Friday, April 13, 2007

Page, Arizona


3/28/07

Page, AZ. I finally arrived. This town marked my halfway point in my time frame and it seemed to make all the difference. I no longer sorely missed Michael and my friends, although the ability to talk to Micheal gave me a bit of relief. I was able to settle for a couple of days, for my plans were to stay in Page 2 nights and explore the slot canyons with my hired guide - Charly of Overland Canyon Tours. If you are ever in Page and want to go on an adventure give Charly a call. He is a fabulous guide. Born in Weisbaden, Germany and came to Page by way of LA, he is a man at ease with the desert. Quiet, but has an easy laugh. The ordinary doesn't seem to be ordinary to him. He spent several minutes watch a caterpillar inch its way across the canyon floor as I took picture after picture of the canyon walls. I will be hiring him again and would recommend him to any who ask.

Charly met me at my campsite to go over our schedule for our tours and let me know I would have company. Perfect, a little company would be nice to have: Greg, from L.A. and Bonnie & Roy from Idaho on day 1 and then just Bonnie and Roy on day 2. Came to find out that Bonnie & Roy were camped in their RV right behind my tent - their nice warm cozy RV. Which came in very handy on Friday when the temperature dropped, as did the rain - the wind however picked up.


After our first trip to the canyons (described in a later post), Bonnie and Roy invited me in to their RV to warm up. The canyons had gotten very cold as we photographed their curves and twists. By lunch my hands were freezing and a slight shiver had set in - and I was wearing layers and fleece. I have to thank Bonnie and Roy for the comfort of their RV, a little hot chocolate, and the use of their microwave.


The campground had a permanent resident - a little black cat. My first night camp kittie stopped by my tent to welcome me to the neighborhood. The second night camp kittie decided that both he & I needed to share our warmth and he joined me in my tent for the evening. Really, I don't blame him. I awoke the next morning with my rain-fly encrusted in ice. The rain the previous day and the freezing overnight temperatures had turned my tent into a giant snow cone. Camp kittie was not interested in heading out of the tent, but I had to shove him out anyway. He didn't hold a grudge, for he came back at lunch to help us eat our sandwiches.


Page was a nice rest on the trip, with beautiful scenery both from above and below. And knowing a great guide is there makes future planning all the easier.
For Charly's website at Overland Canyon Tours go to www.overlandcanyontours.com

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