Fire Canyon Overlook
Valley of Fire, Nevada
October 20-27, 2007 - Leaving southern Utah, we dropped into Nevada
and spent a week in Valley of Fire State Park. This park is truly on fire.
We first saw the redrocks as we crested a hill, and looking down at the
valley before us we saw all shades of red and orange. The road through
the park is ideal for cycling, and we rode to the end and back several
times. As you climb through craggy redrocks and fly through twisting
descents it is hard to keep your eyes on the road as there are new
spectacular sights at every turn.
The park features a wall filled with petroglyphs.
They are high up on a cliff, and tourists can
climb the long staircase to get a close look. I
couldn't decipher anything in the tale that is told
on that wall, however a scientist has uncovered
the full coming-of-age hunting story that is
depicted there. Looking out over the valley from the viewing platform it is hard to
imagine how the ancients managed to get their artwork onto that rock face. There is a
slippery and narrow rock shelf they might have stood on, but most of the images are still
far out of human reach.
We found a cozy spot to park up against the redrock cliffs. In the
evenings we watched the bats chase the bugs around the restrooms.
After many attempts, Mark caught one mid-flight.
One morning we peeked out the trailer to see a stunning sunrise in
action. We leapt out of bed and grabbed the cameras, clicking
away as the sky flamed from deep orange to soft peach hues.
A raptor enjoyed the same
sunrise, studying the
surroundings as he
searched for breakfast.
We enjoyed two hikes in
the park. The White Dome
hike took us past the old
1966 movie set from "The
Professionals." Not much
remains from the set, but
we scratched our heads for
a long time trying to
imagine how all the movie-
related paraphernalis was
hauled down into that
canyon.
What remains now is
lots of tall rock
formations and soft
sand. Small scrub
plants grow out of the
sand, a seemingly
impossible feat.
Little creatures leave
their tracks all through
the sand. Some tracks
are clearly bird prints, hopping with paired feet
across the sand. Others are less easy to identify
-- until you find the creature responsible and see that drags his
tail as he moves.
On our way out of the park we saw a redrock snowman... Leaving Valley of Fire State Park we continued south and
a little west, dropping into Death Valley National Park in California.