The building blocks of nature hold strong until the power of erosion overcomes. From the floor of Grand Canyon one feels infinitesimally small in the scheme of life. Yet the energy that surrounds fills the soul.
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Blinded by the light. Or maybe just blind. Two days ago I got this hair brained idea about putting together a booklet of some 2010 blog posts in print form for my Mom for Christmas. Yea, I know you can pay people to do that, but…. Many hours later and only half way through the year at 28 pages I realized the cost to print this would be high. Then friend FabGrandma suggested making a calendar. Which would only require 12 photos, minimum. Great idea. I’m through September looking at the years 10,000s of photos. And I’m going blind. So what does any of this have to do with the sapquin? Just one of many images I liked along the way and hadn’t posted yet. This was taken when we went to Tuweep. And what is a sapquin you ask? Well, I’m sure you’ve heard of sequins, right. Caused by light reflecting on a shiny surface, like the sea. This is light reflected on pinyon pine tree sap sitting on sandstone. Did I mention my brain is addled?
Almost every evening
I’m sitting at the computer
watching the sunset
camera at hand.
To view more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.
After a little on and off drizzle overnight we woke to a fresh morning.
The Dragons Teeth towered protectively above our camp, first in shadow.
Then slowly the light turned these rocky teeth to gold.
We waited for the sun to warm the lowlands while the dragon’s breath intermittently flowed over the spires above.
Then hit the return trail, lost in thought, absorbed by the Berg magic.
Crossed a few streams.
And kept an eye on the sky.
In fact we quickened our pace a bit so saw less of the little things.
Yet the mystical quality of the place beckoned many photo stops.
A baboon family frolicked on rock outcrops on the hillside above with the Patriarch keeping watch.
We continued down the trail under an ominous sky.
And could almost see our destination.
Made a quick stop at Breakfast Stream…
…where John sent a text to Joan in camp and asked her to order me a burger and fries for dinner before the food service closed. We expected to be in shortly after that.
Then we saw John’s family hiking a ways below us but as it had started to rain they turned around and we hurried down the trail back to Monks Cowl camp.
Every time I get the chance to place my feet upon the path of beauty into a special natural place I am both filled and emptied. I am humbled by the experience and seek to return. Thank you John for sharing this little piece of your blessed back yard. If it weren’t for bloggers like Joan and Jo I might not have ever made it to South Africa. And there is so much more to be posted about this adventure.
After two days of intermittent rain in the Bergs Joan and I woke up to clear skies above. And that’s where I’d be headed for my scheduled overnight hike lead by John from Vertical Horizons (son of Jo from memorable meanders).
A good sign. ;) About 8.5 miles (14 km) to Brian Bush Camp. (Please correct me if I’m wrong about the distance. It felt like that far.)
We initially walked up through a short stretch of indigenous forest, and then continued into bushveld, thick scrubby trees and bush in dense thickets, and eventually grassland.
I took a fall at Crystal Falls stepping onto a slippery rock to take a photo but was OK and saved the new camera from a soaking. Actually drank the stream water, delicious and no problems.
Champagne Castle 3377m, Cathkin Peak 3148m & the Sterkhorn 2973m
A little further past the Sphinx the path winds steeply up the rest of the Little Berg and onto the plateau.
Once on the plateau we stopped at Breakfast Stream for a snack and were entertained by a couple of sun lizards (top right).
The eye of the needle
The path lead us slightly uphill and down following the gentle contour of this lush plateau.
Even during fall there were a few flowers and we grazed along the way on wild berries.
The mountains are capped by a layer of basalt approximately 1,400 meters thick, with sandstone lower down, resulting in a combination of steep-sided blocks and pinnacles.
Many of the primary minerals within the basalts have been altered to form zeolites, found in cavities in basalt. Looked like pale blue banded agate to me.
Day hiking is not recommended beyond Blinds man corner…
…a great place to stop for lunch and enjoy the views.
As we continued towards the Dragons Teeth it seemed the breath of the dragon began to roll in.
Suddenly a monster storm rolled over us with loud and energetic thunder and lightning dropping buckets of water until we were soaked.
Just as quickly, the storm moved on and the earth smelled freshly washed.
Soon after the squall passed we turned a corner and saw Monks Cowl towering above Brian Bush Camp.
And in only a bit farther--seemed like forever at that point--John had camp set up and hot water on for tea and cocoa. He’s a great guy and guide. We basically dried fast after our drenching yet as the sun disappeared I was glad for dry poly and warm supper. John walked down to the stream and took a dip before retiring but not me. I like hot water down my back, which would happen the next day after our hike back.
OK, so I don’t Really consider myself a birder. I do like to watch and try to identify them. Even take a photo when able. (Birds are usually much faster and flightier than I.) I don’t count the birds. But I have a treasured old field guide which I’ve marked in for years.
I’ve been seeing this little bird flit in and out, so fast it’s very difficult to get a clear look let alone a photo (sorry this one’s not good).
At first I thought it was a tiny White-crowned sparrow because of the black eye line. But it’s much smaller, with a buff colored belly and blue-gray upperparts.
Central Arizona seems to be at the edge of its winter/summer range. According to National Geographic the red-breasted nuthatch is “common to abundant. Breeding: northern and subalpine conifers, particularly spruces and firs. Occasionally breeds south of mapped breeding range, usually in conifer plantations or residential neighborhoods with conifers. Migration: irruptive; often moving in 2- to 3-year cycles but variable. Northernmost migrate annually; southernmost are generally resident.”
Illustration by H Douglas Pratt
The local plants are oaks and manzanita, not too many conifers. Maybe I’m just being more observant this year, but I don’t remember ever seeing this little sweetie before. Sure hope it returns to I can try for more photos.
Then Sunday morning a mid-sized bird swooped onto the top of the phone pole. I zoomed in to see it pecking at the wood. Appears to be a female Williamson’s sapsucker. She sat with her back to me but later flew off showing the soft yellow belly.
According to wikipedia: “The female is completely different in appearance: mainly black, with a pale yellow breast, a brownish head with black streaking and fine barring on the back, breast and sides. Originally, the female was considered to be a different species and named the Black-breasted Woodpecker by Cassin.”
They are permanent residents in some parts of their range and migrating birds form small flocks traveling as far south as central Mexico. Yet again central Arizona is at the edge of their winter range.
The species took its common name from Lieutenant Robert Stockton Williamson, who led a survey expedition to identify the best route west for a railway to the Pacific Ocean and collected the first male of the species.
So now I’m researching what it takes to ebird. I’m not really good at numbers…but if I start keeping track, these are two lifers.
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