1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: So I often do this thing where I mentally compare 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: National parks to Disney movies in my head. It's just 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: this thing my brain kind of instinctively does. It's really 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: more like an uncontrollable impulse of mine. I guess. I 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: mean that makes sense considering National Parks in Disney World 6 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: are two of our favorite places. Yeah, definitely true or 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: top two. And when I was hiking through black Handing 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: of the Gunness in National Park in Western Colorado, I 9 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: kept thinking it kind of reminded me of Maleficen's Castle 10 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: and sleeping beauty with all these like twisted, gnarly trees especially, 11 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: and then of course the pitch blackness of the canyon, 12 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: so deep, so steep, it's constantly shrouded in its own shadows. Yeah, 13 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: it's a really hauntingly beautiful place. I mean it's intimidating 14 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: in all the right ways. Yes. And instead of fairies though, 15 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: it's adorable black bear cubs fortunately, no curses, no sleeping, 16 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: just pure beauty. Hi. I'm Matt and I'm brand This 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: is park Landia. We packed up our loft in Chicago, 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: moved into an RV, and now we're traveling in the 19 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: country full time visiting America's national parks. Today we're talking 20 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: about Black Canyon of the Gunniston National Park in Colorado. 21 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. The diversity of Colorado's national parks really 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: just astounds me. Right before this, we were in Ma 23 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: Severity National Park, as I'm sure you remember, because you're 24 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: obsessed with that place. Yes, and I think we talked 25 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: about that in episode three, Right we did. We did, 26 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: you were so excited to do so. But even though 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: that park is only a few hours from here, it 28 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: totally feels like another part of like the Galaxy, entirely 29 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,839 Speaker 1: compared to Black Canyon. Yeah, we had a few weeks 30 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: in between my work events and our trip to the 31 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: Black Canyon came in between Albuquerque and Wyoming. Um, we 32 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: had about a month to kill in Colorado, And what 33 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: a better excuse to visit national parks. Yeah, seriously, and honestly, 34 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: if we're gonna like kill a month in any state, 35 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: it's good to do it in Colorado. There's really an 36 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: endless ory of things to do and places to go 37 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: and trails to hike. Such a beautiful, diverse state, it 38 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: really is. Yes, it is a Black cand of the 39 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: Gunnison actually gets its name from the Gunnison River that 40 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: carved it and the fact that the canyon walls are 41 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: so dark. It's just so beautiful because it's like located 42 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: near the small town of Montrose, where we stayed at 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: the k A campground for a few nights. Yeah, this 44 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: is honestly one of the most convenient towns I think 45 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: we've ever stayed in near National Park. It was literally 46 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: like fifteen minutes from our r V to the National 47 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: Park entrance, so easy. And also in the town there 48 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: was a good amount of places to eat and visit 49 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: as well to keep us busy and entertained in between 50 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: the National Park. So that was that was great and 51 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: kind of surprising because I wasn't expecting much. They also 52 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: had a rental car facility that made it especially easy 53 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 1: for us to get around while we kept the r 54 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: V parked at the campground, because some parks aren't like 55 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: as accessible for larger vehicles, and this is one of 56 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: them for sure. The roads are mostly like quite small, 57 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: and they're narrow, and you know, there's lots of winding 58 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: roots and steep grades, and the visitor center parking lot 59 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: is so tiny there was barely any room at all. Yeah, 60 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: it definitely filled up really quick. I remember the first 61 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: day I went to Black Canyon, I was in the 62 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: rental car. I went by myself while you were getting 63 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: some work done. And I guess it was this kind 64 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: of inadvertent reconnaissance trip as well, because I had no 65 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: idea through my research. I didn't know the roads are 66 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: so narrow, and I didn't know the parking lots were 67 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: so small. So thank goodness we had this car. So 68 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, wow, good to know, because the 69 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: RV would like not work out very well here unless 70 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: we woke up the crack of dawn and took up 71 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: five parking spaces the bane of everybody's existence there. I'm sure, right, 72 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: I know, I'm usually one doing the driving and the 73 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: gas pumping and the hookups and uh even the maintenance. 74 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: Yeah well, I mean, even though I'm not much of 75 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: a help with r V, I think it's payback for 76 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: all those times they brought you coffee and donuts from 77 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: Dark Matter in Chicago, so we can just call it 78 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: even okay, or even yes, I mean over the years, 79 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: I probably it's been like I invested like a thousand 80 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: dollars in donuts at dark Matter. You know that's actually 81 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: very true. I mean wouldn't be surprised as embarrassing probably 82 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 1: like eight bucks a day. Yeah, that's the coffee there 83 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: is not chee if the donuts are not cheap um, 84 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: but they're sure, but they're good and I made a 85 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: habit of it, for better or worse. But anyway, Montrose 86 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: was surprisingly wonderful, like I said, and we'll talk more 87 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: about that later, so stay tuned for that. But first 88 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: I think we should dive in and start with some 89 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: of the geological background of Black Canyon first, and what 90 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: forces were involved in shaping this Kavernus behemoth geology. Yeah, 91 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: when most people think of the canyons and national parks, 92 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: they obviously think of the Grand Canyon, which looks nothing 93 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: like the Black Canyon. I mean, they're totally different environments, sizes, shapes, 94 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: and despite the fact that they were shaped the same way, 95 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: they are all very right right. You know what I'd 96 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: love to see. I'd love to see one of those 97 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: like US weekly style showoffs of like who Are at 98 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: Best Canyon Edition? A little like yeah between Canyon and 99 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: Black Canyon. No, I'm not there, but really they're really even. 100 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: They're just hard to compare. Between the two because they 101 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,559 Speaker 1: look nothing alike. I mean, the only thing they really 102 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: have in common is these raging rivers, And I really 103 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: do mean they're raging like you can hear these suckers 104 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: from all the way at the top of the canyon 105 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: and they're almost ear piercing up there. Yeah, raging feels 106 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: almost like an understatement. It's like a furious river, like 107 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: so furious. Yeah, you can never under underestimate the power 108 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 1: of water. This stuff will mess you up. And just 109 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: seeing what us to like rock is really incredible. The 110 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: fact that a river can look so thin and tiny 111 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: from afar and still have the strength of chisel this 112 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: jagged canyon is unbelievable. Yeah, this didn't happen overnight though. 