Hello Everyone,
I’m coming into the busiest part of my summer tour season, but wanted to drop a quick hello to let you all know that I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve just finished a hot couple of weeks out in the Desert Southwest, but it was also a really good tour. I’ve had a few days here in San Francisco since that trip ended, but I’ve been busily preparing for the next month which won’t have any days off for me at all. I’m ready for it and I’m looking forward to it, but it hasn’t left much time for anything else. But before I depart on my next trip tomorrow morning, I thought I’d send you all a quick update and a few photos from my last trip.
I wrote to you last from L.A. as I was getting ready to pick up the trip I just finished. I met 6 wonderful people the following day, all of whom were really excited to be out on tour. The trip was exclusively for passengers under 30, so you can imagine that I probably wasn’t who they expected walking through the door. Nevertheless, they gave me a chance and I know that by the end they had all had such a wonderful experience and were very grateful for the work I put into it. They thanked me a lot which may or may not surprise you is a rarity in my line of work. I know that my passengers feel thankful but they aren’t always the best at expressing it.
Our trip left L.A. bright and early the following morning and took us out to Joshua Tree National Park where we had lunch in the shade in the back corner of Hidden Valley. We did the one mile Hidden Valley Loop Trail which was probably enough hiking in the midday sun at 118°. We made a few other photo stops and spent some time at Skull Rock before beating feat out to Lake Havasu City which was just as hot. After a quick stop at the London Bridge, we went down to the lake for a swim and a barbecue dinner as the sun set in the desert heat. It had been a really good day and we were all thankful to be in a hotel instead of a tent that night.
The following day took us out to Grand Canyon with a stop along Route 66 in Seligman. We spent some time at the Canyon during the day and returned later for sunset which was fantastic as always. The sun wasn’t gone for long though and we were up to see it return the following morning at 5am. My group split in two for the day as half of them went towards Plateau Point on the Bright Angel Trail and the other half headed for Skeleton Point on the South Kaibab Trail. Everyone enjoyed their hike and they were all grateful for the early start.
From Grand Canyon we headed out to Vegas for two nights. The first evening we went for dinner at Chef Kenny’s Vegan Dim Sum since a majority of the group were either vegan or vegetarian. The food was fantastic – definitely the best vegan meal I’ve ever had and my group agreed. After dinner I took them for a fun ride around town to show them all of the bright lights and free shows that Vegas has to offer. The following day we went to Omega Mart which is Meow Wolf’s Las Vegas location. You may remember that the winter before last I went to the original Meow Wolf (The House of Eternal Returns) in Santa Fe and really enjoyed it. This one was also good – maybe not as good as the original but it was still a lot of fun. I left them to enjoy their evening and I had a pizza and a couple of beers in the Arts District before calling it a night.
Since Tioga Pass was still closed and we couldn’t go through the mountains to Yosemite, we had to go around them and spent one night at Lake Isabella which was not great but good enough. Our three days in Yosemite were also well spent, especially now that Glacier Point is open. The Pass opened on our last day there, so we even got a little taste of the high country in the end. Returning to San Francisco, we had a nice run around town before I dropped them off at their hostels and said my goodbyes. I was sad to see this group go, but it’s always best to leave on a high note and we had a wonderful adventure together.
I’ve been really working hard to prepare for the next few weeks since I’ve been here. I did get to do happy hour with my friend Mitch while I was here and Mitch and I go back 23 years. I also went to see a wonderful show called Dear San Francisco which was a tribute to the circus arts and the history of the city. I had a nice dinner in North Beach, caught up with a few other friends and said goodbye to Anchor Brewing Company which is closing after 127 years of brewing Anchor Steam Beer. I also did get out and spend a few hours with Shadow Catcher while I was here. It was great to slide back behind the wheel and take her for a spin. She’s resting up for our next journey but it was nice to knock the cobwebs off for a minute and get her wheels turning.
And that’s about what I’ve been up to out here. Tomorrow I’m off to Yosemite for five days of hiking. I return to the city on Thursday but then head out on Friday morning towards Seattle. There I will run a combo trip down through Washington and Oregon taking in Olympic, Mount Rainier and Crater Lake National Parks. That trip will bring me back to San Francisco as well and then it looks like I’ll be making a big loop from here down to the desert and then as high as Yellowstone, but we’ll just have to wait and see about that one. I’m feeling good out here, getting some sleep and plenty of exercise and really enjoying the groups I’ve been guiding. I hope you’re all having a wonderful summer and I will get back with you as soon as I can. Take care out there and thank you, as always, for reading.
-Mike