tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60202064777724834402024-03-13T10:38:11.344-07:00Welcome To Page AmericaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12870394349205350844noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020206477772483440.post-85887034823908704172013-02-07T12:41:00.001-08:002013-02-07T12:41:34.429-08:00Superbowl in the Big Hole<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_sNwIGD0S1bqQ5TVeHwkEz4CwsHrMgbTAC4DMqWrKCt-tBlulQjRnrSkFcKZn2K5MFSvdMwunwDmu25A3mC7f-D9S11Bg1cID6z_IxaH_ttZdu-sJ7qi9spGM1I7HVbjHo3m37_Lgh5E/s1600/Canyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_sNwIGD0S1bqQ5TVeHwkEz4CwsHrMgbTAC4DMqWrKCt-tBlulQjRnrSkFcKZn2K5MFSvdMwunwDmu25A3mC7f-D9S11Bg1cID6z_IxaH_ttZdu-sJ7qi9spGM1I7HVbjHo3m37_Lgh5E/s1600/Canyon.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down the South Kaibab Trail. Photo courtesy of Phil Richards, who took pictures while our camera slept in the pack.</td></tr>
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The Grand Canyon is one of my most favorite places to be. The South Rim is about 120 miles from Page. The North Rim is about the same distance in a different (duh) direction. Not far considering people travel across the globe to see it. It's a convenience to cherish.<br />
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Over the years, I've been in the Canyon nearly 100 times. Still can't get enough. Any excuse to go is good. Like Superbowl Sunday. It's a tradition for those of us averse to watching big men in tight pants chase a funny-looking ball and get brain damage.<br />
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We met the group at the Kaibab Trailhead just after sunrise. There were about 10 of us. Others had been invited but declined to show. I guess watching other people exercise took priority.<br />
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The plan: hike down the South Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel, with a stop at Phantom Ranch in between. This year the sky was gloomy and overcast. Not very good for taking pictures. But the experience of being in the Canyon is always good. An orgasm for the soul.<br />
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The NPS (National Park Service) has been working on the Kaibab Trail for the past few years. It's in the best condition I've ever seen it. Almost handicap accessible. That's probably next.<br />
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Signs are everywhere. You'd think they'd at least coordinate the graphics. There was<br />
* The notorious "Do not attempt to hike from the rim to the river in one day or you will die and leave an ugly corpse" metal sign about a quarter mile down the trail. (We ignored that.)<br />
* The garish "Do not feed the squirrels--squirrels bite" sign, showing a poorly outlined photo of a squirrel along with a bloody bitten human hand on a bright green background. (We didn't see any squirrels to feed our hands to. The ugly sign probably scared them away.)<br />
* And the wood engraved "When mules pass, follow mule guide instructions" sign. Someone etched in "gas" after "pass."<br />
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I realize some people lose brain cells when they're at the Canyon and do dangerously ignorant things. Some die (thank you Natural Selection), some cause a major inconvenience and some risk the lives of rescuers. So I can understand why rangers at the Canyon get irritated by stupidity. But a few seem annoyed by everyone.<br />
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Like the ranger we encountered hiking up the Kaibab while we were heading down. "What's the plan today folks?" he asked with hostility. I silenced the smartass answers in my head. This guy had NO sense of humor. When he determined we were sufficiently prepared and not armed and dangerous, he let us go. I suspect he used to work for TSA.<br />
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We saw several hikers coming up the trail from Phantom Ranch. One couple warned us of the horses ahead. "Horses?" I asked "You mean mules?" The woman emphatically replied "No. HORSES!" Down the trail, we came upon mules with riders. Guess some people think if it has a saddle, it must be a horse.<br />