113 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: I mean, it took a cool two million years to 114 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: get the Gunnison River to carve this canyon into the 115 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: depths of these Colorado rocks. I think it goes at 116 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: a rate of one inch per one hundred years. It's 117 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: a little slow, but you know, it's faster than what 118 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: I would be able to accomplish for sure if I 119 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: was carving this myself. This is a canyon fast and 120 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: furious style. Yeah. Sure, um, but like understandably, it does 121 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: say time to whiddle through these Some of the rocky 122 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: are so hard, Like there's Percambrian nice and schist that's 123 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: billions of years old and you can't rush these things. 124 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: The carving of a canyon, in culinary terms, is more 125 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: like a slow stew than a microwave for meal, to 126 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: be honest, Or how about it's kind of like a 127 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: crazy horse versus mount rush. Oh yeah, that's actually great. 128 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: That's a much more beautiful metaphor really excited about that one. Yeah, 129 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: that was a good metaphor. Yeah, we recently went to 130 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: both of those, which is why it's freshing your memory. Probably, Yeah, 131 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: But the thing is, you know a lot about microwaving 132 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: those meals on their v don't you. Um, I don't, don't. Please, 133 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: don't help me like that. I just let me enjoy 134 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: my freezer ile package genders in peace and secrecy. Please. 135 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: It's funny because we didn't even own a microwave and 136 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: are loft in Chicago, and now we're making full use 137 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: of the fact that we have our RV game with 138 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: a microwave. Yes, I mean it's great for hot pockets popcorn, 139 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: which you pretend not to but you do secretly like, um, 140 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: I feel like our microwave is turning you against me. 141 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: It's interesting. I'm getting thrown under the bus a lot 142 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: here anyway. Anyway, so let's get back on track here 143 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: and get to the bottom of this canyon formation. But 144 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: not literally the bottom, because we were not brave enough 145 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: to hike down there. No, not this trip anyway, that 146 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: seems like um in undertaking to stay the least. Don't 147 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: get ideas. I know you love hiking and you'll do it. Yeah, 148 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: I really wanted to, like one of the days we're here. 149 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: I was seriously looking into it. But then different things 150 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: I read and her in the visitor center, I'm like, 151 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: maybe maybe another time, and we have more time here 152 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: and I'm not quite so scared. So getting back to 153 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: the river and the carveet of the canyon, this thing, 154 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: like we said, is a real beast. And the park 155 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: doesn't contain the entire canyon length of this river per se, 156 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: but it has the twelve miles of them, and these 157 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: twelve miles are the most impressive, so impressive. In fact, 158 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: the park features the deepest sections of the canyon, and 159 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: it's so steep that the canyon floor only gets thirty 160 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: three minutes of sunlight per day. That's crazy. It sounds 161 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: kind of depressing, Like can you imagine letting the bottom 162 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: of canyon only getting thirty three minutes of sunlight? Yeah, 163 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: it's like living things. I know, it's like living in 164 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: Alaska in winter, I guess, And I it's kind of appropriate. 165 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,839 Speaker 1: My research, I found this like hauntingly perfect quote from 166 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: an author named Dwayne Van den Bouche, if I'm saying 167 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: that right. He wrote this book called Images of America 168 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and in it he 169 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: says this quote, sevolcanans of the American West are longer 170 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: and m are deeper, but none combines the depth, sheerness, narrowness, darkness, 171 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 1: and dread of the Black Canyon. Wow, that's a good quote. Jeez, 172 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: I know it sounds like a scary story. I love 173 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: it so as you can you can kind of understand 174 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: why I'm getting serious. Maleficent Castle vives from this. Oh yeah, 175 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: it really it really fits. And not only are the 176 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: rock walls of the canyon dark to begin with, but 177 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: the fact that this place is almost constantly immersed in 178 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: its own shadow is why the Black Canyon has such 179 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: a dark, ominous name befitting this Disney villain, So it 180 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: all makes sense. So this this river actually started raging 181 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: fifteen million years ago as a runoff from the LaSalle 182 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: Mountains in the West Elk Mountains. Um, this is when 183 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: it started carving its way into the ancient rocks as well. 184 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: There's a lot of volcanic ash in the region. Yeah, exactly. 185 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: And the fact that this river is so fast moving 186 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: and strong made it possible to cut through I rock 187 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: that's especially tough, even if the pace was kind of 188 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: slow and took millions of years to do so, And 189 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 1: coupled with the hardness of the rock, such a powerful, 190 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: roaring river is why this canyon got so steep over years. 191 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: That reminds me of that line from the Devilwars Bratto 192 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: and m Miranda says, by all means move at a 193 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: glacial pace. You know how that thrills me. Yeah, I'm 194 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: totally imagining Miranda Priestly talking to this river. I can 195 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 1: just like see her visiting Black Canyon and I'm sure 196 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: she would also love all the florals on the surface 197 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: to Oh yeah, absolutely, very in season, just beautiful, because 198 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: right around those you get these the river would drop 199 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: thirty four ft per mile through the canyon, and it 200 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: means it's pretty steep descent within just the first few miles. 