Last week I thought I’d see flowers while wandering the Walhalla but not so much. This week I saw a combination of flowers and fossils along the Arizona Trail.
I love to stroll through the forest stopping frequently to look and photograph everything along the way. The Arizona Trail runs 800 miles north to south, border to border, across Arizona and Grand Canyon. I have no plans to hike the entire length but there are convenient places to pick up the trail in the park and forest. Unfortunately this stretch of old two-track is never far from the road and sounds that go with it. Maybe it’s the original road.
It makes a good byway for many animals as I saw from their scat left behind.
But even with that I heard birds tweeting, chipping, chirping, singing and tapping all around yet barely saw more than a swift view disappearing into the forest. Oh, and a raven flying over.
So I settled with searching for fossils of which there are many in this ancient seabed of 270 million year old Kaibab limestone. Looking down closely certainly slowed my pace.
Which also allowed me to notice all the colorful wildflowers, mostly small with paintbrush the tallest when hiding in the shade. Pussytoes, sandwort, asters and more.
Plus one tiny wild strawberry which I ate immediately after the photo. Oh so sweet.
Every time I stopped to admire and take a photo there seemed to be a squirrel scolding me, as if to say move on, move on.
This was a delightful two hour walk and I probably didn’t even go a whole mile. But did feel like I earned dinner at Kaibab Lodge while watching a storm approach.
And on my way home saw lightning way off in the distance. And later a little rain fell.
Beautiful hike! Nice to see many of the same wildflowers we have here, and your butterflies appear to be White Admirals, which have here too. I just got a few photos of one yesterday and was planning to feature it in my next post.
Funny how we can have such a distance between us and still see some of the same flowers and butterflies.
An stunning hike. The pic looking up the tree is awesome! Also love the fossils on the trail.
Hiking around here is always a delight whether looking at the canyon or not.
Sounds like a perfect day to me! We sometimes hike a little of the trail when we are camped at Marshall Lake in Flag….my husband still has hopes of hiking it all ….I tell him if he organizes it I will go. But he better do it soon…ha!
Let me know when you’re passing through on the trail. 😉
lol…won’t be this year for sure!
Those immense, ancient trees – what stories they could tell. Your photos took me with you, Gaelyn. I saw Pussytoes while hiking yesterday – my granddaughters’ favorite wildflower. Is it busy at the Canyon? So hectic here in Summit though at my house and up high it’s quiet (thank goodness).
Ponderosa Pines are my favorite tree and I can see why Pussytoes are your granddaughters’ favorite. Yes it is busy here, but there are plenty of places to find solitude.
Gorgeous pictures of my favorite kind of hike, the ones that notice all the small details. LOVE that opening picture though and the closing of the big skies. Did you hug and sniff that ponderosa pine? Mmmmmmm love them.
We’d make good hiking buddies, I’ve known that for a while. Of course I hugged, and sniffed that pine.
Agree with Jonker…..especially loved the up the tree pic.
We did a part of that trail in June. What a lovely area! So many things to see. Those butterflies you have on your post are called Weidemeyer’s Admirals……something new I learned from our last trip! Each time we visit, I am thrilled by all the wonderful discoveries. The South Rim is great but the North Rim really makes the extra few hours worth the travel:)
Funny thing about the Admirals is they were on coyote scat. Wonder if they get some kind of moisture or nutrients from that. And of course I agree the NR is better.
Beautiful hike. I have a post of Alaska wildflowers ready for later … love noticing these beauties when we walk.
I look forward to seeing what’s in bloom in Alaska.