Picture updates, with day details to follow!

We've reached Zion NP!

Check out the waterfall in the bottom left hand corner (if it were vertical).  Lower Emerald Pools, Zion NP.

Virgin River -- TBC -- To Be Conquered!

Desert Bighorm Sheep on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Scenic Highway

Probably the fanciest dinner I've had in the past few weeks. A rarity.

Proof I'm here -- and that's Checkerboard Mesa in the eastern part of Zion NP.

The Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon NP -- that arch could be called a parabola or a quadratic function.

The summit of Angels Landing in Zion NP.  I'm scared to death -- I was more scared to hike down.  Look up an image of the trail!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Stats for the day:

·         4521 steps (on pedometer)

·         Temperature at 7am just outside of the Grand Canyon: 62°F

·         Temperature 6 hours later at Hoover Dam: 110°F  (in the shade) at 1500 feet

·         Temperature just 2 hours later (and not in the shade) at Hoover Dam: 115°F

·         Monies won in Vegas: 98 quarters (You do the math!  And I only spent 1 quarter.  Check out that rate of return!)

After packing up at the Grand Canyon, Matt and I headed toward Hoover Dam.  After Hoover Dam, we were headed to Las Vegas for the evening.  The original plan was to camp at the KOA in Las Vegas, but as the temperature started rising and the price there being not too much less (seriously) than a hotel, we opted to treat ourselves to a bed and AC. 

I’ve been to Hoover Dam once, but I was young enough that I don’t think I truly understood what was happening there.  I am amazed at the technology and skill that went into building the dam, and I think each new fact that I read or saw on the video was a new idea for my classroom. And, visiting a power plant with an electrical engineer gives everything a new meaning, too. 

You wouldn't believe the materials that went into making this!

Because this is a power plant, it's hard to avoid power lines!

I can't believe how many Aggies there are out there.  Everywhere we go, someone comments on the hat!

I’ve not been to Vegas since I was very young, and the kid carnival level at Circus Circus is all that I remember.  I’m not sure I would make it in Vegas for very long because there is so much stimulation I would just shut down.  So, Matt and I opted for dinner at Todd English’s Pub where we had the best thing ever: cold, cold water.  The food was good, too.   Then, Matt treated me to a show, KA.  I think I spent have the show tense and nervous someone was going to fall and get hurt.  It was amazing.  And I wish I was in that kind of physical shape.  Then, it was on to a little gambling.  Matt knows I’m not very fond of casinos.  I sit there and calculate the electric bill that was just lost, or the percentage of my salary, etc, etc.  Therefore, Matt took me to a great little old school horseracing game.  It’s simple, you bet a quarter on which two of the five horses will come in first and second (they give you odds), then the horses actually race around a track (we’re talking small, mechanical horses in a glass case in the middle of the table), and if you bet well, you win the odds!  I liked it.  I liked it even better when I was brave enough to tell Matt to bet on the 3-5 combo that had 99-1 odds, and I won!  And that’s how I do Vegas.  The old school horseracing machine.

At the Bellagio.  And I still haven't taken time to figure out how to rotate my picture on this blog.  I swear they are saved as vertical images.  Any suggestions out there?

Math thoughts for today:

·         Hoover Dam is a math wonderland.  There are so many statistics and documented data to be used for almost any type of math skill!  I stole a move my dad usually uses and took 2 of the free booklets. It’ll be good for the classroom!

·         The temperature changes today will be fun percent change problems, as well as being able to be used for rates. (If you haven’t noticed, lots of math revolves around rates and proportions.)

·         Time Zones!!!  I think we can work on some logic by writing a problem about time zones and traveling between Arizona and Nevada.  I’m not sure how long it took us to confirm what time it actually was.

·         My adult math class could incorporate some gambling info: odds, percentages, rates of return, etc, etc.  The junior high students might be a bit young for this, and I think teaching someone how to count cards might get me in trouble.

Shout-outs:

·         Sioux City crowd – Driving from the Grand Canyon to Hoover Dam (and then to Las Vegas), I saw a Picadilly Circus.  I loved having the little wolf on the tricycle bring me my pizza!

·         Joe and Rosario, and John and Amy – Any baby news???

·         Midwest crowd – While water is hugely impacting lives at home in the Midwest, I’m driving over bridge after bridge that was no water beneath.  Each one has a name (they are washes out here since they only have water sometimes) just like our rivers, but it’s striking how dry it can be in one place and how wet in the other.  Hope everyone is safe at home!