201 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: But you see all those the florals with that, I mean, 202 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: it's just you can't beat it. It is. Yeah, it's 203 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: a nice j exposition because this canyon is so like 204 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: jet black and kind of scary. It looks like an 205 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: evil canyon. Not to like throw shade at it, because 206 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: it has plenty of its own shade. That was that 207 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: was a nice little um. I like, how you're giving 208 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:02,839 Speaker 1: yourself could I'll give my right? But yeah, the this 209 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: natural juxtaposition of this canyon just surrounded with these like 210 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: bright vibrant flowers and then the greenery of the trees 211 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: too up along the canyon rim is really quite nice 212 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: and very unusual. I don't think I've ever been to 213 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: a canyon like this before or definitely not want this intimidating, 214 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: that's for sure. So in regards to the canyon, just 215 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: how steep and deep it is, it's actually the Black 216 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: Candy contains the fifth steepest drop for any mountain fed 217 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: river in all of North America. And to put that 218 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: in a little bit of perspective when you're comparing it 219 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: to Grand Canyon. Again, the Colorado River and the Grand 220 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: Canyon in contrast, drops seven and a half feet for 221 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: a mile, So yeah, compared to thirty four feet for 222 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: per the Black Candy. That's that's a big difference. And 223 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: I like, I don't mean to keep turning this into 224 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: an advertent competition between the two canyons. But that's why 225 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: I'm like, thank this who wore best? Thing? Is such 226 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: a good idea basically rights itself. Yeah, and considering how 227 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: the beautiful patterns in the rocks here, I think it 228 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: would be a really tough competition. Like the painted wall, 229 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: which is the tallest clift in Colorado. Oh my god. Yeah, 230 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: that painted wall is magnificent, so gorgeous, so unique. It's 231 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: this huge broad cliff face that's strided with these lighter 232 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: strips of rock which are called pegman tite dikes. So 233 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: the whole cliff almost looks like this gigantic zebra, except like, 234 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,559 Speaker 1: instead of white, it's just like a lighter shade of black. Yeah, 235 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: And you can you give me even a more amazing 236 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,439 Speaker 1: view from the painted wall overlook on the South room drive. Yes, 237 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: you have to do that it's so easy. I mean, 238 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: there are lots of overlooks just directly off South Room Drive, 239 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: and this is I think the best overlook that I saw. 240 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, of all, they're all amazing, like I said, 241 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: but it's definitely worth grappling with traffic on that road 242 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: to pull off at the Painted Wall overlook for sure. 243 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: Speaking of traffic, I think we have a traffic jam 244 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: and we're going to come back. Do you have to 245 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: this commercial breaks? Hi? I'm Matt and I'm Brad. This 246 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: is park Landia, and today we're talking about Black Canyon 247 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado history. Now that 248 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: you know how steep and dark and raging this canyon is, 249 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 1: you can understand why Native Americans and settlers were so 250 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: intimidated by it and why they avoided it like the plague. Yeah, 251 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: this is definitely a type of canyon that really brings 252 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: a screeching halt to any travel or expedition because it's 253 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: almost completely a vertical drop off the canyon walls, so 254 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: not great for horseback riders or like any living thing 255 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: that doesn't fly. Yeah. Yeah. The Ute Indians um called 256 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: the River Much Rocks Big Water, which is totally fits. 257 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: I mean the depth and the darkness of the canyon 258 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 1: made them superstitious of it. Yeah, they were right to 259 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: be superstitious of it. I think something this treacherous is 260 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: definitely worrisome. It looks like, like I said, it looks 261 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: like it could be an evil place. I totally understand. Yeah. 262 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: The first time anyone actually recorded any major exploration of 263 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: this place was in eighteen fifty three by Captain John Williams, 264 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: no other than Gunnison is his last name. Um so 265 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: now you know where the river gets it. Yeah, and 266 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: much like Lewis and Clark, similar kind of exploratory fashion. 267 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: He was leading an expedition from St. Louis to San Francisco, 268 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: and when his party hit the canyon, it was basically 269 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: this giant roadblock. So he wound up eventually just going 270 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: way out of his way to travel around the south 271 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: end of the canyon because it was just impassable. Yeah, 272 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: he wasn't the last person to meet up with the 273 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: canyon though. When we stopped at the visitor center in 274 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: the South Rim, we learned more about the can in 275 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: exploration at the movie screening they were having. Yeah, that 276 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: was a really good movie by the way like especially good. 277 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: I think it's one of the best National Park movies 278 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: we've seen, and we've seen a lot. We always make 279 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: that a priority. Yeah, I was filled with some fascinating 280 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: information and we had no idea about most of it. 281 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: Like how William Jackson Palmer spent a ton of time 282 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: and money to build a railroad from Denver Um through 283 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: the San Juan Mountain. Yeah, I mean quite an undertaking. 284 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: And it did take a ton of time and money, 285 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: of course, like more than a year to construct a 286 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: fifteen mile stretched through the canyon, which wound up costing 287 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: about hundred sixty thousand dollars per mile. And that's a 288 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: lot of money like nowadays, but considering this was in 289 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: the late eighteen hundreds, that's an overwhelming amount of money. 290 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: I can't even fathom what that must have been like 291 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: for them to even attempt. Yeah, that's just crazy. And 292 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: then in the two, an engineer named Brian Bryant surveyed 293 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: the higher canyon, though a lot of his crew gave 294 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: up because they were actually too frightened of it. Yeah, 295 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: I get it. I would definitely do the same thing. 