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One hiker coming up said he had 8 trout in his pack. He got them from NPS at the river. They were eradicating trout from the river, electrocuting them en masse and pulling out the bodies.<br />
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Trout are now considered an invasive species in the Colorado River. Years ago, another federal agency stocked the river below Glen Canyon Dam with trout for sport fishermen. Now trout are deemed evil and have to be exterminated. Taxpayer dollars at work. Wait 10 years and they'll be restocking the river.<br />
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Phantom Ranch was relatively quiet. Thankfully, there wasn't a television to be found. Probably why it was quiet.<br />
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We headed back up the Bright Angel trail. We didn't see anyone between the river and Indian Gardens. Not much wildlife, either. We saw one deer that seemed lobotomized. It just stood there. Didn't even look our way. Maybe it was a leftover Christmas decoration.<br />
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We didn't see any squirrels, either. Hopefully they didn't go the way of the trout.<br />
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Heading up the trail from Indian Gardens, it didn't take long to figure out why we didn't see anyone. The trail was a mess. It went from gooey mud to slippery slush to slippery snow. Going up took extra energy. Coming down would've been anxiety-provoking. Traction devices, like Yak Trax, really don't work in that slop. But they do get nice and dirty.<br />
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It was good to hit pavement on the rim. Even better to get a beer at the bar in El Tovar. Still, there's no better way to spend Superbowl Sunday. Join us next year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12870394349205350844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020206477772483440.post-44029751621274660202013-01-21T12:12:00.000-08:002013-01-21T12:29:28.771-08:00Burnin' Down the House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmVcalvKTgmvxcnAYtl7CIxTUU4WzdUrK6XE0Wa4jR40-mO6ZGXLUfLG-tU8oyYG0Rob9jpJ8vIp0Qh7BWIddotrXQ27B-ARYsahIXrsORVK59gCuqhPAaM0QW_MnOCYndBcxOwsS6cQn/s1600/100_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmVcalvKTgmvxcnAYtl7CIxTUU4WzdUrK6XE0Wa4jR40-mO6ZGXLUfLG-tU8oyYG0Rob9jpJ8vIp0Qh7BWIddotrXQ27B-ARYsahIXrsORVK59gCuqhPAaM0QW_MnOCYndBcxOwsS6cQn/s1600/100_0882.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you want to draw a crowd in Page, start a fire. It's the best show in town.<br />
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Hiking on a hill at sunset, we suddenly hear sirens and horns. Fire engines and police cars.<br />
Big deal.<br />
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Wait. This isn't Phoenix. Something's actually happening. We turn toward the sound.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjROOdW7viaqogDDsVBlMRi5IN0HlrmVwT8jDyB_LPvnNsmZ6P6ZdI0PAYZOjYRTvEAc2aGXlM2FxkNnIvp_rUvoQqpbniEi0xuLm2w96fsT2K0xYltxcG-qFFPGbgYwbOplrVzCZbu6iH/s1600/fire2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjROOdW7viaqogDDsVBlMRi5IN0HlrmVwT8jDyB_LPvnNsmZ6P6ZdI0PAYZOjYRTvEAc2aGXlM2FxkNnIvp_rUvoQqpbniEi0xuLm2w96fsT2K0xYltxcG-qFFPGbgYwbOplrVzCZbu6iH/s1600/fire2.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxpI2ZCBXkwmO_1u-01WEIuafJ8MCtjqYaP9C5fveu0RG8nrVxqdv4KDhx-dBi7KmibtVt6NvAAzD6fI91s6o1c-lr4PClEqW9_wM9KsprRNjExbCHwj6u01MVJNKA-s5nVgvBqwYSJ8-/s1600/fire1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxpI2ZCBXkwmO_1u-01WEIuafJ8MCtjqYaP9C5fveu0RG8nrVxqdv4KDhx-dBi7KmibtVt6NvAAzD6fI91s6o1c-lr4PClEqW9_wM9KsprRNjExbCHwj6u01MVJNKA-s5nVgvBqwYSJ8-/s1600/fire1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Grey smoke spews up from the center of town. The smoke turns black. Then there's bright orange. Flames. We hear explosions. From a couple miles away.<br />
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What's burning? Where? Was the restaurant with the best margaritas around burning down?!!<br />
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Heeding our natural gawker instinct, we had to go see what was burning. Maybe there'd be charred bodies. Couldn't miss that.<br />
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We weren't alone. Just about everyone in town came out to see what was going on. Streets were closed off. Every fire truck, police car, ambulance and ranger vehicle within a 20 mile radius was there. Enough flashing lights to trigger an epileptic fit.<br />
