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!