296 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: They wind up building the rest of the railroad again 297 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: around the south end of the canyon, which seems to 298 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: be the go to kind of alternative route, and in 299 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: addition to miners riding it to Utah, it was also 300 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: used as a luxury amount of travel for vacationers, including 301 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: shockingly right your kipling. Oh a nice little Disney connection there, right, Yeah, 302 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: so perfect. So he wrote it in eight nine, and 303 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: he was totally smitten with it. He loved it. I 304 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: just wish he wrote a jungle Book sequel called the 305 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: Canyon Book or something. Eventually, that drain Aligne was taken 306 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: apart in the nineteen fifties though, um so there's no 307 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: more of that today. And in the early nineteen hundreds, 308 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: other surveyors began looking for ways to reroute some of 309 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: the new river into nearby valleys to help with the 310 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: irrigation and the farming. Right right, which is another fun 311 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: fact we have zero idea about until the movie we watched, 312 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: The Visitors Center. Someone really needs to do that movie, 313 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: like a belated Oscar or something. It's really very well 314 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: done and super informative. Yeah, And in that we learned 315 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: about Abraham Lincoln Fellows and William Torrence doing the exploring 316 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: and they actually floated the entire canyon length of the 317 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: river on a rubber mattress. I can't. I mean, wooden 318 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: boats would have been just shattered and by the rocks, 319 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: and so they had to come up with you know, 320 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 1: plan B. Yeah, and they did it. They went for it, 321 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: which sounds like the most terrifying thing, but miraculously the 322 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 1: duo made it out safely on their mattress boat and 323 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 1: they were able to find sits in the canyon along 324 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 1: the way to build this river diversion tunnel they were 325 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: looking for, which is just totally crazy to think about 326 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: how intense these explorations here have been over the years 327 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: and the different techniques and attempts that were made from 328 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: various groups like wow, yeah, Black Canyon is not easy 329 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: to navigate and it this just proves the incredible strength 330 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: of nature. It really does. Nowadays, no one's floating that 331 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: river in a mattress instead. Black Cannon with the Gunnison 332 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: was named a National Monument in ninety three and upgraded 333 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 1: to National park status, which I think is a very 334 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 1: fitting finale for this ferociously beautiful place. Trails, even though 335 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: we didn't track down into the canyon, we definitely did 336 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: explore plenty on foot here, yeah, and it is really 337 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 1: easy to do with a small rental car, and you 338 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: don't even need to hike down in order to get 339 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: to the canyon floor either. By the way, there's this long, 340 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 1: winding steep road that you can take down there as 341 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: soon as you enter the park. It's called the East 342 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: Portle Road, and you just take the immediate right pretty 343 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: much if you go through the canyon or the National 344 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: Park entrance. And since the grade is six and the 345 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 1: curves are so sharp, it's only recommended for small vehicles 346 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: that can handle it. Our view be impossible to impossible. 347 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: I didn't even know if they're like a lot. I 348 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: think they probably have length. If you want to die 349 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,239 Speaker 1: descriptions right, that's crazy, that wouldn't work at all. But 350 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,239 Speaker 1: it's definitely cool to get down there and gawk at 351 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: the sheer walls and roaring white water. This area the 352 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: cannon isn't as deep as kind of the heart of 353 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: the park. This is more towards the eastern end, but 354 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: the views are no less impressive, and you really are 355 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: quite a ways down for sure, so you're deep in 356 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: it and just surrounded by these soaring, jagged, dark walls. Yeah, 357 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: I mean you can even picnic down there or fish. 358 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 1: That's great as well. I mean it's just a great 359 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 1: setting for that, right, Yeah, I mean I wouldn't. I 360 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:41,959 Speaker 1: would definitely picnic. I'm not much of a fisher. But 361 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: another cool thing about the walls are a little bit 362 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: more spread out down here, so you have more light. 363 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: So because I wouldn't really want to picnic in like darkness, 364 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: so I'd rather just like Hike and Marvelotte overlooks too. So, 365 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,160 Speaker 1: and the best place to start for that is at 366 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: the South Rim, which is by far the most visited 367 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: section of the park and the one closest to where 368 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: we're staying. This is also the section of the park 369 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: where you take this east port of road, so we're 370 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: kind of in the thick of it. Yeah. I remember 371 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: like parking at one of the overlooks because there was 372 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: no parking spaces left at the visitor center, especially for 373 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: the RV, and then just walking along the Canyon Rim 374 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: to go see that movie but and buy some souvenirs. Yeah, 375 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: so we're able to find ways around this parking issue, 376 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: and at this visitor center where the movie theater or 377 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: movie movie theater, I wish at the visitor center. We 378 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: we're also able to find this larger National Parks passport 379 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: book for me because I'm kind of maxing out mine 380 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: and it's somewhat falling apart, Like it's definitely of overearse. 381 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: Why because you threw that sucker away? That was I 382 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: got excited and ambitious and I was like, yes, I 383 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: need to upgrade to something larger, but then regretted it 384 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: because I spent all this money on it and then 385 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 1: resented it because I'm still attached to my original passport book. Yeah, 386 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: there's just so much history there for you. Yeah, but 387 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: even though it mind up being a waste, I really 388 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 1: have no problem with giving more money to the National 389 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: Park Service. I'm always happy to do that. Yeah, absolutely, 390 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:17,120 Speaker 1: I Mean the beautiful thing is right from the from 391 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 1: the visitor center there, we got to do a few 392 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: different trails, you know, because they're all like kind of 393 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 1: connected in this giant loop that brought us back to 394 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: the car where actually started. Um, but where we actually 395 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 1: started this trail was the rim Rock Nature Trail, which 396 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,880 Speaker 1: was flat and easy and only about one mile round 397 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: trip by itself. Yeah, definitely easy, and it's connects right 398 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: with a visitor center. So that's just a no brainer. 399 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,400 Speaker 1: And I think we actually before we got into the 400 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: midst of the hike and we went to this overlook 401 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 1: that's a little a few steps down for the visitor center, 402 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: and that was like our first, I think, inspiring view. 403 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: It was such a good view. It was kind of crowded. 