I guess my purpose in this page is to show some of this hidden beauty. To let you, the casual visitor, see my visions through my eyes, even if only for a brief moment...and maybe then, you will find the hidden beauty in your own world, as well as respecting the beauty of my world.
My world is quieter perhaps than yours. Its not populated by millions of people. While the places that I am showing you are what I consider fairly accessible, to you they may as well be on the moon, I suspect. I don't recommend trying to seek them out on your own unless you also are familiar with the area. The dirt roads are frequently unmarked, and face it, the left fork looks just like the right fork. Its easy to get lost, even when equipped with a map, and if the area is unfamiliar, its a long time until you see someone else as well while you sit there, with a broken axle, out of gas, or staring at the drying puddle that represents what used to be the water in your radiator. And, that land that looks flat can have nearly impossible obstacles to cross as well. Walking home is not always as easy a prospect as you might think it would be.
So, start your journey with my guidance, on this page, from the safety of your computer monitor. Explore this site, tell me what you think. Come back again, I will undoubtedly expand and change this site on occasion as time permits and hopefully, I will get better at it as well...I will confess, this is my first attempt.
its a really HUGE waterfall! When its flowing, especially after a monsoon storm, it is truly spectacular. Part of its spectacular beauty comes from the fact that it is a hidden surprise. If you see the river upstream, its nothing special...a small murky river, barely trickling all too often. Even as you approach the falls, over Navajo Nation dirt roads, largely unmarked, its impossible to realize the amazing beauty that you are about to see, even just a few hundred yards from it. These falls are hidden, caused by an ancient damming of the river by a lava flow, and you actually are approaching the falls from above, in a sense.
When you finally get there, get out of your vehicle and walk towards the falls...your mouth hangs open. Its totally amazing, and impossible to view without a sense of awe. Even the roar of the water is a shock.
After a monsoon storm, I visited these falls. Brief flows were coming over the edge of the canyon, sparkling in the light of the late afternoon sun. The storm clouds still hovered in the distance, reflecting the light as the sun began to set. There is no way to not feel a sense of awe when one is faced with that sort of beauty, even as fragile and brief as that few minutes was.
Monetezuma was never here, and like a lot of names for things here, its utterly wrong. Still, it is a fascinating place to visit. I like to imagine the people who once lived here and what their lives were really like...what they dreamed of, hoped for, lived and died for. THAT is the part of history that interests me, not the mechanics of their daily lives so much as what they thought and dreamed of.
To many people, a visit to Northern Arizona would be definitely incomplete without a visit to the Meteor Crater. Privately owned, the only hiking allowed is on a relatively short guided trail. It is an awesome site, a place unlike any other I have ever seen.
I will say this...I am definitely glad that this meteorite struck here long before I arrived here!
Wind and water, our primary erosion forces, show their marks everywhere. Water makes some spectacular ones. Canyons are a favorite of mine for hiking and exploring. Look on any map of the area, and many are marked on it. Chevelon Canyon is one of my favorites, a very dramatic and lonely place, seldom visited in many areas.
This picture on the left was taken near Chevelon Canyon, and it shows some of the fantastic rock formations that occur in this area. I've just recently paid another visit there, and will hopefully have some new pictures of it soon to add. Drama is the sense of the area...I look around and imagine what it is like when the water comes roaring down towards Chevelon Creek. I have heard horror stories of hikers that have been caught in these flash floods, their bodies lodged in log jams high above the canyon floor. Personally, I shall strive diligently to avoid the same fate.
