Chams, New Mexico

Have fifteen minutes in a welcome centre. After Bryce and Torrey headed south to Glen Canyon, an absolute zoo, cooking under a baking sun, filled with huge RVs and houseboats, then on to the north Rim, campground full so camped in the National Forest nearby, a mile up a gravel road in light rain, it was pleasantly cool, originally planned to not pitch the tent but at dusk it started to drizzle and so I ended putting up the tent, then it stopped raining. Tiny flat space in amongst the trees but slept fairly well.

In the morning into the Park, overcast and very light rain, after a fairly long walk and coffee headed back out and down through Cameron and into the South Rim, camped in the Village, pitched the tent, dinner in the Village Café, high living, in the morning took the bus around the Eat side then headed west, walked along the rim, huge deluge and storm, the park closed the bus service and it took me an hour of waiting to discover this, spent most of the afternoon getting back to the camp, everything was absolutely soaked, the top leaked and the bottom flooded, the tent is twenty five years old and clearly past the waterproof age. I covered the top with the groundsheets and the sky cleared, looking good, rather uncomfortable getting into the wet bag, then late in the night it started raining again, all considered not too good a night, meanwhile a muscle in my right back has decided to go sprong and it was very painful that morning, difficult to fold the tent and take the campsite down, Ibu helped.

Headed out on the bike, through Monument Valley, then to New Mexico and motelled in Farmington. Been putting off the long hot drive down I40 east but maybe I have to start tomorrow. Meanwhile the weather man is telling me that Knoxville is having a mother of all thunderstorms, hope to arrive in four or five days.

Regards to all for the moment, sorry this isn't too exciting but don't have time to tell tales, about Mary Anne, the lovely artiste from Gunnison, the oh so totally sure of themselves Latter Day Saints folks at the Tabernacle I visited, the lovely waitress Francis this morning, hopefully later today may find a library and tell more tales. But for the moment, Leslie and I are doing well, my back has cleared up, had my first shower for two weeks yesterday so finally a little clean,

Regards to all, Phil.

Phil Edmonds
Enroute across the USA