Today was a great day to photograph at Bisti. The weather was clear and cool, with just enough breeze for comfortable hiking. Carol wanted another day off before hiking again, so I was on my own.
The golden light was just beginning when I reached Bisti at 4:30. I hiked straight
east down the main wash to an area we explored briefly last year before turning north to a new area.
The light was low enough to create interesting shadows on the balanced rocks, but strong enough to light up the features
on the walls above the washes. I stopped briefly in an area we named Hoodoos 3 to shoot a few of my favorite balanced rocks.
Although I didn't search methodically, one of my favorite balanced rocks may have been destroyed. It had a very thin column
and was in the middle of a minor wash, so it was always in a perilous location.
I passed the wash leading toward the Egg Factory and our favorite features to the south. I was looking for a very unique balanced rock that was supposed to be on a ridge above one of the washes. As I hiked up the main wash, I saw some huge balanced rocks and then saw a back canyon that included features with interesting names like Elegant Hoodoo, Alien Woman, and The Creature. I dropped down into Bowling Ball Wash, but most of it was already shaded. I reversed course and hiked east where I thought the Balanced Rock should be. I found a red balanced rock on a white pedestal, but it wasn't the right balanced rock. I found several more interesting formations--but not the balanced rock I was searching for.
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| Italian Fisherman | The Creature | Balanced Rock |
I hiked farther north, turned a corner, and saw a fantastic window with a white sandstone wall and brick-red top. I hiked up the side canyon, climbed a ridge to get a better angle of the window, and discovered an arch across the wash. They were my best "finds" of the day.
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| Bisti Window and Arch at Sunset | Bisti Window |
I discovered another side wash just around the corner from the window and arch. A tall pillar on the right and a ridge on the left created a gateway to a new area, so I named the area "Gates of Wonder."
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| Gates of Wonder |
When the sun set, I was still two miles from the Explorer. I lined up on the edge of the ridges and hills that defined the south side of the wash and started hiking west. I got back to the Explorer just before it was too dark to hike without a headlamp. I've hiked the wash so often now, that I know where to go to minimize the distance back. Because there are no trails or signs, it's easy to stray from a direct route and end up walking an extra half mile.
When I got back, I gave my Google Earth printout of the area's main features to the Czech family who were camping at the trailhead. They asked me if I was familiar with the area while I was packing up to start my hike. I tried to describe some of the more famous features and how to get there, but without landmarks or trails, it's difficult to give directions. I hope the printout will help them tomorrow. I'm always surprised at how many Eastern Europeans we meet on our trips in the more remote areas of Utah and New Mexico. I guess they have nothing like this scenery in Europe.
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