Camelback Trail

As much as I love National Parks, I also love being reminded that there's plenty of beauty to be found outside of them.  That was the case the day after my trip to Zion when Zak and I went out at sunrise with a group from Movara Fitness Resort to hike the Camelback Trail.

The dry climate means early morning temperatures are downright comfortable.  Having a knowledgeable guide to lead the way was just icing on the cake.

The human brain excels at picking out patterns, even when they don't necessarily exist.  Like the bison our guide pointed out to us on this cliff wall.

The landscape was terrific -- fantastically textured and barren.  Zak, as usual, seemed like he could hike forever.  I'm always impressed at his stamina.  Ah, to be 15!

I could have spent hours shooting all the interesting compositions.  Everywhere I looked was another view I could just lose myself in.

And as stunning as they are in color, this one just blows me away in black and white.

The signature feature of the hike is a whirlpool-shaped depression called The Vortex.  Being uptight about having people in my pictures I didn't even take a shot of it from the outside because of all the other hikers in our group, something I regret in hindsight.  I did get one of Zak after we'd scrambled down inside, amid all the documentation of past visitors.

The trail is named after these two hump-shaped formations which were our turnaround point.

Zak and I and a few other hardy souls scrambled up to the top of one.  Being from Colorado, it's ingrained in us that a hike ends with a summit.

And while the summit may not have been as lofty as some others, it was no less satisfying to reach it.

A 3.3-mile hike, with just 400 feet of elevation gain.  I really don't know how long it took us to finish, because we had no schedule to meet.  We stopped frequently to talk, to take pictures, to rest, to laugh.  I hope I can remember to savor all the time I spend in God's creation as much as I did this hike!