Taking you back a bit, Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Stats for the day:

·         27417 steps (on pedometer)

·         3.5 mi on Rim Trail

·         Miles into the canyon: 3

·         Miles out of the canyon: 3

·         Temperature in the canyon: 102°F

·         Temperature out of the canyon: °F

·         Number of nearly distraught, I’m way more out of shape than I thought girls: 1

My mom flew out of Flagstaff, AZ yesterday, and then Matt and I headed to Sunset Crater Volcanic National Monument, followed by a trip to the Grand Canyon.  Matt was quite impressed by the fact that Sunset Crater was a volcanic site, not just a crater.  I’ve never hiked the volcanic sites in Hawaii, but supposedly they are similar. 

We hit the east entrance of the Grand Canyon (Desert View) just prior to sunset, and so it was perfect to look at some views and then watch sunset.  Absolutely beautiful.

We camped at Ten-X Campground (part of the US Forest Service) just south of the South Entrance to the Grand Canyon.

Wednesday morning came, and Matt and I decided to walk the Rim Trail from the Visitor’s Center to the trailhead for Bright Angel Trail.  If we had it to do over again, we’d make a better decision.  The 3.5 miles prior to the actual trail, while easy and flat, was still 3.5 additional miles.  AND, it meant that we started our hike later than anticipated, so we were hiking back up the trail at about 2pm.  And in the canyon it was significantly hotter than out of the canyon.  I’m thinking this excursion will turn into some fun rate problems (rates, unit rates), as well as working with mean (average).  I know it’s surprising, but our rate up the trail was significantly slower than when we were hiking down.

Check out that RIGHT ANGLE tree, also at one time most likely a trail marker.

Matt will tell you that I was a bit hopeless at the beginning of the hike back up.  And he’d be telling the truth. I knew I was in for a long afternoon.  BUT, we made it alive and still walking fairly well.  The evening ended with an insane amount of food for two people and an early bedtime! 

If you look closely, the middle of the picture has a number of switchbacks.  That was part of the Bright Angel Trail -- just part of it.

And because I know the word will spread once Matt reaches some of you, yes, I got freaked out in the middle of the night by elk.  I’ll call myself out.  They were loud, which meant they were close.  And I know they had no interest in me, but it was the middle of the night, I was wide awake (I knew the early bedtime was a mistake), and we’d broken the number one rule of camping: there was food in the tent.  Let’s just say that while I was apparently a little ridiculous (I can’t always be logical and rational), it’s become a fun joke.

(There was no real danger of animals in the area where we were, but for my sanity, I’ve said no more.  We will be headed to CO eventually and I don’t want any trace of any scents!)

Math thoughts for today (and yesterday):

·         The structures designed by architect Mary Colter around the Grand Canyon.  She was hired in 1930, which doesn’t strike me as an overly popular time for a female architect.

·         Volcanic sites and likelihood of eruption could be a fun way to do some probability. 

·         Statistics and data were prevalent at Sunset Crater; lots of possibilities for graphing and the need for various types of graphs.

·         Bright Angel Trail will be a word problem of rates, unit rates, and means.  Plus, there’s some work in there with slope (rate of change), too!

Shout-outs:

·         Emily Garrett – Thank you for the Bath in a Bag!!! As disgusting as we were after our hikes, the campsite had no showers, and truth be told, even if they had, that would have been too much effort!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

We've set up camp in Springdale, UT, right outside of the entrance to Zion National Park.  Our campsite is just next to the Virgin River, which is still running a bit high but hopefully will drop enough in the next few days that we can at least hike into The Narrows from the bottom.  Hiking in from the top (16mi hike downstream) is the goal, but the slow/late snow melt means things are still running high and hikers aren't yet cleared.  However, Zion has a lot to offer, and it's nice to be set up for a few days in the same place!

Before we head into the park to hike this afternoon/evening, I thought I'd try to catch up on the last week.

Sunday, June 19, 2011
Stats for the day:

• 55°F at 8pm at 7880 feet in Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde National Park
• Steps taken: 7206
• High elevation in Mesa Verde: 8360 feet
• Number of people who are thought to have lived in Cliff Palace: 50-100
• Number of times Matt's been right so far: 2 for 2

It takes more than you might think to be camping for a month, and because I wanted both Matt and his bags to be able to fit into the vehicle (and my mom and her bags, too) we've added a rack to the top of the car.  It'll just make life easier, and there won't be so much rearranging constantly happening to dig out what you need.  So, Matt and I spent the morning assembly the rack, and then getting everything packed up.  We left Durango and made it to a cute little bakery in Marcos, CO (Absolute Bakery and Cafe) for brunch with Diana before saying our goodbyes. 

