This is view of Mt. Shasta from the Marble Mountains Wilderness. My 750 mile trek down the PCT gave me northern views of the mountain, western views and and southern views. This was one of the best. Given its mystical/magical look, it’s hardly surprising that tales of beings like Bigfoot, Lemurians, and Lizard people are associated with it. The local Native American Modoc Tribe, whose legends include Bigfoot sightings around the mountain, refer to him as Matah Kagmi, meaning keepers of the woods.I like it. The Lemurians are a New Age creation connected to highly advanced lost continent of beings that live under the mountain. As for Lizard People, think aliens and UFOs.
As part of our series about protecting national parks, monuments and other public lands, I’ve been reading news releases from the directors appointed by President Trump who oversee these areas. It’s not a task I would wish on anyone. It isn’t surprising that the directors all support the president’s objective of significantly reducing many public lands in size and opening up others for profit making operations. That’s why they were appointed.
The news releases are full of statements designed to hide their real purpose. Here’s an example:
“President Trump promised to break the permitting logjam, and he is delivering,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright.“America can and will build big things again, but we must cut the red tape that has brought American energy innovation to a standstill and end this era of permitting paralysis. These reforms replace outdated rules with clear deadlines, restore agency authority, and put us back on the path to energy dominance, job creation, and commonsense action. Build, baby, build!”
Let’s did a little deeper. By ‘permitting logjam’ and ‘red tape’ and ‘outdated rules,’ he means rules that have been developed to protect our air and water quality, save rare and endangered species from extinction, and maintain areas of great beauty and/or cultural significance that the majority of Americans support protecting. The Administration’s perspective is that these rules get in the way of progress. Who needs clean air or water. “Build, baby, build!”
And how about American energy innovation and dominance? Obviously, he’s not talking about solar, wind and water power. We’ve been moving ahead quickly in the development of clean energy. The Trump Administration is actively discouraging this progress. Incentives designed to encourage their use have been cut. His passion is for coal, gas and oil, all three of which are nonrenewable resources and have been prime factors in the development of global warming that has been having such devastating impacts on the US and the world. The Texas floods of this past week are but one of a multitude of examples.
Several countries in the world have now reached the point where 80-100% of their energy needs are supplied by renewable clean energy. I’d argue that they are the ones achieving energy dominance, one that will last long beyond our nonrenewable resources and is vital to our battle against global warming.
On another subject, it’s interesting that right-wing Republicans played an important role in blocking the administration’s plans to sell off millions of acres of public lands in the West. Here’s what Christopher Rufo, a culture warrior and leading supporter of Trump in in the state of Washington had to say:
“Pre-2016, you’d have the small government argument against a kind of federal domination over the land, but Trump and MAGA is a nationalist movement,” he said. “I think many conservatives are now reassessing these questions, and many of us in the West understand that part of a great nation is the preservation of its natural beauty.” There is hope.
The Marble Mountain Wilderness, the subject of this post, is an example of this beauty.
On the subject of ‘far away views’ seen from the PCT in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, here are two more. These are the Trinity Alps.Beautifully green.When I left off in my last post, I was just coming up to Paradise Lake. I was captured by the reflections, in the lake and……this outcrop of lime above the lake.The sign told me that I had left Paradise Lake and was on my way to Marble Valley. It seemed like an easy walk, but don’t quote me. Some photos from along the way.One of the names of this Mariposa Lily is cat’s ear. It’s easy to see why.Always a favorite: Penstemon.The value of this tree isn’t in its board feet, which is how the Trump administration sees it. It is in its beauty. Old growth forests deserve our protection.I’m glad I wasn’t around when this gorgeous chunk of limestone came rolling down the mountain.I came on this patch of snow shortly afterward. I planned my trip to allow time for most of the snow along the trail to melt. Hiking in snow is hard and requires extra caution in the summer when it often melts beneath the surface. The trail then took me past this limestone outcrop up close.Looking up, a view of Marble Mountain was one of the treats I found in Marble Valley.As was looking down. Dozens of butterflies in the mud next to a stream provided a photo op.Close up!My hike through the rest of the Marble Mountain Wilderness featured hiking across scree/talus covered slopes…Past serene mountain lakes…Through a high mountain meadow with an rock filled stream…And covered in flowers. Including rosy spiraea.Red mountain heather.Siskiyou lewisia.And Western Pasqueflower also known as Dr. Seuss mop heads.Past more old growth giants,More mountains,And forests.Until I came to this rock. “We’re all mad here. Be you!” Bone, who’s never been anything but, insisted on having his photo taken with the rock. I found several of these rocks along the way, usually near a trailhead. I was getting excited.Peggy would be somewhere near with her welcoming smile and cold beer.She caught a photo of me hoofing it up the mountain!I got an extra long and tight hug for having finished/survived my first solo section of my 750 mile Trek down the PCT. And a cold beer. Cheers.As you read this post, Peggy and I are on a backpack trip into the Five Lakes Basin north of I-80 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s where I made my first ever backpack trip in 1969, a while ago. It’s also the first place I ever took Peggy on a backpacking trip. That was in 1990 just after we met. She requested that we hike in to the basin as part of her 75th Birthday Celebration. This is a photo of the Black Buttes that overlook the basin at sunset. The trip will be our next post. Can a 75 year old and an 82 year old still pull it off? Grin. Wish us luck!Our post after the Five Lakes Basin will take you into the Canyon de Shelly with its towering cliffs and marvelous pictoglyphs and petroglyphs, which brings me to a reminder: If you enjoy word searches or know someone who does, Peggy’s new book on the unique and magical petroglyphs of the Southwest makes an excellent gift, either for yourself or a friend. It’s available on Amazon.
Today’s post is on California’s Marble Mountain Wilderness in northwestern California. I led backpacking treks through the area in the 80s and 90s but the photos on this blog were taken from my 750 mile backpack trip down the PCT in 2018. I started this section of the trail at the Grider Creek Campground in Klamath National Forest about 12 miles from the wilderness border. A significant portion of my trip up to the wilderness was a pleasant hike along the creek. Big Foot, towering forests, flowers galore, and butterflies entertained me along the way.
This post is part of Peggy and my series on national parks, monuments, wilderness areas and other public lands with an emphasis on their unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna and history that makes them so important to us today— and to our children, grandchildren and future generations.
There are a couple of interesting developments in the Trump Administration’s efforts to sell off public lands and post signs at national parks urging visitors to report on any negative historical signs or comments about the past. An example of the latter would be the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands to make space for settlers from the East.
The Sierra Club reports that the plan to sell off public lands was stripped from the Administration’s ‘Big Beautiful, Mega-Deficit Bill’ in the Senate. This doesn’t mean that the Administration won’t move ahead in selling lands by claiming it doesn’t need permission from Congress.
As for public comments generated so far by the signs, an analysis done by the National Parks Conservation Association and summarized in the Washington Post shows strong support for the parks:
“The comments overwhelmingly praise the parks as beautiful national treasures, with dozens complimenting rangers for their knowledge and navigational help. Many called for undoing funding cuts and rehiring staff who were fired by the Trump administration.”
On the other hand, some felt that there were too many mosquitoes and not enough moose.
I think the message to the Administration might be “to watch what you ask for.” Whether the Administration chooses to report on the responses, select out the ones that support its policy, or simply bury the results, is another issue. I seriously doubt that it will report on the overwhelming support Americans show for national parks and other public lands.
