Click on a photo to enlarge it.
We limped into Page with one flat tyre, followed by Karl-Heinz and Brigitte. We didn't get there until 11-45 am because it was slow going, especially over the high
pass and down into Page!
Then we had problems trying to find a new valve. We have special ones of course because of the duals and we need to have extensions so we can get to it. But eventually
we went to a tyre place and they managed to drill out the part that had broken off and attach it to a new valve. By 2-30 pm we were fixed.
We had lunch and did some shopping and then drove out to meet the others at Lone Rock campground. We found out that the problem with the rangers was that they thought all six of us had been
to the Wave yesterday when we only had permits for four people. But fortunately the misunderstanding was corrected when they realized that Kirsten and Helen had a
permit for the South Buttes the same day and "witnesses" confirmed that there had been only four people in the group that went to the Wave.
So our names were cleared and our reputation is intact!!
We drove to Wahweap Marina where we had a shower for $2 and used the dump station and then we went to Wal-Mart in Page for the night.
The next morning, Karl-Heinz and Brigitte said that they needed to get to Mexico to get their motor home fixed because they had a problem with the radiator. This meant
they would not be coming with us on the next stretch of the tour. But we will no doubt see them again in Mexico later.
So Helmut and Agnes traveled with us and we drove 90 miles to Coalmine Canyon where we did a 3 hour walk around part of the canyon rim. We stayed there for the night
and then drove to Blue Canyon which included a 14 mile stretch of washboard road.
As we got to the canyon we got out to check a steep sandy downhill stretch of road and then drove down. Then we had the problem of checking out the next stretch. There
was a choice of getting stuck in deep sand on one route or ruining our tyres on a steep rocky stretch down to the canyon floor.
We had no idea what the road out the other side of the canyon was like and it was at least a one hour walk to check it out. So we decided to drive back up the steep
sandy part we'd just driven down and park up at the top. Then we would walk into the canyon.
We should never have driven down in the first place because we weren't sure we would make it back up!! Kirsten video'd as Helen took a long run to get Winnie and his 3
tons back up. It was close. Very close!!
Come on, Winnie!
Our relief was palpable, and even Helmut came down to Winnie thinking he might have to push! But good old Winnie made it ... just!
We walked down into the canyon to see smurph like formations with red hats and deep red rocks with white stripes in them.
Later, once we'd got back to Winnie, we watched as two four wheel drive vehicles came down the other side of the canyon and along the road to us. One of the vehicles
was towing a U-Haul trailer and they made it look easy!
We drove back out along the washboard road and then pulled onto a short road to take a look at Blue Point. But the Hopi police came along and told us we were trespassing on
Hopi land and were only allowed to keep to the main roads! We didn't know that and there were absolutely no signs but we weren't going to argue.
Helmut and Agnes were going to head to Death Valley so we said goodbye to them knowing we will see them for a few months in Teacapan next year!
We drove to Farmington in New Mexico and stopped at a Wal-Mart for the night. Then we went to Navajo Lake State Park for four nights for a hook up and showers as we
knew there was going to be snow and temperatures going well below freezing. We needed to sit it out before continuing on the next stretch of our tour.
The forecast wasn't wrong! The next day we had rain, hail and snow. It looked beautiful out there but we were struggling to keep warm even when we put both the electric
heater and the propane heater on!
