Big Bend Day 2 - Hike 2 - Santa Elena Canyon

Santa Elena Canyon Trail - 1.7 miles

This trail is often impassable due to flooding during the summer rainy season. No problem today - there's been no rain since November. It is one of the prettiest short hikes in the park.Can you see the trail ahead?The trail climbs some concrete steps.

Then slopes down gradually down to the river's edge inside the CanyonIt continues farther into theCanyon winding among larger boulders. Looks like shade ahead! Glad we kept going - what a great spotTimefor a nap! After all we will have hiked a total of 8.5 miles today!It ends abruptly where the Canyonwall meets the river. This is one of the narrowest places in the 7 mile long Canyon. Wish we had a Kayak!Oops - the shoreline looks a little mucky! She was trying to save her shoes but lost them in the end.

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

More Later,

Melissa and Gary

Camping as dry dock

A lone tent amid RVs. It's very quiet, if not exactly rustic.

(At last we have email access again....)
We're staying at Meinert County Park, near Montague, Michigan. We are the lone tent in a campground full of RVs, many of them parked here for the season.
How camping has changed since we were kids! Back then, you spent a few dollars for a small spot without water, electricity or too many neighbors. These days, it's not unusual to pay $25 and get all those hook-ups whether you want them or not. Back then, there were lots of tents and few of these enormous homes-on-wheels. These days, RVs are the norm, and many feature outside decorations and well as all the indoor amenities of home (showers, air conditioning, televisions).
We think we understand the proliferation of RVs as car culture meets convenience. They're cheaper than owning a cottage or staying in motels while traveling. They're not really a substitute for tents as much as they are an opportunity to have your home and leave it, too.
This is the quietest campground we've encountered because everybody seems to be indoors watching TV. We have the bathroom to ourselves because everybody else brought their own. It's not all bad!
Neatly docked in their slips. What would you name them? "Lovely lady?" "He's not home?"

This campground reminds us of a harbor in which we are the only kayaks and everyone else has docked their motorboats. But unlike boat owners, RV owners don't seem to name their mobile homes. Imagine if they did. What would they choose? Perhaps they'd go for the corny names boat owners choose, such as "Betsy Sue" and "Dividends." Or maybe they'd go the bumper sticker route with "My other home is a castle."

First footing

Why bother with a lump of dirty coal as the traditional first footing offering at Hogmanay (New Year) when Tesco can supply you with chocolate?
Coal or chocolate, a Happy New Year to all! I'm just back from an internet-less 2 weeks in the north, where the snow has been piling up, and I've discovered how difficult it is to take photos of all that white stuff.

Sunset (with cat)

That cat-shaped lump on the Catalpa tree is Dusty, who's a great climber. Unlike a lot of other cats I've known, she doesn't seem to mind coming down either.
Check out other critters at the Friday Ark.

In the Dirt

Last night we got some light (very light, thank you) rain. Reports at breakfast said CB was about the same. What little rain we got dried off by noon, so decided it was time to do a longer ride on the new trail bike.
Was a pretty nice day at Manawa - all things considered; mid 50s, clear, variably winds. Made 2 full laps (my shortened laps) and 2 extra laps through W Sidewinder (warm-up and cool-down laps).
On my ride on Riverfront Real Estate, I found that large tree crossing has been damaged. Someone had purposely tore out the leading side of the crossing. I could not help of thinking that the damage was done my mushroom hunters - they were all over in the woods.
It was great back riding Fast Track. This was another test of the bike handling. The bike rode well.
My second lap was better - improved lines. Just about ending the ride through Fast Track, there was a pile of wood stacked right across the center of the trail. Now, the pile was not there on my first lap. Mushroom hunters again? But the pile looked purposely stack right over the trail. I have never see such wantonly interference with trail users here at Manawa.
The new bike now has logged over 11 miles. My speed was low - compared to end of the last season. 11.3 miles in 1:39. - no speed record. Some of that is conditioning, some is not able to ride as much (weather and trail conditions), and some was getting accustomed to the new bike.
All-in-all, a great day in the woods.