skating my way along the Grand Canyon Virtual Challenge January 2, 2024

After skating twelve kilometres today, I am just shy of 45 kms along on this virtual adventure.  

It took extra effort to get out the door this morning after sleepless nights and lack of energy, but I was determined to add "happy" to my day and I knew where I could find that.  The groomer was working at bringing the Ice Trail back to being good after all this warm weather and suggested I give the Lagoon a go.  This was my view as I laced up at the deck by the Lagoon.  

The sweeper was in mid sweep.  That's not new fallen snow, it's what is left behind when skaters skate.  The sign stated the ice was "rough" and rough it was yet it was still sheer pleasure to be etching my way around here.  

the sound says it all, yes it was rough

at one of my happy places

That's like alpenglow on the trees!  They looked like they were on fire!

I have a thing for cloud formations, look at these ones!  

I am not sure when I will skate again.  It has been so unusually warm here.  Sitting in the sun on my deck with a glass of wine after a morning of skating just seems wrong but feels so right! 

Grand Canyon Virtual Challenge Story

This Grand Canyon Virtual Challenge is a revamp from the original challenge.  It's bigger and better and has updated and correct information. When this remake was announced and released on December 21st, I knew this was where I virtually wanted to go next.  It offers a 64 kms distance or a 451 kms route, I went with the long version.  Three months sounded like a good time frame to cover the 451 kms so that's my goal. The route for the entire distance is on the Colorado River that runs through the Grand Canyon.  The virtual views should all be water scenes with opportunities to explore the surrounding areas up out of the Canyon. 

For my marker, I went with this photo of when I hiked the Grand Canyon on April 28, 2014.

This is at Skeleton Point, early on in that hike. 

My bib number is 483 and I am sharing this adventure with close to 500 other conquerors from around the world. This map shows the 451 kms route along the Colorado River.  The starting point is at Lees Ferry along the Vermillion Cliffs in Glenn Canyon National Recreational Area.   In April of 2013, I had plans to play in that area.  Those plans were cancelled when on February 20th, through the night, a section of the cliff along Route 89 came crashing down and covered a long stretch of the road.   I still went on that eight day trip.  Page, where I placed the orange star, was my home base.  It was to be only a 50 minute drive from Page to Lees Ferry.  I doubt I will plan another trip to this area so doing a challenge that starts here resonated with me, at least now I can be there virtually.  

Here I am, in the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, ready to start this virtual journey!

The first area that is offered up to explore is Horseshoe Bend.  

It was located a seven minute drive from my home away from home in Page.  

On that April day back in 2013, after picking up my rental car, buying groceries, checking into my home away from home, I then jumped in the car to see this amazing sight called Horseshoe Bend. I found the perfect spot to stand to capture this photo using the fisheye function on my camera.  

Roughly 27 kms into this challenge, a section of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument is offered to us for a little exploration.  In this presentation,'The Wave' is shown, but....

.....here I show you White Pockets!  This location is within Vermillion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona not far from The Wave.  My guide scored lottery tickets to enter this area along with accessing South Coyote Buttes.  It was a pinch me is this for real kind of day!