Just before my solo trip through the Marble Mountains, Peggy and I had concluded a 60 mile section of the PCT from Mt. Ashland in Southern Oregon to Seiad Valley in Northern California. Naturally, we had to reward ourselves. Cold beer was part of it. And no, I didn’t drink the other five! Just two. Our travel van is behind us. We had parked it in Seiad a few days earlier. Peggy would take over driving it from here as my backup ‘trail angel’ and meet me once a week for resupply and a break.Eating was another reward. The Seiad Cafe welcomed through hikers with its ‘Infamous Seiad Pancake Challenge.’There’s this thing about long distance hiking, you get hungry. Think about burning 5000 calories a day and taking in around 1500. There’s a deficit. By the end of my 750 mile trip, I resembled an escapee from a concentration camp. Each time I completed a section of the trail I stuffed myself. I had permission. I felt entitled. And manners? Grin. I was goofing around here. The actual pancake that the Seiad Cafe offers as its challenge is umpteen sizes bigger than the one I am chowing down on. Eat the whole thing and it’s free.A little hallucination can be expected when you are out on the trail for weeks or months. Especially if you are hiking by yourself. This handsome fellow was hanging out in the small Seiad Store where we bought the beer. That’s when I decided that a six pack was called for.Peggy drove me up the six miles to Grider Creek camp from Seiad. It was ‘cheating’ in PCT lingo, where every foot of the 2, 650 mile journey is supposed to be walked, even if it’s walking down a paved or dirt road. Through-hikers take that seriously. Admittedly, I was under pressure to reach my goal of backpacking 750 miles for my 75th birthday, but, truth be told, my trip was primarily an excuse to be out in the woods. This was the first section of the trail I would be hiking alone. Peggy was a bit nervous, as were our kids. Me? Not so much. I had done lots of solo trips over the years. Still, at 75… Okay, I was a little nervous.I started out slowly.
Once people got over their concern about my hiking alone, they wanted to know how in the world I would entertain myself. It’s easy. Just be aware. Walk quietly. Explore your surroundings in detail with your eyes, ears, nose, and even touch. There are always things to discover. They can be entertaining, educational, beautiful, or a combination—like this snail. Or they may present something of a conundrum, like the image below.This had a wow factor of 10. I came across the image in a burned tree trunk and could only wonder. Was it there before the tree burned? Was it a natural growth of the tree or had it been carved. I tend to think the latter, but over the years, Peggy and I have seem some amazing images created by nature. Then I let my imagination run wild. I was traveling though Bigfoot country. A number of ‘sightings’ had been reported in the Marble Mountains over the years. Could this be a self-portrait by Bigfoot!?The many moods of Grider Creek caught my attention many times: Its beauty, the unique character of a riparian habitat, the sound of rapids, even the cool touch of its water. I took a break and dangled my feet in the creek.Trees provided shade for my hike up the creek. The first one I stopped to admire was this madrone. If you come on one, be sure to run your fingers over the smooth bark. It borders on sensuous.Old growth trees reached for the sky. Hopefully, Trump’s plans to open up millions of acres of new forest service lands for cutting down trees won’t include these beauties. Lumber companies drool over these giants with their potential for high profits. So what if they took a couple of hundred years to reach their size. Or a thousand. Getting to the trees would involve bulldozing a road up the creek.Even the leaves were impressive. Some of them came close to rainforest size. I liked the light and shadow contrast here.Then there were flowers galore, a lot more than I can put in this post. But here are a few. This is golden brodiaea, sometimes known as prettyface.A thimbleberry with its future fruit in the center.Scarlet Gilia.And snow brush ceanothus that a butterfly has apparently captured and is claiming, “Mine, all mine!” What I noticed when I looked at the photo, however, was its long proboscis buried in a flower sucking up nectar. The proboscis rolls up when not in use, like a party noisemaker. This was the first of many butterflies I would meet along the trail.And finally, I have to say, the hike up into the mountains was one the most pleasant I’ve experienced over the years. In the Sierras, especially on the east side, it seems like the first day is always straight up.My first priority was water. It had been a few miles since I left the river behind. I drank the second third of my water supply and went in search of Buckhorn Spring, which as I recall was a few miles ahead. And here it is, the Buckhorn Spring— a 2 by 3 foot pool with a muddy bottom and a bunch of happy water bugs scurrying around. Appealing? You bet! The water was fresh and cold and I was carrying a water filter to take care of bugs, or more nasty things like Giardia. In 15 minutes I was sipping pure water that was a match for anything you might get out of a faucet or buy from a grocery store— or better. And much more appreciated. In addition to filling my water bottles, there was plenty for cooking. I had done my miles for the day and could settle in for the night. I was one happy camper!I was up early the next morning and on the trail by 7:00. Through-hikers, who have to average between 20-30 miles per day, tend to get up and be on the trail as soon as there is enough light to see by. Some even get up earlier and walk their first miles using a flashlight. I did 15, which accommodated my years and allowed time for lollygagging. My first objective of the day was to hike over a pass just to the right of the seemingly tiny peak in the middle of the photo. Part 1 of my post on the Marble Mountains ends there: Here are a few photos from along the way.A photo op I can never resist: A live or dead tree draped over a rock.This intriguing creature with its delightful ears obviously had something to say to me. I listened carefully. “Come closer,” it whispered. I declined.Almost there…The route up.One of my favorite photos from the Marbles. For me, this pine tree symbolized the power of nature to survive, thrive, and add beauty to a what was basically a rocky, barren peak.Arrived.The other side. My first good view of the ‘white’ of the Marble Mountains, which actually isn’t marble but is lime laid down by an ancient ocean. Given a few million years under intense pressure and heat far underground, however, it can become marble. And there are marble deposits in the Marble Mountains.Next post: I continue my hike along the PCT through the Marble Mountains. This is a reflection shot taken at Paradise Lake. There is mist on the Lake.
Peggy and I often get a question about where we are now, given that we wander a lot and our blogs may reflect a recent adventure or be back in time. Right now we are in Safety Harbor, Florida. Peggy and I flew out here from Sacramento to celebrate Peggy’s 75th Birthday with our son, Tony his wife, Cammie, their three sons: Connor, Chris and Cooper, plus…
Lyla, the Golden Poodle, who had interrupted her summer haircut for a photoshoot with Peggy’s foot. Actually, she was irritated about sharing the limelight with a foot. Here’s what she had to say about it….
There is a fascinating world to be discovered on America’s pubic lands. For example, you will occasionally find a pile of sawdust next to a dead tree. Odds are that carpenter ants have been at work building an apartment complex. This ‘cut-away’ view in Granite Chief Wilderness provides an inside view of their home. If you are lucky, you will see the ants plying their carpenter trade. They appear out of a crack or hole in the wood with mandibles filled with sawdust, which they drop on their pile and then return to chew/break out another load. Unlike termites, they don’t actually eat the wood. The ants provide a valuable service in the forest breaking down dead wood (not so valuable when it’s the lumber in your house).So, who or what opened up the tree? Clue, it wasn’t me. Nor was it the caterpillar, obviously. I photographed it just above the ant apartment complex for perspective on the size of the slashes just above it. They tell the tale. They are bear claw marks. A bear had torn open the log for breakfast. Or was it lunch?While I was backpacking through Lassen National Park on my 750 mile/75th birthday trek in 2018, Peggy caught this photo of a bear and her cubs opening up a log on a trail near the park’s road. “Dust and wood were flying everywhere!” she told me. Peggy quickly vacated the premises. You do not want to get close to a mama bear with cubs!
Today, Peggy and I are continuing our series on national parks, monuments, wilderness areas and other public lands with an emphasis on their unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna and history that makes them so important to us today— and to our children, grandchildren and future generations. I can only repeat how vital it is at this point in history to let decision makers know how we feel about protecting and maintaining public lands.
In my last post, I discussed a bill by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah to be included in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” that would require the government to sell of 50-75% of BLM and National Forest Lands in America over the next five years. Here’s what the Southern Utah Wilderness Association has to say about the bill:
It bypasses public process, allowing public land to be sold with minimal transparency, and depriving the public of input on the future of their public lands. It also bypasses any environmental, cultural resources or endangered species reviews.
While Senator Lee attempts to make his bill more palatable by claiming that it will create opportunities for affordable housing, it does no such thing. There is no requirement that any housing developed on sold public lands would be affordable or meet any affordable housing requirements.
There is no provision to prevent lands sold under Lee’s bill from being developed into high-end vacation homes, Airbnbs, or luxury housing projects, which would be especially desirable near scenic or high-demand areas.
