Day 83 3/26/17 - Hiking "The Wave" Part 1

By now you know that I won the BLM lottery to visit The Wave.  There is way too much to cover in one blog post, so this is the introduction and there will be more blogs to follow. 

Above is my 4x4 rental I picked up last evening in Page to get me to The Wave trailhead.  The rain stopped late yesterday evening.  This mornings ride in found places were people had been stuck and large ridges from tires in the mud mostly dry.

I could have gotten the Prius in by being very careful but I am much happier not to risk damaging the Prius as it's going to get me home in about a month.

A few weeks ago I hiked the Wire Pass Trail in this same area.  The picture is of what is called teepees. 

On the way out on this 6.2 mile round trip to The Wave there is plenty of beautiful scenery to look at.

Up and down and up walking on rock and sand we went to The Wave.

Our first look at The Wave above.  So beautiful.

It was a long trek up a hill with beach sand that was tiring. 

The sandstone colors jump out to offer a wonderful design.

Here I sit riding the wave, I guess.  Water carved the sandstone but there were also forces in the earth many millions of years ago that also twisted the sand surface to add to the dynamic curves.  

A clean wave picture. 

Up at the very top of the wave.  Check out the curved lines in the right.

Now a picture of me in the wave to give an idea of how big this is.

Here Joanne is taking pictures and I am tending her dogs Maeve and Cafe.

Now looking way down stream at the wave.  Can you tell how happy I am to have won the lottery to be here?

Each hiker group gets a 2 part pass.  One for the car dash and the other to tie to the backpack.

Oh beauty extends beyond the wave in this spring desert flower.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com 

Day 82 3/25/17 - The Wave Lottery A Second Time

Morning over Lake Powell with moon rising.  This is how I was greeted this AM.

Today, I try again for The Wave lottery in Kanab, UT at the BLM Office.  I failed a couple weeks ago when I was last here.

It's Saturday and I figure it will be crowded at the lottery since it is the weekend.  It's Saturday and the lottery is drawn for the following day, Sunday.

It's an hour ride to Kanab and an hour ride back, so this is an investment in time that I feel is well worth it.

I have a nervous feeling this time and I arrive early and look at the poster board outside the BLM office waiting for 8:30 when the gathering for the lottery begins.

It's 8:30 and they open the lottery room for those in attendance.

The BLM guy on the left makes small talk and is very personable.  He looks around the room and sees empty seats and says to us all "Your chances are looking good.  This is the least amount of people that we have had in weeks."   "Of course we have a few minutes left."

There are always people rushing in the door to fill out the application with 2 minutes left.

The drawing starts. Remember that only 10 are drawn for tomorrow. 

Number of Applications: 32
My Number: 8

First drawn was #18 - 2 people
Next drawn #30 - 6 people and a sigh went out in the room. Only two spots left.
Next #10 - 1 person (from Massachusetts too)

One spot left

Oh I need to back up a bit.  Remember Joanne the woman I hiked Havasu Falls with, well I told her that I would apply for 2 people and if I won I would invite her and her two dogs. 

Drumroll.........

Next was #8 - 2 people (That's me!!!!!)

But only one spot left to go.  Joanne would understand and I would go, went through my head.

Wait!  The guy drawing the numbers said we don't like forcing people to go by themselves on this hike, so since there were two requested both can go.

 
Pinch me!  11 get to go tomorrow and I'm going and so does Joanne.  Oh my was I excited big time.

Here is my pass to go.  I'm going!

I immediately messaged Roxy who gave me inspiration to try this as she went last year and posted her pictures.  Thank you so much Roxy for sharing your trip so I could work on going too.

But wait again, rain is coming in and rain make that 8 Mike dirt road impassable in the clay areas.  I dove to the trailhead the last time but it was dry.  It was ok to drive.

The BLM guy had said if it rains it is slick and impassible for two wheel cars.  Add my Prius low clearance and RISK! 

It started raining with lots more showers to come before dark.  What do I do?  I buy insurance, well kind of insurance.  I call a 4x4 rental place and reserve a 4x4 Jeep to go to the trailhead.

I was not going to win The Wave lottery and then not be able to get there.

It was still early in this Saturday so Joanne and I decided to hike to the Toadstools.  See separate post on Toadstools Hike. 

Then more rain came through and I was feeling better about paying for a 4x4 Jeep.

The day ended with rainbow over Page.

I picked up the Jeep for the night and early start in the morning.

Dreaming about my hike to The Wave.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Day 81 3/24/17 - Returning To Page

With the storm yesterday passing to the east, with rain here in the Phoenix area, and snow up north, it's time to head back to Page for more hiking.

A week or so ago I felt like I wanted to head to Southern California to see the desert bloom there, but I was busy with other plans.  Well, the bloom came to me.  Here on I17 north of Phoenix the hills are bright yellow and green with spring flowers in full bloom.

I couldn't stop on the highway for this picture, so through the windshield gives a poor picture of this hill blooming. 

The drops of water on the windshield is condensation that collected on the inside of my Prius last night.  In part it collected from higher humidity from the rain yesterday, and low temperatures last night, but also from boiling water in the Prius for washing up last night.  Although it is generally warmer to wash in the evening than a cold morning, you do create moisture that hangs around and condenses on the windows as the temperatures drop.

The best time to wash is mid afternoon when humidity is low and it can escape from daytime warming.

After a morning break, I'm headed north again on I17 towards Flagstaff.  Here valley fog has collected in the morning chill.

This is what I avoided yesterday by staying south until the storm passed.  Flagstaff got a couple inches of new snow.  I avoid snow if at all possible.

