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Heading west through New Mexico toward Arizona, we decided to follow a highway sign to check out “The Petrified Forest National Park”. An excellent detour right off route 40. Matt and I imagined traveling across these lands for the first time and happening upon these wide dark canyons- you simply can’t tell they're there until you’re right upon them.
A short drive in the park brings you through 13,000 years of history- petrogylphs and late Triassic fossils. At one stop we found an incredible landscape laden with stump after stump of colorful petrified wood. This ‘wood’ is now almost solid quartz, and weighing in at 168 pounds per cubic foot, it can only be cut with a diamond tipped saw. Insane, and hard to believe until you run your hands across it.
Continuing on we arrived at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, set up camp and began to prep for our trip down to the base. It took a couple of days to obtain a permit for the campsites we wanted to visit below the rim, and to organize meals, gear and first aid. During this time we also enjoyed day hikes around the south
Lizard on Petrified Wood
This guy let us take a good long look at it's beautiful color.rim, and Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, AZ. We enjoyed a beautiful hike up ‘Cathedral Rock’- a path where one of four energy vortexes are known to exist in Sedona. These vortexes are interesting...i'll let the wonderful world-wide internet explain them:
“In Sedona vortexes are created, not by wind or water, but from spiraling spiritual energy. They are believed to be spiritual locations where the energy is right to facilitate prayer, mediation and healing. The energy of the vortexes interacts with a person’s inner self. It is not easily explained. Obviously it must be experience."
Needless to say, I did not get to feel the experience. But because these are known to exist in Sedona, the town has grown into a spiritual center. Beyond all that, the hike and spiraling drive to and from Sedona were spectacular and definitely worth a visit.
On the morning that began our trek into the canyon, we woke to an early rain and heavy winds. With our packs and rain gear on, we hopped on a bus that took us to the trailhead of the South Kaibab trail. Luckily the wind died as soon as we dropped into our first canyon, and not long after the rain stopped, and a most fulfilling rainbow peaked out as though to bode us well on our journey. The 5 hour trek to the Colorado river and Bright Angel camp ground was filled with spectacular color and much more life than you can tell exists
Sedona, AZ.
Liz atop a peak at 'Cathedral Rock' hike. from the rim. The layers of colored sandstone you can see from the top change so quickly and drastically along the path that you can have your left foot in one color, and your right in another. The deep reds of the canyon are surprisingly bright and the diversity of wildflowers and other flora is shocking.
We passed many teams of mules on their way to the top, carrying either passengers or garbage from the facilities below. We continued to flight harsh winds and some rain and eventually sighted the Colorado river and steel bridges that would bring us to our campsite. We read that the giant steel that constructed this bridge in the early 20
th century was actually carried down by many human hands, because it was too heavy for mules. My grip couldn’t surround an entire cable, so you might imagine how difficult this must have been. Walking through blasted sandstone and across the bridge was an excellent entrance and welcome to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We spent the evening exploring around the river…beautiful white beaches, fast water, sharp cliffs, all at dusk. It was breathtaking.
It took us two
Rainbow at GC
What a wonderful welcome. days to climb back out of the canyon. Only 4-5 hours a day of hiking but the quick incline in elevation made it hard work. The passage out took us along the Bright Angel trail, which mostly follows Indian Creek and therefore has a vastly different look than Kaibab. We experienced a changing landscape of dessert the first day that was less prevalent as we passed 60 foot cottonwood trees, a variety of bushes and thirsty animals on our way back out of canyon. A mid-canyon sunset, hopping lizards, and sighting a pink rattlesnake and Californian condors were definitely highlights. Overall, it felt amazing to have a heavy pack on for a few days, finally get into some of the adventure we had been longing for, and all in a place wild and new to both of us.
That said, as soon as we exited the canyon, the 'over 30 year old bones' inside us drove our car to find modern comforts. We spent the next two days enjoying the best food Flagstaff has to offer, looking over pictures, meeting locals and trying signature cocktails. Not a bad introduction to the southwest.
(don't forget
to check out the rest of the pictures below!)
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norma blake
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you shit good for you ima so glade you are having a good time we are all happy for you