The bill will primarily benefit real estate developers and speculators rather than addressing real housing needs.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association also noted this week that the bill would have serious implications for the PCT by blocking access to the public lands that the trail now crosses over. The 750 mile trip I did for my 75th birthday would not be possible. But that’s nothing compared to the millions upon millions of people who would forever lose future access to these lands that now belong to all of us. Please, let your Senator know Lee’s bill will do irreparable damage.
But, now on to my post about hiking through the Granite Chief Wilderness on the Pacific Crest Trail.
I began this section of the PCT where I hiked through the Granite Chief and Desolation Wilderness areas on historic Highway 40 near the Sugar Bowl and Donner Summit. Before it was replaced by I-80, it was part the Lincoln Highway, America’s first cross country road. Like most of the Sierra Trails I know, the PCT here begins with a climb. The peak you see up ahead is Tinker’s Knob. The Knob, BTW, was named after James A. Tinker, a freight-hauling teamster in the area. Legend has it that it was named after his nose, which was said to resemble the knob.Having got a late start after Peggy dropped me off, I camped that night with a view of Tinker’s Knob. As far as I know, not one other person was camped in the valley. That’s one of the beauties of backpacking.The views from my campsite were gorgeous.I watched as the sun set on Tinker’s Knob, outlining it in golden, warm colors.And then went for a short walk and watched the sun set in the west. A note here: Tinkers Knob is just outside of the Granite Chief Wilderness in the Tahoe National Forest. It’s part of the land that Lee’s bill might open for sale. I can see a land speculator grabbing this and making it available to developers for huge profits who would then sell it to multi-millionaires for homes at even greater profits. No trespassing signs would quickly follow.This map of the Granite Chief Wilderness provides a fairly accurate view of the trail system. Tinker’s Knob is on the top, just outside of the wilderness to the north of the 9005 Granite Chief Pass.I caught this photo the next morning. There are two Needle Peaks in the Granite Chief Wilderness. Needle Peak and Little Needle Peak. This is the former. Both are made up of volcano cores.Leaving my camp, the PCT took me through an extensive field of corn lilies.I came across this old PCT Trail sign placed before the name of Squaw Valley was changed. The name squaw had become controversial. Since the 1960 Winter Olympics were held at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the name was changed to Olympic Valley.The Granite Chief Wilderness is just behind the mountains. All I had to do was hike over them.I actually made two trips though the Granite Chief Wilderness on my 750 mile PCT Trek. The first was with my grandson Ethan. We took the tram up from the Olympic Valley floor to reach the wilderness area and then hiked through Granite Chief Wilderness and part of the Desolation Wilderness when Ethan sprained an ankle. I decided on a do-over starting at historic Highway 40. I needed the miles given the areas I had to skip because of forest fires. The following photos are from both trips.Ethan and I spent our first night at Little Needle Lake beneath Little Needle Peak. It’s a relatively short hike from where we got off the tram and an old favorite of mine going all the way back to the 1974 when I first started leading hundred mile backpack trips through the Sierras.Instead of following the PCT through the Granite Chief Wilderness, we dropped down off the ridge to Five Lakes Creek. Once, this trail marker, known as a blaze, would have marked the trail along the creek. It’s likely that carpenter ants carved the holes.Another old blaze on a tree that still lives. I’ve followed blazes many times over the years. Especially when the trail disappeared under the snow.A limb came out of this snag when the tree was young. The rings take you back in time to its youth. I thought it made a neat photo.A small amount of water was still flowing in Five Lakes Creek.The trail follows the creek for five miles and reaches what is known as Diamond Crossing where I have often camped.Earlier in the season there is a small, but photo-worthy waterfall just up Five Lakes Creek from Diamond Crossing.With a great swimming hole to cool off in.The trail leaves the canyon at Diamond Crossing and heads up a long steep climb following Powderhorn Creek. I heard something splashing in Powderhorn on my second trip when I was by myself. I snuck up and discovered two bobcats frolicking in the water. They took off before I could get my camera out but I was able to pick up one very wet track left behind.I continued to follow their trail out of the canyon. Here kitty, kitty, kitty.By late August most of the flowers were finished, but I did find abundant goldenrod…And Queen Anne’s Lace.There is ample evidence of volcanic activity throughout the Sierras. This view is of a basalt lava flow that cooled and contracted into vertical hexagonal columns can be seen from the upper section of the Powderhorn Creek trail. The tree on the right is a red fir. Unlike pine cones, red fir cones disintegrate. Another view of ancient volcanic activity: A volcanic mudflow. I believe the talus slope in the background is from the basaltic lava flow.The climb up from Diamond Crossing is no joke. Ethan had every reason to celebrate! The Granite Chief Wilderness stretches out to the farthest peaks in the background where Ethan and I started and I had hiked twice in a row. You can barely see Big Needle Peak below Ethan’s right arm. The Barker Pass road provides and easy exit or entry point for both the Powderhorn Creek Trail and the PCT.
Peggy and I will be taking a break from our blog over the next three weeks. We are in Sacramento this week visiting with friends and relatives. Next week we are flying to Florida where we celebrate Peggy’s 75th Birthday with our son and his family. The following week we fly back here and will continue to celebrate. This time with a backpack trip retracing the route of the first backpack trip I ever took— in 1969! Then we will continue our exploration of the southwest and blog series.
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” John Muir
A small unnamed lake reflects the beauty and peace of the Mokelumne Wilderness. There’s a chance that John Muir stopped to admire it, given all of the time he spent exploring California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. I’ve spent a bit of time wandering there as well— starting in 1957.
The Wilderness Act of 1964
“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” –Howard Zahniser, Author of the Wilderness Act
What does this mean? Transportation is by foot or horse. No bicycles or motor vehicles are allowed. Even chainsaws are banned for use on trail maintenance. No one can build permanent structures of any type. It’s just you and nature.
As of 2023, there were 806 wilderness areas located in 44 states and Puerto Rico. These areas are overseen by the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the US Bureau of Land Management. All in all, some 5% of land in the US is set aside as wilderness area, the majority in Alaska.
Over the past three months, I’ve been blogging (with Peggy’s help) about our national parks and monuments with an emphasis on their unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna and history that makes them so important to us— and about the threats that they are presently facing from the Trump Administration. Today we are switching to wilderness areas with the same emphasis. I’m going to cover three that I backpacked through on my 750 mile trip down the PCT in 2018 to celebrate my 75th birthday: The Mokelumne, Granite Chief/Desolation, and Marble Mountains Wilderness areas. If you’ve been with this blog for a while, some of the photos may be familiar to you.
The Mokelumne Wilderness is conveniently located between two of California’s highways that cross the Sierras. Since I was hiking north to south, I started at Carson Pass (elevation 8573’) on Highway 88 and ended at Ebbet’s Pass (elevation 8732’) on Highway 4. The distance on the PCT is approximately 30 miles, which is relatively short— but there are plenty of ups and downs! And, as you will see, great diversity and beauty.
