CORTEZ COLORADO AREA

 

We had been to Cortez before and always said we would enjoy another visit to the area.  The main attraction around Cortez is Mesa Verde National Park.  Mesa Verde was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people, both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below.  The park includes over 4,500 archeological sites; only 600 are cliff dwellings.  Linda and I hiked the 2 1/2 mile trail out to the petroglyphs.  Its had to describe how it feels to stand before them, they are amazing.  We were told that they have had Indians interpret what they mean, it has to do with the movement of the Indians and the places they went.

 

We did manage to take a day trip to the San Juan National Forest.  We packed our lunch and set off for the day.  It is a beautiful forest with lots of wildlife.  It is always a good day when you can see the animals in their own habitat.  I especially like seeing the  porcupine and the osprey.  Nature is the absolute best.

 

 



 

PAGE ARIZONA

 

We have never been to Page before.  We had heard about Antelope Canyon from friends who had visited here before.  What they didn't tell us was it cost $37 a head to ride in the back of a pick up truck for 20 miles and then they heard you into the canyon where you are shoulder to shoulder with other tourist.  It was impossible to take pictures without somebody being in them as everyone was trying to take pictures of there own.  Its not worth the price.

 

 

We drove 40 miles out to  Old Paria but it had been burnt to the ground a long time ago.  Its just a shame that someone would just burn it...  The town site was actually a western movie set.
 

 

 
 

If you are planning a trip to the Page area, I would recommend that you explore the BLM land.  It offers some great hikes and driving tours.  Linda and I hiked the Wire Grass Canyon it offers a slot canyon, hoo doo's and two natural bridges.  

 

 

 

Glen Canyon's 1.25 million acres have a curious ensemble of wonderful features- carved walls, royal arches, glens, alcove gulches, mounds and monuments  The Lake Powell reservoir if filled with rugged canyon lands, sandstone mesas, rivers and is 186 miles long.

 

 

cathedral gorge

 

CATHEDRAL GORGE STATE PARK

 

Close to 2000 acres of land that was once home to the Fremont, Anasazi and Southern Paiutes, is now a Nevada State Park preserved for visitors to experience and enjoy.  Cathedral Gorge became one of Nevada's first four state parks in 1935.

 

The spires and buff-colored cliffs are the result of geologic processes occurring over tens of millions of years.  The beauty enjoyed today had a violent beginnings, starting with explosive volcanic activity that, with each eruption, deposited layers of ash hundreds of feet thick.

During our stay, we were on the lookout for black-tailed rabbits, cottontail rabbits, packrats, kangaroo rats, mice and gophers.  We did manage to see lots of rabbits, of all types.  They were everywhere it seemed.  The animals we did not see but do visit the park are mule deer, coyotes, kit foxes and skunks.  The park also enjoys is home to several species of nonpoisonous lizards and snakes.  Rattlesnakes are seen here in spring through fall.

 





 

We did have some motorhome problems while we were at this park and we stayed a few days more than planned.  It is a beautiful park with some real nice hiking trails.  We also met some very nice folks who helped us get our rig running so we could take it and get it fixed.  Great park and a nice campground.

 

PAHRUMP NEVADA

 

We once again spent some time in Pahrump, Nevada.  Its a good size city with plenty to offer, in the way of hiking, day trips, bingo and shopping.  The hiking is what I liked about our month in Pahrump.  We managed to hike with Keith and Charlotte at the China Date Ranch and on the BLM land that surrounds Pahrump.  John Halverson and I had some good adventures on the BLM.  We hiked in the snow on the days we could and explored several canyons where we thought the wild horses would be.

We did see some of the different animals, birds and reptiles that inhabit this area.  The coyote we encountered was a pair that had been feed along the road that runs through Death Valley.  Its a shame, they tell you to not feed them because they will become a pest and have to be destroyed.  The reptiles were everywhere on the warm days but no snakes were seen.

I enjoyed my first DATE SHAKE at the China Date Ranch with Keith and Charlotte, it was as good as the Date Ranch  promised.  If you ever get to this area I recommend you try one for yourself.















