Day 6 Romera Trail, Biosphere 2, Mount Lemon Sky Lab

First off happy mother's day to my mother of 26 years.  I know I am your pride and joy and I am glad you had the opportunity to raise me.  I know you will miss me on this important day but be content I'm having a great time in Arizona.
 Today Tom kept me really busy.  We hiked the Romera trail in the Catalina mountain range for 3 hours, had a quick lunch and went to the Biosphere 2.  This is basically a very large greenhouse that is completely climate controlled and has 4 different climates, wet desert, rainforest, ocean, and dry desert.  This place is now owned by the University of Arizona and they are conducting climate change experiments inside.  Originally the structure was built and 8 individuals were sealed inside to see if they could live in a completely controlled atmosphere like what may be constructed on Mars.  This was all funded by a rich oil tycoon.  The experiment ended after 2 years because the humans were running out of oxygen.  They were at 14% and we breath around 21% oxygen.  The Biosphere 2 is an incredible structure but I felt they were trying to indoctrinate me into believing there is man made climate change.

Me by and extremely large Saguaro.

The pool we hiked to on the Romera.

The outside of the biosphere.

Rainforest room.

Ocean room.

Dry desert room.

Equipment in basement that creates the specified atmospheres.

After 2 hours at the Biosphere we headed to Mount Lemon Sky Center which has a research grade telescope that is used for public viewing.  Tom decided to take a back road to the place which required him to put his Jeep in 4 wheel drive and we had to stop twice in order to let the transmission cool down.  The road was incredibly rough and wasn't fit for much more than a mountain goat.  The drive was very scenic and we were able to see some really neat wildlife.  When we started we were in desert and by the time we had reached the top we had gained so much elevation we were in Ponderosa Pine forests.

Cous deer on the mountainous road.

 We finally arrived at Mount Lemon after winching his Jeep out of several ditches and finally writing "Honda" on it which made it run better.  Mount Lemon is the highest peak in the Catalina mountain range at just under 9000ft elevation.  The program started at 1700 and an astronomer gave us an introduction on how telescopes worked and some basic calculations they perform to measure age and distances.  We then looked at the sun with a telescope and then had a meal.  We watched the sunset and then used the big telescope, 530x mag power, to look at various stars and galaxies along with a few planets.  There are several telescopes on the peak and one is operated remotely by South Korea.  There is also the old Cold War radar installations still in place which are now officially "empty" though there were people going in and out and at times there are lights on inside.  It was incredibly cold and windy at the top of the mountain.  The program concluded at 2200 and we drove the 2 hours back to Tom's house.  I'm not sure we could have packed any more into the day and if anyone is wondering, Tom is a great travel guide.

The 2 telescopes in the world that scan the skies
for space projectiles that may collide with earth.

Telescope we were able to use.

Day 5 Titan II Missile Museum and CAT proving grounds

Woke up at 0600 and was only mildly sore.  My left leg around the cactus scratch is a bit sorer than my right leg so probably it is not due to just fatigue from my Grand Canyon ordeal.  I had my free continental “breakfast.”  The only thing available was small muffins and a loaf of bread along with coffee and watered down OJ.  Needless to say it was a sad breakfast so I supplemented it with food from my cooler.  I was happy to see my car still in the parking lot and not broken into.  I headed south on I-19 to Green Valley and the Titan II missile museum.  I had reservations for a 5 hour tour from the top to the bottom of the in ground missile silo.   It was expensive but now that I have completed the tour it was well worth it.  The museums historian was the guide and he was training another guide who had been a crew member while the missile was still active, so we had a lot of information and all questions were answered and much more detail than I can remember was told to me.  There were 5 tourists in the tour and 1 heavy out of shape man that was having a really tough time with the ladders.  I was hoping I would get to use my medical skills at the bottom of the silo because another of the tourists was an RN so I would have had someone to give orders to in order to save a life.  All of the Titan II missiles were retired because they were deemed too dangerous and expensive and better missiles were available so these sites had to be destroyed in order to conform to the arms treaties if the better missiles were to be built.  The Titan II were hydrogen bombs that had a damage radius of 34 square miles and an accuracy of 1 mile.  The crew had 24 hour shifts ~11 times/month.  The technology and massiveness of the silo was pretty amazing but not as amazing as God’s creation of the Grand Canyon.

Sketch of the missile silo and crew's quarters

All that is visible at ground level.  Big whitish mass
in center is the silo doors.

Just entering the compound and about to enter the
nuclear hardened shell.  This is the first blast door.

Safe were all the codes were kept.

Me turning the one of the two keys needed to begin
launch sequence

Place where crew slept.   Sign states you cannot smoke
while in bed.

Massive batteries needed as bridge if power went out
to when the diesel generators started up.

Corridor connecting the crews quarters/command
with the missile silo.

The writing in the middle of the picture is on the missile
and left over from filming a Star Trek movie.

Level 1 looking down the silo.

Level 8 looking up the silo.  Silo door is 1/2 open

Hand machined fuel mixer plate.