By the time I got to the Mokelumne Wilderness section of the PCT, I was looking a little scruffy, not to mention skinny.Peggy, who is never scruffy, sent me off with a smile. She hiked three sections with me and provided support on all of the others, for both me and through-hikers. By this point, she was almost over being nervous about sending me off on my own.Almost immediately, I came on this old snag. I always enjoy their personality and beauty. You will see several on my two Mokelumne Wilderness posts. This one is all about roots.And how about this lodgepole pine that was insisting on doubling back on itself. It must have had a warped childhood.This is Frog Pond, maybe a mile along the trail from Carson Pass and a tenth of a mile off the PCT. I’d hiked by it several times over the years and not stopped. My loss. If it looks like the end of the world on the opposite end, close. There is a steep drop off just beyond the rocks.This well known landmark is known as Elephant Back. My first challenge of the day would be hiking around it on the left.Fortunately, it was all downhill. But there’s a truism about hiking in the Sierras, what goes down inevitably goes up!The Mokelumne Wilderness features flowers galore. There were whole gardens of them, planted and tended by nature. This one was also tended by a bumble bee,Pennyroyal, a member of the mint family. I picked a leaf and munched on it as I hiked down the trail.Ranger’s buttons. People who name flowers have great imaginations. As noted in the beginning, there are lots of them along the trail.Birdie on a granite rock. It sang me a song so I took its photo.I camped under this magnificent Jeffrey pine my first night…And met this young fellow in his 60s. He had quite a story to tell.He had hiked all three of America’s National Scenic Trails including three times on the Appalachian. He was now doing the PCT a second time.Did I mention the trail went up?I figured an alien from a UFO planted this so I avoided touching it… just in case.This, on the other hand, was an old friend of mine from growing up in the Sierra foothills: California Holly.Looking down on Upper Blue Lake from the trail. Note the smoke. It was a summer of fires along the PCT and I ended up breathing lots of smoke and avoiding fires. The distant knob was a prominent landmark for pioneers. Any guess for what they named it? The Nipple.Another snag.The trail worked its way through granite boulders and junipers.Which are one of my favorite trees.Heading off the trail, I found an attractive small lake to camp on. The clouds were threatening a thunderstorm.But the lake remained calm, reflecting the surrounding trees from impressionistic…To realistic.The next morning found me back on the PCT by 7 am, which will be the subject of my next Mokelumne Wilderness post…With a very different terrain.
In our last post we emphasized the beauty of El Morro and checked out the waterhole that has drawn people to El Morro for the past thousand years. Our focus was on the Spaniards and the pioneers who left their signatures behind. Today we are going to spotlight the Ancestral Puebloans who lived on top of the monument in the 1200s and left petroglyphs on the cliff near the waterhole.
Peggy and I were admiring the petroglyphs and signatures on the walls of El Morro when a woman walked by and gushed, “Aren’t the signatures wonderful.” And then, dismissively, “You can find petroglyphs anywhere.” We didn’t disagree on the signatures. The first one had been carved into the rock by the Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate, 15 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. But the petroglyphs reflect the life of a people who were living here hundreds of years before Oñate was born.
While our understanding of the petroglyphs is limited, we can appreciate the creativity and at least guess at their meanings. The four big horned sheep walking in a row on the Inscription Loop Trail are still four big horned sheep walking in a row, regardless of what else the petroglyph might mean. With insights from the beliefs, legends, and interpretations of modern pueblo people and other indigenous groups, our guessing can improve, opening a whole new world of wonder for us. They certainly have for Peggy and me.
The pueblo, signatures, and petroglyphs are part of the rich history that our public lands preserve and protect. It’s an important aspect of what our national parks and monuments do. Without this protection in El Morro, graffiti would likely cover the inscriptions and petroglyphs on the Inscription Loop Trail, while much of the Atsinna Pueblo would be dug up with zero concern for history— left in shambles as treasure hunters search for ancient artifacts to sell. Before the creation of our park system, such pillage was common. It still can be in unprotected areas.
Today we are facing an even more insidious threat: erasing our history. Apparently, the Trump Administration has decided that including what we have done wrong in history detracts from America’s greatness rather than serving to remind us that we can do better. For example, my Great Grandfather in Illinois utilized his house as a part of the Underground Railroad. It was dangerous. He was helping free slaves. In early April, a page on a national park website described the effort this way: “The Underground Railroad — the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight through the end of the Civil War — refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage,” the page began. The statement was removed as well as a photo of Harriet Tubman, who was central to the effort. The Underground Railroad became part of the Civil Rights movement. There was to be no mention of slavery. After a sustained outcry and substantial media attention, slavery and Harriet Tubman were returned to being part of our history.
It continues. Two weeks ago, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued Secretarial Order 3431 that instructs all land management agencies, including the National Park Service, to post signs asking visitors to report any negative stories about past or living Americans by rangers or in signage— even if it is historically accurate.
Rewriting history to match the President’s concept of it and asking Americans to spy on Americans is a whole new type of scary.
And now, it’s time to return to our post on El Morro National Monument, which is part of our series emphasizing the beauty and value of our national parks, monuments, historical sites and other public lands.
We found these holes in the rock near the waterhole. We’ve seen similar holes at a number of other pueblos. They are foot and hand holds that the Ancestral Puebloans used to reach their cliff dwellings, and, in this instance, Atsinna, the pueblo up on top of El Morro.The water hole is off to the right. The foot holes are behind the pinyon trees center left. It’s thought that the Ancestral Puebloans worked their way up the draw to the head of the canyon where they would have used a ladder or rope to climb up to the top. Note the door like structure on the left. Peggy was fascinated with it. The rangers told us it was caused by how the minerals in the sandstone split. The major splits, like those to the right and left of the ‘door,’ cut through the whole bluff and help determine where major erosion takes place.A close up of the canyon gives a better perspective on the nature of the climb. Imagine carrying water up! Not easy. My imagination (plus experience from 50 years of backpacking) would have them work across the canyon to the dark split, follow it up, work around the boulder and then use a ladder or rope on the last section. I was amused to learn that one type of ladder that Ancestral Puebloans reportedly used was cutting foot notches in a slender log…Like this one I used as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa (1966). Grin.El Morro National Monument protects the petroglyphs found in the park. Some of these would have been carved by the residents of the Atsinna, while others would have been left by Ancestral Puebloans living in different locations in El Morro Valley. Add to this, petroglyphs left behind by indigenous peoples living in the area before the Ancestral Puebloans, and it’s likely that the petroglyphs represent several cultures. We found 25 on this panel alone including several hands, a likely bear print, lizards, a snake, a deer and possible sandal prints. Some of the petroglyphs may represent various clan symbols. I would guess the holes were made by people using the petroglyphs for target practice.There are times when Peggy and I just have to smile at a petroglyph whether the original artist meant us to or not. This long legged coyote or dog is a case in point. Road Runner, of cartoon fame, might have been in serious trouble had Coyote had legs like this.While this may not be the case here, this petroglyph is often used to represent a woman having a baby. It isn’t surprising that such an important event is commonly found among petroglyphs.We rarely find petroglyphs in the Southwest that don’t include lizards (and snakes). No surprise.This particular series of petroglyphs contained three important symbols of Ancestral Puebloan culture. The large round petroglyph with its two lines represents the Sun Father, one of the most important deities of Zuni Culture. The squiggly line is the water serpent that helped Ancestral Puebloans find water, a critical contribution to their survival in Southwest deserts. The swastika-like symbol on the right was used in Europe, Asia and America long before it was adopted by Hitler. In the Southwest, it was used by both the Navajos and the Ancestral Puebloans with a positive message. The Zuni saw it as a whirling log that represented the six cardinal directions: North, South, East, West, Up and Down— and the guardians associated with each direction.
I joked with the park rangers when we came back to see Atsinna about using the Ancestral Puebloan route up. He laughed, “I’d recommend the stairs. There are 130 of them.” “Piece of cake,” had been my response. “Actually,” he amended, “there are 132.” “Oh no!” I whined.
Some of the steps leading up to Atsinna. I suspect that the Ancestral Puebloans would have loved them.We stopped frequently on our way up to Atsinna to admire the view over El Morro Valley.And admire the wildlife. Not our best lizard picture, but she’s special. The desert whiptail lizard reproduces by parthenogenesis, which is a rather long word that means she doesn’t need a male in her life to make babies. (Although she can do it the old fashioned way.)Eventually, we reached our goal. The climb up had been easy, given our stops to admire the scenery. The name Atsinna, which means ‘place of writing on the rock,’ was given to the pueblo by the Zuni whose home pueblo is a short 34 miles away.
One of the real treats on our visit to El Morro was to meet two Monument Rangers who are Zuni and live at the Zuni Pueblo: Calvin and Valentino. We first met them when we were hiking up to Atsinna and they were doing trail work, and again when we came back down, this time just outside of the Visitor Center, where we talked for a half hour or so. Before we could ask, Valentino explained to us he was named Valentino because he was born on Valentine’s Day. I’m sure he gets asked that question a lot. I had been picturing the dashing “Latin Lover” of the silent film days, Rudolph Valentino.
