nationalparks – Wandering Feet and Random Thoughts

As summer is officially here. I am thinking back to last year’s summer vacation. Last summer my family traveled out west. AKA The Pallop’s Wild Wild West trip. I had never been to the western part of the US and really wanted to explore it. We flew into Arizona, then drove to the Grand Canyon for a couple nights and days of exploration. From there we drove to Zion National Park, where among other things, we hiked the Narrows..that is another whole blog. I HIGHLY recommend hiking the Narrows. From Zion we had a few nights in Vegas, treated ourselves to a spa treatment and flew home. All in all it was a terrific trip, lots of driving but along with it, new and interesting landscape. As I mentioned I had never been to any of these places and I knew I wanted to hike in Zion. I was unsure of how to tackle the Grand Canyon portion of our trip. I am not the type of traveler who drives to the overlook, takes it in, snaps a pic and moves on. I like to explore, touch and be part of the environment. My kids (teens) however are not quite as zen as I am. They hike with purpose and hardly look back, or stop. I prefer to look up and around and down (so as not to trip). I like to soak it in, sunshine or shade, maybe even have a sip or two of water. They forge ahead, never stopping for a glance back, not even to see if Mom is still there. Solely focused on the endgame/summit (getting it over with so to speak). Knowing this, I knew that I could not convince (force march) them in both the Grand Canyon and Zion. I was intent on hiking in Zion. So I had to find another way to explore the Grand Canyon. There had to be a compromise. What I planned was brilliant if I do say so myself. I found an amazing place right inside Grand Canyon National park. It is called Bright Angel Bike rentals. And yes they rent bikes, but it is oh so much more than that. They rent a family friendly afternoon in the Grand Canyon. When I looked at their website, I saw all the positives, first they were located in the park, no driving around an unfamiliar place looking for a bike shop. Second, they had electric bikes to rent..maybe Mom can keep up with the teens. Lastly they had a package deal with lunch included. Maybe it is just me, but when I am traveling somewhere for the first time one of my main worries is where we are going to eat. Is there somewhere easy to get to that everyone will like. Furthermore when we are in the national parks, I wonder if we will be able to get lunch before everyone is super cranky from hiking. And so sign up, I did. Bikes for the family and lunch too!

On our arrival day at the Grand Canyon it was nearing dinner. However there was no way I was going to sleep that night just minutes from the Grand Canyon without actually seeing it. We went and took a look at the Canyon. We took a short walk around the rim to see the vastness of the canyon. We also went to the visitors center, and scoped out where the bike rental was. With that checked off the list we headed to bed. The next day we were up early and had breakfast at the general store/Starbucks and off to Bright Angel Bicycle rentals. When we arrived there was a bit of a line of families waiting to rent bikes for the day. However Because I had a reservation, we were moved right along. The workers had everything running smoothly. Pick up your lunch, grab a helmet and then have your safety training. Part of training is taking a short test ride and then we were on our way. It was simple, efficient and quick. Also they gave us a map and explained where the best paths to go would be and told us where bikes were prohibited. The employees told us what to expect along the way, where we could get water and bathrooms, even where the big uphills were. So due to good advanced planning we were off before the heat of the day. We biked from the visitors center to Hermits rest, on the Rim Trail. This is the route many of the park shuttles take. It was terrific, we could stop at every overlook if we wanted or every other one, or none if you just wanted to bike with a great view. I am not sure exactly what I was expecting of the Grand Canyon itself, but I was surprised and delighted at how different the Canyon looked and felt from one part of it to another. The more we explored it the more amazing it became. With so many different looks, it was like a Cher concert.

The electric bikes were a lifesaver, none of us had ever ridden one prior to this. The extra power boost really did make a difference. We stopped at several overlooks along the way. Many had restrooms we could use if needed and some had picnic areas or benches but all had amazing views. It was a terrific way to spend the day. As a bonus we got some exercise. We saw a lot of the Canyon without hoards of people, and at our own pace. Occasionally we would hit the overlook at the same time as the shuttle stopped, and it would get crowded, but we just waited it out. Having a longer break suited me just fine. Once we arrived at Hermit’s Rest, we explored that part of Grand Canyon National Park. Hermits Rest is a historical building used for visitors to have a last stop/rest before descending into the Grand Canyon. I found the building just fascinating, and the view was stunning. What a neat place to visit, especially if you are someone like myself who enjoys old buildings and the history that lies within. As an added bonus they sell ice cream at Hermits Rest.

