
3 tons,
You may not be politically correct, but I (and my TC hauling truck) love you.... well what you do anyway. Thanks!
RE: Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
Did you have to get any permissions to visit from the Navajo Tribal Council as well as the National Park Service?
Bill, the NPS coordinates with the Navajo Nation to allow hiking in the canyons that are not part of Navajo NM. If you wanted to spend more time exploring the area away from Keet Seel you would need a separate permit from the tribe.
And after looking at your picture I have to wonder, how do you do it with no hands?
Dave, in addition to my stunning good looks I have also cultivated my amazing psychic powers, thus rendering the use of hands totally unnecessary ;)
RE: Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
Thanks to all for the wonderful responses. The trip was definitely a memory maker.
I am getting older, and although I still have quite a few hikes left in me, trips like this test both my agility and resolve.
In my late teens I was first introduced to Grand Canyon by a gentleman in his 70's. This "old" guy hiked 2 teenagers butts' into the ground on a rim-to-rim-to-rim hike over 5 days in June - the hottest time of year for canyon hiking. That man inspired me to do more with my life, and I hope when I get to that age I am still going strong like he was.
So far, so good.
Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
In September I made my first visit to Navajo National Monument in northeastern Arizona. While I was there I made the 5 mile round trip hike to see Betatakin, one of three ancestral puebloan dwellings preserved in the park. You can see that trip report HERE. Betatakin was fascinating, and it whetted my appetite for more.
The other two dwellings at Navajo NM are called Inscription House and Keet Seel. Inscription House has been closed to the public since the late 1960's, leaving Keet Seel as the only other ruin to see. Like Betatakin, Keet Seel is located deep within the canyons of Skeleton Mesa and some effort is required to reach it. In this case actually a lot more effort, being 8.5 miles away and 1000 feet below the rim.
Reservations are required to visit, and once summer is over the only opportunities occur on the second weekend of the month. Only 20 persons are allowed per day, so I made plans back in September for a hike in November.
After weeks of warm dry weather in October and early November, conditions began to deteriorate 2 days before my departure (go figure). I left Flagstaff before sunrise Saturday morning, and was blessed with only partly cloudy skies and cold temperatures. The early morning light illuminated the high desert of the Navajo Reservation.
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The closer I got to the park the more ominous the skies to the north appeared. And in a major brain freeze, I realized 20 miles from my destination I had forgotten my waterproof jacket (left hanging on the hook where I'd put it so I wouldn't forget it). Being stubborn and not very smart, I decide to press on anyway. I knew I had an extra fleece shirt in the camper, and I had plenty of other warm stuff in my pack, so I figured it was now or never.
At the Visitor Center I stopped and got my permit. The ranger there gave me a quick explanation of the trail and a map, and off I went. I drove to the trailhead, fished out the extra shirt from the TC, hoisted my pack and hit the trail. The route follows the same path as the hike to Betatakin, which uses an old road to Tsegi Point before dropping sharply off the rim.
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On the way down there are many outstanding views of the canyon.
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The hike to Keet Seel traverses the canyon bottom, where year-round water flows. The trail crosses the stream many times along the way, and waterproof shoes are a necessity.
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At about the halfway point on my trek the threatening weather descended upon me. At one point it was snowing so hard I had to seek shelter in a small side drainage until the intensity let up.
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Fortunately the snow squall ended, although throughout the day brief periods of heavy snow would come and go. Because of the weather I did not take many pictures the rest of the way in.
Finally the sign marking the primitive campground appeared, and I was ready to drop the pack and get to the ruins.
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Keet Seel lies about 1/4 mile beyond the camping area. Visitors must check in with the ranger upon arrival and arrange for their tour of the ruins. In my case it was knock on the door and be allowed in for a few minutes to warm up while the ranger got dressed to go outside. His cozy "hogan" shaped cabin made me think about my nylon tent in a very uncharitable fashion.
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Like my Betatakin guide, Max is a Navajo working for the Park Service. He led a small party of 3 out the door and up the trail to Keet Seel. BTW, earlier I said that 20 people are allowed to visit in a day, and when I previously tried to add a person to my permit I was told all 20 spots were reserved. As it turned out only 5 people made the trip, including yours truly.
The first glimpse of Keet Seel.
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Keet Seel, whose name is derived from Navajo for "many small broken pieces" is the largest and best preserved cliff dwelling in Arizona. Last inhabited around 1270 a.d. by ancestors of the Hopi tribe, it showcases a practical and functional way of life. Sheltered by the large alcove overhead, it has sun in winter and shade in summer.
Inspiration for the name comes from the numerous potsherds found throughout the alcove.
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Access to the ruins for the tourist is via a 70 foot ladder - the natives used natural clefts and handholds chiseled into the stone.
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There were as many a 130 rooms here, and most are still intact after 700 years.
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One of many ceremonial kivas.
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The grooves etched in stone are from the sharpening of bone tools.
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Very little restoration work has been done here (a large retaining wall has been rebuilt) making the preservation of the structures all the more amazing.
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Here the ranger show a fragment of a beadwork necklace found in the ruins. See how small the actual beads are - evidence of painstaking craftsmanship.
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The alcove soars high overhead, framing the sky and opposite canyon wall.
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Dark comes much earlier this time of year, and it's time to head for my frozen pack and set up camp. After thanking my guide, I head back.
The evening passed uneventfully enough with snow showers continuing on and off through the night. Towards morning the skies cleared, allowing the temperature to drop into the teens.