In addition to working at the Monument, both held important roles of educating children at the Zuni Pueblo on tribal history, culture and language. At 70, Valentino was a tribal elder. Our discussion ranged from the preservation and restoration of Atsinna Pueblo to the Zuni Belief system.Atsina was built around 1275 CE and occupied for a hundred years or so. It covers an area of 200’ by 300’ and accommodated between 500-600 people. There were 355 interconnected rooms that surrounded an open courtyard.This old aerial shot by the National Park Service shows the original size of the Pueblo outlined by the difference in vegetation as well as the rooms that were excavated in the 50s.Another view of the excavation. The room in the front is one of two kivas excavated at Atsinna, this square one and a larger round one.Kivas were central to Puebloan life for important religious rituals and ceremonies. They also played a role in maintaining social cohesion and supporting cultural traditions. Most were laid out in a similar fashion. Pueblo people today continue to build kivas and use them much in the same way.Preservation and restoration has become an important part of maintaining Atsinna and other Pueblos. Valentino and Calvin told us that the excavation of the 1950s had used concrete to reinforce the upper walls. The added weight had caused the walls to collapse. Walls are held together today using materials that mimic the original in texture and hardness. A view of the top as seen from the pueblo. I found the contrasting colors of the red and white sandstone both interesting and photogenic. Atsinna rests on the red Dakota sandstone deposited in a Mid-Cretaceous Sea. In turn, the Dakota sandstone rests on bleached Zuni sandstone that was laid down around 150 million years ago when a vast Saharan type desert of sand covered the area. What’s known as an unconformity of 80 million years exists between the Zuni and Dakota sandstone, i.e. 80 million years of geological history was eroded between the two! That’s enough for today! More than enough?
Next up I am going to explore three wilderness areas in California as part of my series: The Mokelumne, Granite Chief/Desolation, and Marble Mountains Wilderness areas. While these wilderness areas are not presently threatened by Trump Administration policies, there is no guarantee that they won’t be.
El Morro National Monument is located in western New Mexico about 40 miles south of the Route-66 town of Grants (just off I-40) in a water starved region. It’s hardly surprising that a year round waterhole located at the base of the promontory has been a welcome stop for people passing through and/or living in the area for over a thousand years. Many left their mark.
Ancestral Puebloans— whose descendants include modern day Zuni— came first. They lived on the top of El Morro in a pueblo that the Zuni have named Atsinna, and climbed down to the waterhole where they gathered water and used rocks to pound and carve petroglyphs into the relatively soft Zuni sandstone.
The Puebloans were followed by Spanish treasure hunters driven by an insatiable hunger for fabulous wealth and everlasting glory. They believed they would find it in the legendary, gold-filled Seven Cities of Cibola. (El Morro is in modern day Cibola County.)The treasure hunters were accompanied by Spanish missionaries with a different goal: Winning souls for God and King. Turns out the the cities of gold were a myth and the indigenous population didn’t understand why they couldn’t keep their own deities while accepting God’s help as well. They were even more dubious about a distant king whose motives were questionable at best.
Finally, American pioneers and soldiers passed through in the mid-1800s. The pioneers were seeking a new life from the one they had left behind in the East. They, too, were searching for treasure but theirs was to be found as farmers, ranchers, miners, loggers and merchants. The fact that indigenous populations already lived in the areas they wanted to settle was of little concern, unless, of course, the natives objected. That’s what soldiers were for.
The Spaniards and Americans, like the Puebloans, left their marks on the cliff, but this time they signed with their signatures using chisels and knives. One of the primary reasons people visit El Morro is because of the various signatures and petroglyphs. There are over two thousand. Some, like Peggy and me, also come because of the beauty and culture.
Because of the length of this post, I’ve decided to break it into Part 1 and Part 2. The first part will emphasize the area’s beauty and the early visits by Spaniard treasure hunters and American pioneers between the 15th and 18th centuries. In the second part, Peggy and I will focus on the Ancestral Puebloans from the 11th century.
Today, Peggy and I are continuing our series on national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas with an emphasis on their unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna and history that makes them so important to us today— and to our children, grandchildren and future generations. I can only repeat how vital it is at this point in history to let decision makers know how we feel about protecting and maintaining public lands. It makes a difference.
For example, the Trump Administration’s provisions for selling off public lands and building a mining road through the Gates of Arctic National Park in Alaska were both removed by Republicans from his “Big, Beautiful, Bill” last week for FY 25/26. Once gone, the public lands (that belong to all of us) would be gone forever. As for Gates of the Arctic, it is one of the world’s largest remaining roadless and trail-less wilderness areas. A road through the heart of it would change its pristine nature significantly and open up other National Parks for similar treatment.
As with each of our previous posts in this series, we will present photos that focus on the beauty and unique characteristics of the park, monument, or wilderness we are blogging about. All photos have been taken by either Peggy or me unless otherwise noted.
Now, please join us as we explore El Morro.
This was our view of El Morro as we approached the National Monument on Highway 53 ( the Trail of the Ancients) from Grants,New Mexico. The Spaniards gave El Morro its name, which translates as a promontory or headland. Geologically speaking, El Morro is a cuesta with a sharp, steep face on one side and a gentler slope on the other. I was interested in the white top you can see on the left (more on that later). The signatures and petroglyphs started to the left of the two Ponderosa pines where the waterhole is and extended along the base of the cliff to around the corner.Like most national park and monument visitor centers, El Morro’ was beautifully designed to fit into its environment. (Note: Peggy and I made two visits to the Monument: One to check out the petroglyphs and signatures, and two, to hike up to the top and explore the Atsinna Pueblo. That’s why our photos include cloudy and relatively clear skies.)The low profile of the building provided excellent views of the main attraction. We were eager to explore, but first we stopped at the Visitor Center…Where we were greeted by staff with welcoming smiles and a ton of information they were eager to share about the monument. Both staff and displays are vital to enhancing the national park/monument experience. The illustration is what Atsinna Pueblo on top of El Morro would like if fully excavated. Note Peggy’s new haircut. El Morro is only open five days a week. That may be because of the Trump Administration’s cuts in staff.An easy, paved trail leads from the Visitor Center over to the water hole, petroglyphs and signatures.The waterhole is at the bottom the bottom of the hill behind the fence. The cliff above the pool is about 200 feet high. A large rock with a ponderosa pine stands on top.This impressive rock monument stood to the left of the pool. We imagined an Ancestral Puebloan looking down at us.It’s hard to believe that this pool of water surrounded by cattails could play the significant role it has. But the fact that it holds up to 200,000 gallons of water and doesn’t run dry made it a treasure for everyone from the Ancestral Puebloans in the 1200s to cattlemen in the 1900s. Up until 1961, it even provided water for the monument headquarters and visitor center. At first it was thought that the water was provided by a spring. Actually it is fed by runoff from the top. The dark stains on the side (desert varnish) are left behind by minerals in the water such as manganese.I’ve always liked cattails. One of my favorite hangouts in my unsupervised youth was a small pond about 1/3 filled with cattails. When the heads reached this stage, I would break them off with a portion of their stem, shake them vigorously, and send their aerial seeds flying off in all directions!We thought looking up at the desert varnish provided an interesting perspective. I believe the section that is missing was a rockfall in 1942 that filled the waterhole and had to be cleaned out.We were quite curious about this boulder embedded in the sandstone above the spring. While the timing was off in terms of when the sandstone was created, it looked like a petrified tree stump. We were at Petrified Forest National Park last week. This was one of many petrified logs we saw.A cliff swallow’s concept of a pueblo! They make their nests above the waterhole. In addition to being a safe location, the insects that live around the waterhole provide a convenient supply of food for feeding squawking, hungry chicks.Leaving the waterhole, we hiked along the path at the base of the cliff checking out signatures along the way. (I’m saving the petroglyphs for my next post.)A close up.Looking up…I’ve selected Don Juan de Oñate to represent the many Spaniards that signed their names on the rock. He was the first. It was in 1605, 15 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Oñate was a Spanish conquistador, explorer and first Spanish governor (viceroy) of New Mexico. At some time, the signature had been written over with a black pen to make it more visible. The inscription translates “Passed by here, the adelantado Don Juan de Oñate from the discovery of the sea of the south the 16th of April of 1605.” The sea he discovered was the Gulf of California.I chose Breckinridge’s signature because he represents a fascinating footnote of American history: The US Camel Corps. In the mid 1850s a unique experiment was undertaken by the US Army to tackle problems created by the severe water shortage in crossing the Southwestern deserts. Some men were sent off to Africa to explore the possibility of using camels for transport. They came back with 33 and and 3 Arab handlers. After a period of training in Texas, a test expedition set off across the desert for LA. They passed by El Morro with Breckenridge in charge of the camels. The camels did well— much better than horses or mules. They could carry more weight, travel farther during a day, and get along without water for a significantly longer period of time. Unfortunately, the Civil War came along and the experiment was abandoned.People choose a variety of ways to display their names.Some signatures were scribbled, some quite beautiful, and some encased. Each represented a different life, a different story.The Monument has a brochure that provides information on some of the people who signed their names. RH Orton is one. He was a captain in the Federal forces during the Civil War. He may have been on his way home when he signed this. Later he would become an adjutant-general in the California National Guard. One could easily spend weeks researching the various names. I’m sure people have.
