This speaks for itself.
Commit Random Acts
This speaks for itself.
Hiking Palo Duro Canyon State Park–Day Two, New Year’s Day
In spite of having to run/rush, I enjoyed the first hike so much, I decided to go back down with my son on New Year’s Day, another weather perfect hiking and biking day. I hiked the same trail but had time to enjoy it, take more photos.
I headed up Comanche Trail from Chinaberry area toward the same peak in the distance. Although this trail is not difficult, it is not flat until you get to the bottom of the cliffs in the distance.
At this point I have reached the same area where I took most of the rock photos on the first Palo Duro post. Once again, I took off onto the “new” trail to the north.
To get to this point one has to climb down a rather steep trail and cross a dry arroyo and start up the other side. This is across from where I had previously seen the shovels, etc. They were still there, but the other equipment had been moved to just below where I took this photo.
This trail contains a lot of loose debris and dirt with large boulders laying every which way.
Once I reached the flat top area, I saw those orange/red flags here and there and now wonder where the trail will eventually go. I headed back toward Comanche.
Back near Comanche Trail.
At this point I had walked far enough down Comanche to be slightly past the cliff toward which I was originally headed.
If you look in the middle distance, you can see the road in and out of the park. Here I have walked considerably past the peak seen in the first photo.
All kinds of rocks of all sizes appear everywhere–layers and layers of time.
The trail follows the base of miles of cliffs.
Fallen rocks and “caves” everywhere.
Looking back from where I had climbed up higher and higher toward the flatter area.
Another smaller “cave”. I seriously considered hiking to it, figuring there might be some rattlesnakes sunning. They do not react a lot unless startled or out hunting.
Along the cliff base where the trail is easy.
In this area, huge, white boulders appear to have fallen from the whiter area in the cliffs above.
Farther down these boulders appear, more porous, darker.
A closeup of this boulder shows baby prickly pear and grass growing from its surface.
Farther south along the trail looking north.
There are many species of prickly pear, including this one with its bright color.
I looked up and saw three aoudad sheep. See if you can find any of them in the middle of the photo. They really blend in with these rocks.
I did walk a bit off the trail to take this photo of “coffin” rock.
Past the flat area canyon colors show up really brightly here–layers of color and time everywhere.
Farther along the trail, looking toward the south.
At this point on the trail past the long cliff wall, the trail becomes steeper and up and down again.
Farther and farther past the cliff wall.
Then one comes down farther where a small, spring fed stream runs.
Here with year round water and shade the trees grow much bigger. Farther down the trail more water seeps and the trail above contains steeper switch backs.
Far past the cliff base, Comanche intersects Rock Garden Trail. Once again, but not running/rushing this time, I start down Rock Garden.
Looking south, I headed down. Rock Garden gets its name from an ancient rock slide.
Giant boulders everywhere.
Some even have grass growing from them.
I wanted to take a photo of this boulder because it looks like a giant face with ears. However, it was so late that I could not take it without my shadow so being silly…
Almost down, I took one final photo. Comanche is the longest trail in the park. It keeps going past the Rock Garden intersection. My son, who was mountain biking there a couple of days later, rode almost its entire length. Some day I want to start at Chinaberry and walk to the end. However, if you plan to do this, find someone to meet you at the south (far) end because otherwise you will have miles to hike back.
Random Acts: Don Freeman
Planned another hiking post today but found this and its message seemed too important to ignore.
Hiking Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Even though I live ten minutes from the park entrance and occasionally work at the gift shop there, hiking is rare perhaps because I have more than twenty acres of my own for hiking. My son came to visit for ten days during this holiday vacation. He brought his mountain bike and spent every day the past week mountain biking the park’s numerous trails. Last week and yesterday, New Year’s Day, I went along and hiked. The following photos and comments are day one’s experience.
