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Friday, June 11th, Valley of Fire State Park
Finally, went back to Valley of Fire State Park. Did not see many birds there - only ones were Common Raven, some unidentified warblers, Say's Phoebe, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and a life Gray Flycatcher. That bird was so nondescript that I had trouble identifying it. Some parts of the park were quite spectacular. I was disappointed when I came to an area called the 7 Sisters. This consisted of seven large rocks that stood upright. In what I considered the height of stupidity, park officials put picnic tables in between the rocks. They really ruined a nice view.
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Visited several other areas of the park and enjoyed looking at the weathering in the rocks and the patterns it formed. Went on to Mouse's Tank which was named after a waterhole that an Indian (named Mouse) had used when hiding out. Scenery was great, bird life not. The path in this area consisted of red, powdery sand. The sky an intense blue. It was hot now. Passed some petroglyphs. It was really hot now. Stopped to watch a lizard. It is amazing how they can survive here. Stopped again to watch a Common Raven which posed for quite a while.
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I was amazed at the cactus and other plants which grew out of the rocks.
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The next area I visited was called Rainbow Vista – very appropriately named for its multicolored layers of rocks and sandy areas. Reminded me of the Painted Desert. Thought that it was really fantastic. Then on to White Domes. This area caused me to redefine my concept of the "height of stupidity." The White Domes were some very large white formations that stood out in sharp contrast to the red rocks in the other areas of the park. The park officials decided to put the restrooms of the parking lot right in front of the rocks. Why not put them at the far end where they wouldn't obstruct the view? Went back to the main section of the park and dallied so I could see the effect that the late afternoon sun would have on the red rocks. Very nice.
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Then drove back to Las Vegas. On the way, I paused to look at some cattle on an Indian Reservation.
Back at the hotel I took a very long and very welcome hot shower.
The trip ends at Mt. Charleston
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Copyright © 1999 Richard L. Becker
