the photo above was actually taken after i returned to austin. i took a hike to the pedernales (area now under fire evacuation orders). even then it was dry as a bone although the pedernales still had some water. i took this shot of this little plant surviving despite the drought. to me, it looks like some kind of squash. i know the people who were native to this area crew a lot of squash and maize . . . wondering if it was a holdout.
i don't remember exactly where this photo was - definitely not texas. thinking maybe new mexico or as i was leaving the hike along the continental divide.
the old continental divide trail between cumbres pass and the peak in colorado. also the spot where just moments after i took this photo, all hail broke loose. i found a tree - not the tallest, not the shortest, somewhere in the middle and hunkered down. i even made a quickie video in case it was my last. in addition to the hail which was of a pretty good size and coming down very quickly and was hard as hail (sorry, it just works too well), there was also lightning. i had to put on every piece of cold-weather gear that i had in my backpack. at one point i thought it had cleared enough so i went to the end of the trail (where it's very light in the photo above) where the meadow began. as soon as i stepped out onto the meadow saying to myself, "i wonder if it's safe enough yet or if i should hunker down a bit longer" there was an enormous clap of thunder followed by a bolt of lightning. question answered and it was another 20 minutes or so before i ventured out again. i was so certain i was probably going to come across a momma bear and her cubs (thankfully no grizzlies in that area) - the meadow was so incredibly beautiful with wildflowers and berries and snow . . . but no bears. only two mountain bikers who came up behind me about 20 minutes before i got to the top. they stopped and visited for a while and then they took off then i didn't see them again until they were on their way back. this time they stopped and said, 'by the way, where did you come from? we didn't see you on the trail up here.' i told them i'd taken the old continental divide trail (they'd rerouted it a few years ago because so many trees had died the park service found it unsafe). they asked me how i found it and i told them an elderly gentleman who lived in the area told me how to find it. they asked me to tell them and so i did. i wonder if they found it/ took it on their way back. it was so so so so so beautiful!
me as i'm coming out of "hunker down" mode. there were no good hair days on this trip. not one.
moi - almost to the bottom of the grand canyon hike
grand canyon, north rim
erosion along the chama river, new mexico. the river was also flooding in many areas and about to flood here.
both the photo above and below are from ghost ranch in new mexico
ok - this is terrible. i really need to get the photos that cory's sorting by date. i think this is near ouray, colorado but it could be wyoming.
outside hope, nm
yosemite
more yosemite (yosemite was amazing. simply amazing. and to think i wasn't going to go there because of the crowds. i am so glad my friend bert talked me into it.)
crater lake
lassen crater - california. this is also where i was so anxious to get on my hike once i got my campsite that i actually forgot to turn off the prius. it was dead as a doorknob (where did that expression come from?) by the time i got back to it (4 hours later). thankfully after a couple of hours i was able to get it to start again. i'm not sure AAA responds to calls in the middle of nowhere.
mon ami, jacob. the virtuoso. at a little (wonderful) get together my friend laurie and her husband corbett had while i was in eugene.
i'm pretty positive this is wyoming but i need the date of the photo to confirm.
cloud peak, wyoming (bad shot i know)
lewis & clark forest, washington state
cloud peak, wyoming. one of the best hikes of the trip.
lake ogallala, nebraska
it's hard to get my head around the fact that 31 years ago, my ex-husband and i were married. but then, when i remember that my oldest son just turned 29, i realize i haven't done the math wrong but where did the time go? unbelievable.
in my continued effort to get some of the photos from my trip posted, here goes . . .
1 comments:
Really amazing scenery. Keep it up!
Cheers.
NG
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