Arizona and Texas

So as I write this blog entry the events are already a week old; but at least ya'll know what happened. After completing my bicycle tour thru Utah I cleaned myself up and returned to civilization. It was a big transition to be surrounded by people again and to be responsible for more than myself. One the first day of the tour we headed for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is not my favorite because it's seriously overdeveloped. The next day the group hiked down to Phantom Ranch. The pace was slow and the hike took all day. I took a much needed nap by accident and missed the first dinner. Luckily I got stew, but then the ranger didn't show for the talk that night (rumor had it that they hiked out for the World Series). I finally decided to fill in the last five minutes, which shall be noted as my first attempt at the job of interpretive park ranger. The next day we hiked out along the Bright Angel Trail and I really appreciated the Canyon today. The pace was once again very slow, but I amused myself.

The next day we headed South to Sedona. The hike in Oak Creek Canyon was really awesome and the fall colors were still lingering on some trees. We had another two days of hiking and some really excellent food. The scenery was really good, but I honestly would have much preferred to be wandering around Utah alone. After the conclusion of the tour I hung out in Sedona attempting to plan next year's bike tour with the bros.

Then it was on to Texas, my first visit the state. I was really hoping to get a look around Big Bend N.P; the Guadalupe Mountains N.P. would have also been great. Unfortunately I was not traveling alone and so spent a lot of time in San Antonio (I HATE the traffic and driving here). The cycling trip with seven Mexican men was nice, but I really had other things on my mind. It really brought home the fact that I need to learn Spanish. Also wish I was traveling with someone who at least knew something about country music. The music scene was awesome, but we didn't even linger around legendary Luckenbach, Texas. At least the folks from Texas are by far the friendliest people.

After the tour we drove North towards Denver and winter. We passed thru Amarillo (another country song). The next evening we arrived in Denver, unloaded the gear, and I picked up my moving van. I spent the night in Fort Collins and the next morning opened my storage unit and started moving out. In the afternoon I hung out at the Bike Co-op and then spent the evening with friends. The next morning I finished packing, bought a supply of beer, and headed to Denver. After dropping my stuff off at the Amtrak station I headed for the office to drop off some of my spare bikes. Then I returned the van and by 8 p.m. was on the Amtrak headed East. Sound like a logistical nightmare? You would be most correct! So now I'm in Ann Arbor and there's snow on the ground. A week ago I was enjoying 70 degree weather and sunshine! Well, sometimes we must make sacrifices.