When were here before we visited the Dublin Gulch caves, it was fun visit them again.  They are dug from volcanic ash from a Lava Creek eruption in Yellow Stone National Park, over 600 thousand years ago.  It is unknown when the caves were dug out and first inhabited, however they estimate that it was likely in the late 1870's.  The caves remained occupied at some extent well into the 1970's.

 

 Anytime you visit this area, and you are looking for a good hike, I recommend hiking the Wallace Canyon, its located out on the BLM land.  Keith and Charlotte hiked it with Linda and I, its was one great day.  Part of the hiking experience is navigating the snow when you go to 9000 feet.  We managed to get as far as anyone could go.  After the hike ended at the parking area, we enjoyed our picnic lunch while looking at some wonderful vista's.

 

We spent a long day at Death Valley National Park.  It is a land of extremes, it's characterized at the hottest, driest, lowest national park.  Extremes in temperature and elevation create scenic vistas and ecological niches that host startling biological diversity.  We hiked Mosaic Canyon as far as we could go.  It will always be one of my favorite canyons.  It is a popular hiking trail up a narrow polished marble-walled canyon.  The first half mile  is narrowest section.  Some slickrock scrambling is necessary.  "Mosaics " of fragments or rocks cemented together can be seen in canyon walls.  Bighorn sheep are frequently sighted in the canyon.

We did the tourist thing and drove around and viewed everything that is Death Valley.  The very floor of the valley is not what one would expect.  Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America, its a surreal landscape of vast salt flats.

 



 

TONOPAH ARIZONA

PART 2

 

One day Linda, Gina and I decided that we would all hike out and see the desert tortoise.  The tortoise was just basking in the sun and didn't offer us much in the way of entertainment.  We took the usual amount of touristy pictures of him and then started hiking back to the truck.  Gina, ever on the lookout, noticed a round object lying in the sand up ahead.  It turned out to be a bowling ball, cracked by the sun but still intact.  We have since wondered how it came to be in the middle of nowhere?  (You may insert the bowling ball joke of your choice here)

On another day, Linda and I were driving on a gravel desert road when she suddenly yelled at me to stop the truck.  She had noticed a basketball out in the desert.  Now I gotta ask anyone who might know, whats up with the Indians?  Was there a secret bowling league for Indians, somewhere around area 51?  I don't think I have ever seen an Indian in the NBA?

 

 

 

We did manage to find the petroglyphs out at Saddle Mountain.  Chuck commented that he had read somewhere, "petroglyphs may be taken home but only one per customer". 

 

Tonopah is a special place, and its the people you meet there that make that a true statement!



 

TONOPAH ARIZONA

 

Tonopah, Arizona is one of our favorite places, it offers so much to do and see.  The main attraction is the Saddle Mountain area.  It is located on BLM land and that means it is government land and can be used by the public for various reasons.  Linda and I hiked as much of it as we could while we were there, we did manage to hike all the way around it.  The cactus where starting to bloom on the back side of the mountain.

Linda and I hiked with several different couples while exploring the area.  While hiking one day I came upon a desert tortoise.  The next afternoon I took Linda and Gina back out to the mountain to show them what I had found.  The tortoise was suning himself when  we arrived and we didn't want to bother him as they are protected.



One of our day trips was a 4-wheel drive ride up Harquahala Mountain Trail.  Harquahala Peak Observatory was constructed in 1920 by the Smithsonian Institute to monitor solar activity.  The ride to the top is great but the views of the area mountains is spectacular.  On the way up Keith thought he had run over a snake so we all got out to check it out.  Charlotte was concerned that it might get hurt if we left it in the road, I got a stick and tried to move the snake to the side but instead I flipped it between her legs.  In case you are wondering the snake is fine?




 

 



Lucky for me that Chuck and Gena were willing to share their dog with me.  Rio usually stopped by daily for some good pet'n or just to pick up a treat.  He always gave more than he got.