Day 13: Through part of the Navajo Nation

May 15, 2003

Got up at about 7 AM. Sunrise is at 5:30AM but the temperature was still 40F because the sun hid behind the trees. I got away from the campground at 9 AM, and went back to Desert View to see the area in the morning sun.

Sunny morning at Desert View. Looking west at the south rim.

Walked around 30 minutes and took a few more pictures. Then I hit the road, heading east. The first mile was on construction gravel but the pavement was fine after that. The shoulder resumes a few miles later when leaving the National Park. The road was almost continuously downhill and I had a strong tailwind. Easy miles! I entered the Navajo Nation shortly after leaving the park. The landscape is the driest I had seen on this trip. Very sparse high desert grasses and scrub bushes. Several roadside shops sold handicrafts (turquoise jewelry, etc.) in rustic buildings with no electricity or running water.

I stopped at the Little Colorado River overlook. Visitors have to walk through the hawker stalls to get to the overlook of the 900 foot deep gorge. I bought a turquoise necklace for my wife, so the sales tactic worked on me!

Little Colorado river. No visible water and much less colorful than the Grand Canyon.

I continued steadily downhill to the intersection of US highway 89 and turned north for 1 mile to see Cameron Trading Post (4100 feet elevation). It's on the bank of the Little Colorado River, adjacent to the bridges across the (dry) Little Colorado River. The 1-lane suspension bridge was built in 1911.

Bridges crossing the Little Colorado river at Cameron.

Cameron Trading Post has a large and upscale gift shop, gallery, and motel. Its inside the Navajo Nation but it's a white-owned trading post that has been there since shortly after the bridge was built.

Cameron Trading Post, on US 89 east of the Grand Canyon south rim.

I had hoped to eat lunch at the restaurant but it was very crowded with large bus tour groups. I saw a bus of French tourists, a bus of Japanese tourists, and several buses of American tourists. So I went back to the 64/89 intersection and got lunch from the deli at the Cameron supermarket. It was interesting to sit there and watch customers come and go. This supermarket seems to be a major commerce center for this remote corner of the Navajo Nation. After lunch I pedaled south on highway 89. Just past the supermarket is the main housing area for the town of Cameron. It's a barren area with no paved roads, but at least the houses have electricity and running water.

Housing area in Cameron, a small town in the Navajo nation.

Highway 89 has light traffic and a good paved shoulder. But the shoulder has a continuous rumble strip that is sometimes positioned improperly for cyclists.

My destination for the day is the Anasazi Inn in Grey Mountain, 9 gradual uphill miles south of Cameron, just outside the boundary of the Navajo Nation. Grey Mountain (5000 feet elevation) consists of the motel, a gas station, and a restaurant/gift shop. The motel is built in a courtyard configuration with a swimming pool, lush lawn, and Cottonwood trees in the courtyard. It's quite a contrast to the sparse desert outside the motel. This little oasis attracts a LOT of birds and several other motel guests were sitting in the courtyard watching the birds with binoculars. I wonder where the water comes from? I arrived at 3 PM when the temperature was 78F. The pool was a bit too cold to swim in, though. I took a shower, washed clothes (by hand in the sink, as usual), and ate a 'Navajo Taco' for dinner in the restaurant. It's basically a taco salad on Indian fry bread instead of a tortilla shell. After dinner I went outside the courtyard to watch the lunar eclipse. This rural oasis was a great place to watch the eclipse because there is no light pollution from the ground. The sky was totally clear - no clouds or humidity to obscure the view. Today was not a day for grand scenery but the barren desert and Navajo culture added variety to the trip. This was a VERY easy, lazy day with strong tailwinds and a net elevation loss of 2400 feet.

Distance: 45.7 miles (73.1 km)

Climbing: 1230 feet (375 m)

Average Speed: 15.0 mph (24.0 km/h) highest on this trip

Maximum Speed: 48.1 mph (77.0 km/h) highest on this trip

Hiking: none

Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 554 miles (892 km)

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