Time in the Red Rocks

The trip had a rough start but now is moving along quite nicely. We have had two fine hikes in two different places and fine weather that should dontinue (sure we have some lovely pink clouds but like clouds in this part of the world they'll drift by no harm done).

Our trek into the red rocks of Long Canyon may not have been planned but it was a fine introduction to the region. The walk along what lt turned out to be Deadman Pass trail along reddish sand paths with looming red and tan monlithic rocks looming was easy and fun. Then we turned into Long Canyon entering cypress, oak and Aligstor bark juniper forest was quite a nice change. We drew closer to the wall of the canyon and in time hit the one short steep bit in the wilderness area that would take us towhst could be a secluded rocky spot on weekdays but today we would pass nearly 20 people. I think we all enjoyed this trail especially as it wound through the forest and slowly faded from grand sandy path to faint trail.

Today we switched to a creekside trail beaver creek was so close yet so far often times as we strode down the Bell Rock trail. This was and I think still is a cattle trail. Its wide and level walking. A highway. Though walking near the creek is nice it does get tiring in the feet so when we began the climb up to the mesa 1,000 feet above ok Ebite Mesa #86 trail we thoroughly enjoyed the change. It was a slow climb and I want to believe it was more than 0.7 miles long but I suppose it was not. A tour climb by full of views of the canyon below including Beaver creek below. Unlike the day before we saw few people and no one on the way to and from the mesa. Ending the outward bound leg of the hike visiting the wire at the end of Wier trail was a great way to end the hike. Of course we still had to walk back out on that wide sandy foot tiring trail to the car but that's the way it is with out and back hikes.