September 1, 2012

I woke up several times through the night from the rain hitting the roof and the wind flapping our slide toppers.  We slept in until 8.  It was a cold and dreary morning.  Hoping the weather would improve to set out around 11am.  We headed in the direction of Canyon Village because we had only just passed through it on our way home the other evening and it was too dark to really see anything.

Monte saw a dirt road and couldn’t resist taking it.  It was six miles of kidney-jarring bumps and we didn’t see any wildlife for our troubles.  On the paved road again we turned off on Mt. Washburn and climbed partway. 

 I was having a great deal of difficulty breathing and it was very cold so we didn’t go very far.  We hadn’t traveled far when we came around a bend and encountered several cars and a large group of people on the side of the road.  We weren’t sure what they were looking at so we pulled over and got out.  Someone said there was a black bear and cubs down in the valley. 

 I grabbed my binoculars and Monte his camera and we joined the people at the rail.   At first I didn’t see anything then a man pointed out the direction I should be looking and sure enough I saw the bear and one cub.  Monte tried seeing the bear.  He said he just couldn’t locate it but kept snapping away pictures in the general direction I said the bear was.  We don’t know yet if he actually got any pictures of the bear.  We won’t know until we download them and can enlarge them.

With so many people pulling over to both sides of the road and with some of them running across traffic, it is amazing that people don’t get hit by cars. 

When we arrived at Canyon Village, we watched a film, looked at some of the exhibits and browsed through the gift shop. 

 We took a hike down a trail at the Lower Falls.

  I thought I was going to need oxygen as we climbed back up the trail.  Monte had read about a trail that was very strenuous but had a spectacular view so we decided to check it out.  When I saw the people panting who were coming back up the trail I told Monte he would have to do the trail without me. 

I took advantage of the time he was gone to type this journal.  The trail he was on is called Uncle Tom’s Trail.

  It includes a series of paved inclines and more than 300 steps that lead down approximately 500 feet.  According to the literature descending the trail is an unparalleled canyon and waterfall experience.  I guess I will have to settle for just seeing the pictures Monte takes.

Monte was gone an hour.  When he told me how exhausting the trail was I was glad that I had decided not to do it.  We started for home and about half way there it started to hail.  The hail was coming down so fast and hard that it stuck to the road.  I am glad I wasn’t driving especially since we had someone behind us that driving way too close to us.   We drove like that for around 10 minutes until it started to clear and it was only raining.  I was really nervous going around those sharp curves which such a slick road.  I was really relieved when we got back home.  

I made us a quick dinner, watched a dvd on the computer and called it a night by 11pm.