My breakfast is now a coffee with two cups of vanilla creamer and one package of sugar and a banana nut muffin – sitting in front of Ruby’s Inn, watching everybody wake up and hear all kind of questions being asked. I feel like a local now. Back on the shuttle and my first destination is Sunset campground – the burnt place!
Some other tourists also get out but they feel suddenly lost: where to go? Just follow the directions of your guide Renet! I’m not exactly heading towards the rim – my first goal is the meadow where the prairie dogs live. Our bus driver almost ran one over. It was sitting just next the road – not even in the meadow, so I wondered if it was still going to be there and how close I could get to it. Look very closely on the pictures and try to find it!
By the way – one’s eyes must be good around here if you want to spot wildlife: I almost walked by two mule deer who were just resting under the ponderosa pine. Now I could walk to the rim. I walked part of the Fairyland loop: it was already too late to do the whole thing. I saw nobody and had the feeling I was all alone on the trail. When I returned I met a family who was walking only 100 meters behind me. Next, I decided to walk part of the rim trail I hadn’t done either. Past the campground it climbs again and it really gives you some nice views.
I saw one of those bugs (don’t know the name of it) that “applauds” when it flies away.
There were also a bunch of crows hovering over my head. I could see the visitor center and way beyond. After a while I backtracked again. There aren’t many people on this part of the rim trail: I met two! Time to go down partly on the Queen’s garden trail: I’ve walked this one many times but I wanted to hike down some more.
Alas, thunder and lightning were now in the sky and one safety rule I do follow (I skipped the rule of good shoe wear – thinking of the Native People years ago!) is the one regarding thunderstorms: look for a safe place! I figured the Sunrise Camp store would do great.
Time for a hot dog! The storm was just north of us and it kept hanging there for a long time. At the rim, everything was clear. The rest of the afternoon I walked around, sat down on and even laid down those benches along the rim, wrote some postcards, did some reading… but all the time I kept one eye to the hoodoos and hoped they will stay in my heart forever!
Finally it was time for dinner and I had the same meal as my first evening here (with my sister): the mashed potatoes were the best of the whole trip! A final goodbye and then I had to take the shuttle back to Ruby’s Campground. There I packed my bags: tomorrow I want an early start, since it’s a long way to cycle!
No comments:
Post a Comment