New Mexico and the Grand Canyon

Ahhh the Southwest!

I traveled to NM for my (somethingth) high school class reunion. That was a blast, and it was a blast visiting with sisters and brothers-in-law and some hiking to boot!

Photos!

Oooh the sticker shock of gas prices! I usually drive an EV, so seeing those numbers roll was not too fun. Stopping at this gas station, though! Love it.

On my way: I stopped at Cracker Barrel in Flagstaff for the night. Crackerdocking ain't so bad, especially with a sunset like this:

Yanno, pancakes for dinner wasn't so bad either. It's a little hard to stomach CB food, but breakfast for dinner is always an option!

Once in Northern NM, I took a walk to a treasured trailhead, though I did not trek down the 1000 feet to the Rio Grande. Took a couple photos though!

The next day I visited my childhood playground. I had written an essay about this cherished place and the fire that consumed it. I was pleased that the scattered sapling Ponderosa Pines were growing up, and some had even dropped some pinecones, here 26 years after volunteers had planted them. It is still a bittersweet experience to walk here. So much has changed.

The "black path" has been crumbling, and the water tank at the top is no longer there. 

This "meadow" is where the water tank once stood.

I visited my friends, the Big Rocks.

Looking toward my childhood backyard.

This huge downed log had been cut to allow through-access on the trail.

The cutter had lined up the sections of cut logs:

It had been a huge, old tree when it burned. Can you count the rings? Kinda hard, but it was in the muliple-100s of years old.

After thanking this tree for its service to our planet, I looked up to see three youngsters ready to take up the mantle.

Imagine a landscape where Ponderosas stood tightly packed. There would have been no way to see the top of the hill back in the day.

A stand of trees that miraculously survived the Cerro Grande fire of 2000.

On another day, I hiked Bayo Canyon. So pretty!

I do love the circle of life of a downed tree and pretty flowers

No fire here!

I thank my hosts in Los Alamos, BobBIE! & Jack and Bathtub Row Brewing.

And then. Then! Poppy and I visited the Grand Canyon, staying for three nights.

Woodland friends in the campground. This fellow was spotted on the way in to the Park.

This gal was steps away from my camp spot.

There were water restrictions in the park after infrastructure was damaged during the flash floods a month prior. There was no running water, but they allowed you to fill up water jugs from large tanks of potable water. This lady was appreciative of the spillage. 

There was a cow and her boyfriend bull elk right by my camp spot my first morning. The bull was bugling that morning! He was in the trees and it was hard to see him. Can you spot him?

I was dedicated to leaving Poppy parked and walking or shuttle-bussing to the canyon. So, that first evening after I had settled in, I walked the rim trial, which was easy to access on foot from Mather Campground.

Taking pictures of the Grand Canyon is stupid. But here goes. 

I walked a bit of the Rim Trail that has a geology walk, the Trail of Time. Every meter represents 1 million years. Along the way, they have example rocks from that layer. It's very cool, and it spans 6.5 miles for the canyon's (and thus the Earth's) 4.5 billion-year history. It really boggles my mind! 

Here are a couple of the exemplars:

I also walked a while with a lady from Peru and helped her to find where she needed to go. I did pretty good with my Spanish! She was impressed that I go sola in Poppy. 

Triplets!

I love me a lightning tree

The next morning, my first full day, I hiked down Kaibab Trail for a bit, about 3 miles round trip. I turned around when my knees started complaining. Stunning!

Panorama

A hotshot crew passed me as I was coming up the trail. I did not ask where they were headed.

A raven and its shadow

Back at the Market Village...

After a good hard nap, I made my way back to the rim and the shuttle bus toward Yaki Point for sunset. I overheard a photographer tourist talking to the bus driver about shooting the moonrise that evening, and I thought, oooh, I'm going to follow him! So I did.

Sorry not sorry for so many pictures. I am not good at self-editing. Maybe one or two of these are good. The Grand Canyon is so grand!!!

No filters.

And the view to the West:

On my last day, I took advantage of the shuttle stops along Hermit Road to view the canyon at different lookouts. A few superfluous shots. 

The suspension bridge wayyyy dowwwnnn there was built in 1928

The Colorado River hasn't changed much, except in elevation, as it has cut through this canyon for the last 5 million years. 

Panorama

I was tired and my knee was hurting, so I didn't find my photographer friend that night as I thought I might. I know he got more amazing shots of the moonrise and sunset. I regret not getting his socials so I could see the fruits of his labor. 

Goodbye, Mather Campground! Was good to know ya!

My trip home took two short days of driving. The first day's major stop was at Planet Fitness in Kingman, Arizona for a much-needed shower! Wipe-downs and a navy shower in Poppy was just not cutting it. Then I made my way to Newberry Springs, where I stayed at a Harvest Host. The host was hospitable, and I had a comfortable, though warm, night's rest. And just look at this sunset!

Looking East. How cool is that?