For those familiar with the park or who may want to go there, we parked at Chinaberry. I decided to cut across to the east and found a trail. It was not until several days later that we figured out the trail’s name mostly because this trail in not on any map provided by the park or on the official park website. The trail is Comanche. It is the longest trail in the park. If you go to your browser and type in Comanche Trail in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, you will come to a mountain biking website that shows the trail in some detail even with a virtual tour. The trail is occasionally marked with signs that say Comanche Trail but since it does not appear on the official map, I found it somewhat confusing until I found the above mentioned website.
I took this photo at Chinaberry, a parking and picnic area from which several trails start.
Day one I had not seen the marker for Comanche partly because it is across from Chinaberry at the very north end. I planned to head for the peak in the background, thinking I would hit a certain trail–it was not the one I found because Comanche is not on the map.
The grassy area before I found the trail.
You can see the trail by the grass on the right.
This is prickly pear country. There are numerous species. This is important for mountain bikers more than hikers. Tipping over into a prickly pear patch would not be a pleasant experience.
Here the trail is easy.
I started my hike around 3:30, a big mistake, but I did not know this yet. Numerous stream beds occur along the trail.
At this point another trail diverges to the left. Here giant grey boulders appear everywhere.
I decided to take the trail to the left to see where it went, all the while thinking I was on one trail when I was on another.
When I looked toward the opposite direction, I could see this small cave.
A view from the trail to the left.
The same giant rocks looking back from the “new” trail.
After hiking down a rather steep incline with tiny orange flags along it, I came across this. It appears this is a new trail in the making. Yet, given the rust on the shovel, I thought perhaps the trail blazers had just carelessly left their “equipment”.
At the bottom of a little draw ready to climb back up the other side. You can see one of the little flags in the middle of the photo.
Palo Duro Canyon is a geologist’s dream. Layers of time lay visible everywhere.
On my way up the other side of the draw lay more equipment. When I went back New Year’s Day, this had all been moved to another spot.
Different rocks looking in another direction.
Back on Comanche Trail (even though I had yet to know its correct name and thought I was somewhere else) headed south. This was just before I realized just how far I had to go and how little time to get there.
Little areas like this are everywhere along the trail.
It was shortly after this point that I saw two women–this trail has few hikers or mountain bikers on it. They were the only people I saw for miles. When I asked them how far to the other end, I realized I was in “trouble”, not real trouble like lost, but rather trouble like I was supposed to meet my son at Chinaberry at 5:30, and I was not even half way on this trail and I still had to get to the bottom. I realized where I would come out; I would intersect another trail called Rock Garden and would have to go one mile steep downhill. Unfortunately, I had not taken my phone because I did not think it would work there and had no way to inform him. I also realized it would be nearly dark when I got to the bottom. 5:30 came and went and I still had quite a way to go. I quit taking photos and ran when the trail permitted and walked as fast as possible when it was too rocky or steep to run safely.
I took this photo on my way, hiking the several miles toward Chinaberry. Luckily, I met a nice couple who offered to stop by Chinaberry and tell my son where I was. Unfortunately, I had the vehicle keys and he could not even get in his own vehicle. The light to his bicycle was in the vehicle so he had to ride down the road in the twilight to get the vehicle keys. I kept walking. I was just glad he had waited and I met the couple because an unneeded rescue would have been terribly humiliating. We made it home safely.
My Fitbit told me I had walked more than 11 miles that day.
Note: Day Two, New Year’s Day, will follow with photos along the entire trail.
Christmas Day 2016
Leonard Cohen sings Hallelujah
Rain sheets in the Texas wind
Dark clouds fly across a cerulean sky
Christmas with all my family
Top predators like wolves, bears, lions and tigers have declined dramatically around the world over the past century
Some parts of Eastern Europe have worked at figuring out how to balance saving predators and protecting farmers and herders. Spain has programs to reimburse herders.
Conservationists widen toolkit for predator management
Source:Berkeley News
By Brett Israel, 12/13/16
Top predators like wolves, bears, lions and tigers have declined dramatically around the world over the past century. One major driver of these declines is retaliatory killing by people following predator attacks on domestic livestock. This lethal approach to predator management is increasingly controversial not only because of ethical concerns, but also the role predators can play in healthy ecosystems. A new UC Berkeley study shows that many non-lethal methods of predator control can be highly effective in protecting livestock from predators and in turn, saving predators from people.
