Death Valley National Park, California

Over the weekend, I took a trip to Death Valley National Park to enjoy the silence and walk in beauty.
After a rain, the mud dries into puzzles, creating unique shapes and patterns.
Scotty's Castle lies in the northern part of the park and is a masterpiece of design, color and Spanish style furnishings.
Yes, there is water in the desert but it is at the golf course in Furnace Creek. I stood on the viewing deck above the pond to watch the waterfowl and caught this coot enjoying his swim.
Zabriskie Point, a gorgeous viewing area off the 190.
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes; miles and miles of open area with dunes, mountains and valleys. I walked up and down the dunes with a wonderful, 80 year old woman named Dorothy. Off the road a bit, I walked up these hills to get this view. That dark line in the middle is the highway and my Subaru is smack dab in the middle for those of you with good eyes!
At Furnace Creek there is a ranch with a Desert Museum. All the old wagons and mining equipment are on display; definitely takes you back a few years.

One afternoon I took a hike up Mosaic Canyon and walked below towering marble cliffs with interesting shapes and colors.

The walls were covered with this kind of amazing marble, a real treasure in the midst of the desert.

Another hike I took was through Golden Canyon. I was so surprised to find all these incredible canyons, similar to the ones in Utah. Golden Canyon is a feast for the eyes; beautifully eroded cliffs with layered bands of rust, copper, and golden colored rock.

You can barely see the people on the ridge of the Sand Dunes in Mesquite Flat. Miles and miles of dunes to run and play in. Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in the US at 282 feet below sea level. The basin smells like a stale lagoon which made me feel like a dead fish out of water. The white stuff all over the ground is a combination of borates and salt; kind of like walking on crunchy snow... one heck of a strange place.

Sequoia National Park, California

This last week I spent camping up in Sequoia National Park; lots of big trees, high peaks, and deep canyons. Located in the southern Sierra Nevada range, it has elevations ranging from 1300 ft in the foothills to over 14000 ft at the summit of Mount Whitney.

One night I stayed at Lodgepole Campground and took a hike right from the campground to Tokopah Falls, a 1200 ft. high cascade on the Marble Fork Kaweah River. The trail followed the river nearly all the way with terrific views not only of the falls, but the valley below. Some of the biggest trees in the world are in this park; beautiful, stately giants.
My phone didn't work in the park, so I drove down to Hospital Rock to use the payphone. While I was standing there talking to my sister, it started raining, kind of quiet, soft drops of water, but still raining. After I hung up, I charged down to the river to watch it rage and it only got wetter; but the good news was the rainbow.....a sweet colorful arc of light announcing to the world that God is still faithful and will watch over our weak, pitiful souls.
A bold yellow bellied marmot; curious creatures who are hopelessly addicted to antifreeze and will chew through the hoses of car engines. Each year they damage 30-40 cars up in the Sequoias, mostly in the Mineral King area. Cute little buggers. The Marble Fork Kaweah River runs through the Lodgepole campground. Incredibly beautiful and oh so wonderful.

The night after it rained everything was soaked and it was almost impossible to get my fire started. It took me a full hour even though I had a little lighter fluid, pinecones, Vaseline and cotton balls!

Crescent Meadow, "The Gem of the Sierras" according to John Muir. I took a hike around the meadow and didn't see anybody. When I got way out there the trail kind of turned to a rough rocky trail and I began to wonder if I had wandered off trail. There in the middle of the trail was a huge pile of bear scat; that's when I started to worry. I started making up a song and singing it, something about how I was not good to eat and how much trouble he would be in if he ate me. Luckily I never saw the bear; my singing probably terrified him enough to hit the hills.

In the Sequoias there is an incredible 1/4 mile hike up to Morro Rock, a large granite dome in the Giant Forest area. The trail leads you up nearly 400 stone steps to the top of the barren rock at a 6725 ft elevation. That would be me standing at the top, proud as can be that I made it without any huffing and puffing! Pretty good for an old gal like me.
For my first few days in the Sequoias I camped at Buckeye Flat, a quiet campground right on the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River filled with countless oak trees. Even though there are no Sequoias here, my site overlooked the river and had a bower of oaks shading me from the hot sun. Right outside the campground is a place called Hospital Rock, where I took this photo of Morro Rock.

Torrey Pines State Reserve, California

View from the trail down to the beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve, a beautiful place to hike in the warm California sun!

Even though this is located in busy San Diego county, it is one of the wildest, untouched stretches of land on the Southern California coast.

The reserve is one of my favorite places to hike and is filled with unspoiled coastlines, acres of chaparral, a lagoon that is home to migrating seabirds and the unique Torrey Pine.
The Beach Trail takes you from the tops of the cliffs, down trails lined with sage brush, cactus and pine. As we followed the trail, we stopped at various viewpoints with outstanding views of the ocean. That flat rock you see at the bottom was our destination, where we spent time just sitting and enjoying the beauty surrounding us.
The trail passes through beautiful sandstone canyons filled with unusual formations. On many occasions I have seen dolphins playing in the waves and felt the salty ocean breeze washing against my face. That would be me down at the bottom of the trail, walking along the beach. My sister and I spent a spectacular day enjoying the clear blue skies, warm spring weather and crashing ocean waves.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

After I left Montrose, CO, I started the treacherous drive over the 550 to Mesa Verde. I pulled over to the side of the road to take some pictures, looking both ways before racing across the street. Just as I got to the other side, a little deer popped her head up and I thought she had been sleeping until I noticed the blood trail leading from the street. She had been hit by a car but was still alive yet unable to walk, so I drove down to the gas station and asked the lady to call someone to help her. She called someone to come and put her down, which made me sad, but at least she wouldn't suffer anymore. Beautiful icicles on the road to Ouray.
Bear Creek
View from the top of the pass....lots of snow!

Funky little town of Ouray, where I stopped for the most delicious Mocha at a Belgian Chocolate Coffee House and got stuck in the snow because I parked sideways....mmmmmm.
In Durango, there is an incredible BBQ place swarming with locals, where I got a pulled pork sandwich that was to die for. Can you tell I love to eat?
Mesa Verde at last.....cold, burnt, dry and filled with Native American influences.
Over half of the trees at Mesa Verde have burned down in the last five major fires. It is sad to drive through acres and acres of charred trees, knowing how many little lives were lost and how terribly long it is going to take to replenish.
The Ancestral Puebloans, formerly know as the Anasazi, built Cliff Palace over 800 years ago. It is the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
It is very cool to walk close to the building and peer inside to see old artwork painted on the walls; very amazing.
Looking down into a ceremonial Kiva, a place where they may have held important ceremonies.

Cliff Palace was built with over 150 rooms, living rooms, storage rooms and funky little rooms that seem to have no purpose; there is also some open areas most likely used for socializing.

Looking up into the window of one of the little rooms....

That would be me, all bundled up in the cold, looking like a plump tourist in the Indian house.

Another dwelling called Spruce Tree House, has about 114 rooms and 8 Kivas. It is built into a natural cave with a spring at the head of the canyon.

I wonder what it was like to look through the windows and see your friends and neighbors grinding corn, preparing dinner, bathing, and just outright living here in the cave dwelling.

After I left Mesa Verde, I drove down to Gallup, kind of a long boring drive but did have some awesome views like this one.