Wegs hit by hailstorm at Grand Canyon

Hans and Linda Weg stopped off at Flintstones Bedrock City in Williams, Arizona, on their way to the Grand Canyon.

Hans and Linda Weg stopped off at Flintstones Bedrock City in Williams, Arizona, on their way to the Grand Canyon.

Hans and Linda Weg got a little more than they bargained for on a recent trip to the Grand Canyon – their first trip since Linda’s hip replacement surgery early in the summer.

Hans says their motivation to visit the national park was a free, three-night stay at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Laughlin. Plus, Hans wanted to check out a 1935 Ford fire truck for sale in Valle, Arizona.

“Since Canyon Lake has no fire department, if I bought it I would have the only fire truck in town. But Linda decided for me not to buy it,” Hans quips.

As is their style, the Wegs stopped off at unusual locations along their journey to take pictures that keep “Near and Far with The Friday Flyer” interesting. One such stop was Bedrock City, a Flintstone attraction that brought back fond memories for the couple of when they stopped there with their kids in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

On approaching the Grand Canyon, it was clear by the dark sky that they were heading into a big storm. But they were so close, they decided to go anyway and found that others had done the same, since the parking lot was full.

After Hans parked the car and joined Linda at the lookout, there was enough time for picture-taking before it started to pour, with lightning and thunder striking nearby.

Photos provided by Hans Weg

Photos provided by Hans Weg

“Then it started hailing sideways, with hail almost as big as marbles,” he says. “I started to run to our car, which was quite a ways away, and told Linda I would pick her up at the beginning of the trail. But when I got there, Linda was nowhere around.” As Hans rolled down his window to yell for her, his glasses were fogged and the hail was blowing into his face.

He says, “Fearing that Linda might have fallen, I stopped the car and ran down the trail looking and yelling for her. The water was flowing like a little river at my feet. Not seeing her at the lookout and fearing that she might have been washed into the canyon (just kidding), I then ran back to our car and backed up in the parking lot. Finally she appeared from between the parked cars where she was crouched down trying to avoid being pummeled by the hail.”

Soaked to the bone, they made the more than two-hour drive back to Laughlin; and on the next night, Linda won a jackpot. “Overall it was a fun trip with lots to talk about,” says Hans.




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