Observing a lot by just watching

Joan and I never worry about doing loops we’ve done before.

There is always more to see in the areas where we backpack with its rich history and culture.

And this trip proved no exception.

We hiked in a canyon system that gets much lighter traffic than the marquee areas. The somewhat rough off-pavement driving and the lack of a mapped trail helps, no doubt.

Other than one couple surprised to see us as much as we’re surprised to see them, we did not see any other people outside of our part of four.

With both of us vaccinated, we are also starting to take our first tentative steps to socialize a bit. If outside!

We showed a colleague of Joan’s and her partner one of our favorite areas.

We told them that someone could be here for twenty years and not see all there is to see.

Remnants of a post on a ledge.

Mileage wise we did not cover much ground. These trips are about the hours hiked going into alcoves, scrambling up ledges, and walking down other canyons to take in the area.

Our friend, in particular, had a sharp eye for spotting things Joan and I missed on our previous trek in this loop.

A series of bird panels in one alcove proved particularly interesting.

I zoomed in to capture this image. Our friend spotted this black and red bird in a hard-to-reach area.

But this canyon complex makes for striking hiking as well. The sheer walls, red rocks, and sunshine made for another memorable spring day deep in a canyon on the Colorado Plateau.

We eventually hiked out and followed an old cattle trail the lead back to the canyon rim.

Once on the canyon rim, we took a peek over a pour-off. As always, I get amazed at how far down these canyons go when overlooking from above.

PCO Joan.

The walk on the plateau above went quickly. We made it to our vehicles, fished out some cold drinks and fruit from the cooler, and relaxed a bit before driving out. It is a pleasure to hike with people who have not heard all my stories yet 😉 and introduce people to one of our favorite places in the world.

And getting to spend another weekend with my favorite trip partner never gets old.