Home sweet home. You can be sure there were many moments when I wished I had the TC instead of being a TC (tent camper).
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After thawing out my boots as best I could with my camp stove, I began the long walk back. Although cold, the skies were clear and by about 11:00 a.m. the sun finally made it over the edge of the canyon. Another plus was that the mud in the streambed was frozen, making for easier progress on the way out.
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A partially frozen waterfall.
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As the day progressed the sun managed to melt most of the snow except in the shaded areas, and the hike out was so much more enjoyable than the way in.
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Finally after hiking 6.5 miles comes the climb - 1000 feet up the sandstone walls. By this point I am a tired pup, but as with all canyon hiking putting one foot in front of another eventually gets you out.
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The hike was tough - cold snowy weather, a forgotten but much needed jacket, and 18 miles and 2000 foot elevation change in 30 hours. But the experience of seeing firsthand a spectacular cliff dwelling in a remote and beautiful setting made it all worthwhile.
I only posted a fraction of the pictures from this trip here. If anyone wants to see more, visit my Keet Seel Hike gallery.
Happy Trails!
RE: Monument Valley ???
Dave,
We spent most of the summer tooling around CA, UT, AZ and NV. We paid only twice in Yosemite and Sea Cliffs SP at Santa Cruz,CA. Remember it is best to beg forgiveness that to ask permission. We too have NEVER been challenged or chased. Just keep a low exterior profile. We spent the night in a parking lot overlooking the Pacfic Ocean. Be bold and quiet, you'll be fine.
Love to all,
skip
At the risk of offending someone, I have to say that just because you can do something or that you get away with it doesn't make it right. For sure parking at Walmart or some anonymous lot is no big deal, but state parks, national parks, tribal parks and other protected and managed areas have regulations to restrict where you can camp for a reason.
If everyone did as you do, the quality of the experience would be diminished for all, and what good is that? It would be great to go back to the days when far fewer people visited the truly special places and you could have it all to yourself, but that ain't gonna happen. When others here heed your example and start stealth camping because you've done it, pretty soon the managing agency will figure it out and impose even more restrictions on everybody.
Go ahead and keep a low profile when you camp on a highway pullout, or in a random parking lot, or wherever. Just don't do it in a place where you could potentially ruin it for everyone. That's MO
RE: Moki Dugway
The Moki Dugway has several steep and tight switchbacks, but a TC will have no problem negotiating the road up or down. A 5ver, TT, Class A, or anyone hauling a trailer will have trouble, but the biggest issue is likely to be the blind corners and those who prefer to use the middle of the road (or hug the inside because of a fear or heights!)
RE: Monument Valley ???
Not sure about the camping but from what I can tell you do not need a guide to tour some/most? of the valley. It appears only Canyon de Chelley and special localized spots require a guide.
I'm looking to go onto the Navajo Nation this winter and my understanding is that you just purchase a camping permit and then can camp as long as you stay away from residences. Their parks and monuments have additional requirements. They do not allow alcohol on tribal land either.
Before I go I'll call them to make sure, I haven't been there. They have a nice website with contact numbers/email for their tribal park service.
Stroller
The valley road does not require a guide. If you want to get closer to some features, you will need a permit/guide for that. While it is possible to camp on some parts of the Reservation with a permit, it is not allowed in the Tribal Park.
A good source of information is the Wikitravel page here
RE: Monument Valley ???
The answer is no - The Navajo Nation controls access to the entire area. You might "get away" with it ala Sleepy, but what's the point of stealth camping if you are paranoid about every vehicle who drives by. Just north of Monument Valley into Utah is Muley Point, an outstanding overlook of the area - it is on BLM land with few restrictions. Many, many other options are available as soon as you leave the Rez.
RE: TCM calendar photos
I am honored to be honored with the inclusion of my picture in the 2010 TCM calendar. More importantly though is thanking Gordon and Angela for coming up with such a great idea.
As far as I know, there is no other place where you can get a calendar devoted exclusively to TCs, and we should be grateful that someone cares enough to make it happen. That and all the other great info found on TCM. Thanks guys!
RE: Flame suit on!!!!
There's no reason expect grief over your choice to go smaller and lighter. Heck, some of us may even think MORE of you for having LESS. While you may sacrifice a few extra inches of room, overall you still have a TC with all the advantages inherent to that style. And as you mentioned, your ability to go even more places will be enhanced.
Good luck with the new rig.
RE: Nightmare Gulch on Halloween
Very cool - I've never heard of Nightmare Gulch, but it looks like a great ORV area. Nice costumes, especially your ride. Boo!
RE: Yosemite Halloween
Yes sir, now you've gone and done it. We'll be expecting regular trip reports from you now on. :)
I've never been to Yosemite, and would love to make the trip some day. Thanks for sharing the journey. Your first trip report clearly shows you have a natural inclination for such things. Well done and keep up the good work.
RE: Last Chance Get away of 2009
Good job guys. Toroweap has always been a good off the beaten path trip, despite the dust bogs. And my hat's off to you for attempting the Lava Falls trails - it is not for the faint of heart.
Unfortunately, it claimed another victim this summer - a solo hiker who fell to his death :E
Keep it coming!
RE: Sept. trip: SW Montana, Flathead Lake & Glacier NP
BTG,
Thanks for the last gasp of summer. I'm feeling pretty melancholy about it being over, and I guess I'm going to have to live vicariously through the pics of others till next spring.
Your trip looks great, except of course for the busted leg. And honestly your pictures look alright to me. They sure beat looking at the brown grass in my backyard!
