Jonathan Visits Petrified Forest National Park

On our way up to the Grand Canyon, we took Hwy 180, which lead to the southern entry of the Petrified Forest.  Great place to enter and stay if you're in a trailer.  The owners of the two museum/stores just outside the gates allow overnight parking for free!  So, you Rver's out there keep that in mind if you're planning a visit to the Park.

The south entry is also the iste of the Rainbow Forest Museum & Visitor Center. Along with  artifacts of early reptiles, dinosaurs, and ancient crocodiles, the museum houses several stunning examples of huge petrified trunk slices. 

The Park is unique in that this is the only place in the world where "Rainbow" petrified wood was created.  A twenty mile area containing the Park was a large swamp over 200 million years ago.  The remaining organic materials produced the stunning colors found only here.

Behind the center is the Rainbow Forest, a broad collection of some of the Park's largest and most intact trees.

Probaly the most enjoyable hike of the first day was the Crystal Forest.  A 3/4 mile stroll through an area containing hundreds of magnificant specimens.  Walking through the trail one and seeing the thousands of small fragments in huge piles throughout the area triggers the imagination of what this place looked like a couple of hundred of years ago before heavy human traffic.

Early the following morning, we made the two mile roundtrip to the Agate House, a small pueblo dwelling of originally eight rooms built entirely of petrified wood.  As we walked around the beautiful structure's walls, Kim & I thought how neat it would be to have part of our cabin constructed with this exotic material.

We left the Park later that morning to find a huge store just north on 180.  I was captivated by their outdoor storage lot, in which the piles of petrified material seemed to go on endlessly......

Equally interesting was a nice display of unique furniture all made from combinations of Juniper and Rainbow petrified slices.

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Anyone for a Swim!

We head over to the neighbor's awesome pool to cool off after all that riding this morning.  Jonathan can't believe the size of the outdoor section, which has not filled up with water yet (the rains have been short, so much for "monsoon" season).  But we find the inside fabulous decide to give it a try!

The water's a bit on the cool side for Louisiana skin, but we have fun just the same.  Jonathan meets a new girlfriend, hanging out above the waters....

Then decides just to relax a bit.   By the way, Keith's whole place is for sale, pools included!  Any takers?

More 4-Wheeling Today!

Right age, right toy!   We head for the big arroyo this morning for more toy fun...

AND CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esYGBWCX6lY

Jonathan's Here!

Picked up my almost 13 year old Grandson Wednesday at the airport in El Paso and we sure have been having some fun! 

 It didn't take him but a few hours of practice Thursday to get the hang of riding the 4-wheeler, starting out by modest runs up & down the driveway (which makes a pretty good training ground for the beginner!)

Yesterday we took a break from the machines and explored the Catwalk.  Although I've done this three times before, I was stunned at how different things looked now that we're in the rainey season.  The amount of folage had quadrupled and everything is so, so green!

We had to try the waters, but with cloudy skies and a water temp around 50-ish, the feet couldn't stand it for more than a few minutes at a time.  I guess we need to come back on a hot day and see if we could take a longer dip.

On the way out, we stop at the "real" swimming hole, and the kid comes out as Jonathan has to brave it climbing atop the rocks just above the cold rushing waters. 

In spite of a slip or two, we manage to leave the creek with dry clothes and happy smiles!

Trout Fishing on the San Juan River!

Armed with my new fly rod and plenty of spunk, I headed north earlier this week to fish the crystal trout waters of the Upper San Juan River located in the Northwest part of New Mexico, near Farmington. 

I arrived at Cottonwood Campgound early Sunday, set up the trailer and soon my good friend Ken Samuelson joined for the fun.  Ken has fly fished for many years and volunteered to come up and help me get started with this new sport.

We took a drive up this beautiful River and stopped here just across from the campground where we look upstream towards the dam, and the "Quality Trout Waters" an area of catch & release only where the prime big ones hang out!

As we climb the Navajo Lake Dam, we get a nice view down-river of much of the prized waters.  If you look closely you may even see a fisherman or two way down there! 

The view from atop the dam is quite spectacular, looking across the expansive Lake, which provides summer recreation, and fishing for bass and salmon later in the year.

Monday morning we're off to the local tackle shop to get the necessary flies for this River.  Stunned by the numerous choices, and thanks to excellent help from David and the other seasoned folks at Abe's we get set up with the proper combination of the tiny critters that mimic those the trout feed on.

If you think the're small lying next to this dime, try feeding 3lb test line through that tiny eye, and tying a clinch knot on the water in a brisk breeze!

One of Ken's friends that has fished the river for years suggested we start at the Texas or Kiddie Hole area.  Taking a look at the Texas Hole,

we decide that the water is a bit deep for getting me started, and move up to the Kiddie Hole (more appropriate for a beginner like me!).

As we're wading out to start fishing we notice numerous nice trout at our feet, following us as we stirr the bottom kicking up larvae for an easy meal (of course it's not legal to fish right behind you). 

We start to work an area to the less crowded part of the "hole" Ken gets the first catch, a beautiful 15 inch Rainbow!

Struggling with learning to cast, minimizing tangles, and tying on these tiny lures, it was well into the morning before I land my first fish, rather small but at least got him to the net.  This area only allows single barbless hooks, so many fish get off before they ever are close to the net.

By the second day, Ken & I are both more successful, finishing up his stay late Tuesday with many fish on and about half actually netted & released.  I continued to fish a couple more days, and witnessed some largter fish caught by a clouple of fellows from Montana with the help of master river guide Andy Kim, but that's another story!

On my way back from the San Juan, I spent a night at Bill Evans Lake (about 25 miles from the cabin at Rafter D) where I caught my first New Mexico largemouth bass, about a 2-1/2 pounder!