Clyde1820

Nice videos and story of your journey.

Have you decided on the route you will take for the entire trip, or are you going to "wing it" at least part of the way?

Sounds like you are both having a great time, so far.

Be safe.

spinnaker

So how did you get the shots of you two riding on the bicycle? Did you use the drone? If so how where you able to control the drone while riding the bicysle?

Fredandsveta

Thanks so much for your feedbacks and encouraging words !!

With the help of you guys from USA on this forum and on voyageforum.com we drew this draft, considering mainly the season and the good places to see :
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Py...vU&usp=sharing

When we ride the drone is always in automatic mod (tracking, tpafly, etc...)
we use a DJI Mavic Air, wich is full of smart automatic mode.
but I keep the RC in front of me, fixed by velcro on the camera pannier.

we wish you a good day!!
Sveta and Fred

diphthong

great videos! hope there's not too much snow on the arizona highway 67 and you can make it to the north rim of the grand canyon

spinnaker

Wow that is really cool. I did not know it could do that!

You are very courageous flying it over those valleys!

Any chance you will be coming to Pittsburgh and ending your trip on the Great Allegheny Passage? I live very close by, you are welcome to stay if I am here. Just PM me.

spinnaker

Oh I see your map. Flying out of Salt Lake? Too bad you will be missing eastern US which is also very nice.

jimincalif

Welcome to the U.S. Love the videos, I've tried to do video a few times so I can appreciate how difficult it is. You have a real talent for it. Glad you are enjoying yourselves here. Thanks for posting!

Steve B.

Great stuff !, been following since L.A.

One BIG concern is your camping in an arroyo. These are the (currently) dry river beds and at some point a whole lot of water carved that bed. You can get rain way in the distance, but not in your location, yet that arroyo will fill suddenly. Many, many people get killed by unexpected floods in the southwest U.S. and while this is not the monsoon season (later June and July), you need to be careful.

Love the drone work.

As well, before heading down that long dead end to the North Rim, make sure they are open as it’s typically sometime in May. Remember as well that that entire Kaibab plateau is at 8,000 ft and it’s still late winter.

DropBarFan

Yes but I can see how the western US would appeal more esp to Europeans with the wide-open spaces & scenery being more different than what they see at home. Plus they have the huge South America segment to do.

I like the combination of spoken English & French sub-titles, a nice little French refresher lesson.

Fredandsveta

We know, your country is so huge and so interesting.... we need life time to see everything!!!
But sure we will come back!!

Fredandsveta

Ususally before pitch the tent in the dry river bed we make sure that there is not rain coming in the night. we "try" to stay aware of this
Everywhere, even in the Death Valley, we see the big wash tracks which keep reminding us that sometime there is dangerous flood. But hard to imagine in all those so dry places....

The Nort Rim will open on May 15th, no service ther until this. Our plan is to make sure that there is at list some water there, just a tap. If not we will calculate to carry enough water for 3 days, food that don't need water to be cooked, and no shower
If we meet a Park Ranger we will try to have his agreement to ride there, and will try convince him or here with a lot of charm!
If there is snow on the road... so we can't go....
This is going to be a challenge!!

djb

I do not personally have the experience, but I have read from reliable sources that flash floods can happen from rain falling very very far away, and can surprise you easily when you would not expect it.
I think the safest thing is to ask around from locals who really know the area to hear about if certain months of the year are more prone to this happening.
I suspect it is rare, but do keep it in mind and try to get some proper info on it.

stevepusser

Those kind of localized intense monsoon storms don't occur in the West at this time of year. The rain they had in Death Valley was part of a huge regional storm covering basically the whole western US, and certainly did not sneak up on anyone.

djb

good to know. I just have vague memories of reading of this sort of surprise flooding from trip journals Ive read over the years, perhaps these were more in places like South America and other far off places.
I figured it best just to bring up the topic, as I know its something that is rare but can happen in some places from storms that take place a long way away--but again, I just dont have the experience and or knowledge personally.

Fredandsveta

Quick message!
We are at Jacob Lake, and tomorrow will try to reach the closed North Rim Grand Canyon, hope the PArk Rangers will be ok to allow a bike.
We expect a bit of snow, but not that much, and a good weather in the coming days.

Cross the fingers for us!!
Sveta and Fred

B. Carfree

I can't wait for the next video installment. This has been one of the funnest threads I've followed in a long while. Keep them coming. I'll be sad when you fly back home, but appreciative of all you've shared.

Fredandsveta

Dear friends,

Finally we have a good internet access and we are able to share our next little movie !

We are a Escalante, enjoying 2 resting days in an hostel, present from our mothers for Fred's birthday
Hope you will enjoy this little production as we enjoyed to make it
1080 and full screen recommended, click on the "Youtube" at the lower right corner.

All the best
Sveta and Fred

Clyde1820

Wonderful video!

It looks like you both are having a wonderful time. Even with all the mountain lions, elk, squirrels and other wildlife around.

It's amazing how useful that drone camera is, for documenting the trip. Beautiful filming.

Enjoy.

diphthong

Steve B.

Wonderful as always. The drone footage adds a unique dimension to the typical touring video's, few are as well conceived and constructed even without a drone.

Sorry to hear about the $130 fine from the park ranger. In retrospective, he let you stay and it can cost that much if not more to rent a cabin when the park is open, so money well spent. As well you timed it well to not find a road closed due to snow.

As always, stay safe.

berner

Very much enjoyed your video. Merci.

Fredandsveta

Good evening everybody !!

Thanks Berner, Steve B., ooga-booga and Clyde1820 for your comments! it's encouraging!
For the tunnel at the North of Zion we found a ride in the South Campground at Zion, and we enjoyed it directly to Bryce!! we know that not fear, but we don't care!!
Right now we are at Price, a bit too much in advance for our airplane on May 28th, we just need 4 days to reach our last WarmShowers host in SLC downtown. But we need time there to prepare everything, so that's fine.

So here is our fifth movie in US, a special one...
We made a stop in Colorado City, hosted by a nice couple through the WarmShowers, and we finally discovered that we are in a Fundamentalist Polygamist Mormons Community, oops!!!
We found the situation so incredible that we decided to make a little "documentary" and share the story of this community, because in Europe at list we don't know about the FLDS.
So, much more text than usual, but we think it's interesting and good to know about it.

djb

Those Romans are crazy n'est ce pas?
An interesting experience I'm sure, and one that doesn't surprise me that much given my similar experiences with Americans a few times.
Very curious indeed.

PedalingWalrus

Polyglots meet Polygamists ... news at 7 :-)

Steve B.

You happened to stumble into the town that's the hotbed of Fundamentalist LDS in the US. This is in part due to the geography of being in Arizona, yet right next to Utah, and as a result of being on the north side of the Colorado River, is reasonably far away from the AZ. state government, The result is the locals have their own little enclave away from the law, so to speak. Thus polygamy and other mostly illegal activities, with the local mayor and most local government officials, including local law enforcement, being in many instances hand picked by local religious leaders who thus look the other way.

There has been a concerted effort by the state to crack down on the illegal marriages,etc..... and some changes are occuring.

It will certainly be an interesting side note to your journey.