A tiger drags a cow at Jennie Miller’s study site in India
The Berkeley study examined 66 published, peer-reviewed research papers that measured how four categories of lethal and non-lethal mitigation techniques — preventive livestock husbandry, predator deterrents, predator removal, and indirect management of land or wild prey…
View original post 752 more words
Winter Sunset
wind stills, an unusual calm settles
geese fly so low, the whir of wings floats earthward
two hoot owls call, haunting echoes in the canyon
cerise, vermillion, amber encompass the land
a chill creeps slowly through ancient junipers
Overweight and Poorer
Today I planned to post a lovely poem. However, I was so engrossed by an article on the Internet that I decided to discuss that topic instead. Why are so many people in this country overweight? Why do people complain about being poorer?
The article in question, which I could not download and post here, claims that the biggest item on which people in the United States overspend is eating out at restaurants. It is also a major cause of obesity. On average when a person eats in a restaurant they eat 200 calories more than if he or she ate at home. If that person eats out three times a week, that adds up to more than 30,000 extra calories a year. Even if he or she eats fast food, which probably adds even more calories, the extra expenditure at even a low 8.00 per meal, would add to nearly 1300 dollars per year. If it is a family, multiply that by the number of people in the family. For 8 dollars, they could go to the grocery here in Texas and buy a delicious already roasted chicken that would feed at least four.
Personally, I find few restaurants that can actually create a meal better than one I can cook myself. Others say who wants to cook for oneself. I live alone and I cook for myself all but a couple of times a month. Being a bit of a health nut and not much of a meat eater (I eat quite a lot of fish, usually cod or salmon), that 8 dollars would turn into much bigger amounts. Plus I do not want to waste the time eating out. I can create a much healthier meal, cheaper, quicker at home. Restaurant food tends to be much saltier with fewer herbs and spices than I prefer as well.
I am curious to find out why others eat out all the time. It mystifies me.
PS. Curious as to what sorts of foods I create, what spices I use? I have posted lots of recipes here on my blog. Take a look.
An Open Letter to President Obama about the Dakota Access Pipeline by Elizabeth Cunningham
Since the election results, I have become increasingly concerned not only about the plight of Standing Rock, but also about water safety throughout the USA. President-elect Trump has major interests in the company building the pipeline. North Dakota seems determined to go to extreme policing to make sure their fracking results get into this pipeline. This state has a long history of mistreatment of its native people.
I wrote this letter to President Obama on November 18, the morning after I returned from a few days at Standing Rock. I am not an activist by temperament. I went to Standing Rock to support a friend who felt strongly called to go, as well as, to support the cause. I did not participate in direct action, because I did not fully grasp till I was there the preparations I would need to make in terms of clearing my calendar for jail time and a return to North Dakota for a trial. Gratitude and respect for those who are taking this risk and dedicating their lives to this cause.
One thing this letter below does not address is how to donate to the Water Protectors at Standing Rock. Given the overwhelming donations of food and clothing that are still pouring in, financial donation is more practical now. Here’s a…
View original post 752 more words
Cougar Stories
As a person more than a bit obsessed with pumas, I just had to share this with others.
Posted on November 24, 2016 by Leslie
I’ve become fascinated by cougars. Maybe because they are elusive, secretive, more akin to a ghost than an animal of flesh and blood. Which of course, begs the question: How do you get people to care about and protect an animal that they never see, nor probably will never see in their lifetime?
Mom and six month old kitten
Visitors to Yellowstone National Park can be almost guaranteed, if they are persistent and patient, to view wolves and bears, elk, bison, and bighorn sheep. But only the rare individual will have the opportunity to see a cougar in the Park. They’ve been spotted at Calcite Springs, hanging on the basalt walls and occasionally through a scope from the Hellroaring overlook. Usually the Park sightings are called in by wolf watchers. Once radioed around, tourists hear about it through the airwaves, then flock to those locations. Sometimes the cat might be hanging…
View original post 678 more words
