Tuesday, June 29, 2010

National Park #3 - The Grand Tetons



Jenny Lake - The Grand Tetons

October 8, 2009. The Grand Tetons. National Park #3 in our Trek thru the Parks. A bit out of sequence...however, its 108 here in Phoenix today and I needed something to cool me off!

Teewinot Mountain stands tall in the background of Jenny Lake, one lake in a string of six glacially formed lakes within the bounds of the Grand Teton National Park.

Dornan's Spur Ranch Cabins

We holed up at Dornan's during our stay at the Tetons. Great little family owned operation which includes 8 one bedroom and 4 two bedroom cabins. The property also has two restaurants, a grocery store, a fabulous deli and a world renown wine shop! We're set! Vino and cheese if you please!

One Bedroom Duplex Cabins at Dornan's

A shot of our unit just before the evening snow began to fall.

Bison Herd

In search of Moose...we came across this herd of Bison moseying across the prairie...and all over the road. Silly buggers just hung out on the asphalt looking at us as if to be saying..."What the hell are you folks doing in our yard?"

Famous old Barn on Mormon Row

After the Bison finally allowed us to move on, we came across this famous old Barn on Mormon Row where historic old homestead sites of rustic wooden buildings are surrounded by snow in the winter months and golden fields of prairie grasses in the summer.

Mooses Munching

We may be staying in Moose...however, the Moose don't hang around Dornan's much. To find these oversized cud-chewing members of the deer family, we were told to patiently drive up and down the Gros Ventre River (we didn't actually drive in the river...but along the road that parallels it)

Ah ha! Down an embankment off of a small tributary of the Gros Ventre River, we find our Moose. Not one...but two of these beautiful beasts! Mom and her calf enjoying some soggy grasses!

Tickled Twosome Touring Tetons...on Tuesday!

Sunrise the morning of our departure

The morning we are to depart The Tetons, the clouds all disappear leaving us a Grand view of the Tetons.

Elk Antler dumping ground in Jackson Hole

For those of you needing a sleeping pill...here is the rest of the story....