That’s it for today. Next, we will post about our trip up to the the Atsinna Pueblo and also explore the petroglyphs we found scattered among the signatures, predating them by 400 years. We will also include an interesting discussion we had with two Zuni Rangers working on the trail up to the Pueblo, Calvin and Valentino. (“I was born on Valentines Day,” Valentino told us.)Atsinna Pueblo.
Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. -Stewart Udall
Most folks know what a Saguaro looks like. With its giant arms reaching up to the sky, it’s an icon of the Southwest. And this isn’t one, right? Except it is. It’s called a crested saguaro. It develops when a cactus’s growing point elongates into a line instead of a point. They can grow six feet across and look something like a brain. On this one, the first thing I saw was what appeared to be a clawed hand reaching out from the center. Weird. I like weird. But in moderation…
The Washington Post reported on Monday that it had obtained an internal email from the Trump Administration stating that it was suspending air-quality monitoring programs at all national parks across the country. I could only wonder, why? It was weird in a big way.
A record breaking 331.9 million people visited our national parks, monuments and recreation areas last year. Among them were children, elderly people and numerous others with underlying heath issues, all of whom are affected by air pollution. Air quality information is valuable to them. As a former Executive Director of American Lung Associations in California and Alaska, I can attest to how important it is. On days our air is polluted to a dangerous level, sensitive populations should limit their outdoor activities. Period. But first, they have to know there’s a problem. I couldn’t help but think ‘Let’s Make America Humane Again.’
After the Post broke the story, the Administration apparently backed down. I suspect health groups joined with organizations focused on national parks and educated the administration on the negative consequences of its action. This speaks to how important it is for the public to be informed of edicts that impact their lives and unite in letting political leaders and other decision makers know of their concerns. It makes a significant difference— and it gives us a role in determining our future.
People protesting Administration decisions related to National Parks stood outside the Saguaro NP Visitor Center.
Today, Peggy and I are continuing our series on national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas with an emphasis on their unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna and history that make them so important to us and future generations. As with each of our previous posts in this series, we will present 25 photos that focus on the particular area we are blogging about. Today it is Saguaro National Park just outside of Tucson, Arizona where we were two weeks ago. All photos have been taken by either Peggy or me unless otherwise noted.
As the headline suggests, Saguaros are big. The giants can grow up to 50 feet tall with a circumference of 8 feet and a root system reaching out 100 feet from the base. This makes them the largest cactus in the US.Peggy provides perspective on the size of a large ( not giant) saguaro. Here’s your math problem for the day. Peggy is 5’7”. Approximately, how tall is the cactus?Saguaros can have up to 24 arms. A lot. I counted 18 on this one, carefully avoiding the small cactus behind that photobombed our picture.This old fellow provides a look at the structure of a saguaro, plus an element of humor. Not sure of the message. “Don’t count me out?” “You are only as old as you think you are?” We were lucky that the saguaros were just beginning to bloom. The buds looked like alien pods and the flowers were gorgeous.A wide range of insects during the day and bats at night are eager to feast on the flowers. The bats and flying insects aid in the fertilization process by carrying pollen to other saguaros.A cactus wren took advantage of the insects visiting the Saguaro for its own feast. The cactus wrens sometimes makes their homes in Saguaros, as do other birds including Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers.Home sweet home. The holes you see in these cacti are nesting sites.The cactus wren also nests in cholla cactus and may even prefer it. Can you imagine flying in and out of this mass of spines and raising your babies here? Other birds see the cholla as a good place to raise a family as well. Besides the obvious challenge, it’s a great way to discourage predators.Peggy was taking a photo of what appeared to be a nest in a cholla cactus at Roper State Park in southeastern Arizona a few weeks ago when suddenly a curved bill thrasher popped her head up and begin scolding. We speculated that what she was saying to Peggy was R-Rated.There are 35 species of Cholla. This is another one we found at the park.While I am on the thorny subject of spines, I wanted to make one last observation on the saguaro before moving on to other cacti. Each of these clusters, spaced about an inch apart, contains up to 30 spines. They can grow as long as two inches. I estimated that there would be roughly 1,700,000 thousands spines on a giant saguaro. There’s a message here: No matter how much you love saguaros, save your plant hugs for trees.Barrel cactus is another favorite of ours. We called these the “Three Amigos.”Like the saguaros, barrel cactus can be a bit weird. Peggy and I were surprised by this one with waves.We missed the blooms on the barrel cactus. What you are looking at here is the fruit. It’s edible when ripe. It is described as slightly tart. BTW: Another name for barrel cactus is fishhook cactus because of how their spines are curved. While the barrel cactus may have finished blooming, there were plenty of blooms for us to admire at Saguaro. This is an Ocotillo.A close up of the ocotillo flowers. And check out the spines here!Prickly pears were both prickly and blooming. Can you spot the honey bee in this photo with its head popping up? It’s totally covered in pollen that it will carry on its rounds to other prickly pear flowers, aiding in the pollination process.The primary small trees/shrubs of Saguaro NP were also in bloom. This is a mesquite.And here we have palo verde trees. Both the mesquite and palo verde are important to Saguaro, providing shade for their first few years of growth.As we wander through the Southwest, we are always on the look out for ancient petroglyphs. Saguaro had over 200 next to the Signal Hill Picnic site. This small stick-figure big horned sheep was among my favorites. Peggy is now in the process of seeking new ones for a second word search book on petroglyphs. Her first book— Artistic Word Searches, Unique and Magical, Discovering Petroglyphs from the Southwest— is available on Amazon. Peggy was impressed with this spiral petroglyph which is thought to represent a journey or migration.We wrapped up our visit to Saguaro National Park next door at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The museum was featuring an exhibit titled Dinos in the Desert and we found a number of these grunting and growling beasts as we wandered through the outdoor museum. Peggy couldn’t bare to watch this battle that was taking place between two jurassic giants. Or maybe they were discussing eating us. Grin. While the ‘Dino’ exhibit was very well done, it was only the beginning of what the museum has to offer. Go there if you get a chance.
Our next post will be on the El Morro National Monument, which we just visited and are going back to.This impressive promontory is reason enough to visit El Morro National Monument, but over 2000 inscriptions on the rock make it even more special. A water hole at the base made it a stopping point for a continuing parade of people ranging from ancient peoples, to early Spanish explorers, to pioneers. The earliest Spanish signature is dated 1605, 15 years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock!