We opened our lunches and ate heartily. The lunches from Bright Angel Bicycle included a sandwich, no ordinary sandwich. Turkey, bacon and lettuce on cranberry ciabatta bread or if you are less adventurous, peanut butter and jelly. There were other options to choose from as well. Along with the sandwich was a piece of fruit of your choosing and a bag of chips. Included with the lunch package, Bright Angel Bicycles provided us with a water bottle we could refill as we biked along. After our lunch break, we began our return ride. We made a few more overlook stops and went on one or two of the smaller bike trails off the road. We also stopped at the market plaza in Grand Canyon village. We bought cold drinks and a snack, it was amazingly refreshing and much needed to have an iced cold drink. Then to the bike shop for drop off, which of course was even easier than pick up. We all felt accomplished and ready for the hotel pool. I was elated that my plan worked, everyone was happy with the way we were able to see the Canyon and do it at our own pace. The only drawback was Helmet hair in your photos. But truly well worth it.

Bright Angel Bicycles, I should have taken this photo Pre-Bike Ride.

For travel planning..@missy-pallop

For Bright Angel Bikes in the Grand Canyon.. https://bikegrandcanyon.com/

Due to this pandemic caused by COVID 19 I have not been traveling much further than my own backyard. Although I am extremely grateful to have a backyard to explore, I miss exploring the outside world. Recently I was craving lobster, which brought my mind around to my trip to Acadia National Park. A few years ago my family and I went for the first time, loved it so much we returned the following year. Acadia is a magical place for me. I adore the outdoors, coming from a long line of farmers, I feel the love of being outside is in my blood. I also have a fascination with history, Acadia is rich with both. To help soothe my soul in these precocious times, I felt it would be good to do some reminiscing about Acadia. Along the way I will share a few tips for my readers.

During our two trips to Acadia we hiked, through gardens, in forests, and of course up mountains. We saw the sunrise on Cadillac mountain (the first place the sun touches on the east coast for most of the year) and we climbed quite a bit, even topped Cadillac mountain. We had picnic lunches, ate in Bar Harbor restaurants and had popovers at Jordans Pondhouse. We also crossed the sandbar and dipped more than our toes in the ocean.

But one of the more interesting parts of our adventure was climbing the South Bubble. Yes it sounds cute, but let me assure you it was not. We climbed the South Bubble the first year we visited Acadia. Full disclosure I had greatly underestimated the amount and kind of hiking my family was capable of. Or in this case, how over our heads we would get. To preface this story my family had done some hiking on relatively easy trails, some climbing involved at home and at Acadia. But we had not done anything too strenuous. As an aside my girls who were just into the double digits at the time were hiking in sneakers, and quite honestly probably the ones they had worn the entire school year.

TIP #1 invest in hiking shoes.

The only one of us who had been to Acaidia prior to this trip was my husband. He had been to Acadia as a child with his family. As such he was the only one who had any experience. We were looking for our next hike one morning before lunch. We came across the trail for the South Bubble, my husband recalled seeing that when he was a child and it was not much of a hike at all. The description for South Bubble is as follows “ South Bubble: 1-3 pitch routes, some friction climbing, good beginner routes.” The only bit of that description that I understood at the time was “good beginner routes”. I think to myself, we are beginners, we can do this!

TIP #2 Buy a good quality hiking map.

This hike was an eye opener, especially for a nervous mother like me. Did I mention we also had the dog along? The dog is an excellent climber, a little too good at times with a little too short leash and he drags my kids behind him. Sometimes they are stronger and he nearly falls off a rock while trying to get over it because the leash is too short.

TIP #3 if you take your pup hiking take a long leash and do practice hikes with your pup (and kiddos) before your trip.