October 8, 2009
The storybook sawtooth peaks of the Tetons is destination #3 on or Trek thru the Parks. One problem, unlike Denali, the Teets are shrouded with cloud cover this October morning as is all of Yellowstone. It’s snowing as we depart the Old Faithful Inn. Snowing hard enough that they closed Yellowstone’s South exit meaning we’ll have to backtrack and depart via the West Entrance.
Our new exit plan takes us back west through Montana and south into Idaho with the goal of summiting the 8,431foot Teton Pass before the storm closes it down too. This detour will cost us about 2 hours out of our precious time budget…but what the heck, we did not come equipped to deal with even the mildest of storms. So out the West Entrance we go. Once we exit the Park, the weather changes for the better. Blue sky occasionally peaks through the clouds giving me hope that we will be able to make it over the Teton Pass a good 110 miles south of our current location. If we are to visit the Tetons, we will need to get down into Jackson before the Teton Pass is shut down.
Just outside of Ashton, ID it begins to snow again. This time it’s not a gentle snow. It’s more like a blizzard! Phoenicians are not accustomed to driving in weather conditions like this! Silently, I begin to get concerned that the very steep Teton Pass will be locked down soon if the snow continues to fall. As we approach Driggs, the blizzard calms down a bit. Ahead I see blue sky! We’re actually outpacing the storm front! The road sign lets us know that the Pass is currently open! We make it over and down the Pass and into Jackson an hour before the storm shuts it down tight for the night!
Next stop…the rustic cabin we have rented in Moose, WY at a place called Dornans Spur Ranch Cabins. Dornan’s is a family run operation consisting of 8 one bedroom and 4 two bedroom duplex cabins. The facility is right on the bank of the Snake River about a mile from The Grand Teton National Park entrance. Dornan’s comes complete with 2 restaurants, a grocery store, a very fine deli…and most importantly, one of the finest wine shops in the country!
The snow begins to fall as we check into our Cabin. We drop our bags and head up to Dornan’s General Store to check out the wine and cheese shop. Colleen…Todd…you were right! What a bonanza! A couple of winos find paradise in Moose, WY! Terry and I load up on several bottles of red grape juice and some exotic cheeses. Looks like dinner to me!
While browsing the store, we also stumble across whole bean coffee made locally by the Snake River Roasting Company. We purchase a one-pound bag of their Kirby’s First Tram roast. Heaven! Now I’ve been a Starbucks junky for as long as I can remember…however, once I tasted the smooth, yet rich flavor of Kirby’s…I threw my Starbucks card into the fireplace!
Well, not really…but I felt like it. Sorry Howard…but this fellow has fallen off the Mermaid’s wagon. We’re now buying our coffee online at www.snakeriverroastingco.com! Try it. Better yet. Go to Moose, WY, check into a cabin at Dornan’s and buy some provisions for your stay in Grand Teton National Park. You will not be disappointed.
The one great thing about traveling in October is the crowds of tourists have virtually all gone home. Too early for Ski season. Summer’s over and school’s back in session. The Park, covered with a fresh blanket of snow is virtually deserted. Unfortunately, the majestic peaks which we traveled to get a peek at are currently hidden behind a thick layer of cumulonimbus cloud cover. Ah hell, we have vino and cheese and each other. Terry and I are virtually alone with these majestic mountains…and the local moose population!
Being that we are in Moose, WY, we’ve decided that our main mammalian mission will be to shoot some Moose…with the camera! We ask the locals where the best Moose hunting is and they give us directions to a couple of local haunts. You’d think the Moose would hang out in Moose. Not so say the locals. Too many tourists!
We begin our daily Moose Hunt by brewing up a pot of Kirby’s First Tram. If you are a coffee drinker, you’ve got to give this stuff a try! The snow has ceased and the roads seem to have been plowed so we venture out to our car and head out on our Moose Hunt.
On our way to the first Moose lodge, we encounter a herd of Bison crossing the road. At least a hundred in this herd…bulls, cows, calves all moseying thru the pasture…across our path. These big bruisers got up close and personal! So close that when two of the males began jousting, they literally bumped horns on our front bumper!
The Bison move on allowing us to continue to the sagebrush flats north of the Gros Ventre River where we are told the Moose hunting is good. As advertised, we find a Momma Moose and her baby munching on the sweet grasses alongside the creek. Awesome sight! First the Bison head butting…now the Moose a munching!
We’ve succeeded in shooting Bison and Moose this morning…now its time to tour the Park. As we approach the Entrance Booth, I proudly pull out my newly purchased National Park Annual Pass…only to find nobody tending the stall! Crap! We paid 80 scoots for this card when we entered Yellowstone a few days ago and I want to show it off! Alas…nobody home.
The Grand Tetons were named by a couple of French guys. The English translation is “grand breasts”. It’s a guy thing. However, these Frenchies must have been a bit odd as there are actually three Teets in this mountain range. And as mountain ranges go, the Tetons are rather puny. The range is but a mere 40-mile stretch of rugged metamorphic rock peaks compared to the 2700 mile long Rocky Mountains. The tallest peak in the Park, the Grand Teton, stands at13,770’. Colorado alone has 56 peaks exceeding 14,000 ft.
But it’s not the height or the length of this mountain range that makes it special. It’s a rather young range having been created only 9 million years ago whereas the Rockies were born 50 million years B.C.
The youth and splendor of this region is the grand combination of the mountains, the rivers, the lakes the valleys and the wildlife within its bounds. Each element overlaps to stimulate your senses. While we still could not see the mountains, the view of the Bison roaming and the moose alongside the creek was incredible!
The main road thru the Park had been plowed but the road to Jenny Lake was still covered with a good 6” of fresh powder. We couldn’t resist! And we were well rewarded for our efforts! The snow had ceased and the clouds had cleared providing us with a muffled mirror image of the Teewinot Mountain reflecting off Jenny! The air, cold and crisp and the sunlight reflecting off the snow covered peaks renders up a brain full of superlatives. It is difficult for me to accurately describe what we experienced in either words or photos. This is a Park that is best seen with your own eyes! Ours were treated majestically with the effervescent essence that is the Tetons.
It’s autumn here in the Tetons and I’m realizing as I look across the waters of Jenny Lake that I am most likely many moons into the autumn of my life. I’m now becoming more and more convinced of the need to downshift. Yes it is true that for many of my years here on Earth…I’ve ground the gears of High Activity in search for the holy grail of financial freedom. Ground those gears so fiercely that on several occasions have almost lost my most precious gifts…that being my wife…and my kids.
Pulling a lesson from Lee Eisenburg’s book, The Number, I realize the need to learn how to become a proficient downshifter. During this quiet moment here at Jenny, I find the stimulus to research, learn and then practice the fine art of Downshifting!
Where does downshifting begin? Start with contemplating the deeper significance of human existence. What’s it all about Alphie? What do you do with the Rest of your Life…beginning today? For me…the first phase was to get out of High Gear and slow the heck down! Take the curves of life at a comfortable pace….not breakneck speed.
Downshifting means filling your lungs with the purified air of a high mountain trail. Letting your eyeballs bug out at golden sight of the Tetons in the early morning. Filling your nostrils with the bittersweet aroma of Kirby’s First Tram…while huddled around a campfire! Touching the rich red earth with your Keens! Awakening to the sound of a concerto of birds welcoming the morning sun! Tasting the salty brine of sweat from your brow having just completed your trek up Mt Healy! Enjoying the wild solitude of nature with those you love!
Welcome to my new reality!

