Welcome back!
It’s so great to see you again. I hope you’ve been doing well.
As for Sam and I, well, it’s hard to know where to begin. In the last update, we finished exploring Big Bend National Park and set off towards even more Western explorations.
A lot has happened within this last month. So much, in fact, that I cannot in good faith squish everything into one post. Luckily for you, that means there are a lot of fun things coming your way these next few weeks.
Today I’ll be sharing our experiences from the national parks in New Mexico and Arizona. Along the way, we welcomed the sight of our lovely home state, met up with friends and family, and set out to visit six national parks.
Before we begin, I want to talk about today’s format. Similar to my section on Big Bend, I’ll be sharing my favorite photos from this week and writing mostly in the captions. Writing in depth about six national parks would drive you and I both insane, so I hope to spare the pages and simply tell their story through my photos. Maybe I’ll elaborate someday when I’m not living with wheels beneath my feet.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these moments frozen in time. Oh, and don't forget: along with your favorite photo (which I'm excited to hear about), let me know which parks from today you like best! I'd love to hear which ones you've visited and which ones you want to see.
Now, where do I begin?
Carlsbad Caverns
National Park, New Mexico
Located in a section of the Chihuahuan desert in southern New Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns is home to the largest underground chamber in North America. The visitor center is one of the nicest I’ve seen, with a massive gift shop that features its own cave-like formations. If you decide on visiting the park, you may choose to hike to the bottom of the cave through its natural entrance or just . . . take the elevator down. Mexican free-tailed bats make their home in these caverns and, if you stick around during the summer, you might just be lucky enough to see them leave at dusk for a feast of flying bugs.
If you ask any native New Mexican, most will say they’ve visited Carlsbad at least once. In my case, I have a vague recollection of going when I was very small, but, if I’m being honest I don’t remember much. I’m glad for the lapse in memory, though, because it meant I got to experience everything as if it were for the first time.
Here stands the entrance and its steep decline into darkness. If you look closely at the entrance walls, you'll see age-old petroglyphs painted on the rock.
The sun's light stopped just after this point. Only soft lighting beside the paved path illuminated our trail for the rest of the hike
I'm sorry, but who kept the existence of a ringtail cat away from me?
I find it incredibly hard to believe that a drop of water did all that.
Deeper, deeper, deeper still. At least the descent into Hell is a pretty one.
This spire reached towards the ceiling, trying its darnedest to get to the top. Sam for scale.
I can't remember the name for this type of formation. All I know is that it looks like a lion's tail and I'm incredibly curious as to how the heck this happened.
This cave had to exist for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years in order to create formations as huge as these. I wonder how the ambiance was back then.
The ceiling, covered in thousands of thin stalactites, gave me the impression that we just waltzed into a massive cave worm's gullet.
These calcite shelves formed on top of a pool of water. Even after the pool has long dried up, the shelves still remain.
The roof of the caverns, looking straight up. These stalactites had to be at least 80 feet above our heads.
Another tall spire with even taller aspirations.
Believe it or not, this ladder was used by early cave explorers in order to reach the lower chambers of the cave. I'm sorry, but I would rather sit on a stalagmite than climb into that dark pit.
My favorite photo from Carlsbad :) I just love how the pool reflects the pointy ceiling of the cavern.
Oh, did I mention that there's a gift shop in the bottom of the cave?
Yes, there is a bathroom at the bottom, too. Modern engineering is truly a wonder.
After seeing the magical, yet mildly spooky underground terrain, I forgot what the surface looked like. It's hard to believe all that exists underneath our feet.
The visitor's center also had a great exhibit to answer all of my many questions from the hike. The fossilized remains of the ancient animals you see in the diorama are the reason why Carlsbad Caverns looks the way it does: layers upon layers of shells formed into limestone over millions of years. When groundwater seeps into that limestone, it dissolves the rock and will deposit the calcium carbonate into each fantastical form I just showed you. Isn't geology cool?
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Oddly enough, Carlsbad Caverns is located in the Guadalupe Mountain range. While driving the short distance between the two parks, it was all too easy to forget that we crossed another state line.
