The first part of the hike was relatively flat as we walked deeper into the canyon. Mike pointed out various plants and even fossilized dinosaur tracks.
Mike slices us each a section of a tuber that he dug up. |
A Halloween mushroom |
Dinosaur Tracks |
Soon the canyon narrowed and the boulders got
bigger. At the end of the canyon,
we climbed over the rocks and into a spectacular red rock amphitheater. The canyon walls towered above us as we
enjoyed our lunch in this very special place. Much too soon it was time to retrace our steps back to the
river.
Welcome! |
We still had time for
a couple of final explorations. We
hiked upstream for a short distance in order to explore “Hislop’s Cave,” a
naturally occurring arch or alcove in the sandstone cliff above the river.
For our final exploration for the day, Mike took us upstream to the next canyon, which even he had not yet explored. Again the high canyon walls surrounded us until even Mike was stopped by a high pile of boulders.
We made our way back to the beach where we could relax or cool our feet, until the boat arrived for our shuttle back to the vans.
After an delicious dinner of barbequed ribs and
chicken at the motel restaurant, we all gathered to discuss the week and share
wonderful memories. It is always
sad for a program to end. We will
miss the guides, our fellow hikers, the scenery, and the hiking. Many of us are already planning and
trying to decide on our next Road Scholar adventure.
Ellie -- thank you so much for this wonderful day-by-day diary of your RS trip to Marble Canyon. It looks like an amazingly fun and unique adventure … this trip is now on my bucket list!!!
ReplyDeleteKatie, I hope you have a chance to do this trip -- it really is amazing! We have participated in several RS trips provided by Northern Arizona University, and they have all been fantastic. Email me if you want some suggestions. emknesper@gmail.com. Happy hiking!
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