Friday, June 25, 2010

National Park #13 - Petrified Forest



June 23rd - Petrified Forest - Park #13

Petrified is the last Park on our initial Trek thru the Parks. It's been quite a journey thus far. Terry and I have had a most excellent time...and yet, after 19 days on the road, we are now getting anxious to get back home.

Let it be known to anybody reading this blog that my sense of humor is somewhat twisted and often misconstrued! If there has been any indication in previous blogs that Terry was NOT a Happy Camper...let me set the record straight! She will attest to having thoroughly enjoyed this entire Trek and looks forward to our future Treks! The two of us have had perhaps the most pleasant and intimate experience with one another since we began our relationship!

And this comes at a time whereby the past 19 days...we've spent 7/24 with one another. That had to be a first for us in our marriage as in our past, work would separate us for days at a time. Absence may make the heart grow fonder...yet Trekking together has strengthened the bond between us!

All that being said...she's as pleased as I about our Trek thru the Parks! Just ask her!

Painted Desert

We spent last night at the Holiday Inn in Holbrook, AZ (no Hampsters in Holbrook) a smallish community about 25 miles west of Petrified. We're in no rush to get moving this morning. After repacking our Stagecoach, we head eastbound on I-40 and enter the Park's North Entrance...pick up Pin #13 and proceed on to our first stop.

This area of the Park is known as the Painted Desert - a colorful display light and shadow. So what is the Painted Desert and exactly where is it? After all, throughout our Trek, Terry and I have witnessed many such landscapes. Here in Petrified, the Painted Desert is defined as a crescent shaped arc lying north of I-40. At least that's what the map says. I say the Painted Desert resides all along the Colorado Plateau. We've witnessed its beauty in Zion, in Bryce, in Arches and in Canyonlands.

As for what it is...the guidebooks say that the Painted Desert is "characterized by peculiar and picturesque greenish, yellowish, and purplish hillocks eroded in the Chinle Formation."

Painted Desert Inn

About a mile and a half up the road from the Visitor's Center sitting on Kachina Point resides the Painted Desert Inn. Back in the day, this building was a functioning Hotel constructed completely out of petrified wood! The Park Service decided that it would be a bit hypocritical to include in its jurisdiction an Inn made out of the very substance they tell all visitor's is off limits.

Addressing this issue, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was commissioned in the late '30's to completely renovate the building to its present state.

Painted Desert Inn Mural

During one of the Inn's remodeling jobs, Hopi Artist Fred Kabotie was commissioned to paint a series of murals on the walls of the dining room and lunch room.

Glass Skylight Panels

To brighten up the main living room of the Inn, glass panels were installed in the ceiling above. These panels were hand painted with designs inspired by ancient pottery.

Puerco Pueblo

Not nearly as well preserved as the Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde, Puerco Pueblo is the remains of a 100-room Pueblo that was supposed to have housed nearly 1200 people. Let's do the math. 100 rooms - 1200 people. That would be 12 people per room!

