December Fog

We quite like our winter car camping trips during this time of the year.

The early and cold nights lend themselves to basecamp situations where we wander hither and fro in the canyons and then return in time for the early sunset in our camp, where we have ample warm clothes, hearty meals, and our hot drinks with a healthy dollop of a cream liqueur.

We then retreat to the comfort of our tent and bed down for the night in our warm bags. Then, after some leisurely tea or coffee in the winter sun, we repeat it all.

PCO Joan.

It’s a simple rhythm. But it’s a rhythm we enjoy.

We hiked up the quiet canyons and saw where others trek long before we hiked these so-called off-trail routes.

But, as always, the small details caught our attention with the intricacy of an otherwise utilitarian construction.

We have no set goal other than to see what we see, what hunches we have about entering and exiting the canyon, and what might get found around the next turn of the canyon wall.

We’ll find surprises tucked against the cliffs and behind trees and showing items not disturbed for decades…or maybe centuries?

And as many of these structures we see, we always seem to find each one equally fascinating as the last ones we looked at during previous trips.

We get the gift of time, spend more than one night, and see another sunset from our scenic camp.

On our last day, a frost came in and gave the lower parts of where we hiked an eerie, unusual for the desert, and scenic cold fog.

PCO Joan.

We value these winter outings and don’t see it as a time to stay indoors but as a time to see our home differently.