2gypsies

First, The Wave isn't NPS, it's BLM land. They only give 10 in-person permits per day and we were two of 119 waiting that day. We were thrilled! We are very experienced hikers. We hike at just about every RV stop. We've done Guadalupe Peak, TX - 8 mi. 3,000' elevation gain, Mt. Wrightson, AZ - 12 mi. 4200' elevation gain, Ice Lake, CO - 8 mi. 2400' elevation gain (1600' in the first 2 miles), we hiked the Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail and hundreds more over the years. When we did The Wave we weren't given a color map with photos of viewpoint as they do now. There weren't any direction posts. It had rained hard the day before and we left at 6am so no footprints to follow. We made it to The Wave and went beyond to the Second Wave and to the Alcove. - an awesome hike. I think it was about 9 mi with the additions. We carried 5-7 liters of water in our hydration packs along with stuffing as many extra bottles as we could into our backpacks. We carried lunch and snacks. We were prepared. On the return after getting off the slickrock and into the deep sand we headed straight through the sagebrush. We must have come off the slickrock in a slightly different spot than we went up. Continuing on we were below a ridge rather than being on it. That was our mistake. Again... absolutely no trail and following the GPS it was taking us in the correct direction but a long way around. The point is.... no matter how good you are ... mistakes are made. I read an account of a very experienced mountain hiker where we were this winter who got to high elevation and it started to hail and snow. He got off trail and they found him dead two days later. It happens.

There's no phone service there. Yes, people have died on that hike. The thought crossed my mind!

Please reply after talking to the rangers. I'd like to know their take on this. I would highly think that the Sheriff would let the park know if they rescued anyone from the park trails. Glad you're OK. We had quite an experience when we won the lottery drawing to hike 'The Wave' in southern Utah. There is absolutely no trail but you're given landmarks and some GPS coordinates. Still... we ran out of water even though we carried water on our back in carriers and bottles as spares. It was a 95 deg day. We could see the next landmark from atop a ridge but when we went below the ridge it disappeared from view. The GPS sent us in circles. We laid under probably the only tree in the desert for a while and took off again. Hot and no water. We headed in the direction we guessed was correct. Finally, we just happened to look up and saw two people walking horizontally to us. We waved our arms and hollered as loud as we could and they finally looked in our direction. They waited until we met them; gave us a bottle of their rationed water and pointed in the direction they came. We eventually made it out but it was one of the scariest experiences ever. (The other was overturned in a rapid on our Colorado River/Grand Canyon trip but I won't go into that.) https://www.thewave.info/

Yes, the east entrance is open and that's a good drive-thru option and exit at the south entrance. You'd see a lot of the Canyon that way. It runs all along the Canyon rim. https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

What trail was it? https://www.nps.gov/orpi/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

The first sentence states 8 hr. or on vacation.

https://georgebrazilhvac.com/blog/what-temperature-should-you-set-your-ac-when-youre-away-a-phoenix-tech-answ

Just wondering..... why was the Park Service responsible? https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/swampcanyontrail.htm

I totally agree. Summer is the time they do repairs - everywhere. If you're that concerned then pick up a secondary highway about 20-50 miles before hitting the big city and weave your way back on the interstate 20-50 miles beyond the city.

I think you're either the type of person who is calm and confident or you're not. It's not something you can learn and that's OK. If you can't handle them no amount of driving them will make them easy. You can improve in your feelings and make them easier but rarely would you be comfortable. I guess we're on the calm side because both of us have driven Wolf Creek Pass and Red Mtn. Hwy 550 in CO with our 40' motorhome towing the Jeep many times in both directions. One thing I always recommend is to use the 'Mountain Directory for Truckers & RVers' and read up on the various roads before driving them to give you a 'heads up' on what you can expect. Sometimes just the unknown is scary. Nowadays there are YouTubes on just about all the challenging and scenic highways. Go for the ride with them. Keep in mind that many are in fast video speed so it looks worse than it really is. Also, many are driven by motorcyclists because that's what the seek out. Finally, sometimes you just have to turn the sound off for the awful music they play.

That's so sad. Escapees have a history of working together and helping each other. They'll get through it but it will be so very difficult. Thanks for posting.

The Skywalk is over 'part' of the canyon but not the main part of the expansive canyon. It's not part of the national park.

Here's a map for RV parking. I'd recommend heading directly to Parking lot 'D'. It's a little ways from the bad congested areas so you may have more luck finding a spot. https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/rv.htm Look at the top of the site in the black banner, under 'Basic Information' and you can read about pets. Yes, they're allowed on above the rim. If you can walk from the parking to the Rim Trail which runs all along the Rim, it's a nice flat walk and dogs are allowed on the Rim Trail. I hope you have to the time to stop, if only for a short time. It would be a shame to pass it by completely. I don't know why you're spending 3 nights at Needles. Nothing much there. Perhaps taking off one of them and stay in Williams and drive to the Canyon.