If this is true, these Puebloians must have lived like sardines in very tight quarters! I think I'm calling BS to this accounting of these ruins! Ah ha! I just read another account regarding Puerco and it states that this dwelling most likely housed 200 peeps. Now that I can buy!

Local Lounge Lizard

Besides the Ptarmigan we happened upon in Black Canyon, this critter is by far the most colorful of all the wildlife we encountered! He sat up on the rock, posed for me for about 30 seconds, then scampered off into the desert!

More Pets

A visit to a High Desert National Park would not be complete without another viewing of the ancient graffiti artist's handiwork. Adjacent to Puerco Pueblo you will find a rather nice collection of petroglyphs. Once again...let your imagination run wild when trying to decipher the meaning of these works of art.

Beware the 6-toed CatBurglar!

One of the largest petroglyphs found within the bounds of Petrified Forest is this image of a mountain lion. This work of art is on display at the Painted Desert Inn having been removed from its external origin many moons ago.

More petroglyphs can be viewed at the Newspaper Rock viewing platform.

Teepees

This unusual landscape includes a region denoted as the Teepee district. The colors of the Teepees include a distinct white layer of sandstone. The cap of the Teepee is clay. The dark layers are created by soils containing a high carbon content. The darker red zone is iron-stained siltstone. And the reddish bases of the Teepees is hermatite stained by iron oxide. So there you go!

Agate Bridge

The concrete pillars and support underneath this lengthy petrified log is highly uncharacteristic of present day Park Service policy, which strictly prohibits tampering with or altering the natural state of artifacts within Park boundaries.

These supports were done prior to the adaption of modern day policy. Today this Log would be left to fend for itself and if the waters below were to wash out its support system, it would most likely break into many smaller chunks and fall to the floor of the stream bed....

Petrified Forest

...like this one! Sadly, Petrified Forest did not become a protected Park until long after much of the prized wood had been removed. It would be quite difficult to remove a Delicate Arch or try to haul away Half Dome or one of the Rocky Mountains...yet, it is very easy to pilfer the treasures lying on top of the ground at this Park.

Everywhere there are signs prohibiting the collection of the petrified wood. And yet every week, hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of the Park are hauled off by its visitors in spite of the warnings and the fines if caught. It is estimated the park loses upwards of 25,000 pounds of petrified wood each year.

Petty theft is bad enough...however, stealing a candy bar from the local grocer is the taking of a replaceable item. Stealing petrified wood from the Park means pilfering an irreplaceable monument that took 225 million years to produce. In essence, petrified wood thieves are stealing from all of us.

A piece of the Petrified Treasures

So, how did this forest end up petrified? Go back in time 225 million years ago near the end of the Triassic period. This now desolate landscape was once a thick forest with an abundance of lakes, rivers and streams. When the trees fell into the bodies of water they floated for awhile before becoming waterlogged and sinking to the bottom.

Once bottomed out, silicone rich water begin to seep into the the pores of the wood. Over time, the silicone came out of the watery solution and mixed with oxygen to began forming minute crystals of quartz within the spaces in the tissues of the logs. Eventually, the entire body of the log was taken over by the silica.

Mix in other elements like iron, manganese, cobalt and chromium and the logs began to take on a wide range of colors! There you have it! Petrified Wood 101.

The Granddaddy of the Forest

I took almost one hundred shots of petrified trees. No matter how beautiful the color of the log, it got to the point where my eyes grew weary of looking at these fossilized monsters. However, when we came across this beast...my shutter flashed one last time. This specimen is named Old Faithful and is located by the Park's South Entrance.

We began our journey by visiting Zion and ended the first leg of our Trek here in Petrified. If we were to do it all over, Terry and I agree we would have reversed the order of our visits. Petrified is an intriguing exhibition of the amazing forces of Mother Nature...interesting...yet for Terry and I, it didn't even come close to comparing to the awesome beauty and grandeur of Zion.

Nevertheless, we made the tour of Petrified in a little over 4 hours thus completing our goal of trekking through all 9 of the Parks we had planned on visiting during this leg of our Trek thru the Parks. We've now visited 13 of the 40 Parks we have set out to experience!