Peggy and I were immediately struck by the combination of golden grass, green trees and impressive rocks set off by the blue skies when we arrived at Chiricahua National Monument two weeks ago. There was little indication, however, of the fantasy-land of rock sculptures we were about to enter.
The rock formations got their start when a massive volcanic erupted 26.9 million years ago and buried the area under a combination of hot ash and pumice. Extreme heat then welded the ash and pumice into the rock known as tuff. As the tuff cooled, it contracted, creating cracks and joints. Water seeping into the cracks and then freezing, aided by wind and gravity, caused erosion, eventually creating the thousands of rock columns that Chiricahua National Monument is famous for.
The monument is located in southeast Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains near the community of Willcox. Curious about the name, I googled it and was entertained by AI. First, it informed me that the Chiricahua Mountains were named after the Chiricahua Apaches who lived in the area. Ok. I then asked asked where did the Chiricahua Apaches get their name. They were named after the Chiricahua Mountains, AI stated. Hmmm. I tried again and was told that the name comes from an Opata word, “Chiwi Kawi” that translates to Turkey Mountain. Now you know. Or do you?
The Apaches were tough. Their Great War chiefs Geronimo and Cochise bordered on legendary and held out longer than most other Indian tribes of the West against the onslaught of Eastern settlers, miners, and cattlemen eager to take away their lands. The military was sent out to solve the problem by forcing them onto reservations. It was not an easy task. First they had to catch the Chiricahua who combined guerrilla warfare with an ability to disappear into the rugged landscape that seemed almost magical.
Today, Peggy and I are continuing our series on national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas with an emphasis on their unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna and history that makes them so important to us today— and even more so in the future as populations continue to expand. As Aldo Leopold said: “The richest values of wilderness lie not in the days of Daniel Boone, nor even in the present, but rather in the future.” A future that is now under threat.
National monuments are particularly vulnerable today as the Trump Administration explores downsizing several of them to open up new lands for drilling oil and mining minerals
As with each of our previous posts in this series, we will present 25 photos that focus on the beauty and unique characteristics of the park, monument, or wilderness we are blogging about. All photos have been taken by either Peggy or me unless otherwise noted.
Welcome to Chiricahua National Monument.
The first place that visitors usually stop at Chiricahua National Monument is the Far Away Ranch, which was built by the Swedish immigrants Emma and Neil Ericson. I think it was Emma who named the ranch Far Away because it was so darned far away from anything else. In addition to the usual challenges that settlers faced, such as irritated Chiricahua, Neil often had to work away from home for long periods to help support the family while Emma oversaw the ranch. Eventually, along with their children, they added a guest ranch to their cattle ranch. The family also became strong supporters of the creation of the National Monument. In addition to the windmill above, the ranch contains a number of buildings that tell the story of early settler life.This lizard was hanging out on the wall of one of them while scrutinizing me. (Or was it smiling?) I complimented the fellow on its camouflage.As we left the ranch and headed for the visitors center, this impressive rock monument came into view.Shortly afterwards we got our first glimpse of the columns we would soon be driving through.This attention-grabbing group of rocks was right across from the visitors center. We went in to check out the center. They are almost always a source of great information. Limited staff may make it difficult to keep them open this summer. A volunteer was busy urging visitors to contact their congressmen and women about the issue.Bonita Canyon Road was our guide into the monument. A campground was located near the entrance. The color of the trees looked like fall, but they were announcing spring.One of our first views of columns along the road was the Organ Pipe Formation towering 75 feet into the air.A closer look provides the view that is usually associated with Chiricahua National Monument. This view shows the joints (up, down and across) that allowed for the creation of the columns. We also found the crooked column interesting.Peggy was quite taken with this column because the top reminded her of a dog (eyes, ears and nose).Numerous other rocks caught our attention as we drove through the canyon including this balanced rock. Peggy thought this pair of large rocks looked like they were kissing. The green color, BTW, is created by lichen.A photo of the crustose lichen we found growing on the rocks.I was impressed with this formation along Bonita Canyon Road— and the lichen.At the end of Bonita Canyon the road made a right turn and began a steep climb up to Echo Canyon and Masai Point. We headed up to Masai Point first and were treated to the view of tall, skinny, capped-off columns.They seemed to be marching up the hill. A much different view was provided just up the trail…Short, stubby columns.Hundreds, maybe even thousands of them.They provided a view across Sulpher Springs Valley and the Distant Dragoon Mountains where Cochise had his stronghold.About a half mile down the road from Masai Point, the Echo Canyon Trail provided us with more scenic views and impressive rocks.A rock that looked bird like…A rock family.Two rocks from the same stone.And another balanced rock.We never would have guessed that Chiricahua National Monument held such treasures. But that is the story of America’s national parks, monuments and wilderness areas over and over and over. Next up, we will take you to Saguaro National Park where the giant cacti were just coming into bloom last week.
The iconic Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes of Death Valley provide a unique hiking opportunity for the adventuresome as well as a world class photo op. They also provide a great backdrop for movies. C-3PO and R2-D2 were lost here on ‘Tatooine’ in Star Wars Episode IV.
Death Valley is known as a land of extremes. At its lowest point, it drops to 282 feet below sea level. Summer temperatures can soar up to 120° F and have been recorded as high as 134° F. Rainfall averages are around 2 inches per year but can drop to zero. It’s hard to get more extreme. You don’t want to visit in the summer.
I would add, however, that Death Valley is also a land of superlatives. My title above about ‘breath-taking beauty’ is no exaggeration. We have 25 photos below to make the point. As I have stated before, all photos are taken by either Peggy or me unless otherwise noted.
Peggy and I have visited Death Valley several times over the years. It’s one of our all-time favorite go-to places. One of our visits was during the government shutdown in 2019 that President Trump had instigated during his first term. Death Valley was without staff. We had entered the Park from the south and stopped at a rest stop along the way. The restroom was closed and people were using the desert as a bathroom. Instead of carrying their trash out, many were simply dumping it next to the already overflowing trash cans. What was worse, a few miles up the road someone had decided that no supervision meant he could take his ATV for a spin on the desert floor and drive brodies (sharp circles). Large gashes in the floor had been created— gashes that would take at least 20 years, if not longer, to heal given the desert’s environment.
I’m relating this incident here because I want to make a point that National Parks need staff to function effectively. While the impacts of reduced staff aren’t as dramatic as no staff, the recent efforts by the Trump Administration to cut employees along with a number of other Trump/Musk driven initiatives related to the parks pose a serious threat. Here’s a quote that the National Parks Conservation Association —a bipartisan organization that has been promoting and protecting our parks since 1919— made after the first six weeks of the Trump Administration:
National parks as we know and love them are changing — dismantled before our very eyes under the new Trump administration in just six weeks. Fired staff, cancelled building leases, erased history. We see the writing on the wall, and it’s dark.
Dark indeed. Among the latest pronouncements from the Administration is one that suggests there is no reason to protect endangered species. Let them die. Another opens 59% of all national forests to be logged with minimal, if any, environmental protection. Old growth trees that have taken hundreds of years to develop will be cut down in minutes.
Today, Peggy and I are continuing our series showing the beauty, geology, flora and fauna of these areas to emphasize the value of protecting them. The parks belong to all of us, and, I might add, the plants and animals that call them home. We cannot afford to let them be lost to the whims of one man and his cohorts who apparently see their value primarily in terms of the money that can be made from their exploitation. Our children, grandchildren and future generations are depending on us.
And now: Death Valley.