404 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: There was a lot of people there because it was 405 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: right by the visitors center, but plenty of room for everybody, 406 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: and the railing takes you pretty close to the edge. 407 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,679 Speaker 1: It's a little nerve wracking. Was afraid to hold my 408 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: phone up because I thought it would suddenly drop it. 409 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 1: And then at the end of that, but so after 410 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: we do this um little overlook here, we continue on 411 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 1: hiking and we get more and more of these show 412 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 1: stopping canyon views along the way. It's just kind of 413 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: NonStop into this jagged, dark canyon. It none of it 414 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: really looks like real life. It all just looks surreal. 415 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 1: Yeah it really doesn't. I mean, it's just stunning, Like 416 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: it's probably one of the most beautiful places I've been. 417 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 1: And I just love again how these trails connect. And 418 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:44,959 Speaker 1: you know, the next trail that we started was that 419 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: Oak Flat Top Loop trail UM which was a tiny 420 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: bit tougher though, since it's longer and has more elevation. Game. Yeah, 421 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,120 Speaker 1: so this one's about two miles total, and I think 422 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,199 Speaker 1: that makes it a bit more challenging is that it 423 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: dips below the canyon room a little bit, which is awesome. 424 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: You get a different perspective here, and it has more 425 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: tree cover, which is a benefit, especially for hiking midday. 426 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: And it's sunny and summery like when we were there, 427 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 1: and there's lots of gorgeous aspen trees, oaks, giant boulders. 428 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: It's really more of like the foresty area of the 429 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: park that we experienced, with so many little nooks that 430 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: give you these perfect panoramas of the canyon too. Yeah. 431 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: I mean you actually saw a bear there, right? Yeah? 432 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: I really, yes. I the first day when I came 433 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: here and your back of the RV working, I did 434 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: this trail so I didn't wind up doing this trail twice. 435 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: And towards the end of the this like Oak Flat 436 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: Loop trail, I saw my most exciting beartt like signing 437 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: I've ever seen in any National park. I think, well, 438 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: it was pretty close to right, and it was really close. Yeah, 439 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: So I was on my way back up out of 440 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: the canyon and I saw this large animal kind of 441 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: shuffling around in the corner of my eye, and I 442 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: didn't think it was a barrett for so I probably 443 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: assumed it was I don't know, like a gopher or 444 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: something I don't know, like a big gopher. And so 445 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: I look, and sure enough it was this young black 446 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: bear like I probably a cob. It was still pretty 447 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: small and clearly clearly young. So then that's good too, 448 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: because I don't know if I would want to be 449 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: that close to an adult bear. But yeah, it was 450 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: close enough to be thrilling, but still adorable. Looks like 451 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: a large jetty bear. We made sustained eye contact, we 452 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: had a moment and you had a moment. Yeah, just 453 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: enough for me to take a few photos. And he 454 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: was just so chill and patient, like, looked at me, posed, 455 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: and then scampered off. That's that's truly amazing. I mean, 456 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: I am. I'm really jealous that I didn't go that 457 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: first day with you, um, because we didn't really get 458 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: see any animals when we hiked together. No, yeah, I 459 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: don't think we did, aside from probably swirls and chipmunks. 460 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,159 Speaker 1: And whatnot. But we did see a warning sign on 461 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: the side of the trail about aggressive deer in the area, 462 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: which I think was just the adrenaline rush we needed. 463 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: The mere prospect of being I don't know, trampled by deer. Yes, 464 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: that's so exciting. And to just be trampled by deer 465 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: to death. Yep, yep, that's what I think of when 466 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: I think of fun exactly know, when we when we 467 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: get done with that oak flat loop trail, um. The 468 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: final portion of the trails that we did together was 469 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 1: the Cedar Point Nature Trail, which is another flat and 470 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,880 Speaker 1: easy section that brought us back towards the parking lot. Right. 471 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: So this is like the last section of that loop, 472 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: and this is I think the easiest part. This takes 473 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: you out of the canyon, away from the canyon, so 474 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 1: you don't really have any canyon views here. You mostly 475 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: you like cross the section of the road actually at 476 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 1: one point, and then you grow through this open meadow 477 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: and some short, gnarly trees. And these are the trees 478 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: that I was describing earlier. They're kind of scary, sharp looking, 479 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: tangley and thick. These are the ones that felt like 480 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 1: the ones that surround the left in the castle. Yeah, 481 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: I totally see what you mean when you describe it 482 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: that way. I mean they were quite sharp, Yeah, unmistakably malofficent. 483 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: And even though there isn't a lot of hiking trails here, like, 484 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: aside from this gigantic loop at Black Canyon, you definitely 485 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: have to do the whole scenic drive along the South 486 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: Rim as well, because there are so many of those 487 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: great overlooks, and the drive is very doable in a 488 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: smaller car, especially Yeah, around the top there's just not 489 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: a lot of trails. Yeah, not not so much, especially 490 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: not really on the South Rim. Yeah. But one of 491 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: the craziest things that came from these overlooks, you can 492 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: um you can actually see across the canyon to the 493 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: North Rim, where there's another like scenic drive and more trails. 494 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,119 Speaker 1: That's actually super close. But since there's no bridge or 495 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: anything connecting the two sides of the canyon, you actually 496 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: need to drive a couple of hours around just to 497 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 1: get there, right, just like all those early explorers who 498 00:26:57,119 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: went all the way around the south end of the canyon, 499 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: except much faster now because you're in a car. And 500 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: I definitely did that. I remember carving out one day 501 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: to explore the North Rim and I was excited because 502 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: this side is much less crowded. It's naturally it's out 503 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: of the way, so there aren't as many people on 504 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 1: the parking lots are much more open, and another bonus, 505 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: the trails are longer. So it's really a win win 506 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,959 Speaker 1: for me because I like long trails and I do 507 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: not like crowds. Yeah, I remember like looking at your 508 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: North Rim photos and they were just absolutely stunning. I mean, 509 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to post some of those on the 510 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: park Landia pod Instagram will do um. But it looks 511 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 1: like there's a ton more elevation game there. Yeah. The 512 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: trails on the North Rom feel very different from the 513 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: trails in the South Rim, and I think the biggest 514 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:50,359 Speaker 1: example of that is the North Vista Trail, which is 515 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: by far my favorite trail over there. It's about seven 516 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 1: miles round trip to the top of what's called Green Mountain. 