The campground is silent now that our neighbors generator has shut off. I've been silently tapping away, editing and publishing a post. I have the tablet dimmed all the way so I can occasionally daze up at the stars as I write. Tomorrow morning we start our Iron Butt Run to my grandmother's home in Nebraska. The Iron Butt is challenge for motorcyclists to ride 1000 miles within 24 hours. I'm learning a lot about my limits on this trip, physical and mental.
The juniper and ponderosa pines form a black turtle shaped frame around the stars as I tilt my head back, trying to find the flow of words for you. The ride from the canyon rim was eventful. The clerk at the Texaco in Tusayan was unspeakably rude to Margie. We picked up some beer at the Trading Post, and Margie found me a souvenir squirrel to tack to my bike, a personal reminder of traveling safely on two wheels. I made peace with some of my life decisions when we spooked two elk foraging along the road. The young bull spun on his haunches and headed into the forest, the brown cow following suit.
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| Gary, our witness at Grand Canyon |
It was so warm today... I can't believe how quickly it got cold. The desert continues to surprise and delight me as I learn about its nuances. I want to stay up and write about the sounds of the forest, and the cold that has very quickly settled into my fingers. I better spend some time looking at the back of my eyelids, Margie mentioned starting at sunrise. Which I'm sure will be stunning.
Yeah, that didn't happen. The air was cool and crisp when we poked our noses out of our sleeping bags. We bundled up and slept in for a few hours. And as quickly as the cold slipped in last night, the temperature gauge climbed as we packed quickly and carefully. We pulled into Pipe Creek Vista and got our documentation for the Iron Butt witnessed by Gary from Tennessee :)
Margie turned on the SPOT so we'll have an exact GPS location (SPOT is a device that emails your loved ones with locations. But it can also notify emergency personnel if needed, even post to Google maps and Facebook). Time to get moving :)
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| hippy motochick working girl |
Okay, so TWO stops before we need fuel... I know! So far we aren't making the best time. But I may not return to the Grand Canyon for a long time. The first stop is Desert View Watchtower on the South Rim. We didn't even made it out of the park, haha. The view was just too staggering to pass by. The golds and reds of the canyon face dance under the sun, teasing my imagination, making me daydream about cowboys and indians.