Beauty is everywhere in Death Valley. The extreme dryness of Death Valley allows visitors a rare opportunity to see geological forces at work. This is the Ubehebe volcanic crater in the northern part of the park. The crater, 600 feet deep and half a mile across, was created by a powerful eruption of volcanic steam. Trails lead down into the crater that visitors can hike.We took this photo near Ubehebe Crater. It shows the work of erosion over time creating an almost surrealistic scene.A coyote stood near the road into Ubehebe. Camping in the Valley, you can go to sleep listening to their wild calls in the distance. A moonlit night often produces a chorus.The majority of the sites visited in Death Valley are located within a short drive of the Visitors Center at Furnace Creek. Nearby, Zabriskie Point provides a number of different views that vary over the day as the sun shifts.In the sunlight.Another view we found interesting at Zabriskie Point. The dark ridge at the top represents a different geological era. Over 1.7 billion years of earth’s history can be seen in the Valley according to the National Park. 20 Mule Canyon, a short drive up the road from Zabriskie Point, provides a moderately challenging but gorgeous adventure over a 2.7 mile unpaved road. It’s a section of the route that was used by the 18 mules plus two horse teams that carried borax out of Death Valley. Pull offs along the way provide for further adventures, such as following paths that lead into a world that borders on fantasy.Another example.The road also followed this off-white, high ridge. We saw a couple of people hiking along the top.A final photo along the 20 Mule Canyon Road.Another favorite of ours for its sheer beauty and impressive land forms is Golden Canyon.A quick drive down highway 178 from Furnace Creek will take you to the parking area. From there, visitors can choose a relative easy walk that takes them into the heart of the canyon or select much more challenging hikes with lots of ups and downs! One route takes hikers up to Zabriskie Point.Looking out from Golden Canyon toward the Valley.Want even more color? Continue down Highway 128 to a one-way side road that takes you in to the well-named Artist’s Palate. Different minerals in the rock are responsible for the colors you see here, at Zabriskie Point and along the Twenty Mule Canyon Road.A closer look at the palate.Continuing on down Highway 128 will bring you to the Devil’s Golf Course, which is definitely worth the side trip to see it. If the park is ever privatized, I wonder (he said tongue in cheek) whether the president would add this to the 15 plus golf courses he owns around the world. First, however, he would have to bulldoze the salt flats that formed over thousands of years as ancient lakes evaporated. Given the million dollar membership fee he charges at Mar-A-Largo, I suspect he would charge even more here. Two side roads, one on the east and one on the west of the Park, take visitors up into the mountains above the Valley. Dante’s Peak, on the east side, provides a dramatic view into the valley.And flowers. We took lots of photos.The road on the west side of the valley taking visitors up to historic charcoal kilns had even more flowers.Including these white prickly poppies. A red beetle and a green caterpillar were visiting. The caterpillar was busy chomping down on the poppy’s stamens.An old road leading off the main road to the kilns featured yellow rabbitbush flowers. It demanded exploration. Maybe this year…We also found this rattlesnake along the road. Long time followers of my blog will recognize it. He was about 6 feet long and about as round as my arm. Peggy refused to let me out of our truck to take more photos, zooming off just as I was about to open the door!The historic charcoal kilns of Death Valley were at the end of the road. They were built in 1877 to supply charcoal for the Modock Mines, located 25 miles away, and likely closed after two years of use. We’ll conclude this post with a photo of the sun setting over the sand dunes of Death Valley. Next up we will feature the Chiricahua National Monument in Southeastern Arizona. We were there last week. A photo from next week’s post.
Big Bend National Park, like Death Valley, demonstrates how incredibly beautiful and diverse deserts can be.
I wasn’t going to blog about Big Bend today, given that I blogged about it last year. However, the plan to deploy US Army troops there encouraged me to include it sooner rather than later. It fits the series Peggy and I are doing on the importance of of protecting our national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas against present threats.
Sending troops into Big Bend is part of President Trump’s efforts to reduce illegal immigration into the US. Today’s post isn’t about the issue of controlling illegal immigration; it’s about the logic of sending troops into Big Bend given its potential impact on the Park versus benefits gained. Let’s look at the numbers.
Customs and Border Protection reported that there were 2600 migrant encounters in El Paso, 1600 in Laredo, and 165 in Big Bend during February. For the Park, this breaks down to an average of 5.9 migrants per day. In order to reduce these illegal entries, the Army has stated that it plans to send 500 troops and several Stryker vehicles into Big Bend. While the Army would not release the number of Strykers, let’s assume 6 for the purpose of this discussion. (A large truck hauling what looked like one zipped by us on I-10 not too far from the Big Bend turn off.)
Would it be an effective deterrent? I suspect the answer is yes. If I were an illegal alien faced with the possibility of encountering 83 soldiers (my share: 500 divided by 6) and one Stryker vehicle (more or less)on any given day, not to mention the usual contingent of Border Patrol, I’d seriously consider going elsewhere. Is it a cost effective use of resources given the extent of the overall problem? I can’t see how the answer would be anything other than no. Given this, compare the potential disruption to visitors and the possible damage to the Park given how much time the Strykers spend off road. Desert environments are very sensitive and require long times to repair. While it is difficult to predict what the President will actually do, or not, on any given occasion, the Big Bend scenario shows once again, that little— if any— consideration is given to potential impact on national parks, monuments and wilderness areas in his actions.
A US Army Stryker vehicle. Developed in the early 2000s to increase the army’s mobility and versatility, this million dollar vehicle weighs 19 tons, comes with all of the latest surveillance equipment, and can carry 2 crew members and 11 soldiers. It can travel up to 60 MPH on paved roads. The army claims it will be primarily used for surveillance in Big Bend but can be weaponized if necessary. One can only wonder what ‘necessary’ would constitute? (Media photo.)
And now on to our 25 photos of Big Bend. Once again our objective is to show the unique beauty, geology, flora, fauna, and human history of each area we feature and the value of protecting these national treasures for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
Sharing a border with Mexico provides unique opportunities and challenges to Big Bend. This is the Rio Grande River that forms the border between the two countries.Situated in the Chihuahuan Desert, the Park shows great diversity in its landscape, from the river to the desert floor to the mountains. Peggy has chosen a seat where she can look out over the desert toward the Rio Grande. Cerro Castellan towers over her.Looking across the desert at the distant mountains.This range is on the Mexico side of the river.A distant perspective with attention to both the desert floor and the Chisos Mountains.A closer look at the Chisos.The part of the mountains known as the Mule Ears.Desert floorA touch of greenColorful canyons invite exploration on foot.Peggy and I discovered this outcrop in the canyon.Tuff Canyon provides another opportunity for exploration.Erosion always adds interesting and often beautiful views in the desert. Peggy and I saw a ‘dog’ in this carving. How about you?Thorny cactus are expected in the desert, not so much flowers. But after a rain, they can provide a carpet of color.Speaking of thorns…The ocotillos’ normally bare limbs have broken out in tiny leaves, here.Prickly pears. The small dark spots will immediately teach you the meaning of prickly if you brush up against one. But someone has been chomping on these. Who would be so brave, or foolish!?This guy, a javalena. Their incredibly tough mouths allow prickly pears to be an important part of their diet. This fellow, plus several more, came roaming through our campground. We were tempted to ask to see their papers since they travel back and forth across the Rio Grande between Mexico and Big Bend.Fall colors added their touch to Cerro Castellan.Another perspective.The contrast between the dark lava, light tuff, a reddish ridge ridge and distant blue mountains made for a fun photo.Boquillas is a small Mexican town just across the Rio Grande from Big Bend. The residents supplement their income by selling their arts and crafts in a specific location in Big Bend approved by the border patrol. A metal container with a slit in the top serves as a bank for tourists to pay for what they buy in an honor system. A sample of crafts for sale. We stocked up. Partially because Christmas was coming and partially to help the folks from Boquillas.A number of sites feature historical artifacts ranging from ancient petroglyphs to this symbol of the Old West.And wild horses.
That’s it for Big Bend. Since we featured a desert national park this time, we’ve decided to follow up with another desert national park, one of my all-time favorites: Death Valley. I may also work in another post of what we are up to now. Peggy and I just spent three weeks dodging thunderstorms, heavy rains, floods, hail, and tornadoes as we made our way from Virginia to the Southwest to the start of our next adventure. We didn’t escape the winds— always fun when pulling a trailer. Anyway, our trip across didn’t leave a lot of time or energy for blogging. Back to it!
Wandering through Time and Place 