517 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 1: It didn't really seem like a mountain to me, more 518 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 1: of this gigantic rocky hill. I don't know if it 519 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: it is a mountain or whatever, but I so I 520 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,120 Speaker 1: did the North Fistered Trail to the top of this 521 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,679 Speaker 1: mountain and it starts by the ranger station at the 522 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: north rim. We used threw a bunch of stage brush 523 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,199 Speaker 1: juniper forest and then kind of steadily ascends up this 524 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: mountain to a point that has incredible sweeping views. You're 525 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 1: kind of above the tree like, there's no real trees 526 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: blocking your view up there, and you can see down 527 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: into the canyon almost like the entire length of it, 528 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: with these snowy mountains way off in the background. Now, 529 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 1: you also did that Dead Horse trail, right, I did. Yeah, 530 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: that one was a little bit shorter. It was about 531 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: five miles round trip and a little trickier and just 532 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: in the sense that it's a lot more exposed to 533 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: the sun. You kind of the trail begins by this 534 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: old like road. It used to be a dirt road 535 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: for vehicle traffic. Now it's closed off just for hiking. Yeah. So, 536 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: and then you go through the sloping meadow and then 537 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 1: kind of up down, eventually ending out an overlook of 538 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: the east portal section of the canyon. So it's neat 539 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: to see that area from a totally different vantage point too, 540 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: because that's where on the other side of the South 541 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: Ring you can drive down. So I was able to 542 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: do that one day and then hike out to the 543 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 1: Dead Horse Trail and see it from from this angle. 544 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: And it was great food. All right. So at the 545 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: beginning of the episode, we said, we'd like to talk 546 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: more about the town of Montrose, Um that's where we 547 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: were staying, and I just really loved it. Yeah, the 548 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: time has come to talk about Montrose. So when we 549 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: were first driving in, I thought it would be kind 550 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: of boring, kind of lackluster. I had very low expectations, 551 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: but I am thrilled to report that Montrose blew those 552 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: expectations out of the water. I really liked it there, 553 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: especially that little like speed geasy cocktail bar um felonious. Yeah, 554 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: I think that's so. I don't know how to pronounce it, 555 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: but it's like a combination of Phil and Melanie. I 556 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: think it's the two owners. I remember reading it on 557 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 1: their website and loving that. It's really cute. Yeah, we 558 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: loved it so much. We actually went there two nights 559 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 1: in a row. I know. Yeah, it was a total 560 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: surprise because you found it. You were like googling bars 561 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: or something, and you found this speakeasy bar, and I 562 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:28,959 Speaker 1: would never expect to see such a legit cocktail bar 563 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: in town, this small Yeah, no, I I really did 564 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: love that. It was really cool because when you walked in, 565 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: you had to ring a doorbell, like a real doorbell, 566 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: and then you had to give a password to get in. 567 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: And I didn't know the password. Yeah, And the second 568 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: night I had found it on their Instagram. Yes, yes, 569 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: I remember. So we didn't have the password and they 570 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: opened this little kind of window in the door and yeah, 571 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: it feels very Maffia and you're in the alley and 572 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 1: we're like, oh, we don't know. And she was like, well, 573 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: tell me a joke. And I think you actually repeated 574 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: your Masa verity joke. Of course, right, I definitely did. 575 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: Do you want to revive that right now? Oh gosh, 576 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: I'm still embarrassed about it. Everybody loves it. Why did 577 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: the snake cross the road? I don't know to get 578 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: to the other Masa? There you go? Yes, yeah, so 579 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: that's the one you told the the woman at Felonies, 580 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: and I don't remember her reaction. She was probably confused, 581 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: but she was just like, Okay, come in. She was 582 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 1: really nice. She was really nice, and service there was 583 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: thoroughly wonderful and splunted like everybody there was great. Yeah, 584 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: they're a little privacy. Yeah, it was a little like 585 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: sea through curtains all around the table. Yeah. I love 586 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: any bar that's kind of dark intimate with all these 587 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 1: little like little nooks like this was a pretty spacious 588 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: bar with a wrap around bar and like different lounge 589 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: chairs and sections like high like it was great, and 590 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: we got our own little section surrounded by this like 591 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 1: red mahogany curtain, so we kind of felt like we're 592 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: hiding away in a FOURT, which is always what I 593 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: want when I'm having cocktails. Yes, I remember they made 594 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: that old fashion on a table side cart, I know, 595 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: very impressive. This is probably the first time we've had 596 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: like table side mixology at a national park, I think 597 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: or near a National park, and that were really reminded me, 598 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: like any anything served off like a bar cart just 599 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: totally reminds me of like being in our loft in 600 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,719 Speaker 1: Chicago and all the drinks used to make from that 601 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: bar cart that was like your thing. I remember that 602 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: Carol Wax cart. I know, yeah, you branded it. You 603 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: had like customized coasters that you stamped with this head 604 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: menus and everything. Yeah, I was a little bit of 605 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: a nerd. I still am a nerd. But that's fine everybody. 