This little known national park is home to Guadalupe Peak, the tallest peak in Texas. Naturally, that meant we had to hike to the very top. We only stayed for a day, but the hiking opportunities are abundant and I can’t wait to go back.
The ascent was . . . difficult to say the least. After spending so much time at sea level, we were finally hiking with some elevation. The peak itself is around 8,700 ft. That may not sound like much, but my body certainly thought otherwise. Nonetheless, the panoramic views of the valley below certainly made up for all the pain.
The trees thinned as we grew closer to the top. Past the pines, I saw seemingly endless roads cut their way through the landscape. Washes, mesas, and salt flats were vying for my attention, but I couldn’t stop until we reached the top.
Mere feet from Texas’ highest point, the sight of El Capitan was very welcomed. The road seen just to the left of the ridge grants an incredible view of these mountains as you drive beside them. I remember my first time driving on that road, gazing at the sharp cliffs above; I never pictured myself hiking to the top. Yet there I stood, staring at the beautiful butt of El Capitan and loving every second of it.
After celebrating with a few victorious selfies, Sam and I sat down for an epic lunch. Tuna wraps and gummy bears suddenly become much more delicious when you can eat at a perch like this one. I would also like to note that this is one of my favorite photos from the week. How can you not love it?
We lingered as long as the cold air would allow us. With one last glance of victory and awe, we left our little spot in the mountains and made the four mile descent back to the Jeep. When we got back, my bones nearly jumped from my skin and fell to the floor - thankfully, the drive to Las Cruces was long and relaxing. You can even see the road we drove in the valley below Sam’s feet.
Our campsite for the night was at the foothills of the Organ Mountains. I was surprised to learn that we’d be sleeping here, of all places. After all, I’ve spent many days of my life at my grandparents’ house looking at these very mountains. Here, Sam is cooking us dinner while I quite helpfully take photos of the pink ridgeline.
Something I love about cooking outside is how easy it is to watch the sunset change. For example, here in Las Cruces, I learned that this valley is situated just perfectly enough to allow the sun to dip incredibly low on the horizon before disappearing. Because of this, the Organ Mountains shone a brilliant pinkish-red in the fading light. These colors would be unbelievable if I weren’t there to see them.
I sat there for a moment, wishing for the pink peaks to stay just a little longer.
White Sands
National Park, New Mexico
One early morning later, Sam and I found ourselves at White Sands National Park. Home to the largest gypsum dune fields on Earth, White Sands has a varied history. Ancient footprints from both megafauna and man alike have been found in the area, providing enough evidence to conclude that prehistoric people hunted giant sloths and mammoth here. Thousands of years later, nuclear scientists tested the first atomic bomb as the world raged in war. Even today, the park is surrounded by a missile range. To my surprise, the area was designated a national park just a handful of years ago in 2019.
My aunt who lives in Las Cruces told me that the best way to visit the park is during a full moon in the middle of the summer.
The morning we chose to explore White Sands was decidedly frigid. Well below freezing, snow lingered atop the frozen sand. Footsteps from previous visitors marked the dunes in wandering paths. I so badly wanted to stumble upon an undisturbed dune; however, the sand was stubborn. Alas, the footprints would not be filled in until well after we left.
The mountains across the basin looked so purple against the reflective sand and blue sky. As we meandered along the dunes, I found myself pulled towards the middle of the field. For some reason, there was this tug at my heart to go deeper, find the perfect dune. I quickly shook myself out of the trance. I understand why people get lost out here.
Sam looks suspiciously like an astronaut on another planet. Or maybe he’s a friendly alien, ready to greet us into his sandy world.
Plants do wonders to stabilize the ever-shifting sand found in a dune field. The roots branch out deep beneath the top layers of gypsum in search for water. As the surrounding sand is blown away, a small island is left behind, held together by nothing more than a bush and its tenacity to survive.
Finally, after an hour or so of walking amongst the dunes, I found it: the shot I was looking for. Although it isn’t perfect, I’m quite fond of this panorama of the dunes and mountains. From the patterns in the sand to the cool-toned background colors, I feel an interesting sense of calm when looking at this photo.
