Mary Had a Little Lamb!

Finally, this weekend, Mary has a little lamb. Up until now it has been a metal man. I can't explain it. There is also the Orson version of the song, I think everybody along I-70 had to have heard it as loud as he was singing it in the back of the Rhino. We went to the San Rafael Swell this weekend. The weather was perfect (until today's wind, rain and hailstorm). My soul was nourished. I can't explain the way the desert creeps in and fills the cracks, it is my Balm of Gilead. Not to mention it was great fun!

On Friday we set off for a trail called Behind the Reef. It is the backside of the swell, south and west of Goblin Valley and then back to Justensen Flat where we were camped. Garry had wanted to do this trail, I wanted to go up Little Wild Horse Canyon. Not one horse in Little Wild Horse Canyon, some manure just to let us know they were there. The real treat was finding Hidden Splendor Mine. The vistas were breathtaking. (click on a picture to see full size)

On the way to Hidden Splendor you go past Swasey's cabin, aka, the Cowboy House:


You pass by this spectacular jug handle arch:

You might see some of these:

You wish the camera would really show how beautiful this is:


You might find an active runway in the middle of nowhere:


The end of the runway would look like this:

There would be hills to climb and guns to shoot:


The trail would be washed out with no possible way of continuing on the "new and improved" section. Have to fix what Mother Nature wiped away:


Look Mom! No hands!


We piled a lot of rocks.


The kids piled their own rocks.

On the way back to camp:


More to come - Devil's Racetrack!