Mesa Verde was a quick trip from Marcos, and after selecting our campsite we headed to Cliff Palace.  I've been to Mesa Verde once before but it's been awhile, and I'm still amazed.  Our tour guide, Jesse, lead us through Cliff Palace and used a lot more math vocabulary than what she'd give herself credit for (simlar to Kathy Miller).  Jesse even mentioned having had a math teacher on a tour who helped her out with the name of a six-sided figure, the shape of the structure\supports of the kiva roofs.  Who can name that figure???

We also hiked to the Spruce Tree Dwelling, and there we got to climb down into a kiva.  On the way back to the campsite, we saw wild horses close to the Visitor's Center.  I'm not sure if I've ever actually seen wild horses.  And of course we sang the song. 

Math thoughts for today:

• The photos of the different "openings" on the dwellings (windows, doors, etc) will make it much more interesting to work on classifications and characteristics of quadrilaterals. 
• Water is scarce in this area.  Being able to compare statistics about rainfall will be good, as well as doing some calcuations about water needed for crops.  How were they able to farm if it didn't rain frequently enough?  Good thought-provoking questions for my students, AND great lead-ins for the engineering used.

Shout-outs:

• Daniel Tucker -- You would have loved the bakery.  Lots of good food while being surrounded by books to peruse. 

Monday, June 20, 2011
Stats for the day:

• 46°F at 7am at 7880 feet in Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde National Park
• 73°F at 7pm at the KOA in Holbrook, AZ
• Steps taken: 11,877
• Total miles traveled since the beginning of the trip:1545.1
• Number of states I was in at once: 4
• Number of trails closed due to swarming bees: 1

Today included driving from Mesa Verde to Four Corners, then to Canyon de Chelly, and finally the Petrified Forest National Park.  It's a long, somewhat boring drive, with spurts of beautiful scenery along the way. 

Math thoughts for today:

• The Four Corners Monument makes an excellent coordinate plane, with each state being a different quadrant.  The monument has been updated since I was there last (my former picture was on the monument done in 1962). 
• The numbers involved with the Petrified Forest NP will be great for practicing scientific notation, as well as place value.
• Petrified wood is HEAVY!  I took some pictures with a ruler in them for scale so we can calcuate volume, and then the weight of that particular piece.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Stats for the day:

• 68°F at 6am at the KOA in Holbrook, AZ at 5060 feet
• 81°F at 6pm outside of Sunset Crater Volcanic National Monument at 7000 feet
• 88°F just an hour later at 7pm on the way to the Grand Canyon
• Steps taken: 8843
• Beautiful sunsets seen today: 1
• Elk seen: 4

Okay, so I realize I didn't get very far updating you on this past week, but once again my computer is about to run out of battery.  So, I'll work on finding a battery source.  In the meantime, I'm super curious about how the flood conditions are at home, AND if there are any new babies in the world???  I'm waiting on news about a few new births that should be happening anyday now, and I'm keeping those families in my thoughts and prayers!

Love all of you!

It's hot!!!

Hello!  It's hot out here, and I'm starting to get a feel for what the next few weeks will be.  I'm thinking heading back into Colorado for the end of the trip will definitely be a nice cool down.  And when I say it's hot, I mean it's hotter than anywhere I can remember being.  It was 115F yesterday at Hoover Dam, but only 110F in the shade. 

I promise to write for a bit longer when we (at this point just Matt is with me, Brian's coming soon) get to Zion National Park.  But here are some pictures, including ones of me, as requested. 

Sunset from Desert View in the Grand Canyon.

Me wondering if I'll ever get out of the Grand Canyon!!!  We maybe set ourselves up for difficult time since we did 3.5miles along the rim of the canyon, prior to hiking in 3 miles.  And then, as the sign at the 3mi rest station said, "Hiking down is optional, hiking up is mandatory."  I think they should post that at the beginning!

Feeling a bit more confident -- we were almost to the top!

Hoover Dam -- oh how this place will dominate my classroom!

Updates from the past few days!

