Day 30 - October 31, 2017: Lake Mead retreat from city

Day 30 – October 31, 2017 – Tuesday: The wee beastie woke us up TWICE last night barking at city noises (probably a dog) so today we are moving (to return later). With the rv fixed, tired fixed, city noises, Graham and Melissa working, we decided to go to Lake Mead for a few days. We checked out Echo Bay as a possible place to stay ($10 with old guy pass) but declined as the spaces were small.

We landed in Stewart’s Point at dusk and parked it...free camping is great! It is always abit tricky to get a spot here with its maze of paths and trying to find the right one placing you where you want to be. Rewarded with nice sunset.

Day 29 - October 30, 2017:

Day 29 – October 30, 2017 – Monday: I played “let me entertain you” with Mali dog While David diagnosed vibration in our rv left front (bearing) and ran around getting parts and having jeep tire fixed. I thought David would be cranky having to run around getting parts but being in Las Vegas everything is a few minutes away instead of 20 minutes away plus another when you need more parts.

This is the trip for tire repairs I think. Vegas is around 82 degrees today. The “city” noises (dogs, sirens, are giving Mali something to bark at…which she usually doesn’t do much of). Nice gathering with Melissa and Graham after their return from work.

Day 28 - October 29, 2017: Leaving Grand Canyon, heading to Las Vegas

Day 28 – October 29, 2017 - David and Mali went off for a hike and I had a Me morning…whoopee! David came back early. They had been doing prescribed burns in the park and today was a smokey day. Neighbors indicated it had been smokey days before. With the haze/smoke hiking not a great idea. David was game to move on despite still having a night left; I am always game to move on to new turf. Pack up and poof…the tire that had a 3/8” screw in it (that he removed) was now low.

Hunt around campground to find someone with a compressor (we had one that we pitched this trip because it wouldn’t charge…new one when we get back)… After six tries, he found someone who had one. Tired filled Successfully. Decided to drive the several hours to son’s home in burbs of Las Vegas To get tire fixed AND to use son’s driveway to figure out what the vibration is in our left front of rv. Stopped a couple of times to fill tire …it was a slow leak. DIY pizza And a cool adult beverage…ah! It is a warm 82 degrees here in Las Vegas.

Day 27 - October 28, 2017:

Grand Canyon views

Day 27 – October 28, 2017 – Saturday We 

have had Mali for two months now! Some 

fool who came in at 2:30 am last night 

set my pooch to barking…she rarely barks and never before at night (we have had 

her about 2 months). They were opening 

and shutting car doors, setting alarm on car numerous times (really), talking and luckily they were at a distance or I 

would have march out there and let them 

know I am up really early in the morning. 

Mali quieted down shortly.

Today we did some light walking and took a ride out to Cape Royal and Imperial 

Point. Evening Campfire…thank you to the person who left the free firewood bundle by the trash! Mali enjoyed the fire 

briefly and then let us know it was 

bedtime by going to the rv door. I guess it was not that exciting for her. Met a 

couple whom had a Lazy Daze RV. We talked 

awhile with them and got a tour. The unit 

was 20 years old and it looked great (a 

bit outdated on inside but that is 

fixable)…well made unit and possibility of more storage and king bed! They got it 

for a song although it had been sitting and needed some attention. 

She is my emotional support dog

Day 26 - October 27, 2017:

Day 26 – October 27, 2017 –
Friday Left Lone Rock Beach/Lake Powell around 8am and stopped in Page, AZ for shopping enroute to the North Rim of Grand Canyon. Weather is still holding so off we go. Stop at Walmart in Page, Arizona whose parking lot had a nice selection of RV’s spending the night…one of which looked like it should not be on the road. Next stop, Horseshoe bend of the Colorado River…a short walk to look down upon the Colorado River. One thing that has become clear is that having AT&T cell service is not the way to go out here. There will be changes coming for next time. The drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was VERY scenic…through valleys of red rocks and through plenty of Ponderosa Pines and aspens (without the leaves darn). We saw the buffalo herd driving in to the North Rim…whoopee.

Horsehoe Bend

So we get to the Grand Canyon North Rim having previously called a few days earlier and being told that there are plenty of spaces this time of year so just come in.  We arrive and the clerk/ranger tells us that we are reservation only (and it is not a short drive in)….argh! The ranger found a reservation that was cancelled for tonight that will fit us…great! We book in and get to our site. The lady across the way tells us that the people previously inhabiting our site left early and there were a few more nights left….WHAT? So David marches back to the ranger and asks about the two other nights that we wanted. She mucks about and finds one. Then she says let me see if there are any others. What a surprise….all of the ones we wanted in our current site Are there. So anyway, we are happy. They close in a few days so no showers or laundry at the campground...not a big deal for us.

Scenice ride from Page, AZ to North Rim Grand Canyon

We found the buffalo!

Our campsite at the north rim of the Grand Canyon

Prescribed burns made it NOT scenic!

Day 25 - October 26, 2017: LAKE POWELL Utah

The toadstools!

Day 25 – October 26, 2017 – Thursday A quick breakfast and on the road for a short ride to the Toadstools by Paria. About 2 miles of walking round trip.

