Using a compass, GPS, and paper topo maps, we were able to navigate a two to three mile walk into the wilderness area. The center of the wash, where you do most of your traveling, doesn't look like a whole lot - but when you get out into the side canyons, good Lord almighty, you are on another planet. It is truly otherworldly.
The hoodoos you love. Sweet.
(That is an old person's joke, kids.)
We were able to find some of the things that were marked on the topo map and not others, but it didn't matter. Everywhere you looked in the canyons were these incredible rock formations. It's just an amazing place. I know it's out of the way, and not many people go there, but if you ever get the chance to go, don't pass it up. We could have walked farther and seen more, but with the climbing heat it seemed smart to head back. We were out by eleven and it was still only 90 degrees, but it was climbing to yesterday's peak of 100, at least.
We drove on into Gallup and checked into the El Rancho (the historic! famous! El Rancho) Hotel, which is funky and fun and I will share some photos tomorrow. We rested a bit, then went thrifting and out to dinner in a little downtown diner I'd seen that advertised lamb stew (this is lamb country.) I stupidly had a hamburger, which was almost edible, and John the Man With Sense ordered -- the lamb stew, which was awesome. So I ate some of his instead.
We're tucked in for the night and I've written these notes, but will have to go downstairs to get WiFi to post them. Tomorrow is a reasonable driving day, back to Flagstaff. No fun funky kitschy motel there, I think we're in a HoJo, but I bet it has wireless in the rooms!
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