606 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I loved it. Obviously. I benefited greatly from that. 607 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: And then any time we would have company over, it 608 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: was such a hit because everyone would be so impressed 609 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: and you would have you your own little wood chips 610 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: smoke girl for smoked cocktails like those glasses. I made 611 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: my own bidders. Yeah, oh yeah, you really did. Maybe 612 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: we should just like open our ound speak easy. I 613 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: think that's what. No, let's just keep on returning. Well, 614 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 1: they're great, they do a good job, they do great. Yeah. 615 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,479 Speaker 1: Then the charcouterie boards, they were also so affordable. They 616 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: were just yeah, they're a little jim because I was 617 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: not ready for that to be there. No, I wasn't 618 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: ready for any of this, this charcuterie board, these cocktails, 619 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: this wonderful service, the whole vibe that that place is 620 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: an absolute must. So it's definitely worth seeking out and 621 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: going down this alley that you feel like you shouldn't 622 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: be going down, because it's right, it's where you want 623 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,959 Speaker 1: to be. And then so yeah, we went to it twice. 624 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: I think after the second night we're there, after drinks, 625 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: we were talking about going to this bowling alley in town, 626 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: just down the street, and it was like a legit 627 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: old school Americana bowling alley called Rose Bowl, and it 628 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: was so very good, really awesome. We've got some local 629 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,760 Speaker 1: beers there, and I also like bowld the best game 630 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: of my entire life. I've never bowled that good before. 631 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,799 Speaker 1: And the other place that we really liked was that 632 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: Backstreet Bagel Company. Yeah, that was really good too. I'm 633 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 1: like kind of getting more into bagels lately, um as 634 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: if I'm just discovering them or something like they're really 635 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 1: I know, I know, I've never well, here's the thing, like, 636 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 1: I've never been much of a bagel person because I 637 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: think when it comes to like circular carbs, I guess 638 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: I prefer donuts. You're only allowed one circular carb, only one. 639 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: You can't like both either bagels or donuts, right, So, 640 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: but I think I've come around to the fact that 641 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: I think bagels are actually great pretty hiking food, or 642 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: at least they're like much better than donuts, because I 643 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: don't want to have like this sugar rash then crash 644 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 1: while I'm on a trail and Backstreet Bagel Company, right, 645 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: in downtown Mantros or downtown with you know quotes around it. 646 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 1: This place had great bagels, and I remember the first 647 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,719 Speaker 1: morning I went, I had a local specialty, a green 648 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: chili bagel. I can't love ground chilies. I can't say 649 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: no to green chili anything. And then on another morning 650 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,000 Speaker 1: I went in like kind of the opposite direction, I 651 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: got something sweet. I got a blueberry bagel, which is 652 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 1: a little taboo for bagel coronois sewers. And the thing 653 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: that made it even more taboo was I got it 654 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: with vanilla raising cream cheese, so basically frosting. I basically 655 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: had like a little bagel cake sandwich. You really don't 656 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 1: have a sweet tooth, though, right, That's right. That's what 657 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: I like to tell people. Yeah, Um, you know, I'm 658 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: more of a savory bagel guy myself, and I'm usually 659 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 1: pretty simple with my bagel taste. I just like like 660 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: playing cream cheese on a classic bagel solid and I 661 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 1: love old fashioned doughnuts, so it's like, oh, yeah, that's right, 662 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 1: I love yeah, and you like old fashioned cocktails like 663 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 1: I love how thoroughly classic your tastes are and how 664 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: utterly insane mine are. I'm like Oh yeah, give me 665 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,320 Speaker 1: a blueberry bagel with like vanilla frosting playing. It's like 666 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:01,799 Speaker 1: your style, you know, it's all over the place and 667 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 1: I love it. Yeah. But um, we do have the 668 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: same taste about national parks that we do. We do 669 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: and that's what matters. So we'll be back with more 670 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:26,839 Speaker 1: of the park Landia Podcast from my Heart Radio. Hi 671 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,680 Speaker 1: am Matt and I'm Brad. This is park Landia. Today 672 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 1: we're talking about Black Canyon to the Gunnison National Park, 673 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: my favorite um. And with that, it's time to wrap 674 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:40,800 Speaker 1: up with our segment on our favorite things at national 675 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: parks that we visit. Yes, it's that time and today 676 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:47,960 Speaker 1: obviously we're gonna share with each other our favorite thing 677 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: about Black Canyon of the Gunnison and neither of us 678 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:53,800 Speaker 1: know what we're gonna say. So I have my secret 679 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,840 Speaker 1: little favorite thing. You have your secret favorite thing? Um. 680 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: Do you want to go first? You want to share 681 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: you what your favorite thing about Black Canyon was. My 682 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:05,919 Speaker 1: favorite thing about the Black Canyon was canning to spend 683 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: that quality time with you. Um. I feel like we 684 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,439 Speaker 1: were like in a rush in the like a couple 685 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 1: of weeks before that and getting there. It just allowed 686 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 1: me to finish my work. You know, you got to 687 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: do your own thing. But then we got to spend 688 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: that day like slid like salad together, you know, and 689 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 1: turn off, turned on airplane mode, and we just enjoyed 690 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 1: the park. Yeah, you're yeah, that's true. This was a 691 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 1: nice little this compared to other National parks that we've 692 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:38,799 Speaker 1: been to, especially during this time frame, I thought Back 693 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 1: Canyon was more laid back and comfortable and at a 694 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: good steady pace. And also just Montros is very enjoyable 695 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,240 Speaker 1: and kind of set the tone and honestly the historical 696 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 1: value of it all. I mean, just what they had 697 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: to do to get through there and to survey it, 698 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 1: I mean that was beautiful. But spending the time learning 699 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: with you, that's what I loved. Always so sentimental and sweet. 700 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:06,799 Speaker 1: What is yours? Um Mine would probably be that Oak 701 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,839 Speaker 1: Flat Loop trail, And although I said I think in 702 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: general I prefer the hiking trails in the North Rim 703 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,000 Speaker 1: for a variety of reasons, this trail stands out because one, 704 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:19,319 Speaker 1: it dips below the canyon rim a little bit, so 705 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:21,759 Speaker 1: you got a taste of that without having to to 706 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 1: descend like all the way down to the bottom, and 707 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: like have some I think I would be like terrified 708 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: of the heights and stuff. It sounds really primal. But 709 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,320 Speaker 1: so that was fun and it was like a somewhat sizeable, 710 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 1: mildly challenging trail, which I always seek out. But the 711 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,600 Speaker 1: thing that obviously made it really exciting for me was 712 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 1: my bear sighting. The best. That was the best bear sighting. 