Next stop Lone Rock Beach/Lake Powell, Utah for camping on the beach. Old guy cost $7.00 with senior national parks pass. Being that it was a Thursday night and we didn’t want to be there if it was remotely crowded, we booked in for one night only. There were a fair amount of campers there of all shapes and sizes. Mali dog rated it a 5 star event. She had her first experience in swimming, chasing ducks, birds in the water. At first she was a bit hesitant but with David out there in the water coaxing her…she was in. Odd for a lab to not be water crazy...must be field lab!
All day she played with other dogs, sniffed in the sand, chased birds (or attempted to on
her long line of 40-50 feet). We did let her off leash once with a dog and that worked out pretty well…meaning she did come back when we called her…just not immediately. She rolled in the sand (like snow angels), ate sand, dug numerous sand holes and stalked black crows. PURE DOG FUN!

Our $7.00 camping spot!

Day 24 - October 25, 2017: UTAH

Day 24 – October 25, 2017 – Wednesday Whoopie, the weather has been holding nicely for us in Utah…meaning night temps are reasonably above freezing. Multiple nights of 28 or below would send us south. This morning before leaving Kodachrome basin state park, we hiked the Angel’s Palace Trail. ..nice views.

Hiking in Kodachrome SP

Our resting place for the night is the parking lot for Paria (dirt road). Dog was getting rather desperate…despite a walk of 1.5 miles…too much in the car…the jaws were looking for something to get to work on (she got my glasses when we were in the store…a first but they are old and really needed to be replaced). She had had enough of rv. She was making noises that I’ve never heard before and being very vocal. We stopped asap to let her out to roam on her 50 foot leash. Dinner = pizza/made the dough this a.m. Road noise to fall asleep by … a bit of a difference between the sounds of silence and cars/trucks.

Mali in I in Kodachrome SP

Day 23 - October 24, 2017: Long Canyon and Kodachrome State Park

Day 23 – October 24, 2017 -Tuesday Left our boondocking spot this morning early…just after dark…a quick breakfast. We did some hiking of the gulch in Long Canyon…kind of a free for all of paths and nothing marked but all going the same place and sandy…so not the most fun surface. I would rate it a 2.5 out of 5..nice cottonwoods with a stream that we had to cross multiple times to have something to walk on. We walked a short segment of Deer Creek Trail and then it was decided that instead of staying another night boondocking on the Burr Trail, we would head to Kodachrome State Park for a night. Kodachrome SP provided us with a long hot shower, laundry, trash, dump/water and some magnificent vistas. Since we had no reservation and there were two campers riding in before us, we were lucky to get the last space. We have been here before and have done the hikes before…except for one.

This was a colorful place for a quick hike.

Mali among the cottonwoods

Day 22 - October 23, 2017: Burr Trail UTAH

Day 22 – October 23, 2017: Move day. We 

are leaving Cottonwood Canyon BLM boon-

docking to explore Burr Trail…about 1.5 

hours away in Utah…near Boulder. Found a nice boondocking spot many miles along 

the road….by a waterless wash and not 

visible from road. Walk the wash and 

surrounding area. There were not a lot of 

places to overnight here but enough to 

provide us with one. We followed the roaduntil we hit dirt and decided to leave 

that for another time. The views along 

Long Canyon are spectacular. 

Day 21 - October 22, 2017: Cottonwood Canyon Road exploring UTAH

Day 21 – Sunday, October 22, 2017: Today we drove the 16+ miles on dirt road to 

see Yellow Rocks. After a bit of time trying to find the trailhead, we began 

walking, was redirected by someone and 

found the trail. Well it was more of a 

scramble than a pleasant walk. Mali was 

trying to go off the side and displacing rocks in the process. She is used to opentrails were she can wander at will to 

hunt for anything that moves. The trail 

went up steeply and needed the use of 

hands here and there. I made it to the 

false summit and decided that the cottonwoods that I had been oogling were way 

more interesting. Down I went and Mali 

and David continued onward. It was an 

easier although careful downward hike 

than I anticipated. Wandering among the 

cottonwoods (REAL TREES) was wonderful 

and there was a lot of yellow still left in them. There was a small trickling 

stream (rare in Utah). David had to play with technique in getting Mali not to 

pull him down the steep trail; she ended up short leashed behind him with him not 

letting her pass. By time we drove all that way on Slow dirt road, it was mostly a full day. Stopped on the way back to see a cave visible from the road. 

Early dinner. 

You can see the winding dirt road...perfect for jeep and MANY
family cars!

Day 20 - October 21, 2017: Utah near Kodachrome State park

Cottonwood Canyon

Day 20 – Saturday, October 21, 2017: Remaining in our 

boondocking spot on Cottonwood Canyon Road…more exploring 

on this road but further down. The road is a bit rough but I see that doesn’t bother the people beating up the family suv exploring this dirt road. We hiked Cottonwood Canyon 

Narrows today and that was very cool. David decided that 

this was a good place to let Mali off leash (I didn’t quiteagree with him on that!). He let her off and called her 

back (we had low value treats/kibble)…nothing. She wanderedas far as her nose would take her (but of course could not go up canyon walls). When she did come back when called shegot treated and promptly leashed…never to be unleashed 

again.

This trip was to serve as a bonding experience with our pup and it worked very well
for that! She had fun riding in the box/rv and we open the door and brand new 

places to sniff!  She was with us 24/7.