Viking Invades Alaska!

[tgh]

We drove into Bryce as the cloud thickened and it started to snow lightly.
I decided to make a run for the end of the road and we snapped away some pics in steadily increasing snow.
It absolutely bucketed down overnight and next morning the road was closed for the season.

 

[Pushka]

And snowed overnight. White stuff everywhere on the ground. It’s supposed to clear today which if it did it will be stunning.

We did see Angel Bright trail on the first day. Will post when I can upload pics. Bring on global warming is all I say.

We are off now to walk through the snow to get breakfast.

 

[Pushka]

This morning the sun came out and made for spectacular photos as there wasn’t much snow in the actual canyon but decorating all the plants etc. We took the bus up to the most spectacular scenery and it was lightly snowing once we got off which was rather nice. Snow doesn’t make you wet and it just brushes off. We reached the furthest point walking and decided to catch the bus to get back to the village at around 2pm so we’d been out for several hours. We were kitted up with beanie, down parka, gloves, long johns etc and were quite warm enough. By the time we returned to the village it was full on snowing again. We are booked on a sunset tour in a few hours so hope it passes quickly. Photos later.

 

[love_the_life]

Sounds like it looks spectacular. Having the right gear makes all the difference.

 

[Pushka]

We are baaack in the land of internet. Aka Flagstaff.

So, back to the future as we are staying in the same place as we were before Grand Canyon 3 nights ago.

Staying at Drury Inn suites. On a busy road next to their University. Very busy place but very quiet today as there was a graduation happening last week.

They have this thing called Kick Back. Starts at 5.30 pm until 7pm precisely. Rules are very closely followed we’ve noticed. You receive a card for 3 drinks each plus there is an extensive - American style buffet. Our first night was Mexican night.

And the place was packed. They also have a free popcorn machine. Sadly not working today though. But I don’t like popcorn anyway.


The offerings. Lots of Mexican stuff plus hot dogs.



Our double drink of Merlot which is more like a Spanish Red and not heavy at all. Loverly plastic cups. This is an Idaho baked potato. And pre packaged everything.



Flagstaff is a main point on Route 66 and there are signs everywhere. This is near the Amtrak station where we had to walk to next morning to catch the shuttle to the GC, about a 90 minute drive.



They have huge, and I mean really huge, trains that pass by every hour or so. They go for ever. This one had four diesels.

 

[Pushka]

The next morning we set off on a bright sunny morning at 7am dragging our luggage for about 20 minutes to the Amtrak station to meet the shuttle. About 8 passengers in all. Had a really nice drive to GC with a nice driver. Told that today would be stunning but windy and cold weather to follow. We can handle cold we thought. Yeah. Right. We experienced a new level of cold.

Anyways we arrived 90 minutes later and dragged our cases from the drop off to the place we thought was our hotel. I don’t want to go into that again. Best forgotten.

We were exhausted by then with all the suitcase stuff as we both weren’t sleeping well and jet lag plus the higher altitude and slight slope with cases. But we were there to see the Canyon so off we set in beautiful weather. This was last Saturday.













It was interesting learning about the Canyon which was created in a ‘nano second’ of earths time by the Colorado River and all its tributaries. The Colorado is at about the middle of the picture flowing horizontally. At the base it’s around 20 F degrees warmer. And the GC is 250 miles across - that is halfway to MELBOURNE from Adelaide. It’s immense but that doesn’t describe it. We were staying on the South Rim and the North Rim closes for Winter as it’s higher altitude and colder. It’s open now. Because it’s summer season. Bollocks I say to that the next day.

We walked a trail and got quite hot and thirsty and people were in shorts and Ts.

For dinner we walked to Maswik Lodge where we had dinner at the cafeteria. Someone here mentioned rustic? Oh yeah.

 

[Pushka]

More.

Angel Head Trail. A Mule trip winds down here every morning and returns about 4pm. A very long day. Would have enjoyed a three or four hour one but not that long.

 

[henleybeach]

We are baaack in the land of internet. Aka Flagstaff.