Eager to get home, we depart the Petrified at 2:30 pm. We're pulling into Phoenix around 6pm and the thermometer in the car is telling us that the outside temperature is hovering around 109 degrees! Welcome home Phoenicians. Summer has arrived!

Well folks, this concludes Leg One of the Binkelian Summer Tour of our National Parks. As I sit here finishing up this chapter of the TrekTrax blog, I am already beginning to plot our our next few destinations! Trust me...they will be in the high country! We need to escape this hellhole known as Phoenix in the summertime! Until we meet again, I encourage you to throw together some camping gear and go out and experience YOUR National Parks with those you love. In my humble opinion...they truly are "America's Best Idea!" Happy Trails my friends...(and blog critics!) I love you all!

National Park #12 - Mesa Verde



June 22nd - Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde is only about an hour's drive from Durango, CO however, upon reaching the park, we are once again greeted with a very familiar sign: Road Construction Ahead - Expect Delays!

Damn that Recovery Act! It seems that everywhere we go the roads are under construction! I ready myself for another lesson in patience...put the car in "park"...sit and wait for the Pilot Car to take us up into the Park.

Strater Hotel -Durango, CO

While we await the Pilot Car, Terry and I reminisce about our delightful stay at the Strater. This classic 4-story Hotel was built by Henry Strater in 1887 making it one of the oldest buildings in Durango. In 1926 the Barker family purchased the Strater Hotel and has owned and operated it ever since.

The Strater is an excellent example of American Victorian Architecture, which is highlighted by its original white cornices and the rich red brickwork. A far cry from the Hob...but I suppose we could get used to the Strater!

A block down Main Avenue from the Strater we find Jean-Pierre's...a quaint French Restaurant. Its Happy Hour at Jean-Pierre's and there's nobody at the Bar. We are greeted by a gruff looking Frenchman who happens to be Jean-Pierre himself. He welcomes us to his establishment...serves us French Bread and recommends the new Rose, he just brought in for his wine cellar. We bite. It's crisp. It's dry. It's remarkably refreshing! Another round if you please?

We dine at Jean-Pierre's this evening on Tapas while chatting it up with our server Garrett - a fine young man who recently got his degree in Turf Management in hopes of becoming a Golf Course Superintendent here in Durango. He soon finds out that the only Golf Course in town already has 4 maintenance guys who have set anchor and never intent to leave. Hence, Garrett waits tables at Jean-Pierre's and serves as a River Guide on the Animas River.

After dinner, we stroll down Main Avenue. We find an ice cream parlor and after devouring our cones, we decide we need just one more ver du vin rouge (glass of that Rose) before calling it a night. Garrett chuckles as we re-enter Jean-Pierre's. He pours us the last remaining drops of that delicious pinkish nectar. It's getting late. Back to the Strater for a most enjoyable night's sleep.


Spruce Tree House

A bit more rustic than the Strater, Spruce Tree House was built by the Anasazi Indians somewhere around 1200 A.D. It is the third largest cliff dwelling here at Mesa Verde and is believed to have been home to about 100 people.

Spruce Tree House - Kiva ladder

The ladder descends down into the Kiva - the social and spiritual gathering place of the Anasazi. Inside, the Kiva contains a firepit, a ventilator shaft, a series of banquettes (benches) and pilasters which supported the beams of the roof. On the floor of the Kiva, there is a small hole called a Sipapu through which the Anasazi emerged onto the face of the earth. Being that the hole is about 6" in diameter...either these folks were very skinny...or they possessed some very magical powers!

Spruce Tree House

A look at the Kiva without the roof. The Park Service has reconstructed one of the Kiva's at Spruce Tree House which is the only one accessible to us modern day visitors. Yes, I climbed down into the darkness to check it out. The lighting was a bit dim..however, the air conditioning was working quite well!

Spruce Tree House - view 3

It amazes me that the Anasazi were able to construct these dwellings on the sides of a cliffs that are seemingly inaccessible! How the heck did they get in and out of these dwelling to gather food and obtain water? The Park Service has built us an easy access pathway...but back 800 years ago, they did not have the same equipment that makes it so easy for us.