Don't forget that the founders of the Escapees RV Club, Kay & Joe Peterson, were workers with family, also. We had the pleasure to share some meals with them at the Escapades.... awesome folks! Now many Xscapers and other Escapee members are doing the same.... some because they need to do so and some because they want out of the corporate rat race. https://www.escapees.com/40-years-escapees-rv-club/ https://www.escapees.com/escapees-rv-club-history-roots-run-deep/?fbclid=IwAR2aPi27fUWuSEivZ3gGUvt7kAKhwRTyICIRThMML_LUd2vYUMRP1lGZh54

We've driven 101 from San Francisco quite a few times with our 40' motorhome towing the Jeep. Beautiful drive! It's not at all like Hwy 1 which parallels it. In Oregon you'll cross the Astoria bridge and 101 continues westward with many coast opportunities and Olympic Nat'l Park's beautiful rain forest side. Then it continues around the Olympic Peninsula on the drier side to Sequim/Port Angeles before heading southward toward Olympia. In Port Townsend/Chimacum is a great Escapees park! That's a fun area in summer... festivals, Farmer's markets, sand sculpture contest on a beach, etc. Fort Worden State Park is another good place to stay on the beach. There are noontime concerts on Fort Worden's lawn and many night concerts. Plan a day to drive up to Hurricane Ridge at Olympic Nat'l Park . . awesome views of the San Juan's, mountains and lots of water. Good hiking, also. The whole drive from San Francisco is loaded with opportunities to explore and do some fun things.

Sorry to ruffle your feathers. You reprimanded me for mentioning Jojoba and giving a link for some answers and then there were 16 posts on military camps and regulations. The question wasn't in the OP's post and I just thought we should get back to topic.

Wow! I don't think any of this is helping the OP on his topic.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2021/04/your-national-park-vacation-has-gotten-more-expensive

Here's the link to Escapees Jojoba Hills Co-op: https://jojobahills.com/cms/about/frequently-asked-questions/

Here's the link: https://campskp.net/

It states the fourth 'BATCH'. The checks were sent out in batches from the last stimulus. This doesn't mean an altogether new stimulus. "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of the Treasury, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service recently announced they are disbursing more than 25 million payments in the fourth batch of Economic Impact Payments from the American Rescue Plan.

We've been to both rims in October. Very nice weather.

It probably wouldn't affect WalMart unless local law prevents it. Here is their stance: "While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers. Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store parking lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws. Please contact management in each store to ensure accommodations before parking your RV".

I'd never let any RV be supported solely by the jacks.... had a friend die when the RV fell on him! It's not a big deal to take the RV in to get tires replaced.

Your planned alternate route on 145 will be just fine for you. Although there is still elevation changes and you will still be in the 'big' mountains, there aren't the big drop-offs right next to the driving lane like you'd have on 550. There will be a lot of forest terrain which will make you seem more 'closed in' and not wide open with drop-offs. The summer road work on Hwy 50 east out of Montrose will not close the highway completely all the time. Read up on the time which would be good for travel if you want to do something along that route. We've driven Hwy 550 often in both directions between Durango and Ouray with our 40' motorhome towing the Jeep.... because that's where the good Jeeping is on the surrounding trails. Naturally, the first time was tense as it would be for anyone but after that it got easier and easier. Speed limits are very low so it's not fast driving. The area is absolutely gorgeous - one of our favorites. You said you want to see Ouray. If you'll be in the Durango area I'd really recommend you drive your truck from Durango to Silverton and experience Silverton which is much better than Ouray. That drive isn't at all bad. Silverton is so authentic for the mining era. Your truck would definitely even be capable of driving a good, almost flat road out of Silverton to Animas Forks ghost town and perhaps a stop for a mine tour. Your truck would also work on South Mineral Creek road - flat and well groomed. . a nice drive and some good boondocking spots along the way. If you happen to be there on July 4 the celebration up there is terrific and the parade lots of fun. Perhaps you could even take the Durango train up to Silverton for a day trip. I'd recommended returning on the optional bus as the train both ways is really a long day. The train stops in Silverton for a quick lunch and perhaps poking into a shop or two. Above all... take your small trailer up there and spend a few nights! The harrowing drive for some is from Silverton to Ouray - about 25 miles. Durango to Silverton really isn't bad. I'd recommend you get the 'Mountain Directory for Truckers and RVers' if you want to read about the western highways you may be traveling. 6-8% grades are normal! There are even interstates that have 6-7% grades. Don't avoid all of them..... that's where the real beauty is!! Also, if staying in Durango - Haviland Lake national forest campground just outside of Durango is very nice. Reservations are needed and it even has about 10 electric sites. Have a great trip! By the time you're in that area you'll be a pro!