Looking down at lowest level.  Now below missile where
rocket heat was deflected to the sides and up vents.

Looking up at the bottom of the rocket with its
engines removed.

Stage 1 engine

Silo door.  Note it is half open and blocked so it cannot
open further.  This is by treaty with Russia.

I met Tom at CAT’s Tucson Proving Grounds.  The place was highly secured and I was cut by razor wire and chased by some dogs but I ended up getting through.  There was some amazing equipment there.  Tom showed me all around and I got to climb on some of the equipment or “big iron” as they say in the business down here.  This facility tests mostly mining equipment.  As new products are in development I was unable to take pictures.  The largest piece of “big iron” I saw was the 7495 electric rope shovel which is basically a 3 story iron house on tracks that has a shovel the size of a large bedroom.  An electric cable attaches the machine to a CAT Gen Set.  I’m sure the machine costs more money than I will ever make in my life.  Apparently the proving grounds cover 6,000 acres of land and is home to numerous coyotes and a route for illegal aliens to come over and take advantage of Obamacare.  Had a nice supper at Tom’s and will be looking forward to sleeping in a bed I can feel assured is clean.

Day 4 Oak Creek Canyon, Red Rock Park, Chapel of the Holy Cross

I didn't set my alarm today and woke up at 0800.  I was somewhat sore in my lumbar spine and legs but most of it disappeared after a few minutes.  I had no plans for the day so the first order of things was to figure what I wanted to do.  I decided to take Route 89a to Sedona on my way to Tucson.  This is a scenic route that goes through the Oak Creek Canyon.  When I stepped outside I noted that it had snowed overnight.  I was staying in Flagstaff which is 6000 ft elevation but still cold enough to snow apparently. 

See the snow on the roof and vehicles.

I ate my Super 8 Superstart breakfast which consisted of only carbs but I didn't care as I wasn't going to do anything too strenuous today.  I checked out and headed to 89a.  Oak Creek Canyon was only about 15 miles from Flagstaff so I came upon its start quickly.  On my way it had rained and hailed on me but by the time I reached the Canyon it was starting to become sunny again.  I first stopped at the vista which is the first overlook of the canyon.  The canyon is not as immense as the Grand Canyon but I thinks it's prettier as it has vegetation all up and down the sides.

View of Oak Creek Canyon from the Vista

Another view of from the Vista

View of the road down the canyon

 I stopped at several points along my drive through the canyon and hiked a short distance and took some photos.  There were a lot of places to park but most were tow zones or I had to have a permit to park but I had been to cheap to buy one at the ranger station so I had to be careful where I parked along the road.

Oak Creek

Some more of Oak Creek

I stopped for lunch about 3/4 through the canyon.  It was sunny and warm and I was hungry.  I hiked for about 10 minutes to the cliff edge and ate lunch on a bare rock overhanging Oak Creek.  On my way to the overhang I was scratched by a cactus.  It only felt like a small poke but my leg began to feel wet and I noticed blood pooling in my shoe.  I bled a lot as you can see from the picture below but after my shower tonight I see just a small 1/2 inch scratch.  I have no pain and hopefully no bacteria was on the cactus so I won't wake with my leg rotted off.  My left pant leg was stiff from all the blood it had soaked up so I did some laundry in the motel sink.  It looked like I was cleaning up a murder scene.

That rock outcropping is where I ate lunch.

My battle wound

The culprit

 I missed my turnoff from 89a but went past Red Rock Park so I decided to drive through it.  A lot of beautiful red rock formations.  I stopped a few places and took photos.

Red Rock Park

Cliffs of Red Rock

 On my way down R 179 to Phoenix I stopped by the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  It had some interesting architecture but what was more impressive to me was the mansion you could look down on from the edge of the chapel.  The chapel was constructed by Catholics so they had a bird bath inside the chapel which I figured out was Holy water.

Some cacti that didn't attack me and were flowering.

The mansion.  I really wanted to go knock and ask for a tour.

Inside the chapel

The chapel exterior as seen from below

The chapel was the last placed I stopped until Tucson.  The rest of the day was sunny and hot.  I hadn't gotten a recharging kit for my AC so it was a warm drive.  So warm that I had a flock of buzzards circling me for the last 4 hours of the drive.  They finally gave up on me when they saw a General Motors driver stranded on the side of the road.  I spent a lot of the drive scanning the radio and could tell I was getting close to Mexico as more of the stations were what I call Mexican mariachi music.  The music always sounds happy and their commercials have the same music so to me there are never any commercial breaks because I can't understand what they are saying and everything sounds the same.  In Phoenix a box truck had rolled over on the highway so I spent an extra 2 hours watching planes take off while sitting on the interstate.  When I arrived at Tucson I drove to the southern edge and stopped at Econolodge.  I filled up with gas at the station across the street and was immediately approached my a claimed homeless man asking for money for food.  I said no so he took his foot out of his shoe to show me how dirty his socks were.  I noted that they had fewer holes than most of my socks.  I did feel a little for the man and I had a cooler of food in my trunk so I gave him some jerky.  When I went to the cashier for my receipt I noted a security guard standing in the middle of the station so I know I am not in a good neighborhood.  However I parked my beat up car next to the nicest vehicle I could find in the parking lot so hopefully any thieves will not even consider stealing or breaking into my car.  The internet here is very fast and my only complaint is the shower head is way too short.  Maybe this is do to me being so close to the Mexican border and Mexicans are shorter.  Regardless the water wouldn't aim any higher than my stomach.