Once we finished wandering the white dunes, we stopped by my grandparents’ house to eat a delicious meal with my Omi and Grandad (above), Aunt Marianne, and Cousin Tiegan (below). Thank you for feeding us and giving us enough love to carry us through the next leg of our journey! Viele Liebe und bis später ❤
Not pictured is my friend Kayla, who we also visited before leaving for Tucson later that evening. Thank you for hanging out with us and letting us take a shower. Your body scrub has definitely been a highlight of the trip so far.
Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Nestled against the city of Tucson, Saguaro National Park is home to a forest of the iconic cacti. No, there’s no canopy to shade oneself from the sun in this section of the Sonoran desert, but life flourishes regardless. Beginning at noon, we set out to backpack on a trail that would take us through the forest of saguaros and beyond.
Much like these towering cacti, the trail we hiked went straight up. After only a few miles, we were soaked in sweat and could already see the city sprawl beneath us. In hindsight, we probably should have started hiking much earlier in the day.
In the noonday sun, the mountains surrounding the valley were purple. The baby blue skies and warm green cacti provided the ranges perfect contrast.
Fun fact about saguaros: they can take up to 70 years to start sprouting arms! Some can even live up to 150 years; they’ll just keep growing until they’re too tall and fall over. In the meantime, they can provide shelter for birds and other animals. I don’t know about you, but living in a spiky tower fortress sounds extreme in the coolest way possible.
It’s hard to believe the last time we backpacked was on Cumberland Island in Week 13, where we walked along the beaches and stumbled across armadillos. Now, I traded mushrooms for cacti, salt water for no water.
As we ascended the mountain, the saguaros slowly began to diminish until we entered an entirely new biome, dictated by altitude. After breaking through one last biome boundary, we eventually found ourselves surrounded by junipers and other high-elevation trees. There, beside a small wash, we made camp. The hike absolutely brutalized our bodies, but we were happy to be camping in the cool air.
The next day, I was very surprised to discover that the hike down was actually worse than the hike up. Our legs were sore and tired before we even started and, worse yet, we ran out of water 3/4 of the way down. Regardless of the thirst, pain, and discomfort, I think this was one of my favorite backpacking trips.
We got back around noon, used one of our numerous gift cards to magically summon food into our stomachs, and set out to drive north towards the next of Arizona’s national parks.
I attempted to do some work in the car during that drive when we accidentally stumbled upon the most beautiful road. The San Carlos reservation is home to an absolutely stunning drive down and through a canyon. In this photo, we see the winding river peeking from the shadows, just as the road swings its way along the edges of the slope. I honestly cannot recall how many times we stopped to gawk at the beauty of this area. I’m glad we did, though, because it’s too dangerous to be driving around something so pretty and not take a peek.
The sun was in the perfect position to highlight the road across the canyon. I just love how angular the shadows are compared to the round curves of the road.
The river cut through the feet of this massive stone island. Upon first glance, I could easily believe that this was an ancient stone statue, carved millennia ago by people now lost to time. Although the true sculptor in this case is nature, I’m still convinced that the peak holds secrets known only to the tribal people of this land. Although I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never truly know those secrets, the thought still excites me.
Petrified Forest
National Park, Arizona
If you haven’t gathered by now, I am a huge sucker for fossils. Natural history, the study of life and ecosystems millions of years old, is incredibly cool - I mean, seriously, who doesn’t love dinosaurs? Not only am I obsessed with fossils, but I’m in love with badlands. Remember the secret badlands we stumbled upon in Week 4? That’s still one of my favorite places we’ve been to during the Gap Year.
Petrified Forest National Park is a wonderous mixture of my two natural loves. This land protects some of the world’s most abundant areas of petrified wood from the Jurassic Period. The visitor center even has an incredibly in depth exhibit that teaches all about the fossils found within the park and the era from which they came. There is also a rich history of Native American occupation in these lands, spanning back hundreds of years. Some early native settlers even made temporary houses out of the petrified wood that was so abundant.
Spoiler alert: This is easily one of my favorite national parks.
Our first day within park bounds was spent away from the main roads and attractions. We got a free permit to hike in the Devil’s Playground, which is an undeveloped section of the park’s wilderness. Structures made of clay, sandstone, and petrified wood take shape in many spectacular ways, all of which are affected by water in some way.
