The dogs got pretty dusty in the desert. Here is Ilmarë doing her best black bear impression.
The day started off a little cloudy, but comfortable. After breakfast we went on a short hike. 5,015-foot Mollie Hogans is a curious little mountain that has four or five separate summits. Each has it’s own character with colorful and interesting layers of ancient rock and sediment that makes an amateur geologist like me salivate. This morning we climbed one of the shorter summits.
These strange little plants seem to only grow in smooth, sandy washes, where water forms temporary creeks during storms.
Can you spot our campsite?
The tops of some of the mountains in the area are made up of what looks like eroding petrified mud. This area is an ancient Colorado River flood basin, so there is no doubt a lot of sediment was deposited.
Arches National Park in the distance.
Skyline Arch just peeking out over the horizon.
Very photogenic lichen.
The previous night Chris and I found this surface-level hole in the rock that opens into a little cave. We showed it to the ladies this morning on the way back.
Gorgeous. Every time you post stuff like this it makes me want to move there. It’s also funny you have a dog with an umlaut.