Quadrilateral wonderland at Mesa Verde's Cliff Palace

Kiva -- circular and hexagonal roof

Matt at Four Corners -- without him it makes a nice coordinate plane

Mom at Four Corners -- I'm still figuring out how to add things to this blog.  The original picture is vertical!

Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs at Petrified Forest National Park.  Ann Raab, this made me think of you!

Up close and personal with a petrified tree.  Want to learn some chemistry?

Petrified tree with scale

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Stats for the day:

·         5743 steps (on pedometer)

·         109°F in one of the hot springs in Pagosa Springs, CO

So, today is a bit of vacation while I’m on this trip.  We had a lazy morning talking and sipping tea in the beautiful Colorado air.  This project continues to involve, and there several off-shoots in the planning stages.  I think I’ll try to do a short, quick, fun “adult math” class one evening, maybe in conjunction with the local brewery in Weston.  And, I’m brainstorming a “math camp” to have in the summers.  There may even be another speaking engagement in the future.

 Diana, my mom, and I headed to Pagosa Springs, CO to go to The Springs (hot springs).  I spent the afternoon moving from one hot spring pool to the next, each a slightly different temperature.  It was extremely relaxing, and while we were there, I talk with a few individuals about my project (one was even a junior high science teacher).  The excitement about what this project could do is growing! 

And, Matt arrived!  So, “we” now includes Matt, my mom, and me.

Math thoughts for today:

·         Temperatures of hot springs

·         Cone shape of sulfur buildup

Shout-outs:

·         Dr. Townsley and Dr. Shull: A Ph.D. program is working itself sooner and sooner into my plans and goals. 

Friday, June 17, 2011

Stats for the day:

·         9090 steps (on pedometer)

·         40°F at 5am at 8820

·         Highest elevation reached during the day: 8160 feet on hike to High Point on the Warner Nature Trail in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

·         Bighorn Sheep Spotted: 1

·         Cute little prairie dog that ran under my car tire: 1

·         Poisonous Plants Eaten: 1 (I ate Yellow Columbine, with my mother’s encouragement. We only learned it was poisonous after the fact from a book in the Visitor’s Center.

Our day started at 5am this morning with the moon still out and looking amazing.  It looked just like you might think it would on a cool day in the mountains in Colorado.  We drove to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, still within Colorado.  

Then, we headed in the direction of Durango, CO via the Million Dollar Highway (and Ouray and Silverton).  I’m not going to lie; that may be the most difficult road I’ve ever driven.  And it made my palms extremely sweaty.  It was beautiful, but one of those drives on this trip will be enough!  We’ll be in Durango, for the next day and a half, staying with one of my mom’s best friends (one of the famous Babes), Diana.

Math thoughts for today:

·         Water eroded volcanic rock that had filled in the Gunnison Uplift at a rate of 1 inch per century to create the Black Canyon.  Won’t that be fun to figure out how many years it’d take to erode the just your height. 

·         Volume and force of the Gunnison River

·         Engineering of the Million Dollar Highway (surveying involved, why was road built how it was, etc)

·         Slope, or gradients, of roads

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Stats for the day:

·         11,529 steps (on pedometer)

·         42°F at 6am at 8820 feet

·         Highest elevation reached during the day: 9740 feet on hike to Judd Falls (Gothic, CO)

·         Dead Animal Carcasses: 1 (I think it was a calf.)

We’re in Crested Butte, CO, Wildflower Capital.  We’re a few weeks early for the high season of wildflowers, but we went for a hike in Gothic, CO, which is the home to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.  We hiked the Copper Creek Trail to Judd Falls within Gunnison National Forest. 

Math thoughts for today:

·         Numbers from the Fibonacci Sequence seen in wildflower petals and pinecone spirals. 

·         Parallel lines created by the trees.  (Are they truly parallel? ) ; )

·         Lots of elevations which can be used for a number of calculations, including percent change

·         Decomposition rates (An animal skeleton, with just the tiniest bit of hair left, caught me by surprise on the path by the waterfall.)

Shout-outs:

·         Katie (Summers) Schmitt – I looked at the view of so many trees from right next to the trunk.  This habit came from you!

·         Posh Chocolat and Jay Willenbrock – Brian brought my mom a hat – and she’s wearing it on her hike!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Stats for the day, as of 3pm:

·         6380 steps (on pedometer)

·         134.7 miles traveled

·         Missed turns: 4 (2 in the Garden of the Gods, 2 outside of the park)

This morning my mom and I spent some time hiking on the land the Farnaan’s own (Pike National Forest) and admiring the craftsmenship and detail in the two cabins.  After cleaning any trace of our presence and packing my overstuffed car, we headed to the Garden of the Gods.  I can’t wait to show you some pictures! 

