Fortunately, I do not have to stay crushed in winter's icy grip. Here there is a choice: descend to the canyon and I did, to find where summer had gone. It's been around all along, down at the Snake River.
I don't know why the canyon has such a seductive hold on me. By any account, there are only a few weeks when it does not bake in the sun. It is a harsh place, full of rattlesnakes and ticks and waist-high poison ivy. The old sheep trails are being overtaken by non-native blackberry, making passage impossible.
But there's something about the place I like. It knows what toughness is all about. It can keep you on that edge--watching your step on the high rims, searching for hidden seeps in a dry ravine. I kind of miss that razor's edge I grew accustomed to in Alaska. Here it is again. It keeps me on my toes.
2 comments:
Great photos...sure makes one caught between winter and spring in the North want to escape to the sun, river and toughness of the Canyon. As ever, you make word-pictures that evoke the area and the experience.
It looks like a beautiful place. I know what you mean about getting used to the rugged terrain. Every once in awhile, I really miss Alaska in that regard. I miss routefinding. They canyon looks awesome. :)
We've got those darn blackberries everywhere down here too. They grow out of control really fast.
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