Monitor and Merrimac buttes, taken from Hwy 313 in Sevenmile Canyon |
First part of the hike was in this wash, which goes under the highway (see next photo) |
Highway 313---the route to Dead Horse Point State Park---goes over the wash |
Water in the wash! |
Hiking out of the wash I encountered the first "step" |
Highway 313 sits above the wash I just hiked out of |
Rock layers |
Cryptobiotic soil damaged by motorcycles |
Standing as straight as a bamboo stick |
Terrain and road |
Weird ground of sandstone and cryptobiotic soil |
Achieving bliss through firm contact with aura nodules |
Merrimac Butte |
Monitor Butte |
One of a zillion lizards I saw |
Idiotic motorcyclists have damaged the cryptobiotic crust |
Who will win this race? |
Path through the crypto leads to bedrock |
Weird cloud |
Layer cake |
Colors and lines |
I think I hear those light-colored hills calling to me... |
Monitor Butte and solidified sand dunes |
Rain puddle and moist sand; width of scene is about 24 inches (61cm) |
Half and half |
Taking in the view from near Monitor Butte |
Joe Tripod stretching his legs in front of Monitor Butte |
Southwest side of Monitor Butte, taken from the same spot as the previous two photos |
People in the distance! (Merrimac Butte in the background) |
Friendly Floridians far from the flora-filled Everglades |
Butte Boy at Monitor Butte |
Getting closer to Merrimac Butte |
The Floridians pass me as I approach Merrimac Butte |
Merrimac Butte towers over the Floridians |
Insect wings about 1 cm long |
Tree |
West end of Monitor Butte |
East face of Merrimac Butte |
Lizard---one of many seen today |
Merrimac Butte's "stairs" |
Surprise---a pond (created for grazing cattle?) |
Sandstone bulbs form a wall not far from the pond of the previous photo |
Very little is level |
Boulder is a remnant of nearby Merrimac Butte |
Cryptobiotic crust damaged by motorcycles |
East end of Monitor Butte |
People up ahead |
Drainage crack |
A Jeep approaches |
Nearby mesa |
Untitled |
Marvels of Merrimac |
Hard rock and soft cloud |
Encounter with a Jeep |
Top of Merrimac Butte |
Monitor Butte |
North side of Monitor Butte |