Chaco Canyon

Casa Rinconada Big Kiva, originally uploaded by Edgee.

After we spent the day driving in southwestern Colorado, we drove to Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico. The park contains ruins from the center of Chacoan culture, people who lived in northwestern New Mexico more than 1000 years ago. The ruins that were left behind, such as Chetro Ketl, and Pueblo Bonito, and Casa Rinconada, are interesting to walk through and imagine what this area was like 1000 years ago. One of the most famous features of the Chacoan Culture, are the giant kivas, like the one shown here. These were places of worship for the Chacoan people. Another interesting thing about this area are the smart ravens. They are so smart and coordinated, that they can open people’s tents.

Salt Lake City

The Temple, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We decided to go on a brief side trip to Salt Lake City. Our tent zipper was malfunctioning so we had to get back to civilization to get it fixed before we continued camping. While we were in Salt Lake City, we decided to tour the Temple Square, which is considered the most popular place to visit in the city. The centerpiece of the square is the Salt Lake Temple. It was cloudy the whole day until the evening when the sun shined through the clouds to light up the temple in a brilliant way. It had snowed heavily a few days ago so there was a lot of snow on the yards throughout the city. Salt Lake City is a beautiful city to visit, especially in the winter.

Snow in Arches National Park

Snowy Misty Morning, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We had the wonderful opportunity to experience snow in Arches National Park. The skies had been threatening rain or snow all day, but it didn’t really snow until night. We woke up to a winter wonderland. The white snow covered the beautiful red sandstones of Arches and the contrast made everything even more magnificent. We highly recommend Arches in winter, even if it is very cold at night and windy during the day.

Our campsite after the snow.

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch and Us, originally uploaded by Edgee.

Delicate Arch is the park’s most famous arch and is the unofficial symbol for the state of Utah. The best time to hike the trail to Delicate Arch is right before sunset. The views from Delicate Arch are spectacular, with the arch framing the snow-capped mountains.

Click on any photo to see more pictures of Delicate Arch.



Delicate Arch from the Delicate Arch Viewpoint.

Sun Behind Balanced Rock

Sun Behind Balanced Rock, originally uploaded by Edgee.

When I arrived at Arches National Park, my first impression was that the landscape was straight out of a Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon. One of the first things we saw was “Balanced Rock”. We will definitely stay here at the park for a little while.

Hiking among the Hoodoos

hiking out of the canyon, originally uploaded by Edgee.

After spending a day at Bryce Canyon, viewing the canyon from above, it was time to hike down into the canyon among the hoodoos along the Navajo Loop trail. The icy and steep trail took us down to an area called Wall Street, which is a narrow area between the hoodoos. Surprisingly, there are large Douglas-fir trees growing in these tight spaces. You can get a sense of scale and see how large the hoodoos can be while walking among them.

Hoodoos from Bryce Point

Hoodoos from Bryce Point, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We slept well despite the temperature going down in the high teens. The next day we went to all the viewpoints in the park. The main features in Bryce Canyon National Park are the tall thin spires of rock called hoodoos. Bryce has the biggest concentration of hoodoos in the world. For me, Bryce is an alien and beautiful landscape that you have to experience for yourself.

Camping in the Snow

standing in the moonlit snow, originally uploaded by Edgee.

When we arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park, we found that the campground had a lot of snow on the ground. We found a dry spot under a tree to pitch our tent. We were able warm up next to the campfire. The moon was full and with the snow on the ground it was bright enough to take pictures without a flash. Actually, this photograph was taken on a tripod with a long exposure with the moon and the fire lighting the scene.

Canyon Overlook

Us at Canyon Overlook, originally uploaded by Edgee.

On our way out of the park, we stopped to hike on the Canyon Overlook Trail. It is a short trail that ends at a great overlook of a large side canyon. Zion National Park is a beautiful place. While hiking on the many trails in the park we saw a large herd of mule deer. These deer have huge ears and that is probably why they are called mule deer. We also saw wild turkeys walking along the roadside.

Weeping Rock

Michelle Under Weeping Rock, originally uploaded by Edgee.

The next day, we visited a place in the park called Weeping Rock. The rock wall is “weeping” because groundwater is seeping through it almost constantly. It looks like it is raining under the overhang and the cold water splashes on park visitors as they walk close to the wall.

Ed at Zion National Park

Ed with the tent, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We’re back on the road again after stopping in Phoenix to drop off our kayak. We won’t need it where we are going, at least in winter. We decided to head north into Utah and visit Zion National Park. We set up camp in the evening as the sun went down. The mountains change color to brilliant orange and red colors at sunset. The views from our campsite are spectacular.

Petrified Logs

Petrified Wood and Ed, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park in northern Arizona to see the beautiful landscapes and the petrified wood that the park is named for. The landscape was reminiscent of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. We saw petroglyphs, which are drawings on the rock faces left by the people who lived here long ago. We also had the opportunity to observe a small group of pronghorns grazing for food. It was a windy and cold day, but the sky was clear and we could see miles in any direction.

UFO House

UFO House, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We stayed in Albuquerque for a few days with some old friends. They were kind enough to show us around town. This building is commonly called the “UFO” house designed by the architect, Bart Prince. We also went into the mountains and we saw homes with old cars in the yard. On one property, there was a London style double-decker bus. I didn’t take as many photos that I would have wanted to, but maybe we’ll come back to Albuquerque so I can take some more pictures. As long as the cats we stay with don’t mind.

Above it all

Tramway car, originally uploaded by Edgee.

Today we went up into the Sandia Mountains the easy way, by tramway. We rode the world’s longest tramway to the top of the 10,378-foot Sandia Peak. It’s a great way to see the scenery of the mountains and the city of Albuquerque by floating above it all. On top of the peak, we rambled around the lodge and ski area. It was a clear day with a beautiful view, but there was little snow. There were only patches of ice in shady areas with no snow on the slopes.

White Sands National Monument

Ed goes down, originally uploaded by Edgee.

I’m having a little fun at White Sands National Monument. The sand is made of gypsum, which makes it the softest sand that I ever jumped in. We were on our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico when we stopped here to play in the sand. We passed through a border patrol inspection station just before we arrived at White Sands. After seeing our large, orange kayak on the roof of our car, the border patrol agent kindly reminded us there is no water in White Sands. Our kayak is too large and dangerous to use on the dunes, but other visitors to the monument were sledding down the dunes with other equipment, even snowboards.

Ed and the mountain

Ed and the mountain, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We traveled to the Guadalupe Mountains from Austin to go camping again. After driving all day from Austin, we arrived at the National Park at night. It wasn’t until morning that we saw the beautiful surroundings. The area reminded me of the mountains around Tucson except without any Saguaro cacti. I’m standing in front of a large rock formation called El Capitan, which is part of the southernmost portion of the Guadalupe Mountain range. Behind El Capitan, out of view, is Guadalupe Peak, which is the highest peak in Texas with an elevation at 8,749 feet above sea level.