The layer of sandstone falls when the lower layer of clay erodes away, no longer able to support the stone’s weight. The result is a colorful juxtaposition between the squared-off, geometric sandstone and the dendritic washes seen in the clay.
There wasn’t a real trail to follow. Instead, we walked along the main wash and decided which branches we’d like to walk along. It’s a very freeing experience, being able to explore where and how you want.
Choosing your own adventure does, however, require the occasional scaling of boulders.
I wonder what Sam is thinking of in this shot.
What I love most about wandering amongst the badlands is the excitement of turning around each corner. You never know what intriguing shapes are hiding in plain sight, waiting to be seen.
Whenever I remembered to look at my feet, I always found myself shocked to see a shattered log of petrified wood. The special thing about these fossils is how colorful they are. Just look at these crimson shards of ancient wood! For someone who loves colorful rocks, the ground was a feast for the eyes.
The clay itself was colorful as well. From purple and blue to pink and red, I can see why they call it the Painted Desert.
The water from heavy rains engraves the soft clay with long and winding ditches. The edges of these colorful bands fascinate me the most. Here you can almost see the two layers begin to mix.
In this close-up of one of the smaller washes, we see a layer of purple clay dotted with a vibrant orange rock. In the center stands a small plant. From this perspective, I have no reason to believe this isn’t an alien tree on another planet far away.
Another macro image of petrified wood. The various colors are caused by impurities in the quartz. Metals like iron and magnesium, for example, can cause a color shift depending on many different factors. My favorite color that I saw was the orange-y yellow you see here.
This image shows a really good example of the banding seen in Petrified Forest. If you look to the left of the photo, you’ll see ancient logs collecting in the wash as if they were no more precious than a grain of sand.
The next day, we spent driving along the main road and stopping by whichever hikes or viewpoints caught our fancy. As you can see, the badlands sprawl in countless directions, shapes, and colors. There’s almost too much to look at, and I love it.
Here’s another example of the insanity seen in these badlands. Each quadrant of this photo has a different pattern. Everywhere you look, there’s something new to see.
These washes mark the path of water, even when they’re dry as a bone. They’re almost like the ghosts of storms past.
How many logs of petrified wood do you think there are in this shot?
Despite the many different vertical paths water can take down the hillsides, the horizontal banding in the clay is seemingly untouched at this angle.
How long until this half-buried log will join his fallen brethren?
This might just be my favorite photo of the week. I love the soft colors, and the diagonal lines draw my eyes to the uncovered stone wood. I wonder how long until they fall down the hillside.
A paved trail winds itself through these blue mesas. Below is the same trail but from a different angle. You can even see someone walking along it by themselves. I want to know what they’re thinking about in this moment.
A nearby trail on the other side of the same mesas takes you on a bottom-up tour of the painted clay. I love this shot because it beautifully shows off that trail as it moves up the hillside.
What’s a Photobean post without those trademark Sam portraits?
Our last day was bittersweet. I fell in love with this land and its secrets. However, we needed to start making our way towards the Grand Canyon. With a final air kiss goodbye, we left the park and its fossils behind.
Grand Canyon
National Park, Arizona
The coolest part about the Grand Canyon isn’t the Grand Canyon, it’s everything that happened before the Grand Canyon.
-Taylor, my Pocket Geologist
Arguably one of the most iconic national parks in the United States, Grand Canyon National Park is popular for good reason. Ten miles from rim to rim and nearly a vertical mile to the bottom, this canyon is indeed quite grand. The Colorado River continues to carve out this massive trench on its way to drain in the Pacific Ocean. The raging water cuts deep into the rock, exposing layers of rock that are hundreds of millions of years old.
Our visit here was made even more special when my old roommates from Seattle visited the park alongside us!
Meet Chelsea! She was the first friend I made after moving to Seattle and we lived together throughout our four years of college. I was so excited to show her the beauty of the southwest, since she hasn’t been to this part of the U.S. much. She is also many parts Native American, so I couldn’t wait to pick her brain about the native tribes and cultures I’ve learned about so far.