Day 3 Grand Canyon

Woke up at 0500 MST which is only 0700 CDT so not too early except my free continental breakfast had yet to open.  I planned on starting my hike of the Grand Canyon at 0700.  However I had a 1 ½ drive to the canyon and had to take a shuttle to the trail head I wanted.  I ended up starting my hike at 0830.  It was sunny and cold at the rim.  I am at the south rim as the north rim is still closed for the winter season.   The map said I had to hike 12 miles to get to the end but this was the round trip figure, which I understood when I arrived at Plateau Point 2 hours later.  The trail was narrow and I decided I would never trust a donkey to stay on it, however when heading the other direction for about 4 hours I would have paid a lot to have the oldest and most wobbly donkey carry me.  The entire hike was beautiful and it began to get warmer as I descended.  The trail head was at 6900 ft elevation and by the end of the day I had descended to 2000 ft elevation.  After Plateau Point I went back 1.5 miles and headed down another trail to the Colorado River.  I reached the river at about 1300 and spent a little bit of time wading and taking pictures.  It started to lightly rain and was incredibly windy so I didn’t spend much time at the river.  The patellar tendon of my right leg was hurting so I was glad to use different muscles for the climb.  Otherwise the trip down had not wore me out at all so far as I could tell.  I started my hike back up at 1315.  The first 4.5 miles where easy and I thought I was pretty hot stuff but the last 3 miles nearly killed me.  My leg extensor wanted to quit working.  I made sure I urinated about every hour and my urine was clear which meant I was well hydrated.  I was worried a bit about hyponatremia but my salty beef jerky prevented this.  The last 1.5 miles was the slowest I had ever walked.  I had to stop often as the trail seemed to become steeper and the sun decided to come out and bake me.  It then got cloudy and began to rain so I put my raincoat on which kept all my heat in and I soaked my raincoat from the inside out.  By the time I arrived at the trailhead it was 1700 and I was out of breath and shaking pretty badly from being so fatigued.  All in all I had hiked 19 miles with an elevation change of just less than 5000 ft.  The top was colder and more windy than the morning and I quickly became cold.  I was soaked with sweat and had my nonbreathable insulated raincoat on which held in the moisture so I was pretty miserable.   Note I did kill another rattlesnake today after it got too close and I have no blisters or new calusus on my feet thanks to my Vibram Fivefinger Spyridons.  I was afraid to drive the 1.5 miles back to Flagstaff as I would end up being incredibly stiff once I arrived so I decided to take the shuttle as far as I could to the west while stopping at a few places and taking pictures.  I was feeling better when I got back so I road the shuttle to the other extreme and took some pictures on the way.  I now had traversed the canyon as much as I could both vertically and horizontally.  It was dark and 2000 so I drove home.  I took 180 back to Flagstaff, which takes me through San Francisco peak to an elevation of 8000 ft.  from 6500 ft to 8000 ft it had snowed up to ½ an inch so the drive back was not very enjoyable as apparently they had retired their snowplows for the year.  Anyway I stopped at McDonalds in Flagstaff to obtain faster internet and ate an $11 meal.  I better get going as the employees are giving me the evil eye for setting here so long.  I’ll upload some Grand Canyon pictures tomorrow.  All-in-all the day was great, however I doubt I will ever hike down and back up the canyon in 1 day as you can only enjoy it ½ the time as the other ½ you are just chanting Thomas the Train's mantra of I think I can I think I can.

My first view of the canyon after getting off the shuttle

Just starting the hike

Great day for pictures as cloud cover filters light

View of the trail and the 3 mi rest station

Getting closer to the stable and the split in the trail

heading to Plateau Point

Add Plateau Point with my first view of the Co River

Looking back at where I came from.  Green trees are Indian
Garden where the trail to the river is.

Proof I made it to Plateau Point

A sign telling me not to hike alone and not to go to river
and back in 1 day

Heading down the rest of Bright Angel to the river

A stream heading to the same river I am.

Attempted to show how the trail is a cliff edge with a wall
on my rightand drop off on my left.

Beach at the Co River's edge

I did indeed make it.  At least the downhill part.

Heading back up with sun coming out.

Back at the top.  Looks different in the distance with the sun out.
Having a hard time taking steady pictures at the moment because I'm
so exhausted.

One of the farthest points to the west you can go on the South Rim

One of the farthest views to the east you can go on the South Rim.
Note its becoming dark and the shuttles are nearly retired for the day.