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.

01 DSC_3536a AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ g pano (806x1024)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.

02 DSC_3411 Weidemeyer's Admirals on scat AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ g (1024x678)It makes a good byway for many animals as I saw from their scat left behind.

03 DSC_3523 Looking up Ponderosa Pine AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ fb g (678x1024)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.

04 Fossils AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ (1024x576)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.

05 Wildflowers AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ (1024x576)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.

06 DSC_3484 Wild strawberry AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ g (678x1024)Plus one tiny wild strawberry which I ate immediately after the photo.  Oh so sweet.

07 DSC_3459 Squirrel AZ Trail NR GRCA NP AZ g (1024x768)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.

08 DSC_3628 Stormy sky above meadow Kaibab Lodge Kaibab NF AZ g (1024x678)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.

09 DSC_3630 Stormy sky SR67 S Kaibab NF AZ g (1024x485)And on my way home saw lightning way off in the distance.  And later a little rain fell.