DOUBLE THE FUN

Any time when Ryan gets a break from school is a good time, but the Christmas break is especially nice since there are no upcoming exams and nothing to be getting ready for. Which means we actually get to go and do stuff! A year since we were there last, with a toddler instead of a newborn, we headed back to Valley of Fire.

We were most interested in doing the White Dome's Loop, which is known for being one of the Park's most diverse trails, so that was our first stop. As we drove up to the trailhead there was no question of whether or not we were in the right place. The rest of the Park is a quilt of blazing reds and oranges, but  in front of us stood enormous creamy white rocks, a bleached version of the other formations in the park. 

We'd heard it was a sandy trail, but I was expecting it to be tightly packed down. Instead it was just like walking on a beach, we should have brought buckets and spades; there was so much sand! It definitely gave our calves a run for their money. From the beach, the trail descends down some sandstone steps and opens up into a large, open flat area that is lined with sandstone block walls, which we learned is the remains of a film set that was built in the 1965. (The Professionals- never heard of it.) It surprised me that so much evidence of their filming remains. So much for leaving no trace. 

We continued on and it wasn't long before we reached a slot canyon; diverse trail indeed! The walls of the narrows climb about fifty feet into the air so they're not particularly high as slot canyons go, but they do canopy the sky almost completely, plunging you into shade. It's easily narrow enough that you can touch both walls of the slot at the same time, and I'd never been in a slot canyon before so I thought that was pretty exciting. 

Once out of the narrows, the trail opens up again and you walk uphill surrounded by lots of different rock formations. We climbed in caves, through holes in the sandstone, and teetered across overhangs. It will definitely be a fun trail to do once Charlotte is old enough to explore all of the hiding places. 

When we looped back to the car it was hard to believe that we'd only walked for a mile and a half. Between sand dunes, movie sets, and the slot canyon, the trail certainly had a lot to offer, though we  were far from worn out so we decided on another trail. Apparently if you're going to Valley of Fire and you only have time for one hike, your destination should be Mouse's Tank. It seemed like quite a claim, especially after the White Dome's Loop, so we thought we better check it out. 

We descended almost immediately into a wide canyon, once again walking on sand. There were thousands of holes and pockets in the sandstone that surrounded us, so it was fun to examine the rock formations as we went. The trail is famous for its Petroglyphs, which we noted but after living in New Mexico, they didn't seem all that exciting. But, I supposed when something's been there since 300 BC, its notable in its own right. 

Ryan is standing at the end of the trail. If you twist your body between the two rocks he's standing by, and peek to the left, you can just about see the tank of water. It's really fun to do it when you have a 22lb baby on your back. We spent the rest of the afternoon going off the main trail and exploring canyons and doing some climbing. 

I fell in love with Valley of Fire when we visited last year, but the more I see of it, the more I love it. It seems like every trail there is a quintessential one.