713 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 1: And this was because I've been counting. I've been keeping 714 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:50,719 Speaker 1: chacking this like a crazy person, the different national parks 715 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:53,640 Speaker 1: I've seen a bear in, and Black Canyon is by 716 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: far the best. This is my favorite sighting, my closest 717 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,080 Speaker 1: sighting bill you know, still being safe. It's not like 718 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,839 Speaker 1: I was like running in to it or anything like that. 719 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: And it was just great. I'm really glad I got 720 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 1: to have that little moment and then take the photos 721 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:11,280 Speaker 1: and it was just standing perfectly still like it wanted 722 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:15,239 Speaker 1: me to do. So. So I guess, So, now, what 723 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:19,840 Speaker 1: three things would you take to Black Canyon if we 724 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,680 Speaker 1: were to return, which we will. Well, I would actually 725 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 1: really love to camp there, so um and then I'm 726 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 1: talking about tent camping. Um, so I would love to 727 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 1: bring a tent for that, some firewood if it's allowed, 728 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 1: because I depending on the time of the season, just 729 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: like every national parks like danger times and nonduture times, 730 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: and that would definitely make sure to bring my like 731 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 1: professional camera if I was down there hiking through it, 732 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 1: because that would make for the best photos. Yeah, that's true, 733 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:57,400 Speaker 1: especially since the river and like the in your canyon 734 00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 1: is so far away and deep. It's hard to capture that, 735 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,839 Speaker 1: uh in just a phone. Like you get a sense 736 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: of it and it looks amazing, but it would be 737 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: nice to capture more that detail and depth of the 738 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 1: Black Canyon. What about it for you? For me, I 739 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 1: would say, keeping in mind that like next time, I 740 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: would you know, I would like to at least tempt 741 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:19,799 Speaker 1: going into the in your canyon great shoes with a 742 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,400 Speaker 1: great footing. I don't want to me slipping and sliding 743 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: to my death, and I want I also think it's 744 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: important here, especially here, to have like leggings or something 745 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:33,560 Speaker 1: I've I've been hiking increasingly with those because they provide 746 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:37,360 Speaker 1: good sun protection and bug protection while still being lightweight 747 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,960 Speaker 1: enough that they don't make me feel overheated if it's 748 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 1: sunny and hot, and so I would want something like that, 749 00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: and also maybe something for my arms in a similar format, 750 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 1: because I've seen those in different stores, like hiking stores, 751 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: and I don't have them yet, but I want them. 752 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 1: And then I think you're more of giving me like 753 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:58,359 Speaker 1: a birthday list than your feet conveniently naming the things 754 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: I wantating for my birthday. Yeah. And then the third 755 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:07,440 Speaker 1: thing I guess I would bring would be similar to 756 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,440 Speaker 1: your camera thing. I would bring binoculars. I think this 757 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: would be a particularly great part for that because the 758 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,840 Speaker 1: cannon is very, very deep, and you it's hard to 759 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:19,640 Speaker 1: really see any detail down there. You can see like 760 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: the white water from the river, like in the far distance, 761 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: but I wouldn't be able to like see the details 762 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 1: aside from like the east portal view. Um, I want 763 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,200 Speaker 1: to be up by the painted wall overlook and I 764 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,560 Speaker 1: want to be able to look down and just get 765 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: a get a better feel, and bnocutors would be really 766 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 1: great for that. Well, what I think is great is 767 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:41,440 Speaker 1: that we pretty much are going right into our dream vacation, 768 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:46,880 Speaker 1: which it's camping for myself. Um, you know, those trails 769 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: and that hiking for you. I mean, it's just yeah, amazing, 770 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:54,359 Speaker 1: because that's I think we're on. We're talking about two 771 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:56,919 Speaker 1: parts of the same trip right now, Essentially, I'm talking 772 00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:58,279 Speaker 1: about how we're going to sleep, and you're going to 773 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:00,560 Speaker 1: talk about how we do what we want to do, 774 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:05,680 Speaker 1: so right, Yeah, Because ultimately my dream here would be 775 00:42:05,719 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 1: to do one of these in your Canyan hikes with 776 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:09,760 Speaker 1: you to the river. I don't want to do it alone. 777 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:11,799 Speaker 1: Like there are some like really hardcore hikes that I'm 778 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 1: happy to do on my own and I do, but 779 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 1: this is something I think I'd be too nervous to 780 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:19,120 Speaker 1: attempt because it's so far outside my comfort zone and 781 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 1: I know it would be really really strenuous and probably 782 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:24,920 Speaker 1: terrifying lee steep, But it is one of those like 783 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,560 Speaker 1: bucket list experiences that I think I would love to 784 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,080 Speaker 1: do one day. Just work mysyche myself up to it. 785 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:33,359 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I mean facing fears is the best kind 786 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,319 Speaker 1: of bucket list experience. I mean, it's just like those 787 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:40,359 Speaker 1: intense cave tours at the places like Carl's Bed. Yeah. Yeah, 788 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,080 Speaker 1: it's totally like similar kind of mindset. As long as 789 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:45,960 Speaker 1: we're not crashing down the Gunnison River on a rubber mattress, 790 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:52,440 Speaker 1: I'm down to try anything. You've been listening to the 791 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:56,080 Speaker 1: park Landia podcast, a show about national parks by Heart Radio, 792 00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:59,880 Speaker 1: created by Matt Caro Wak, Brad Caro Wak, and Christopher 793 00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:03,560 Speaker 1: had eiotis produced and edited by Mike John's executive produced 794 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 1: by Christopher hasiotas special thanks to Gabrielle Collins, Crystal Waters, 795 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,560 Speaker 1: and the rest of the Parklandia crew and Hey listeners. 796 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:12,680 Speaker 1: If you're enjoying the show, leave us a review on 797 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:16,520 Speaker 1: Apple Podcast. It helps other people like you find our show. 798 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:18,839 Speaker 1: You can keep up with us on social media. Check 799 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 1: out photos from our travels on Instagram at Parklandia Pod, 800 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,880 Speaker 1: and join in the conversation in our Facebook group, Parklandia Rangers. 801 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:27,160 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening.