The Road Less Traveled

I love exploring seldom seen and rarely traveled areas. I also enjoy photographing and sharing the details about these amazing areas on my blog. It's quite a conundrum. By sharing details of these places, they potentially become more popular, and they lose part of the allure that made them so special in the first place! But I digress...

A little over a year ago I hiked up a wash that I suspect very few people hike. I chose it for this reason, thinking who knows what I might find? Also, after studying Google Earth, the area looked like it might have some interesting rock formations. Turns out, I was right on both accounts (interesting finds and cool rock formations). The most memorable rock formation was a large alcove (I call it Lookout Alcove because of it's commanding 360-degree views). I was so impressed by it, I went back a week or two later after discovering it to leave a sign-in register inside the alcove. I was very curious to see if anyone ever visits this spot.

So a couple weeks ago I decided it was time to revisit the area... check the register for names, look for footprints and other signs of visitors. My first stop was an old bench, lantern and other artifacts I had discovered a year or so ago in an overgrown and secluded side wash. The cats-claw bushes made it hard to even get into the area. Here's the old table and lantern I found in early 2018.

When I revisited in May 2019, the lantern and old crate had blown off the table. But otherwise, things looked exactly the same. No footprints. Absolutely no sign of visitors. Placing the lantern on the old table, here's what it looks like now.

Perhaps a little worse for wear, but still intact! I was encouraged that the old lantern and other artifacts were still here and the area had likely had no visitors in over a year. So, let's continue on to Lookout Alcove. We will make a few side-trips and take lots of photos along the way!

Lots of small arches in this area.

Lots of birds and giant monster lizards to be seen.

My first rattlesnake of the season, too. I took a moment to thank the rattlesnake Gods for the nice loud warning rattle. He took off rather quickly into the bushes, and I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a good shot.

And, of course, many alcoves to be explored. Does anyone else see a dog's head?

But the granddaddy of alcoves is Lookout Alcove. Hard to get perspective in these photos, but take my word for it that it's a large, roomy alcove with incredible views!

The good news? The sign-in register was exactly where I had left it over a year ago. The bad news? Critters had totally chewed off the plastic top of the container and a bit of the paper.

But the paper was still (more or less) intact and the pencil was still in the container. A visitor could easily see this was a register and could have signed in (had there been any visitors). But the registry was empty except for my own entry (4/14/2018). I strongly suspect Lookout Alcove has had no (human) visitors in the last year, and who knows how many years before that, other than my own visits??

So, back to my conundrum about liking to share photos and details about amazing spots like this, yet thoroughly enjoying desert solitude and the fact that not only will I not see another human being all day, I won't even see footprints! Hmmm... I think I'll keep the location private 😉. But if you happen to be driving along a remote stretch of desert highway and you notice rocky peaks on the distant horizon like those below, you might be getting warm. Then again, perhaps not.

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!!