So, back to the future as we are staying in the same place as we were before Grand Canyon 3 nights ago.

Staying at Drury Inn suites. On a busy road next to their University. Very busy place but very quiet today as there was a graduation happening last week.

They have this thing called Kick Back. Starts at 5.30 pm until 7pm precisely. Rules are very closely followed we’ve noticed. You receive a card for 3 drinks each plus there is an extensive - American style buffet. Our first night was Mexican night.

And the place was packed. They also have a free popcorn machine. Sadly not working today though. But I don’t like popcorn anyway.
View attachment 165572

The offerings. Lots of Mexican stuff plus hot dogs.

View attachment 165576

Our double drink of Merlot which is more like a Spanish Red and not heavy at all. Loverly plastic cups. This is an Idaho baked potato. And pre packaged everything.

View attachment 165573

Flagstaff is a main point on Route 66 and there are signs everywhere. This is near the Amtrak station where we had to walk to next morning to catch the shuttle to the GC, about a 90 minute drive.

View attachment 165574

They have huge, and I mean really huge, trains that pass by every hour or so. They go for ever. This one had four diesels.

View attachment 165575

Nice big double stackers. Those trains are like driving with a parachute behind you.
My parents just got back from Canada and couldn’t believe the amount of trains

 

[Pushka]

We hoped to see a Condor which became endangered a few years ago but they’ve managed to get stock back to around 90. The largest bird in the US. Its head is devoid of feathers because they dig their head into carcasses and being bald makes them easier to clean up after. Their wing span is 10 feet.

There are a couple at the South Rim. Now, my camera has a great zoom.

See that tiny red circle?


That zooms into one of the condors. Now it’s kind of blurry but it’s a long way away.





And here’s one I caught in flight.

 

[Pushka]

We were excited to see an Elk. Until we realised they were everywhere. Oh well.

Some pictures of wildlife.



The squirrels carry fleas that may spread the plague. They have 10 people bitten a week and every bite requires medical treatment. They do look a bit flea bitten.











The train tracks rather kill au natural.

 

[Pushka]

More in a bit. We have washing machines happening in the guest laundry. Small pleasures.

 

[Pushka]

The first night it was kind of chilly and windy. We woke up next morning and it was very wet and cold. We pretty much stayed indoors and there’s not much to do indoors. That late afternoon it started to snow. And then overnight it snowed properly.

View from our window the first day.



Then a day later.


















Because it had stopped raining - because it was so damn cold - it snowed pretty much all Monday but snow doesn’t make you wet so it was lovely doing a 2 hour hike in the snow.

 

[Pushka]

The hike on the snowy day. We had cracked open all our gear for Alaska. I’m waiting on MrP to send me some of his photos.

The clouds were threatening the whole time and in the later afternoon a crazy snow storm arrived.

 

[Pushka]

Colorado River that created this place. Looks so innocuous. They have huge overnight rafting tours with rafts as large as buses.

 

[Pushka]

Last night we went on a sunset tour. We stopped at the same places as we’d seen that day but the light changed by then. Sunset - cloud way too heavy.





We were so cold that on the way back we decided to eat a pizza and have a bottle of red. Which we downed quick smart. We then had a bit of a walk outside back to our hotel and it was so cold we were actually struggling to breathe. We had to move into another hotel to get our breath. Bring on Alaska I say. Where it is actually warmer than here.

 

[Denali]

Wonderful photos! I so want to go to the GC and Utah.

 

[Pushka]

@Denali We visit gift shops when we are bored. Or can’t go out. Hope you like it!










My SIL would be all over these.





And they love their food. This was the queue for lunch. I think it was 11.30 am.

 

[Pushka]

A couple from MrP.

First Day.



And dressed for snow.

 

[Denali]

Poncho

But I cant go past a Christmas decoration

 

[love_the_life]

A couple from MrP.

First Day.

View attachment 165661

And dressed for snow.

View attachment 165662

Glad you didn't step back in that first photo! The snow looks gorgeous though.