April 18, 2017 Valley of Fire, Nevada

Today was in the high 80’s with high winds blowing dust.

We decided to hike into Natural Arch Canyon. I thought the wind would cool us off. It didn’t. Oh well. Tamarisk blooms, orange milkweed buds and a field of desert gold.

Cool holes in the rocks, wind patterns on the sand and a caterpillar. John in a narrow portion of the hike. 

The arch that the canyon was named after collapsed in 2010. But there were tons of other arches in it. One of the arches, a cairn in hole, purple flowers and moqui balls in the rocks.  The trail was a 5 mile round trip in this very fine sand. It was a slog, but a pretty slog.

We could walk on rocks for part of it.

John expressing his thoughts about walking in sand, in the heat with sand blowing in your face.  Bladder pod bladders and a couple shots of the blooms. Interesting looking plant.

Narrow spot, more aches and scarlet gaura.

Canyon narrows up near the end. John climbing a dry fall.

Cool rocks and clouds. Holes in the rock, one with desert nettles in the hole, close up of desert nettle blossom and more holes, this one looks like looking up a nose on a face.

John in the canyon. Two arches in one and knobby rocks.

Holes that look like a paw print, orange, yellow and white flowers, mossy moqui balls, another arch, desert nettle blossom and when the moqui balls fell off here the ground was cobble stoned. A sacred datura bloom, the side and the top, a desert mushroom and a hillside of backlit purple flowers.

Indian rice grass, phacelia, a weird thing near the trailhead and a desert 5 spot. When we got back hot, sandy and exhausted we took cold showers and washed the sand off. Thank heavens for  a campground with showers and hook ups.  Sunset view from camp.

April 17, 2017 Valley Of Fire, Nevada

We left Red Rock and drove to Valley of Fire. It is so much less crowded and  quieter here.  It was in the high 80’s, but then clouded over and the wind came up and cooled it off.

The bus parked at Valley of Fire.There are lots of wild flowers here.

Indigo bush, lots of weird rock formations here, evening primrose, California buckwheat bush. Lots of petroglyphs here.

John through the red rocks. Desert marigolds with red rocks.

Indigo blossoms in the red sand, albino larkspur and purple flower, Woolly winter fat, Range ratany, desert trumpet, white flowers.

A roof top tent and two arches.There are numerous arches, alcoves, caves and wierd fromations in these rocks.

Sunset light on the ridge from our campsite. On top are two helicopters. We were told it was a wedding party.

April 14-15, 2017 Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Sunny and in the 80’s. We did a hike to the Calico Hills in Red Rock Canyon.

Still working on my beaded bezels for basket centers. Cliff Rose- it smells sooooo sweet and there are tons of big bushes of it. Fremont phacelia and mariposa lily.

White flowering bush, desert marigold, and lupine. A meadow of desert marigold in front of the red rocks of  the Calico hills.

John in a pool of water at the bottom of a dry waterfall. Mariposa lilies, the eye of Ra  graffiti, cool rock formations and red penstemon.

John wandering down a narrow canyon, cool alcoves in the red and white striped rocks.

Cool lines in the rocks and desert graffiti. Blooming yucca and mojave asters.

Cliff rose and red rocks. Yucca leaves with yellow flowers, mallow, mojave aster and beavertail 

cactus blooms.

Scarlet gaura, indian paintbrush, yucca and purple sage. A view of the Spring Mountains and paint brush.

Purple sage and the red Calico hills. A bad shot of the beacon from the Luxor casino in Las Vegas shining up into the clouds.

April 12-13, 2017 Redrock Canyon, Nevada

We packed up moved on. Leaving Tecopa the flowers are still in their glory. We got a campsite at Red Rock Canyon. We scored one with a shade shelter.The park was full, we were lucky to get a spot.

I worked on beading bezels for a couple beads to use as basket centers. The next day we went hiking in the park.

Lots of wild flowers. A yucca, redbud, and scarlet gila. John heading up the trail to Calico Tank.

John still heading up the trail. It is probably the most popular trail in the park. The red rocks are beautiful. John watching a family come down some of the stair on the trail.

There were cool oak trees. John in our lunch spot. There were high winds so we were in kind of an alcove. It was still windy and John was not happy.

Another cool tree.  Root and shadow, tree shadow, mini agave and lichen on the red rock.

The red buds were spectacular with the red rocks.

Lines and holes in the red rock. A lichen that looks like a horse and it’s reflection, twin roots and MV in the sand.

Lines and stones, Tortoise warning sign. John walking under some redbud.

One the way out on the scenic loop we passed Ice Box Canyon.