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I woke up Sunday morning ready to return home! I struck the tent and
put it on a rock to dry; I had a nice breakfast
(trail mix bars & tapioca pudding!), packed up and hit
the water by 8:30.
I had brought water purification tablets in case I ran out of water, but it turned out I didn't need them. I had just enough water left to fill the camelback one last time.
I got across Warm Creek Bay as quick as I could, then it was time to portage again. To the left, you see my kayak in mid-portage. The sign above and behind it says something like "caution: shallow water".
By 11:00 I was across the landbridge. Wahweap Bay was chock full of watercraft
and crossing it was a challenge. The most photogenic of the ships I saw was this
sternwheeler.
By 12:30 I was in the boat rental office again filling out the final paperwork. When I got back to pack up my car, though, I was in for a rude surprise. My custom plate had been stolen. So I had to go back and report that and wait for a ranger. It was only about a ten minute wait and the ranger was friendly and helpful. He suspected that some foreign tourists had liberated my plate as a souvenir of their trip to America. I hope they're enjoying it!
I went in to Page and had lunch at Mickey D's (my first hot food in 3 days). Then I went to check out the John Wesley Powell museum, but it is closed on Sundays. There was a replica out front of the boat he traversed the Grand Canyon in, so at least I got to see something.
Because I had no license plate on the drive home, I was particularly careful to obey speed limits, which ticked off any number of other drivers. It turned out to be mostly hassle free to get the plate replaced (cost me $5.00 for replacement registration sticker). I have epoxied my new plate to the car, so next time the evildoers will have to settle for a different souvenir!
On the way south on 89, there is a loop that goes through Waputki Ruins and Sunset Crator Volcano National Parks. I figured I could afford the time and I took the quick side trip. The ruins were pretty interesting, but the lava fields around sunset crater were the highlight of that side trip. It's worth going a few miles out of your way if you're in the area.
I stopped at Taco Bell for dinner at a town between Flagstaff and Phoenix (can't remember which town), and I was pulling into my driveway around 9:30 pm. Not too bad for obeying the speed limits!
So that was my trip. No great insights into mankind or the universe or even my own existence, but I did have a really good time and I fulfilled my need to paddle. Maybe not fulfilled. It's been just over 2 weeks, and I'm itching to get back in the water again!
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