Lazarow World-Hike-About

On our way to Beatty (gateway to Death Valley), we stopped at Big Dunes, Nevada for a short interlude. We're fond of dunes, their formations, coloring and our activity on them. Who said we're supposed to be adults?  On a clear day, one can see forever. All's well on the dunes. Jen even decides on a run. On our trip from Boulder City, the winds gusted at a furious pace. The car rocked from side to side. We arrived at the dunes and the winds stopped; we had near perfect weather. Lucky us. On our way back to the car, we met the only other person in the area. He had parked beyond the informal parking lot and was struggling to drive his vehicle from the sand surface. It would not budge. When we drove into the Big Dunes lot, Jen indicated we should park next to that vehicle, saving some walking time. I declined the suggestion. It appeared he had been in his car a while because our paths had crossed on our way to the dunes. Fortunately, we were able to assist ...

  Let's get going.       It's almost a principle that we established some time ago that a person has to get a taste of the Grand Canyon, at least annually. It seems odd that we are unable to do without so many things, many meaningless, and yet a premier world wonder is not on the wish list of many. We wonder why that is the case. We'll go a step further and urge those who visit this spectacle to venture down into the canyon, at least for a mile or less. It would be a real tragedy to pass through this world and not have experienced a little of this massive fissure that contains a glorious river, mountains, hills, plant life, animals and myriad of other features, not forgetting a number of memorable trails. The coloring, whether during the dull periods of the day or stunningly beautiful at the day's extremes, will awaken something inside of a person. We joked the other day that while we struggled up some 3,500 feet from Tip Off Point, while our bodies burned ...

Jen enters the canyon...the fun begins. Are you looking to make your own way, within limits, to the river? Which one? We thought there was only one in the west...the Colorado, of course. A person makes his/her own way through the slot canyon, heading in one direction between the walls. Obstacles present themselves, usually in the form of dry-waterfalls, for want of a better term, and getting past, below or over them is the challenge. In addition, narrow edges keep one on one's toes or least, feet on the small cliff edges otherwise, the way to the canyon floor will be quick and mostly, painful. There's always a way down (or up) but sometimes it involves using a rope, ladder or the seat of the pants. Fortunately, during the hike, there was a reasonable route although often it required thinking of the options. We would say that on each occasion, a person is likely to vary the route for it's impossible to repeat an exact path. The challenge is terrific adding to the variety o...