<br />
A mobile home was on fire. Hard to believe it was just one. Flames were everywhere. The ladder truck was hosing the fire from on high. Other hoses were dousing the house from the street. The fire kept burning. And burning. And burning.<br />
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The cop stationed at the end of the street said he knew nothing. He was just there for crowd control.<br />
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Comments from onlookers include:<br />
<br />
"My friend lives in there! I tried to call her and text her. She's not answering."<br />
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"Did you hear all those propane tanks exploding?!"<br />
<br />
"The firemen tried to get in there, but when they opened the door, the flames knocked 'em down."<br />
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"Gotta be a meth lab. I've seen meth lab fires before. The way it's burning, there's chemicals in there."<br />
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"That was the nicest house on the street." A street full of rusty old trailer homes.<br />
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After about a half hour, the fire was still burning strong. We decided to go. It wasn't a good idea to breathe that shit if it was a meth lab. Not a good idea to be breathing that shit period. Besides, the firemen had everything under control. No more drama. No bodies were removed. No one got run over. Ambulances just sat dark, parked along the curb. Just in case.<br />
<br />
It took the firefighters over 3 1/2 hours to put the fire out. Just before a front moved in with winds over 25mph. Good thing the fire was out by then. More than one home would've been torched. The situation would've gotten out of control.<br />
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No humans or animals were harmed in the blaze. Published reports say the cause of the fire is still "under investigation." Word on the street is the fire was set by a mentally unbalanced occupant. <br />
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The person to hire when you want a big audience.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12870394349205350844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020206477772483440.post-13742151039569948522013-01-11T14:06:00.001-08:002013-01-12T12:44:23.976-08:00Pretty ugly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0do5MxCYKV2bzmu-Chx6MX-2jJC7uHMM4y3FFMppoQgFZu_9L7egark5iqnndm7dvTGxMswN4eMEaehdmi4rFrjCdkDvrLREnqR76pnel884en994_OnAFeOBGqbeEo2YjN6bK1Z35jeu/s1600/fence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0do5MxCYKV2bzmu-Chx6MX-2jJC7uHMM4y3FFMppoQgFZu_9L7egark5iqnndm7dvTGxMswN4eMEaehdmi4rFrjCdkDvrLREnqR76pnel884en994_OnAFeOBGqbeEo2YjN6bK1Z35jeu/s1600/fence.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Surrounded by gorgeous scenery, you'd expect Page to look like Sedona or Telluride. Not quite. The town looks like shit.<br />
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The photo above is what tourists see heading to the airport to take a scenic flight. The main drag isn't much better, lined by a couple old strip malls spotted with vacant storefronts. The neighborhood right next to downtown is full of rickety old mobile homes with beaters parked in every available open space. Many homes are in disrepair. Yards are littered with junk. The first impression sucks.<br />
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Residents realize there's a problem, but after awhile, they get used to it. But everyone's aware the town has an ugly reputation. When out of town, locals say they're from Lake Powell rather than admit they live in Page.<br />
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Last year, city council passed a revised ordinance to clean things up. The goal is to remove eyesores like old appliances, overgrown weeds and junked vehicles. Eyesores like that fence in the photo. Thing is, the <u>city of Page</u> put up that fence years ago. Nothing has been done since the ordinance has been passed. Talk about setting a good example.<br />
