Juniper Cliffside

Sunday May 22, 2001
Hackberry Campground Site 20
Palo Duro State Park
Canyon, Texas

Before I get to our hike today,
I want to answer a couple of questions/comments
posed by wonderful followers.
Nancy: I do run every other day, not
daily.  I can hardly stand that much.
But I like to run on beautiful trails if I can
and then I end up being awed by them
and stopping all the time.
Also, David takes the pictures.  He
doesn’t have to use running to keep
his weight down.  He eats like a horse
and apparently has a hollow tube down one
of his skinny legs.  I hate it!
Gypsy Boho.  The low amps is due to
inadequate supply from the park/campground
for the number of users.  No way you can
know when it’s going to happen so you really
MUST have a protection.
All concerned:  The eye problem is not
sunscreen.  I never put it above my eyes.
Seems just to be the extreme dryness.
I’m using moisture drops for now
and eagerly anticipating being
out of the desert soon.  Heads up
if you head this direction.  Have GREAT
sunglasses and a BROAD brimmed hat.
OK then, on to the day.

We began practicing early rising this morning
and I was awake at 5:45 and up at 6:05. 
By 7:15 we’d dropped off the bikes
at one end of the Juniper Cliffside trail
and driven to the trail head
for a 3 mile hike
which would finish with a 3 mile bike ride
back to the car.
We should have gotten a shot of the two
bikes locked tightly a mesquite tree.
They looked very content and patient
there waiting for us to return.

Although the moon was still up,
(can you see it?)
we didn’t beat Ol’ Sol.

 

To do that it seems we would
have to be on the trial at daybreak
which would have been just about
when I got out of bed.
Something to aim for.
J

It was another lovely hike
this time on cliff side.
I wore a BIGGER hat!
Maybe what I need here is one
of those Texas 10 Gallons.  J

One of the highlights of this trail
was the cave toward which I am
hiking in the shot above.  It’s the dark line
just to my left on the cliff side.

UP UP UP
The footing was tricky.
Where are those hiking poles?

David made it and then watched me try.

Some view from up there.

It was so dark and COOOL!
My eyes were loving it.

But we had more trail to hike

I love this formation.

Thank goodness for sweet spots in the shade
complete with picnic bench.  There were
at least one or two of these on every trail
we’ve hiked so far  and we can’t figure out how
some of them got there.  It’s a long way in
in some cases.

That’s mile 2.6 Juniper Cliffside.

Moon was STILL out and so was the SUN!

We made a great lucky decision in terms of
which end of the trail we put the bikes
because most of the ride to the car was downhill!!
Had we made the other choice
it would have been uphill in the blazing sun.
Not nearly so much fun.

Bikes back on the car after noticing
that my rear brakes were not releasing properly
and will need to be oiled and readjusted.
Add it to the down day list!

The day’s trash is in the plastic bag.

And on display.  Sure wish the Texas
State Parks had recycling so we wouldn’t
have to tote this junk along with us
in Winnona until we can find a recycling station.
We are keeping notes on State Parks
and recycling efforts.  Few of them
provide that choice as
the National Parks seem to do.

 

We were back to Winnona and shaking the
red dirt out of our shoes by 10:00.
David fixed what he calls a scrambled
breakfast of which I neglected to get a picture.
Too yummy.  It was gone in a flash.
But it was sausage, red pepper, onion, and mushrooms
scrambled in with 3 eggs.  He had hot salsa on his
along with home fries and wheat toast. 

Then it was time to get packed up for moving
only 34 miles back up to Amarillo.

We had decided to stay the morning in Palo Duro to do
one last hike since their check out time is 2pm.
At this point we need to do laundry, go to
the grocery and get gas in both vehicles.
So with the late start it didn’t seem worth
it to drive further on down the road. 

Palo Duro Canyon State Park has been
a wonderful place to experience.
We have appreciated everything about it
except
for last night, Saturday, when the
campground was pretty full,
we had repeated low voltage problems
from which we were saved by our Progressive Industries
power protection system.  No doubt we would have
had some serious damage had it not been
for that device.  If you do not have something
of this sort be sure to get one NOW.

We drove back into Amarillo in the 95 degree heat.
David went to the grocery and got gas in the Honda.
I stayed at the campground to do the laundry
and work on the blog.  I walked over at about 6:30
to the laundry to find it locked.  The woman at the
counter informed me that the laundry closed at 7:30
and I wouldn’t have time to finish before that
and she had to go home.

Well OK then.

When it finally cooled down, we ended the
day with a delicious kabob dinner.

So I’ll leave you with a picture of
the great chef at work
with appropriate liquid sustenance.
Lucky Me!!