Dear Maia, Isaac and Virtual Wanderers,

If day 1 and 2 of our Hoodoos, Haboobs and Hound Dogs road trip seemed like we were flying over miles of red rock territory, today felt like we got grounded. We spent the day at Petrified Forest National Park. It was truly a hoodoos, wind advisories, and hound dogs kind of day.

My first memory of the Park was when I was 7 or 8 throwing a tantrum because we were on a road trip and I didn’t want to hike. Now, I drive a few hundred miles every year to hike.

We started not far away in Chambers. It’s only about 20 miles to the main entrance off I-40. I stopped at the concession place where the main visitor center is under construction. I decided to grab a burger and have a picnic at Kachina Point. The pups were happy with that decision.

After we ate, I ran in to the museum to snap a photo of the Petrified Forest Cat petroglyph that’s housed in the museum. Why, because I carved it into one of the hypertufa pots I sell on Etsy. But I had to be quick because temps are warming up and the pups can overheat in the car quickly.

From there we traveled to the Route 66 turnout for the annual dog photo. I have photos of my pack over the past 12 years. When you adopt seniors, it’s never long enough but something about the photos makes it feel like they are always with me.

We did a couple other stops but the main attraction was the Blue Mesa hike. It took several visits before we discovered this place. The colors of the badlands are so vibrant. The texture and proximity makes it feel like a moon walk. I adore this place so much that I did a painting of it – one of my prints of the original hangs on my bedroom wall. PS We had our hiking guardian gnome, Dominguez Summit, with us for good luck.

We finished the day with a hike at Chrystal Forest. I’m pretty sure this is the hike I once threw a tantrum about. It’s kinda special for that reason. It was pretty gusty, so the dogs rode in carriers and strollers while I managed the horsepower.

The gusty winds lead me to give a word of warning to dog people with senior dogs. I would guess there has been a wind event during out visit maybe 2/3rds of the time. Those winds are not benign, especially for the little guys. I’ve had dogs with asthma attacks and pulled ligaments (from jumping down and landing wrong) due to wind. It’s dry and sunny. In addition to water and treats, I bring strollers, carriers, UV shirts, and cooling collars. I adore this Park because it’s completely dog friendly on trails. But the high desert weather can be a challenge.

The night in Holbrook, I treat myself to steak and pie. The dogs got a bite. Everyone is snoring but me.

Happy Trails, GM Cathy Hartt