This takes a good deal of patience and finesse to get accustomed to. Of course, my girls insist they hold his leash. But we get the hang of hiking with the dog. If you’ve ever climbed any mountains, you know that it seems you go up and up and up some more. There are beautiful views and vistas along the way and when you think you are near the top, there is more up. I love hiking but I do not love heights, yes I know this seems counter intuitive. I especially do not like my kids standing on the edge of a cliff, which of course they revel in. The South Bubble is not different, it felt never ending. Also remember we are anticipating this being an easy hike, maybe an hour tops. It is not, and it is also getting late in the morning. We did not pack provisions enough for a strenuous hike, and lunch time is nearing.

TIP #4 Always pack more food, water etc than you think you will need.

However we are nearing the summit and can feel we are getting close, when BAM!! We come to a pass, there is only one way to continue on. This piece of the hike is about a 3-4 foot step up in what I would call a crack in between the boulders. I would say it looked to be 6 inches wide, ok so maybe a bit wider but not much. How are we going to get these kids up that step and then climb over the rock to a flatter top. Not to mention the dog. I am in full internal freak out mode, breathe, breathe, stay calm. So many questions flood my head, Is the rest of the trail this way? Do we have to go back down the way we came? How long will that take? Is it even possible? Can I just stay here? Would some helicopter airlift me home? What if someone freaks out halfway through the crack (namely me)?

Upon reflection we realize we have not passed many hikers going down the way we’ve come up and scaling those boulders downhill seems super frightening. Seems our choices are continuing upwards or the helicopter rescue. (my secret hope) Ultimately cool heads prevail and we decide to send my husband up to see what the terrain is like in front of us. The girls and dog and I find a small spot to wait for him. Now I am not a thin person and I am also not very tall, and so a 4 foot step up which is only wide enough for one foot and I doubt my hips is not ideal to say the least. However as we sat, on what felt like a cliff edge and waited and waited and waited. I watched many people come up the trail behind us. I witnessed how individually they approached that crack in the boulder. I saw hikers 10 -20 years older than me manage it. I witnessed one young couple contemplating it. He was all let’s do this no problem, she was more hesitant and at one point said, do you really think my back side is going to fit through there? As I mentioned they were young and in love so he said the right encouraging words and indeed they both made it through. I also spoke to a guide, helping another couple hike the Bubble. I asked her about the rest of the hike and she assured me we were close to the top and it is not too treacherous past this part. At this point I am trying to keep my children off the rock face, as they are sure they can find another way, oh did I mention once you are through the little crack there is nothing behind you but sky. I’m having cold sweats just remembering that. So as I am trying to remain calm and keep the kids from scaling the side of the cliff a couple with a dog came by. They had 2 teenage sons and I am sure the mom saw the worry on my face. I watched how they managed to get their dog up the crack. And then the mom kindly turned to me and offered to have her boys help hold our pup while we got the kids through. Thank heavens for the kindness of strangers, because that’s what we did. My husband had just returned and informed us we would be okay once we got past this part.

And so the dog went first, he is only about 40 lbs but lifting a four legged oddly shaped furball up over my head to my husband was not easy or graceful. especially considering my rescue pup is still terrified by my husband. However once through, the pup was happy to hang with two teenage boys. Next the kids went through. I held my breath, and hoisted them up while my husband pulled them through. They of course loved every minute of it.

Now it was my turn, me and my hips. Fortunately all of this watching and waiting had given me some confidence that I could manage this. Although I still was worried I would become a piece of the mountain forever wedged in that crack. With no helicopters in sight I took a deep breath and one humongous step and then another as I pulled myself though. Then clinging with dear life to the rock face and over the edge. NEVER looking back. Truthfully this was terrifying. However it also came with a giant sigh of relief and pride in knowing that we could indeed work this out as a family (with a little help). From there on we made it to the top rather quickly or at least that is how I remember it. The view literally took my breath away.

The feeling of relief and success did not last long as just below the summit is a boulder somehow precariously stuck on the edge looking like it is defining the laws of physics. Shockingly my kids had to take a pic “pushing” it over the edge. I just turned my back so I couldn’t watch and pet my dog instead.