Tuesday, 14th of July 2009 at 04:46:54 PM

Wave 2009 Day 6, Tuesday June 2nd: North Rim

North Rim of the Grand Canyon
My short 2009 USA Wave trip slowly was approaching its end. I would fly home to Munich already Satrurday and my last big Hike day was planed for tomorrow Wednesday: The Subway Hike. Therefore my plan was to drive back to Zion N.P. and visit some locations on the way. I had never driven the old US89a so this morning my first target was the Marble Canyon crossing the  Navajo bridge and driving towards Lees Ferry where one has the possibility to come very close to the colorado river.
Navajo handcrafted art Near Fredonia
I wanted to do also a small hike in the cathedral wash near the Balanced Rocks but I was to tired so I just drove to the boat landing spot where a group of teenagers where preparing their boats for a Colorado rafting tour. I returned back taking US89a , passing the Cliff Dwellings and also noticing the south entrance to the House Rock Valley Road.The access to Coyotte Buttes South and the White pockets. I would like to visit those locations sometime in the neear future. It was for sure that I will come back here again. I decided to take the time to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which I hadn’t seen before. So at Jacob Lake  I left US89a and took US69. I arrived there around 11 a.m.  After some photos and small hikes at the North Rim I drove back north towards Fredonia and further North leaving AZ , entering Utah, passing Kanab and took a last stop at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes S.P..
Coral Pink Sand Dunes S.P.
I had read that the beautiful rock formations around the Wave emerged thousand of years ago from Sand Dunes like those one can still see today at Coral Sand Dunes S.P. So this visit was still a tribute to the Wave. I had been here in 2004 with Christiane and we had already then liked the Dunes. I took the chance to do some more nice shots. The result was not very satisfying, it was quite windy and really hot so that the conditions were not great for photographing Around 3 p.m. I continued my drive taking the US9 west and passing the Zion N.P. once again.
Zion N.P.
I stopped at the Checkerboard Mesas and near the tunnel and took some further nice shots. Right before the permit desk was closing I arrived at the Zion N.P. visitor center to pick up my permit for the Subway Hike. I had requested it via Internet. It was still early so I decided to check out how to find the trailhead carpark for my next days Subway hike. In Virgin I took the Kolob Road driving north and after around 10 miles I spotted the car park for the Left fork Trailhead where I would start early in the morning the next day. I drove than back to find some economic Motel for a short night. I found it in Hurricane where I slept for 30USD in the Travelodge, quite a difference to the nights before in Pages Marriot, but I dint care. It was close to the trailhead so I could start my hike quite early as i had planned it.

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