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"That's good enough" is a prevailing attitude in Page. During tourist season, the town has a captive audience. People make money without really trying. All anyone has to do is breathe to get a job. Late fall and winter, poor performance is blamed on the off season. Everything is blamed on the off season. That's just the way it is. No one wants to raise the bar. Status quo is good enough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavKg05u-Hjcn3mxDDZkcOcoK1N1Ux4i7dXaGY0nD25w6U57HH9-j2V15E73cZ5QAzeMIiQJzvii6GnMe3C2iZczkTwHWugyBT_TnYtCyYvp9CjukGlDvqzzyIj7vDKqQJgdno9_yP34E1/s1600/mansion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavKg05u-Hjcn3mxDDZkcOcoK1N1Ux4i7dXaGY0nD25w6U57HH9-j2V15E73cZ5QAzeMIiQJzvii6GnMe3C2iZczkTwHWugyBT_TnYtCyYvp9CjukGlDvqzzyIj7vDKqQJgdno9_yP34E1/s1600/mansion.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>It's not all trash. There are some very nice areas of town. Modest, well-kept houses where it's obvious the owners take pride. Modern schools. Custom homes on the rim with gorgeous views. One of the most beautiful golf courses around. A relatively new library, park service headquarters and fire station.<br />
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And a gated mansion like this one. It even has an elevator. Owned and rarely occupied by a one-percenter who runs a lucrative business somewhere else.<br />
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But the blight is disturbingly distracting.<br />
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Over a third of the homes in Page are mobile and manufactured houses. Most are right in the center of town, on lots that are individually owned and unregulated. They go back to the days when the town wasn't supposed to last. Back when the dam was being built and workers needed a place to live. Heated by wood stoves, the old trailer houses fill the air with smoke every winter. The inversion keeps it in.<br />
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"Venture outside at dusk on any winter day and you can smell poverty in the air," says one longtime Page resident.<br />
<br />
Sometimes wood stoves start a fire and burn down the houses. Meth labs have the same effect. That really puts a lot of smoke into the air. But it is one way to clean up the town. One eyesore at a time.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12870394349205350844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020206477772483440.post-1130414786967653052013-01-07T20:44:00.001-08:002013-01-07T20:44:29.772-08:00Just Plain Awesome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwD5aF4fiTUhoP7QsgW02iE5AAGlZailDuLPaG5HTGN1QM0KDO37ZYWkTmIM69kSNy3j949V_wHF3FCLX44z0vfnMetVtDm1YkJs_WgS67ra9gYqaWmOE-X8IOuCTqB_q348MmYmBonFvF/s1600/100_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwD5aF4fiTUhoP7QsgW02iE5AAGlZailDuLPaG5HTGN1QM0KDO37ZYWkTmIM69kSNy3j949V_wHF3FCLX44z0vfnMetVtDm1YkJs_WgS67ra9gYqaWmOE-X8IOuCTqB_q348MmYmBonFvF/s1600/100_0117.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The area around Page includes Lake Powell, the Colorado River, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Navajo Nation. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Beautiful" understates it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's fucking incredible. Nature went on a sculpting spree designing th</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">is place. The beautiful thing is, it's relatively unknown. You don't have to fight the masses with screaming maggots to see cool stuff. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_-RS5V4vw5VbI5_MFqzp-p25PpG0gOjVMZFdte8f_0kkMyEvj1uzvHdxyokxdTFrbmeoWWg5_7AsWwuRQ4-zZNCqfgYN9KQ92xR2X67lPlvcnwyVNWmp4k9DTWtKN-H6WXpJjmmdneO6/s1600/100_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_-RS5V4vw5VbI5_MFqzp-p25PpG0gOjVMZFdte8f_0kkMyEvj1uzvHdxyokxdTFrbmeoWWg5_7AsWwuRQ4-zZNCqfgYN9KQ92xR2X67lPlvcnwyVNWmp4k9DTWtKN-H6WXpJjmmdneO6/s1600/100_0225.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Photographers know about it. It's a picture-taking playground, with slot canyons, cliffs, rock formations, hoodoos, water, sand and blue skies. I see photos from the area everywhere. In restaurants, shops and office buildings hundreds, even thousands, of miles away. In a Phoenix dentist office. In a Las Vegas art gallery. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a hotel lobby in Palm Springs. I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">n the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Indianapolis. On screensavers. The scenery's not stalking me. It's just a great place to shoot pictures.