With too much behind the wheel driving, I decided to stop at Horseshoe Bend just 3 miles south of Page for the 3/4 mile walk to the canyon rim.

The above picture is the spot we stopped in the river rafting trip I recently took to see the petroglyphs on the canyon wall to the right.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Day 80 3/23/17 - Phoenix

With the cold front that came through yesterday evening today's temperature in the Phoenix will be 25 to 30 degrees colder than yesterday. (67 degrees)

It was a perfect day to go to the Mesa Library and finish up my income taxes. 

After doing my taxes I went to Waldo's BBQ for lunch.

Waldo's is an old haunt of mine when visiting my in laws many years ago.

Above is the "Pig" sandwich, coleslaw, and BBQ sauce.  I had already eaten a piece of cornbread.

This turned out to be my lunch and dinner. 

Since I was staging to head back to northern AZ as it was snowing in Flagstaff, I decided to stay over on BLM land just off I17.

The desert bloom was ahead of globe here. 

Here is the area I stayed the night on BLM land.

I got this photo as the sun set over the western hills.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com

Day 79 3/22/17 - Bowie, AZ to Phoenix

I left Bowie, AZ where Hot Well Dunes is and headed to Phoenix for the night as a cold front was coming through from California.  I wanted to stage in Phoenix as this storm gave snow to the Flagstaff area.

Above is a picture of a dust devil as I approached Safford, AZ. 

I had first thought I would go see the Arizona Diamondbacks play a spring training game on Thursday but the game with the Cubs was sold out.

In the way to Globe, AZ I spotted this hill with yellow desert flowers starting to bloom.

Above is an up close picture of the yellow bush in bloom.

I made it to Phoenix before the cold front came through.  The front brought a gust of wind with blowing dust and dirt through this parking lot as I was sitting there.

It was similar to what happens when they get a Haboo here, but visibility didn't go to zero here.  The wind rocked the Prius and was very stiff to vehicles on the highway. 

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com 

Days 78 3/21/17 - Global Entry Interview With Homeland Security - Douglas, AZ

I'm on my way to Douglas for my Homeland Security interview in Douglas, AZ on the Mexican border. I'm going for an interview for my application for Global Entry Status.  

Global Entry Status is a Homeland Security program for US Citizens returning to the USA from foreign travel.  It is a prescreening program to eliminate me from standing in line with everyone else to get through Passport Control. 

The above picture is a stopped train that has been sitting there before I arrived, and was there another 20 minutes before it would move and continue on my trip to Douglas.  

Good thing I planned extravtine in my trip for bumps in the road like this.  This is the town of Bowie, AZ and there is no other crossing to go around this stopped train.

Last year when I came back from a trip to Russia at Logan Airport in Boston, I stood in line with all the passengers from all the planes from foreign countries that came in at that time.

People were walking by me and I later found out they had a Global Entry Status to get through Passport Control.

This program prescreens travelers and when they land at an airport they stick their passport in a kiosk and it does facial recognition then fingerprints recognition.

Provided the data matches what's on file, you get to proceed to customs declaration and skip the folks in line waiting passport control and quickly get through the system.

So in summary you use a kiosk for passport control.  It costs $100.00 for the application.  Getting approved also gives you a KTN (Known Travler Number) for Pre TSA approval at US airports.  I already have that and it cost $75.00 so for $25.00 more you get both. 

Pre TSA approval allows you to limited TSA screening where you leave your shoes on and liquids left in bag with your laptop.  Your carry on still is scanned and you are subject to additional screening if TSA feels it's required.

Have a car and travel to Mexico or Canada you can add a car for $40 and drivevthe special lane and not have to wait for a long time to get through the border.

My appointment is at this government building downtown Douglas.  There is a court in the building too and a number of convicts I orange jumpsuits work in maintenance.  They were all polite and respectful as we had passing conversations. 

My appointment was at 9:30 and I was asked questions that they already knew the answers to and they took a digital image of my face and then a digital image of 4 right and then left fingers.  Then both thumbs.

Finally I watched a videos about the rules of the program.  The biggest one is that they stress if you are supposed to declare something do it as if you get caught you will loose your Global Entry Status.

I'm done with the interview and I'm ready for my 2.25 hour ride back to HWD-BLM.  That's right about a 5 hour round trip for the interview after a 7 hour ride this past weekend to travel from Page to HWD.  Good thing I like to drive.

Heading north from Douglas to Wilcox there are many farms.

Google image above

Ever fly over the US and see the circles created from center watering fields, well here this is how they do it. 

Google image above

More round watered fields.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com 

Days 77 3/20/17 - Hot Wells Dunes BLM Layover

I drove to Hot Wells Dunes - BLM yesterday and gave myself today as a layover day before my Global Entry Interview with Homeland Security in Douglas, AZ tomorrow morning.

The picture above is BLM road repair as I head back into Hot Wells Dunes (HWD) from the town of Safford.  Safford is 32 miles from HWD and I wanted to go to have an email printed and pick up some food at Walmart.

The BLM is poring concrete bases for the wash crossings to hold down erosion and making it better for traffic to pass.

The camping area at HWD is sand and grass Dunes and a few short trees in the first campsites.  This place is popular for off road vehicle use.

It's been in the 90's here lately and there are pit toilets and picnic tables at some sites with rubbish removal.  It is $3.00 a day even if visiting.  With my senior access pass it's half price $1.50.  Oh, you get to use the hot tubs filled with solar power and hot from geothermal water.

Bring lots of water to stay hydrated! 

This solar panel pumps water as long as it has sun.  The hot tubs auto drain when the sun goes down. 

Beautiful sunset cloud over the pit composting toilets.  Art and function meet in this picture and in the one above.

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com