Pathway along Petroglyph Point Trail

The 3-mile loop trail leading to the Anasazi Petroglyphs has its ups and downs! Here Terry is scaling one of the many sections of the pathway that requires a bit of scrambling. The Trail Guide provided (for a whopping 50 cents) introduces you to the natural environment of the Mesa Verde and the Anasazi.

Like the Guides we have acquired along other Treks, this one describes in detail the wide variety of plants, trees and shrubs along the route. We learn about bitterbrush, serviceberry and creeping holly grape. We discover that the black streaks on the roof of the cliff overhang is not necessarily smoke stains..but more likely to be "desert varnish" - a staining of the rocks caused by the dissolving of iron oxide and manganese oxide in water that has dribbled over the rocks during spring rains and melting snow. When the water evaporates it leaves the dark mineral deposits behind thus staining the ceilings of the Cliff Dwellings.

One plant that caught my attention was the Mormon Tea bush. the Mormons as well and Mexicans and early Indians, learned that by boiling the stems of the plant, they would be treated with a brew that was used to cure venereal disease, kidney infections and stomach disorders. Hmmm. Stomach disorders? I wonder if Mormon Tea would cure "natural gas"?

Petroglyphs at Pictograph Point

At the far reaches of the trail, we are treated to an up close look at the Anasazi Petroglyphs. These ancient artists stood on a narrow ledge to chip away the images shown above. The Fu Manchu character in the lower right portion of the Petroglyph is believed to represent the Kachina Clan symbol.

The dancing characters with their hands raised above their heads are representative of the Pueblo People. The squiggly lines just below the left hand print represents a Sipapu - the hole from which the Anasazi emerged from the earth.

The Mountain Goat symbolized a clan's separation from other migrating people and their settlement some distance away. Wacky graffiti...wouldn't you say? The beauty of it all is that nobody really knows what these markings really say...leaving it up to our individual imaginations!

My interpretation: Genghis Khan has come to invade our dwellings. Head for the hills fellow Anasazi. Grab your goats, your children and fly with me to the tallest of Mountains. For a last minute escape, slide down the Sipapu if need be!

Prickly Pear in bloom

Reminiscent of our hometown, we encountered a wide variety of Prickly Pear blooms along or many Treks. Unbeknownst to us at the time, Phoenix is warming up a bit! Here in Mesa Verde, the high temperature hovers around 85.

Cliff Palace

The most famous of the Anasazi Cliff Dwellings here at Mesa Verde is known as Cliff Palace. This cliff side condo was discovered in 1888 by Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law Charlie Mason. What a find for these folks! They soon began collecting many of the Dwelling's artifacts in which they attempted to sell to the Smithsonian. Sadly, at the time, the Smithsonian was experiencing a serious cash flow problem and passed up on the Wetherill offer.

So, the Wetherill's packed up their wares and began displaying them across the country. News about this unique setting began to spread and soon many of the dwellings became invaded by fortune seekers. Virginia McClung, a New York Graphic correspondent, visited Mesa Verde in 1892 and almost overnight became a one-woman bandwagon dedicated on helping to preserve and protect Mesa Verde from future pilfering.

Her efforts along with several others including Lucy Peabody, a savvy Washington socialite, helped to establish Mesa Verde as a protected area. On June 29, 1906, Teddy Roosevelt signed a bill creating Mesa Verde National Park.

Cliff Palace

By the numbers, there are about 600 cliff dwellings located within the boundaries of the Park. Cliff Palace being one of the larger complexes contains 150 rooms and 23 Kiva's.
Cliff Palace

Exposed are a few of the many Kiva's found at Cliff palace. Behind the walls are the main living quarters of the Anasazi. Room sizes varied however the average room measured about 6' x 8'. Cozy quarters, wouldn't you say?

Time to move on!

All steamed up about preserving our National Parks, we finish our tour of Mesa Verde in the early afternoon...saddle up our horse... and headed on down the dusty road under construction where the trail will eventually lead us to our final destination on this leg of our Trek thru the Parks - #13 - Petrified Forest National Park. Happy trails mi amigos!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

National Park #11 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison



June 19th - Black Canyon of the Gunnison

After spending last evening "camping" at the DoubleTree in Grand Junction, we headed south to our 11th National Park - Black Canyon of the Gunnison. We really didn't have any idea as to what to expect. I'd never heard of this Park until recently when I began looking into the 40 parks I wanted to visit during our TrekTrax.

