North Rim to White Pocket

 We took a "short cut" between Hwy 89a and 89 on House Rock Road. At the southern end we found some young ornithologists from the Peregrine Fund looking out to the Vermillion Cliffs and we got to look through their spotting scopes for good views of the California Condors on the distant cliffs. It was so wonderful to see these introduced great vultures soaring around the cliffs! The hunting areas of the Kaibab mesa were covered with signage encouraging hunters to bring their "gut piles" in if they used lead shot... hopefully there will be enough safe natural food for these great birds to survive in Arizona.

We'd heard from my brother and a friend about how we HAD to go to a place called "the wave" which isn't on any of our maps. We just floundered into the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument on the tail winds of another tourist but we were really unprepared for the sandy roads. (They look like waves don't they?)

Michael stopped to process (30 gallons of) veggie oil after the people we were following got stuck and then turned back. Another couple came along as we were deciding to go back and their enthusiasm for the area, encouraged Michael to let more air out of the tires and go on. So, after scratching the roof of the VV and busting one of the camper tie downs we made it to White Pocket which shows the characteristics that the North Coyote Buttes (equal to "the wave.") is famous for... swirling sandstone colors.

A storm was coming on so we didn't stay too long since we couldn't anticipate how well we were going to do getting out but we did make it out and completed the rest of the House Rock Road before heavy rain set in during the night, snow at about 5500 feet. The beauty of Utah, since we are once again across the border, continues to amaze us. (Click on this photo!)