6-14-18

Bob & I are in Lake Tahoe now but before we left Arizona we got in a birthday party; Ellie turned 2!

Ellie was so sweet and we enjoyed celebrating with her parents & grandparents.

We also got in a team bike ride before escaping the Phoenix heat. South Mountain with Vitesse!

On June 11th Harley and I left Phoenix with a car loaded down with bikes, cycling gear, backpacks, beach stuff & lap tops. We drove 6 hours to Newport Beach to meet Bob who had just ended a work trip at the Orange County airport. 

Harley was happy to see Bob and get a walk on the beach.

Fresh fish for supper, a good sleep at Bob's AA crew hotel and the 3 of us were up early to drive 8 more hours to Lake Tahoe.

The drive went well. I'm always happy when we get to this long stretch of road. Monitor Pass is one of my favorites and just 30 minutes from the cabin.

Arrived! Harley and Bob wasted no time relaxing on the deck.

I found my happy place too!

See Harley in the sun behind me? :-) 

We only get 3 weeks at the Tahoe cabin this summer but we're grateful for each one of those days. Looking forward to time with friends, family & each other in beautiful Lake Tahoe.

6-13-18

After coffee sunrise and then breakfast it was YOGA time.

We found a great spot to stretch our legs & just BE in the presence of something GRAND! :-)

Yay for EVERYONE participating. This video makes me smile every time. Check out my brother, Brent (he's a 1st time yogi & made us all laugh). :-) By the end of class Brent got his balance under control. Nice job!

Clara mailing postcards from the North Rim and then we said good-bye to our cute cabins.

Along the drive back to Phoenix we stopped to pose in front of a herd of Buffalo.

We stopped to see Horseshoe Bend.

 Daira

Chill'n.

Lots of photos in front of this iconic vista.

Stopped to see dinosaur tracks too. Clara's hand and foot showing the size of these pre-historic footprints.

 Happy US for the fun and successful trip to The Grand Canyon!

6-12-18

Coffee & sunrise over the Grand Canyon. Awwww.

The morning after our hike we woke up early enough to hobble out to the patio to enjoy this view and a hot latte. Last night (after warm showers) our group enjoyed this same perspective of The Grand Canyon with dinner on the lodge patio. The North Rim is quieter than the South Rim as it only has one lodge and restaurant for guests. Visitors stay in log cabins or in tents. The North Rim with pine trees and cooler temps is 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim and is open between May 15 and October 15th. Peaceful perfection!

6-11-18

Keep Calm and Hike On.

After Ribbon Falls we had 7.5 miles left to the top of the North Rim.

We had a few miles of pretty hot & dry trail.

We took breaks in the shade, stay hydrated and soaked our neck towels in the cold water every stretch we could.

Step by step we were getting higher and closer to the finish.

We made small goals along the way. 1 mile then break. Another mile and then a break. April was having a little difficulty with her stomach and breath. Together we slowed our pace down but kept moving.

Our last stop was at 1.8 miles from the top and our last place to refill water. Temps were getting cooler which was nice and April was feeling a little better. We were all upbeat and set off for the remaining trail left. 

It was sooo sweet to be met by our support crew; Brent, Nancy, Carol and Paul. They were so excited to see ALL of us. We cheered, celebrated, and talked and talked about our hike.

A few minutes after we finished the nice rangers from the north rim came to check on April. They were checking because at 4.5 miles to go in our hike Bob had texted using our InReach GPS device to Brent. We wanted Brent to notify the rangers on the north rim that we had a hiker having some shallow breathing... but it was NOT an emergency. We still wanted the rangers to be aware as a JUST in case April starting feeling worse (we wanted them ready). At the 1.8 mile water stop a mule train guide had a 2 way radio & he had been notified of our hiker, April. With his radio I was connected to a paramedic at the top to discuss April's symptoms. They were willing to send a mule down to take April out but because April wasn't getting worse she wanted to hike out the remaining part under her own power. I get that... she wanted to finish the WHOLE hike. :-) Anyway... we hiked slowly and April made it out AND she recovered fine. We're so thankful! Was very impressed with the positive rangers and their calm and quick response to stay on top of our situation. We suspect April had too much electrolyte mix and some issue with the heat at the end of our trek. April is an experienced hiker but some days your body gets off. Congratulations April for staying calm and being smart and tough.

Congratulations Team Zurisana!

Proud of EACH one of you! Amazing what you just accomplished!

Rim 2 Rim

The Grand Canyon

June 5, 2018

Now we need a real shower! And real food! And real relaxing!

North Rim cabins here we come...

6-10-18

Ribbon Falls deserves 2 blog posts. :-)

Clara testing the water.

Sunshine smiles.

This waterfall is just so unique... we couldn't get over the gorgeous green moss.

We just had to go in this cool cave! And yes... 

we just had to dunk ourselves in the cool pool too. CHILLY H20!

Team Zurisana LOVES Ribbon Falls.

Our hour break at Ribbon Falls was just what we needed to rejuvenate & stay the course. 8 miles to go to the top of the North Rim. Keep calm & hike on! :-)

6-9-18

THERE it is; Ribbon Falls!

We were feeling the heat so were excited to find some shade, eat some food, and enjoy that waterfall.

This looks like a good spot to rest our feet.

The view's not bad either! ;-)

After sandwiches we did some exploring!

Clara & Daira assured me their footing was VERY secure. So this isn't as terrifying as it looks. :-)

Nature's shower. Where's the soap?

Bob & Clara.

Hannah.

Hannah, Daira, Clara & Me.

More from this beautiful waterfall in tomorrow's post.