We woke up today to clear blue skies and cool temperatures. When we were here last year, the first week was in the 90's and 100's. Today was a great improvement. We spent the morning organizing all our hiking and camera gear for our first trek out to the Bisti Wilderness. Because Bisti is out in the middle of nowhere and it's likely we won't see another person all day, we have to make certain we have everything not only for photography, but also for safety. Last year, we bought a new hiking GPS and an inReach device, which works like a satellite phone in case of emergency. Now, we have to make sure we remember how to use them and that they're packed.
Our plan was to drive out to Bisti in the late afternoon to catch the formations in the golden hours. We had the Explorer packed and were just ready to leave when Mike came over to welcome us back. While we were talking, I glanced over Mike's shoulder in the direction of Bisti and noticed that it looked like it was raining. Bisti is 30 miles south of Farmington, so it's only a guess what the weather is, but it didn't look promising. Then, all-of-a-sudden, the skies opened up and it started pouring. For about ten minutes, we had pouring rain, howling winds, and hail. Just as suddenly as it started, the rain stopped. The weather still looked threatening toward Bisti and the updated weather forecast promised more rain in the early evening. The rain and forecast canceled our plans for today, but Carol and I were both thinking about what it would have been like to get caught in that rain and wind four miles from the car and hiking along a desert wash. That could have been most uncomfortable.
We enjoyed our casserole for dinner and watched our movie for the night. Maybe, tomorrow will be better.
Previous Day
Return to Trip Page