Joan and I enjoy going to certain places at specific times of the year.
We enjoy going to the more well-known places in winter because we see fewer people, and the winter light and the red rock mixed in with snow make for some striking scenery.
With no traffic on the jeep track, we find the rutted roads more along the lines of wide trails that go through the heart of a popular area.
And because it is so quiet, we notice and can admire somewhat well-known images –
And images are hidden in plain sight unless you meander along at a walking pace –
And we can pause to look at other images a bit more closely –
Our route did take us off the designated trail and up some canyons that seemed intriguing on the map.
A potential down-climb into another canyon seemed a bit spicy with the snow and wet rock. Perhaps some other time.
We did find an excellent place to make camp, enjoy our hot drinks, and look at the December light show on the red rocks.
Our cozy shelter with 42″ of tent space provided deluxe accommodations for the evening.
Our Luci Lantern “candle lantern” light gives us a warm light for the evening, and the hearty orzo, lentils, and sausage leftovers from our home the previous night taste even better when we are in our tent. We can see the stars above before it gets too cold.
Joan’s cookpot is deluxe compared to the pot we use to make hot water. 🙂
And an equally suitable place to savor the morning light with a cuppa joe –
We left our tent behind and poked around at some outcroppings that we had a hunch other people may have also found intriguing.
Our hunch proved correct –
We packed up our gear and made our way through the trails that saw more traffic during other times of the year, but only some footprints in the snow indicated any use of this area.
Adding some warmth, without overheating, during some colder weather.
It’s a welcoming pattern for Joan and me. We go somewhere that’s quiet, beautiful, and relaxing. We enjoy where we live, like to see the familiar nooks and crannies we’ve seen before, and always delight in seeing what’s new to us.
Joan is sporting a colorful scarf she likes—props to my Mom, who sent this scarf to her a few years ago.