Sometimes you just want to escape, to those special places that touch your soul. I am lucky to live within only a couple hours away from some very special places, that are still relatively untouched by mass tourism, usurious entrance fees, and all the other accompanying problems you see at places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, and the like.
But this place, to me, is every bit as intense and beautiful as those places. I come here often, for day trips, just to discover more of what lies beyond the next ridge or the next valley. From the subtle patterns of banded rhyolite and chert in the rocks, to the beautiful and interesting wildflowers, to the wildlife (Always a chance to see wild horses, rams-horn sheep, coyotes, and other intersesting critters) to the grandiose, castle like crags and mountains stretching into the distance.
It was about a 4 and a quarter mile hike out (8.5 miles roundtrip) to this particular spot. I'd been in this area many, many times but never hiked to this particular spot. It was a lot of up and down walking, following a rugged jeep trail along the ridge line, but when I got to this view point, it was all worth it. Perfect weather too, not too hot. This wouldn't really be feasible in the heat of summer, as there isn't a lot of shade. You do need sunscreen for this one. But once I was here, I just wanted to stay, take in the view, pretend it was my castle, and put off the long march back to the rig for as long as possible. And in my mind, while sitting at my desk, I kept the memory of this view with me to help battle the doldrums of a boring work day.