Much to our surprise, Black Canyon (like CapReef) turned out to be an amazing "sleeper"! When first entering the Park, you are greeted with a rather bland, desert-like landscape. Not much to look at...until you reach the rim of the canyon and begin to explore the area.

Black Canyon

The Canyon gets its name because of the limited amount of sunlight that is able to penetrate its depths. Throughout most of the day the canyon walls have a very dark complexion. It is an extremely narrow canyon measuring only 40 feet wide at its narrowest and a very deep canyon stretching over 2700' below the rim at its deepest point.

The Gunnison River which flows thru the bottom of the gorge is responsible for carving out this unique landscape. Black Canyon became a National Park in October of 1999 and contains a 14 mile stretch of the Gunnison River canyonland.

Camp Bink #4

Our last campsite on our first Trek thru the Parks - Site C5 is the ticket! We were able to grab the best site at the South Rim Campground. Shaded from the sun. Close to the woman's pee-pee room. Tucked in amongst the Gambel Oaks for privacy. And adjacent to where the Mule Deers and Black Bears roam!

Terry wasn't particularly pleased when I pointed out the Bear scat in close proximity to the Hob! To make matters even more exciting...the Ranger comes by and warns us about recent Bear sightings! Alas...we witness no Bear on our entire Trek! Perhaps Trek #2 will produce more than just Bear scat! Terry will be happy if we get "bear skunked"!

Cooking at Camp Bink

The pot of Chili is for ME...the frying pan full of soup is for HER! After the experience we had in the Rockies...soup only for the esposa! We'll share the Hot Dogs!

Tonite we let the Coleman take a break and cook out on the open fire. What a treat to dine on pinion pine smoked chili and sausages!

Looking down into the Canyon

There is a lookout platform just outside of the Visitor's Center which gives you an excellent view down into the depths of this awesome gorge. Mark Warner, an early advocate of preserving Black Canyon as a National Park describes this area as follows:

"Long ridges of jagged granite project out into the heart of the main canyon, with deep narrow gorges on either side, through which one may occasionally get a glimpse of the rushing, roaring waters of the mighty Gunnison. Towers, pinnacles, spires and other fantastic rock formations greet the eye with an ever new challenge, as sunrise and shadow play their part in the creation of this ever changing pageant of rugged grandeur and majestic beauty."

A most Happy Trekker

Much to my delight, when I asked Terry what the highlight of our Trek has been for her thus far, she replied, "Camping! I've really enjoyed the whole camping experience with you." What a sweetie!

Painted Wall

The serpentine stripes on the north side of the canyon walls were formed when magma squeezed its way between the ruddy red metamorphic rock. A zillion years later we are treated to this striped masterpiece!

Shadows above...river below

I was fascinated to see our shadows on the rocks directly below us as I shot pictures of the Gunnison twisting through the bottom of the gorge.

Mark Warner Trail

One of the best hikes we took along our Trek thru the Parks was called "A Walk with Mark Warner". The hike came complete with a Trail Guide that pointed out the not-so-obvious highlights along the way. Mark's Trail Guide has you stop, take note, touch and smell the Junipers. We've all heard the saying "slow down and smell the roses" (or something to that effect!). But just how often do we really do that? In our daily dust cloud of activity, it seems that most of what we pass by goes unnoticed. And much of what we pass by is genuinely intriguing...if we only allowed ourselves a few moments to explore. Mark's guide asks you to do just that. Slow down and observe the surroundings.

Today, we learned to recognize the yellow buds at the tips of the Pinion Pines will soon produce the tree's pine cones. The Pinion Nut, the bi-product of the cone, contains all the protein needed by the human body...very few food sources can stake claim to that statement! One pound of Pinion Nuts contains 2880 calories. It's no wonder that the Pinion Nut was and still is a traditional food source for Native Americans.

