Day 3 "We search for sunshine..." Blanding, Utah to Phoenix Arizona

Another cozy night in the bedroom on wheels ended with the startling realization that the rain and sleet of the previous night had turned into...two inches of snow. More of which was falling, might we add. Faithful readers, you might ask why this meagre display of winter would disturb two such women as these, used to hard winters of shoveling cars out of snowbanks and sub-freezing temperatures. In the words of CL "I DID NOT pay to come to the SOUTHWEST for SNOW." There you have it. It took approximately five seconds to decide to drive on to flagstaff, where Heather and CL were hoping for sunnier skies and hiking delights. After a delicious breakfast cooked in the warmth and comfort of the gas station bathroom (unanimous decision that using a propane stove in the suburban would be a BAD idea), they filled up with high quality diesel and drove on. They gazed sadly over the fog and ice-filled glen canyon but knew that (in heather's case) she looked forward to eight weeks' worth of weekends to explore the canyon from her new placement in Tuba City.

Not far out of Blanding, route 163 entered Monument valley. The amazing formations jutting out of the plateau against the cloudy blue sky made the drive something of a wonder, and lead christi-lynn to attempt to take pictures leaning out of the window of a the moving vehicle (with seatbelt on, of course). The road lead onward to Tuba City and then onward to Flagstaff. Not far out of Tuba City snow started to fly. Then the fleets of plows came out, spewing salt and gravel every which way. By the time the hearty suburban reached Flagstaff, it was clear that there would be no hiking done that day- Heather and Christi-Lynn made another command decision- south until sunshine. Somewhere south of flagstaff, the mighty suburban began to demonstrate some (ahem) signs of engine discomfort. Quick consultations with all of Heather's relatives familiar with diesel vehicles brought the solution- adding some magical juice to the gas would relieve the discomfort caused to the engine by ascending and descending thousands of feet in a short period of time.

The descent into Phoenix brought with it the hoped-for sun, a lower elevation, and balmy temperatures in the 50's. Lovely! On recommendation from C-L's family members they headed to Apache Junction and the Lost Dutchman State Park, at the base of Superstious mountain. Heather greeted the Saguaro cacti with wonder (this being her first experience in the desert)and they took a sunset walk on one of the parks' shorter trails. A last check-in with CL's mom left them with these parting words: "Don't climb in the dark, christi-lynn. It is dangerous!" What a fun idea! Climbing the dark. CL was thankful that she has a mom with these wonderful ideas, and the two immediately made plans for a pre-dawn summit of Superstitious mountain.