​Woke up at 2:30 to the smell of dog poo. Charlie got diarrhea. Not too big of a mess in the trailer. Caught it early enough to let her out – an exercise we repeated about every hour until we left and even during the 250-mile drive. Her thick, coarse fur made clean-up a chore every time.

The roads were not crowded but the drive was sad through the desolate, Navajo reservation. There was a 24-mile section where the road surface was wavy, causing excessive bounce in our rig. I had to slow to 50 or 55 mph for a while. Some of the scenes were reminiscent of Hollywood road trips. What vast space, punctuated by tall mesas and deep canyons. Such an alien landscape for a Northwesterner.

Between the dog hygiene and the drive, it was no wonder that Angie and I were a bit on edge when we arrived at Mather Campground. It was the most snappy we had been with each other. Luckily there is a laundry to clean up dog blankets and nine days of human laundry. Our campsite is large and level, with some good shade. There is a shared water pump right next to it. 

Angie’s luck continues on a hot streak. After winning a permit for Angels Landing yesterday, she was able to secure a rare, first-come, first-served campsite here. There are only two of the 300 sites that are available on this basis, the others having been booked many months ago.
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Plan B was dispersed camping in the desert outside the park. We may still have to move there tomorrow. We find out at 9 am, whether we get to keep the site for another night.