I spent my last weekend camping at East Rim on the Kaibab National Forest with an Arizona Trail walk.
Bill drove up onto the plateau 85 miles from the heat in Kanab and met me at the junction of SR67 & FR610 then followed me about 5 miles to East Rim on the Kaibab National Forest. We drove past the actual East Rim parking and access to the Arizona Trail about a mile.
Found a sweet place to camp under a shady forest with a fire ring and some thoughtful camper had left lots of wood stacked for later. And not 50 feet away a little view of the Marble Plateau with the jagged cut of Marble Canyon where the Colorado River flows. It was hazy from smoke blowing from southern California fires.
After parking and leveling my rig we took Bill’s truck back to the parking area and headed south on the Arizona Trail, destination, and journey, unknown.
Most of the time we were at least within sight of North Canyon but walked in the forest under the pines and aspen. The trail is basically level and a light breeze made the 80+F comfortable.
Found a nice log with a view to stop and have lunch at while we kept chatting away as we both do so well. Sure is nice to have interesting conversation with a pleasurable companion in such a peaceful environment.
Walked about 3-4 hours round trip but I’m sure we didn’t get very far with me stopping to take photos frequently and Sasha stopping to smell whatever it is dogs smell for.
Back at camp I made us dinner, nothing too exciting but one of my favorites, fried potatoes with chopped garlic then add bite-size pieces of pork, kalarabi and cucumbers on the side. Neither of us really Like to cook and I’m admittedly lazy when cooking for myself. Afterwards we watched the last light shine on Marble Viewpoint to the east.
Then the sun settled in the west putting on a bit of a show in some distant smoke from a managed lightning strike fire not far from Locust Point.
A two-point buck crept close to camp twice.
As the temperature dropped to fleece weather I built a campfire and we sat up until I began yawning around 11. I was glad for extra covers by morning.
Because I ran out of propane overnight, and we hadn’t eaten desert the night before, breakfast was angle food cake and Haagen-Dazs White Chocolate with raspberry swirls and dark chocolate bits ice cream, topped with raspberries. Didn’t want to waste the ice cream and ate it too fast to take a photo. We sat outside at first seeking the sun and then the shade talking away and all the time swatting at the very pesky flies. There was talk about walking north a ways on the Arizona Trail but I just felt like relaxing in the forest with good company.
Sounds like a great trip and love the photos. Such a beautiful place. Keep well and have a good week, Diane
Thanks Diane. Today is my first of three days off, so I’ll try to have good ones. You also enjoy your week.
What a great weekend camping and hiking jaunt, complete with campfire and ice cream breakfast.
All in all a great weekend, with company and breakfast some of the best part.
I think with a breakfast like that, Bill will want to go camping with you every week!
Can’t believe it’s in the 80s there. Quite a change from our stay at the North Rim not too long ago.
He said it was the best breakfast ever. Don’t want to spoil him.
If only the monsoon would start it would cool down. And this ‘weekend’ I’m going to even more heat, 100, in Kanab to have a propane tank valve replaced. And visit with Bill and Sasha of course.
Beautiful photos! I would love to be out in the forest somewhere right now! It’s been 113 here last week and this week…ha! It’s only 106!
Thanks Cheryl Ann. Sounds like the you should be in the mountains to cool off but not where’s there fire.
Sounds like all is as it should be (but usually is not). All that pork dish wanted
was some fried onion, and yellow and green squash mmmmm
You are a grand cook, even if you don’t like it – – and that is rare (like you)
Berta
I’m sure that dinner would have been better if you’d cooked it.
Looks like a wonderful trail. I love the picture of it through the trees. Nice picture of Sasha but none of you and Bill? That sounds like my kind of breakfast!!
Guess I better start practicing selfies. 😀
Gaelyn, I felt like I was right there with you sitting at that campfire. Beautiful views – I love that country so much. We’ve cancelled our trip in Nov to AZ as we will -hopefully – be harvesting olives in Greece but we are both trying to figure out how to get in a week there sometime!
Glad to have you along at the campfire. Picking olives sounds pretty fine to me. Hope you can fit AZ into your plans before you return to Greece.
Cake and ice cream. The best Breakfast of Champions. Glad you had a good time on your days off. Really like your description of the area.
Bill and I are going to make cake and ice cream a tradition for breakfast.
I LIKE that breakfast choice. We’re having some haze from the CA fires, too. I wish we’d have a good rain and a little wind which might clean the air. Your photos of the distant views are wonderful. Sounds like a fun weekend!
Sounds like a great campout.
Good companions are always the best. Plus the buck is wonderful! As for the prepping of food. I don’t mind it….it’s just the cleaning up part that sucks. Yesterday it was cold up on Mt. Lemmon so I can only imagine how cold it gets up there at night this time of year! It was cold in October. Love how elevation changes everything about Arizona.
I’d gladly do dishes if someone else would cook. Great sleeping weather up here in the low 60s and high 50s. Now if this teasing monsoon would just bring us some real rain. I’m definitely enjoying Bill’s company.