We learned that the Juniper is the most common tree from Colorado to California and thrives at elevations ranging from 3000' to 8000' and higher. They are amongst the gnarliest and toughest of trees on earth thriving in impossible conditions including poor soil, the intense heat of the summer, the severe cold of winter and prolonged periods of drought. Tough buggers these Junipers!

And we also learned about the Gambol Oak...commonly referred to as Scrub Oak, which grows in clumps as the root system is very shallow and produces several upshoots. The Gambol Oak grows to 10-15' and offered us shady reprieve from the hot sun along both our Warner and Oak Flat Trail hikes.

Snags

I don't know why...but I'm attracted to the dead trees I see along our Hikes. I've taken so many pictures of these "snags" that Terry has to stop me when I ready myself to shoot another! I suppose I wonder about their past. What have they witnessed over their lifespan? What killed them? Why hasn't the Park Service removed them?

I'm fascinated by their texture and the mysteriously spooky look about their lifeless limbs. I have come to learn that these dead trees are called "snags" and the reason the Park Service leaves them be is that they serve as homes for small creatures, perches for birds of prey, and sharpening tools for deer's antlers and bear's claws. These lifeless logs also help hold the sparse soil in place and eventually return their nutrients back into the earth. Live on Snags!

Chukar

One of the coolest things that happens along the trail away from the masses is you have the opportunity to meet people who also enjoy nature and the peace and solitude it offers. I being one that regularly greets trail mates with a "good morning" and a "where do you folks call home?" find it easy and comfortable to meet new people and share hiking stories with them.

Terry and I had the good fortune to meet a young couple from Golden, CO on our Warner Trail hike this morning just as they were heading back to their car parked at the Trailhead. We had a pleasant chat with them, sharing experiences of hiking the Rockies, Black Canyon and other Parks we had visited.

When we had finished with our Warner hike, we ran into the couple once again. The young man said, "Follow me. And walk like you are hunting. Roll your feet and be quiet." He led us about a 100 yards into the forest, pointed to the undercarriage of a juniper and left us to observe the colorful bird pictured above.

Now had we not struck up a conversation with this young man on the trail, what are the odds he would have led us to this bird?

Chukar on the Run

I couldn't resist showing off another look at this colorful creature who let me get within 10 feet of it!

Raging waters of the Gunnison

2000 feet below us flows the Gunnison River. The rapids are quite fierce. You can distinctly hear their roar whenever you stand on the rim of the canyon. To give you an idea of how rough the waters of the Gunnison are, consider this: In just 48 miles, the Gunnison River drops further than the Mississippi River does in 1,500 miles. It drops an average of 96 feet per mile. In one two-mile stretch, the River drops 480 feet producing explosive rapids and making it one hell of a carving tool!

The first attempt to run the rapids of the Gunnison was done in the late 1800's by guys who thought they could do it in wood boats. That lasted about a quarter of a mile. By then, the River and its ragged rocks had reduced the boats to toothpicks. The next attempt was made in 1901 by a couple of screwballs who actually pulled it off by floating down the river on rubber mattresses!

Black Canyon's Flora

Our 2-mile Oak Flat hike took us 400 feet down into the Canyon amongst the stands of Douglas Fir, Pinion Pines, Juniper and Scrub Oak. Steep, but shaded I would recommend this hike to anyone visiting Black Canyon.
Along the trail there are a few good views of the Gorge...however, the highlight for Terry and I was the "Spring Color"! The plant life was ablaze with purple, yellow, pink, violet and rich red blooms.

Claret Cup Cactus

The winner of the "Most Colorful Flower Award" went to this Claret Cup Cactus...which made Terry and I feel right at home! Along our Treks thru the Park we frequently came across clumps of Claret Cup and Prickly Pear bearing flowers with a wide assortment of color. We saw yellow Pricklies, Pink Pricklies, White Pricklies...yet the best of them all were these scarlet red Clarets on our Oak Flat hike!

Rim Rock Trail Hike

One last hike here at Gunnison and then it will be off to our next Park - the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. Yes, Black Canyon was a pleasant surprise for Terry and I. Do put this one on your "bucket list". It's not very crowded and offers a wealth of wonderment for those looking for a reconnection to the natural world.

Happy trails fellow Trekkers!