Superlative

 3/2- Sundance  RV Resort, Cortez CO

   Today kind of blew me away. There was not any specific sight or vista that wowed me but just the whole experience taken together just amazed me. I have officially run out of adjectives to adequately describe some of what we are seeing. 

   To start the day off we drove out of a pine forest and onto a long downhill ride. From pine trees to fields dotted with junipers to the slow thinning of the junipers until there was nothing. There is a plant that I call sage brush because it is the color of sage that covers the ground as far as you can see. In between these are the dried grasses which look like blond highlights in the hair of the grass. 

   Then it is just this same color scheme backed by the ever changing color of the rocks and canyons. Vistas that are almost featureless as far as you can see. Next thing you know you are dropping into this long canyon which is striated in various shades of red. The landscape is dotted here with many wild horses. There are fantastical rock shapes and formations with caves and spires. You can see the huge spires sticking straight up out of the desert floor. It was all just so impressive. 

   We spent most of the day on the Navajo reservation. It was interesting to see some of the poverty in one corner and then whole communities that are brand new. We did try to stop at 4 Corners but that is now Navajo land and they wanted $20 per person to see the column or plaque or whatever they have there. I didn’t need it that badly. 

   The campsite tonight is right in the middle of downtown Cortez so we availed ourselves of the Mexican restaurant right next door. 

   Tomorrow we head over to see Mess Verde. We have heard some of the sites are closed because of winter. Apparently people here are worried because they have had a very mild winter with almost no snow. While that works well for me they will have trouble in the summer with low water supplies.