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Movies, too. "Planet of the Apes," "The Outlaw Josie Wales," "Maverick" and "Into the Wild" are just a few of the films that have been shot here.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But looking at pictures isn't the same as being there. Soaking up the energy. Enjoying the experience. With the freedom to see what you want when you want to. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">See, already a few places have barriers to entry. There will be more as the place becomes more popular. Because the terrain is so fragile. Because people can be such assholes. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Coyote Buttes and The Wave, about 50 miles west of Page, are accessible by permit only. It wasn't always that way, but now it is. Getting a permit is a major pain in the ass. You have to plan months, even years, in advance to reserve a permit. Or get in on a cancellation the day you want to hike by driving 70 miles to Kanab, Utah before dawn. Hopefully you won't hit a deer on the way. Then maybe you'll get lucky and get selected for a permit. Maybe not. Breaking the law is a tempting alternative. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Antelope Canyon is on the Navajo Nation, as is Waterholes Canyon. You need a permit and/or have to pay a fee to see either one of those. But that's because it belongs to the Navajos and they can do whatever they want to.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are still plenty of places to see for free. It helps to have a high clearance vehicle. Even better with 4WD. And that's the plan as long as I'm here. I want to be able to say "I was there before you couldn't go there anymore."</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12870394349205350844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020206477772483440.post-17300341325365984202013-01-03T20:53:00.001-08:002013-01-03T20:53:58.344-08:00The City Without a State<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQwncGaACcDE4ZjEYxLwv4fhZn8-Y5zUNvp9cUzWlYPGhgknNDpNWv8OCuoLAGOcX3uWMfFPUIUoL8lIf1ZtRQOXzqDmpBzgmOu_7lj1RtideLttySaynCwl-nwsVaCXXHA70Kz0emYxE/s1600/100_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQwncGaACcDE4ZjEYxLwv4fhZn8-Y5zUNvp9cUzWlYPGhgknNDpNWv8OCuoLAGOcX3uWMfFPUIUoL8lIf1ZtRQOXzqDmpBzgmOu_7lj1RtideLttySaynCwl-nwsVaCXXHA70Kz0emYxE/s1600/100_0101.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweIdWxDb36ehNDJzxjNoi5Uj3nzayqBqpH5Dd78KiA8qOQJN94FjHBsrVvcKIfmmVBL23k48U1YY40xeqkJ7qr4G6KTwEJi8LqPdhqKPm_NJ4dD474xyc90h66ipKdvTswG2Dh8pLJ61a/s1600/100_0100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweIdWxDb36ehNDJzxjNoi5Uj3nzayqBqpH5Dd78KiA8qOQJN94FjHBsrVvcKIfmmVBL23k48U1YY40xeqkJ7qr4G6KTwEJi8LqPdhqKPm_NJ4dD474xyc90h66ipKdvTswG2Dh8pLJ61a/s1600/100_0100.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>That's how Page feels.<br />
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Page is a community of approximately 7000 people on the Arizona/Utah border. Right next to Lake Powell. Rumor has it, Page is in Arizona. Only the tax man knows for sure. The town is virtually ignored by the rest of the state.<br />
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The Arizona Republic quit Page several years ago. In protest, some disgruntled citizen pushed the newspaper vending machines over a cliff. The remains can be found about 3 miles from civilization, on sandstone between the mesa and the lake.<br />
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Some old car carcasses are there, too. For years, the way to get rid of unwanted items in Page was to push them over the cliff. Occasionally, a body is found. "Suicide" is the explanation of choice.</div>
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Page was founded in 1957 with the construction of Glen Canyon Dam. It was supposed to go away after the dam was built, but it didn't. Then Navajo Generating Station was built in the 1970s, giving new life to the town. It has since become a major summertime tourist destination, mainly for Europeans and Asians. Most Arizona residents still question Page's location. "Somewhere around Payson, right?"</div>
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