Quick timeout for a poolside photo.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Little Bears: Contributions to the Blog

Each bear was equipped with a small notepad to document his or her travels.
I knew each one would want to cherish the moment for years to come and also challenge their writting skills during their summer break.

#1 bear wrote: Idaho has numerous farms and vast grasslands.
#2 bear wrote: We just entered Nevada. The Hoover Dam is so beautiful. Did you know that it was once really full?
#3 bear wrote: -he was busy playing game cube-
#4 bear wrote: We just crossed the Hoover dam. Have you ever been to a casino?

Momma Bear: Does the floor feel wet? Don't you feel sticky and wet? She was comparing this damp change in climate to our arid Arizona weather.

Help! Someone, please, I need some sleep.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Someone questioned our training schedule in preparing the little bears for this great adventure. As you can see from this picture, training has been grueling. This bear happens to be smiling, because she just received a cliff bar for her recent efforts.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

17 hours later, we arrive at our first destination -- Butte MT. Trip planner had received many complaints regarding the marathon drive. The bears were commenting on their sore behinds after being confined to tight quarters for so long.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Butte, MT I-15 rush hour traffic jam.
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Scenery along the way to Butte, MT.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

900 miles & 14 hours later, KOZ family refills in Pocatello, ID. (4:30 a.m Idaho Time) Krispy Kremes for everyone.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

KOZ family at Hoover Dam. What a site! Security was tight. 6:00 p.m - June 30, 2005
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Elizabeth Parker Hut

We will be staying at the well thought-of Elizabeth Parker Hut. Lake Mcarthur is 4.3 miles (rt).
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Lake McArthur - One of the first areas the family will visit.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Location #1 -- One of the most adored areas in the Canadian Rockies, Lake O'hara region.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

Unfortunate event for another hiker

This blog is not typically for Arizona hiking information, yet.. But I thought this newsworthy item was worth an entry.

The AZ Republic reports today that a 76 year old woman hiker succumbed to the ferocious Arizona heat.
It was approximately 112F yesterday, which even young avid hikers like myself would not like to endure. I feel for the loss of this hiker. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0622MissingHiker22-ON.html

Hiking in extreme temperatures is very risky. From what I have heard on the news and read, she was an avid hiker, who was preparing for a rim hike. The GC rim hike is quite taxing, but commencing a hike in Phoenix in 100+ heat is too much for all hikers to endure. Not that I am on a soapbox, the buddy system is also a must, if you plan on hiking in remote or in extreme climates. Ironman or not, her family is now grieving for her loss, not celebrating her next hiking defeat.

Please hike responsibly and leave no trace.

Trail Conditions

1.5 weeks before we hit the trails, I decided to look at the conditions... Canadian trail books inform readers to prepare for the worse! I have heeded these warnings. Here is today's information:

Banff National Park of CanadaUpdated: Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Record rainfall and cooler temperatures over the June 18th weekend have resulted in approximately 25cm (10 inches) of fresh snow at higher elevations. Expect most trails to be wet and muddy throughout the park. Help preserve vegetation by wearing sturdy footwear and staying on the trail.
Bears continue to frequent valley bottoms. Please remember to:? Obey warning and closure signs.? Stay alert on the trail, make noise, carry bear spray, travel in groups.? Keep your dog on a leash at all times. ? Have an alternate trail planned and be prepared to turn around in case you encounter Warning or Closure notices on the trail.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/tcond/cond_e.asp?oPark=100092

Plug for AAA - Fuel Price Find

An exceptional tool for road warriors like us! Try it today and save! Empower your savings account, not the credit companies.

http://www.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/AAAOnline?association=aaa&club=002&page=PPNoLogin&pageParm1=OPISNET

How not to drive across country with kids

Is the question most inexperienced parents will pose. The question and answer is simple. Start at an early age. Yes Virginia this sounds so simple, but it really is. Our first child experienced the Grand Canyon, before his first Dr. visit. We traveled 3.5 hours with our cute newborn, who only woke up 3 times. It is just like the jittery mother and father who mute all sounds and tread softly throughout the house hoping baby Timmy or Susie sleeps soundly through the night. Forget it, run the vacuum, crank the blender, process the disposal and the best trick of them all take a car ride with the stereo playing. Your child will be deprived of the automobile experience, if you neglect the open road. Back to the initial blog title. We will start our trip off in the evening. Reversing a typical driver’s schedule. Start at 6pm and end at 1:00 p.m. the next day. OK, DOT might have troubles with this, if we were commercial drivers. Our children will typically sleep from 10 p.m - 7:00 a.m. We have also reinforced the entertainment department for the kids. The back seat entertainment department is fortified with DVD TV Monitor, Nintendo Game Cube, 4 head phones to silence game and TV activities, and education materials like books and paper diaries. The kids will be sleeping most of the night, allowing me to drive until 6:00 a.m. This will enable the Mrs. to sleep and complete the first leg of our driving mission in the morning – 18 hour stroll.

My reliable Magellan Explorist GPS. One of the most up-to-date GPS toys on the market. Great for geocaching. The bears and I will be hunting for some great caches in Canada. I intend on visiting one cache site in the Lake Louise area. For the latest cache info, checkout http://www.geocaching.com/ . It's great family fun! BTW, my cache code name is Explorist_600.
Copyright KOZMO 2005

20 Days of backpacking food for 6 people. Should I hold a weight guessing contest?
Copyright KOZMO 2005

We will be leaving this peaceful place soon.

Restriction, Restrictions and more red tape

Here I am planning/analyzing this ultimate vacation (determining what to bring and how much) to determine the red tape is where the issues will occur. I'm quickly finding out how ridiculous the laws/restrictions are in Canada. Pepper Spray is a huge No No. BUT, if you arrive stating you have, "Bear Spray", the situation changes rapidly. They allow Bear Spray, but not pepper spray. In other words, they want you to get attacked or killed by your fellow man, but we will help you avoid the bear. Who are they fooling. I still rather have a shot gun. Personal protection is another issue. No firearms in the forest. The heart of the law states you have to wrap the gun in "wrapping paper" and then leave your weapon in the car. Interesting.

It appears that the Mrs. and I have completed the menu selection for our 20 backpacking days. Hopefully the rest of the bears will enjoy boiled noodles for lunch, because it is very light and easy to make. Dinners will be healthy and hearty. Our menu is complete with tantalizing dishes such as cranberry chicken, beef stew, sweet and sour pork and my favorite chicken with gravy and stuffing. You must sample backpacking meals before embarking on an adventure like this. Otherwise, the cook will be unpopular at mealtime.

As for other preparation, I have the route already loaded onto my new Explorist 600 GPS. I ensure the Mrs. that I will be the blame for unfortunate route selections. I have planned two routes to our final destination in Canada. One from State Route 89 into Utah to I15 and the other through Las Wages to I15. I opted for the Las Vegas route because a former neighbor, Connie, suggested this safer night route. THANK YOU CONNIE!!!

We will embark around 6:00 p.m and drive until 1:00 p.m . arriving in southern MT. We will clock several miles. The kids have plenty entertainment gadgets, such as a Game Cube and DVD TV set.