The Wise One Canyon

On Sunday about midnight, I decided Jenna and I would embark on a mission on Monday. So Monday morning as the alarm went off for some damn reason, I wrestled with the thought of actually going. Ah, what the heck lets jam. I loaded the vehicle with food, clothing, sleeping bags, and other survival materials. I am always prepared for the unprepared. We jumped in the vehicle about 720 and headed south. I called and woke up Phoebe hoping she was in Cello so she could scrap the looking at grass today and head out with us. However, she was in her other town and couldn't accompany us. I told her I would call her when I reached civilization. Come Tuesday night, send out the troops. I also called upon my coworkers and indiciated if I wasn't at work on Wednesday, well come a looking in the vast area.

I have no idea what time we arrived at the trailhead and could care less because it is my day off. I already had a plan of what I was going to do. There are two canyons...The Pisces and The Wise One...normally this is a loop hike, a two day hike, but with zero water in the canyon, it definitely isn't a summer hike. We opted for the top of the canyon with minor level drops. Well I opted for that way, Jenna didn't have too much say.

We came to our first minor level drop. And she did what she always does even though it was so simple to go down. SHE FREAKED. But eventually she went down, but not without some serious pushing.

After viewing the above site we headed around the other side where I had seen another one. She wouldn't even walk down there and it wasn't even a level drop. So out came the rope so she would be presuaded again. This time knowing darn well she wouldn't be able to get down or up the level, I left her water and tied her to a tree.

Of course, as I was chimneying down the rock I was thinking to myself...would I be able to get up? Oops if not. But there had to be a way since there were ruins down there. As I climbed down into the area, I listened for the wind to speak to me. I listened for the voices of the past. And I spoke into the wind myself. I let them know I was here visiting not disturbing. I was here to listen to them tell their story and show me their life. I would leave when I felt I wasn't welcome anymore.

There were these ruins...I would say probably several rooms. Look closely at the photo of the small wall as you can see the fingermarks of them making the wall.

And then farther down the level was these two places...And I can't tell you how much I wanted to be able to peer inside those windows. To be able to peek into their world and souls. To be able to see how they spent their nights and days. How they made due in the harsh environments. And how in the heck they dropped the 200 feet into the canyon below for water?

But without a partner I wasn't going to risk it. Heck Jenna was above tied to a tree and I couldn't leave her like that.

After finally making it back to Jenna, we trudged on, but not without major difficulty as she was freaking about the edges. After checking out this one from above and lifting her up and up and up, I finally gave up looking down the levels.

We walked some more and finally Jenna sat down in the shade by a tree. She was done. I gave her some water and found some shade myself eating my PB&J. At 1215 PM, we started back towards the trailhead. It was getting hot and shade was pretty much nil. The rocks, sand, and crypto were hot on her paws. As she was pausing to see if the lizard was worth chasing, I paused to snap this...

We were almost to the vehicle and much closer than I realized as she turned left between some trees. I said ok, you want to stop in some shade and then I looked up to see we were at the trailhead. The sand was burning her paws, but she is smart and ran to the shade while I ran to the car to open it. She immediately jumped in and I immediately filled her dish with ICE water. We headed out shortly after she stopped panting at 90 MPH.

We stopped here so she could really cool off and I would wake up. Then we called Phoebe to say we were alive.

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