Dennis and Ken and I hiked the Queens Garden & Navajo Combination trails this morning. Unfortunately the part of the Navajo Loop called Wall Street, a narrow slot, is closed because of a rock slide, but we were still able to do the hike using the Two Bridges side of the loop. Dennis drove us to Sunrise Point, where we headed down into the canyon.
The three-mile hike took us about 3 hours, but nearly half of that was spent stopping to take photos (or to rest--the altitude here is over 8,000 feet). Every bend in the trail led to new sights or new perspectives on formations we had seen before. When we reached the bottom, we were looking up at the giant hoodoos we had been looking down on before. Hoodoos of every shape and size surrounded us, some looking like the ramparts and battlements of castles, some like massive towers or sentinels. Many of the formations have been named, and it is easy to see why people have the impulse to name these mysterious shapes. They take on a life of their own as the light hits them from one side or another.
One thing that struck me was the tenacity of life. Trees and flowers grew seemingly from almost solid rock. We watched swifts darting along the cliffs and a busy black and white bird high in a pine tree, evidently eating pine seeds. As we descended, we heard a chorus of cicadas coming from every direction.
Near the end of the hike, along the Navajo Loop, the going was steep and we could see we were nearing the rim. Ken suggested we must be coming to the elevator, but that was just wishful thinking. What we actually traversed was a series of switchbacks similar to Walter's Wiggles, though longer and more gradual.
After resting up, showering, and eating lunch, we headed out again with Dennis and Cheryl to various places to shop and look around. Dennis found a shirt at the Lodge gift shop (he's hoping to collect one from every national park--good luck, Dennis!). We went back to the visitor center and walked through the museum there.
Along the road Cheryl spotted a prairie dog sentinel near the edge of the highway. Dennis turned back so we could get a better look, but it scampered away, only to return to its post when we left. We visited Ruby's General Store, which sells souvenirs, art, jewelry, clothing, collectibles, camping supplies, cameras, Tilley hats, groceries, and much more.
Tonight Ken built a campfire, and we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores and enjoyed each others' company.
After dinner Ken and I went for a walk, and along the way we stopped to talk to the proud owner of a Little Guy Five Wide--a minuscule teardrop camper. We also chatted with a couple zooming around on some sharp electric scooters, which they had just purchased online from Extreme Scooters.
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