Northern Arizona - February 20, 2006 (Re-run)

 Medical Update: Enough interest has been shown that I've decided to give an update on my medical situation.  I've just had my third chemo infusion, only three more to go.  This one required eight hours in the chair because my lab results were delayed in getting to the clinic.  There is a chance the chemo could do great harm if certain elements are out of range.  Mine were OK to proceed once the report arrived.

There are numerous side effects, most just annoyances.  I get hiccups, nausea and headache for a few days following treatment (I have prescription meds to combat these.).  I get a sharp tingling in my hands and, when I go to drink from a glass there is a weird tingling of my lips and mouth.  It's like drinking through a ball of cotton.  The most significant side effect is diarrhea and related issues.  It's not as bad now as during radiation treatments, but it keeps me confined to home except for clinic visits.  (On line grocery ordering is wonderful.)  I stay weak, tired and lacking energy, but not much is required to hang out at home and watch TV.  Thanks for all the interest, hopefully this has a good ending.

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This day was spent exploring a vast area of desert, mountains and parts of the Colorado River.  It was merely scratching the surface, as we would learn through many more trips to the area in years to come.  We started with an area called Bitter Springs with views of the Vermilion Cliffs, now a National Monument.  At the time, we did not realize the adventures to be found on top of those cliffs in an area known as the Paria Plateau.

 Along the way, we spent time at Marble Canyon, where the old Navajo Bridge has been retained for foot traffic, although a more modern bridge has been built for vehicles.  This happens to be the place where captive-born California Condors are released into the wild.  On this trip, we saw a few condors flying above the canyon, too far for good photos.  On later trips, we saw them nesting on the bridge's superstructure for close-up photos.

A side road leads to historic Lee's Ferry, which was the only place in the area to cross the Colorado before bridges were built.  This is where rafters now put in to float through the Grand Canyon for the trip of a lifetime.  The Paria River enters here, ending a popular back-packing hike of about 37 miles through Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon.  Some interesting rock formations can also be found nearby.