Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 00:58:30 -0500
To:heublein@bellsouth.net, cal@gsbs.uchicago.edu, Danielle_Fuchs@peoplesoft.com,
ecb5u@virginia.edu, homunculus@mindspring.com, Rich_Fuchs@peoplesoft.com,
SNAFU@CC.MUSIC.UGA.EDU, smw4s@virginia.edu, ryssa@virginia.edu, geof@neuron.nrl.navy.mil,
joeboy@VNET.IBM.COM, cbw2c@virginia.edu, weishaupt@aol.com, WeilacherG@lynx.aon.af.mil,
brs@s-1.com, fife@s-1.com, abhijit@s-1.com
From:fuchs@med.stanford.edu (Michael Fuchs)
Subject:Day 6

Fuchs Overland Dispatch, Day 6
Dateline: Tusayan, AZ
2.17.97


The Grand Canyon rocks.

The Park Entrance--Not A Bad Shot, From the Saddle While Peddling

The First Overlook, Mather Point. It Doesn't Build Up, Or Give You Any Time to Get Used to It--It Just Hits You Full On In a Single Instant

Also Mather Point, A Little Off to the Side

The Bike, At Home

There Was Snow on the Ground, But the Weather Unexpectedly Warmed up to 65 and Mostly Sunny for this February Day (When the Park Was Very Uncrowded)

Fuchs Fuels Up With a PowerBar

I Came Upon a Large Group of Japanese Tourists; Utilizing My Highly Polished Command of Japanese Language, I Quickly Befriended Them

My New Friend Keiko

Near a Precipitous Spot Known as The Abyss, A Raven Soars (Dead Center)

Mr. Raven Then Landed Nearby, and Let Me Within a Few Feet of Him. (He Was A Fair Bit Bigger Than He Looks Here)

In a Small World, I Met Two UVa Alumni: Closest to Me is Kris (ARCH 96) and Next is Chris (SEAS 96)

This is the Outside of Hermit's Rest, the Stopping Point at the End of the West Rim Trail

Inside Hermit's Rest, Over Coffee and a Roaring Fire, I Met Jennifer & Tracy (Jennifer Sadly Cut Out of Picture). Both Were Canadians Driving From Far Eastern Canada to Far Western Canada, Dipping Through the States. Tracy, Age 25, Taught School For 3 Years And Decided She Wanted to Go Out West to Work on a Cattle Ranch. So She Was Doing It.

Bike With New Mojo Stick on Handlebar (Purchased, Along With Another Shitload of Film, at Hermit's Rest)

A Glimpse of the Mighty Colorado

Another Canadian, In the Middle of a 50,000 km Bike Ride, Thus Making Me Feel Like a Total Loser. He Started in Eastern Canada, Rode Through New York, D.C. Down the East Coast to Florida, All the Way to the End of the Florida Keys (Key West), Back Up and Across Through New Orleans, and Down to Mexico. He Intended to Ride Through Central America, But in Mexico Hit a Pothole Causing Him to Blow Up His Knee, Massively Concuss His Head, and Grab a Bunch of Road Rash. After 2 Months of Recovery Time He Blew Off Central America (As He Heard the Roads Only Get Worse), Rode Through Carlsbad Caverns and the Canyon, Then Was Proceeding to L.A., San Francisco, the Pacific Northwest, Up to Alaska, Then Back Across the Length of Canada. "Where'd You Ride From?" He Asked Me. "The Hotel."

A Memorial to Some Folks Who Helped Discover This Place

Farewell to the Canyon: "The World's Grandest Natural Spectacle"

Nothing Like a Hot Tub and a Sam to Relax After a Full Day of Biking the Canyon

Miles Pedalled Today: 38.84


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