I’m sitting currently at Bongo Billy’s Coffee-Bakery (thanks, Susan Wurtenberger!!!), where I had a most delicious chicken salad sandwich! There was something more than the dill that added to the flavor, and I think I’ll be trying to figure this recipe out when I return to Weston.  Bongo Billy’s is in Buena Vista, CO, on our way to Crested Butte where we’re camping this evening. 

Math thoughts for today:

·         45°F at 7am

70°F at noon  (Both of these can be converted to Celsius AND can be used to calculate rates of change.)

·         Balanced Rock is 700 tons.  How many pounds is that? 

There are more but my computer is about to run out of battery!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Stats for the day:

·         3568 steps (on pedometer)

·         613.3 miles traveled

·         Accidents avoided: 3 (semi, tour bus, deer)

The adventure has begun!  We’re currently in Woodland Park, CO, staying at the cabin of a close friend, Emerita Farnan.  And when I say “we,” I mean my mom, Julie, and me.  She’s going to be with me for this first week of travel. 

The day has gone wonderfully.  The plan was to pick up the rental vehicle around 8am, pack up the car, and be on the road by 10am.   Finalizing last minute details, double and triple checking to be sure all of my insurance was in order and that I was fully covered for whatever might come, and strategically packing the vehicle (quite the mathematical spacial reasoning problem in itself) all put us on the road at 11:43am.  When my mom told my dad the planned timeline for the morning, he said, “You’ll be lucky to be on the road by noon.”  Guess he’s done this a time or two!

While today’s drive was one of the longer drives, it was probably also one of the easiest I’ll have on this trip.  It’s a pretty straight shot from Weston, MO to Colorado Springs.  The drive from Colorado Springs to Woodland Park eased me into what much of the next month will be.  And I now know what it’s like to be stuck driving but really wanting to be looking out the windows at the views!

So, some math thoughts for today:

·         How many miles of cable for electricity and phone decorate the interstate from Kansas to Colorado?  How far apart are the telephone poles spaced?  How many does that mean are needed?

·         Still on the telephone pole kick: Where/How are the poles produced? How are they shipped?  How much do they cost?  How many acres of forest does it take just to keep us stocked in telephone poles?

·         Irrigation rigs have lots of geometry going on – triangles, curves, etc.  I’m not sure if they’re called rigs or not (my uncles in Iowa would be embarrassed), but I think you know what I’m referencing. 

·         How much power do wind turbines produce?  What could be powered by that supply? 

·         I have all kinds of data – elevations, time spent driving, mileage, cost per gallon of gas, money spent on gas,  For instance, we started at an elevation of about 1320 ft. in Kansas (taken from my altimeter/watch, so not necessarily the most accurate tool out there), had reached 3760 ft. as we were leaving Kansas, and ended at an elevation of 7840 ft. in Colorado.

During the drive today, lots of things made me think of people in my life.  I think this will happen a lot on this trip, so I’m going to try to do a little shout-out section.  Just quick notes of things and of whom (Is that right, Mrs. Benner; it’s an object of a preposition!) they made me think.

·         Saying good-byes, or “until-laters” – My niece, Posy, doesn’t necessarily understand that I won’t see her for a month, but she gave me the best hug on Monday night!

·         “Country Roads” by John Denver – first song on the radio when we were leaving, and  memories of watching John and Mary perform at this little dive bar during my college days.  Lots of good times with my college buddies there!  This song was followed by a Counting Crows’ song that had “Einstein” in the title.  Thought that was fitting for a math trip.

·         The golden wheat in Kansas really looked to be pink lots of time.  Overall it was gold, but if I were choosing a paint color, it would’ve been a rosy pink color.  Now I know what Angie’s been meaning.

·         The Flint Hills – Matt’s parents, Jim and Laurie Pessarra.  They’ve both commented on how pretty that section of the drive from Texas to Missouri and back is.  (P.S. Matt’s my boyfriend; I’m guessing his name will come up again, so for those of you who don’t know me, there’s some background.)

·         Almost getting hit by a tour bus pulling a vehicle from Washington state.  I determined that it must be the Fleet Foxes, and that band made me think of Matt and my brother, Brian. 

Now it’s time for me to go to sleep under an incredible moon!