Meet Taylor! A year behind Chels and I, Taylor lived with us off and on throughout college. Her dad actually lives in southern Arizona and she spent the summers flying over the Grand Canyon to see him. All that time and she never went to see it from the ground! I’m glad I could give her an excuse to finally visit. Taylor is also a geologist, so you can only imagine the number of questions we threw her way during our time together.
Meet Phillip, Taylor’s boyfriend! This was my first time meeting him, so he was really thrown into the gauntlet during this trip. I can happily say his sarcasm and sense of humor made him blend well into our group.
They decided to sleep in their rental car instead of our tent. I felt bad letting them, but, after spending the first night with frozen toes, they were determined to make it work.
At the Grand Canyon, you have two options for hikes: an easy walk along the rim, or a ludicrous hike into the canyon. We chose the former. The hike we chose was interesting because it taught about the different geologic layers seen in the Grand Canyon.
I will sometimes refer to Taylor as my personal Pocket Geologist. I mean, just look at her. She just screams Tectonic Professional.
I brought my telephoto lens instead of the shorter one so I could more easily zoom into the Grand Canyon’s details. Here, I’m fascinated with because of the natural redundancy that erosion causes. How does this seemingly objective phenomenon chisel the same design into the rocks? Any ideas, Pocket Geologist?
This panorama is definitely my favorite of the small bunch from that day -- my favorite part of this photo is the trail that snakes its way along the edge of this outcropping. In the high resolution version, you can actually zoom in and see people walking on that trail.
There was a constant stream of questions coming from Phillip during our geologic walk. I enjoyed listening to Taylor excitedly answer his questions. That is, until they faded out of earshot . . . That’s right, Taylor, I’m calling you out as a slow walker ;)
I took this photo for Chels but forgot to show her, so now I’m sharing it here. Look at how blue he is!
The next day we drove along a road that is normally closed to private vehicles. The weather was beginning to turn for the worse, and snow was forecasted for the night. We hurried through each viewpoint, braving the wild winds for a different look at the canyon below. Sure, the weather was less than desirable, but the resulting clouds were absolutely fantastic.
Okay, fine, I’ll admit it. I took too many cloud photos. But can you blame me?
Since my friends weren’t fond of freezing overnight, we made the group decision to move further south for the next two nights. The drive was long and a little rocky, but we eventually found a campsite just outside of Phoenix. The best part? We got to camp and hang out right next to massive saguaros.
These people are incredibly special to me. Living through college together is no feat to scoff at, but I’m grateful that we continue to adventure together, even after that chapter has closed.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to visit us.
I'll leave the last words to Chels, who wrote a delightful reflection on our time together.
Five days felt like five seconds, but that’s because I was with my favorite humans in one of the most amazing places in the world. I’m still convinced that the Grand Canyon was a giant poster in front of me because it’s hard to believe something that beautiful exists on our Earth. Even just all the cacti and red rocks around us was so unreal to me. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I fell in love with Arizona’s beauty.
Besides the views and tall cacti, I loved seeing how Kes and Sam live on the road. They’ve inspired me so much with how adventurous they are.
I’m still fascinated by their teardrop with the set up inside, all the storage cabinets, the kitchen (probably my favorite), and the LED lights underneath. I brag about it to people every chance I get.
Nights were my favorite part, just getting to eat dinner with each other and sit around a fire playing games. Despite almost losing my toes with Taylor and Phillip, and almost getting burned at the stake because Kes and I snuck away to eat chocolate, I wish I could do it all over again.
In those five days I got to actually live and just enjoy life and my friends, something I haven’t gotten to do in what seems like forever. I appreciate Sam and Kes so much for letting us experience a bit of your journey with you.
I love you both and I’m excited to see you again <3
After we said our goodbyes, Sam and I left for California, where the wildest adventures have yet to come. There, we walked along a toxic sea, went off-roading in California's largest state park, and spent a week in my all time favorite National Park.
Look out, because I'm going to make this next post as special as possible to celebrate this huge milestone of reaching the other side of the country in just a month and a half.
Housekeeping
Hi friend,
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Without further ado, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.
Best,
Kes the Photobean
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