August Arch Affair

I have had a "summer bucket-list" of adventures on my mental list. Much has been accomplished. Some will not. This particular trek I was really eager for. This would be the first time Ava and I have backpacked in somewhere to spend a night. Ok, it was a mini trip but it was still a lot of work and it counts for something. I'm hoping to do a real backpack excursion in the near future. But, this was a great start.

For the next 11 hours we would watch the sunset, Milky Way, shooting stars, moon rise, and finally the sunrise. The best part about it, was spending time with my girl!

As we drove up into the canyon I saw a rattlesnake slither across the road. I looked at Ava with wide eyes and we both thought "Maybe we should have brought a tent?" Hahahaha
Good thing we have our guard dogs. Bryan has trained them well (to bark) with snakes. I hope *gulp.* 

This was the first time Jupiter wore a hiking pack. She was a pro already. It was as if she looked at us and smiled because she knew she was part of the team!

We took a break to catch our breath after hiking for 20 minutes. This hike is much easier when you aren't hauling a bunch of "stuff."  Halfway to our destination, there it was ahead.... a limestone arch.

We arrived about 7:30 pm. A little while after the sunset, the landscape had this lingering, amazing pink, blue, and purple glow.  Through the lens of my camera, this is the "blue hour" time in photography. Mesmerizing. I was entranced and felt like I was being hugged by a beautiful energy. If you've had that experience, you know what I mean.

Ava and I had some fun basking in the inviting light.....

I even got a picture of Zeek (unintentionally) in one of the photos. Can you spot him?

10:30 pm it was dark enough to see the shooting stars and Milky Way.
Bats were swooping around doing their nightly foraging.
It was quiet and peaceful. The dogs hardly made a sound all night (to my delight).

Ava retired to her bag and pillow and fell asleep under the stars, while I documented and watched them.....

I woke up repeatedly through the early morning though to get comfortable and to make sure Ava didn't scoot into a cactus or make sure there wasn't a rattlesnake surprise. It wasn't a restful night for me, but it was so worth it.
The moon made its appearance over the horizon. The stars, challenging to see now, twinkling through the wisps of the clouds. A different kind of beauty.

Ava in her sweet, moonlit slumber :)

My eyes popped open before sunrise. A warm yellow, orange, pink, and blue painting before me.
The vast valley floor starting to become less of a shadow as the light permeated over.

Rise and shine!

5:45 am snuggles :)

The sun's heat was beating down at 6:00 am on our exposed resting place. It was just the beginning of what would be a 99 degree day! Sheeesh! Next time maybe do this in September? Ava is already talking about returning! :)

So, we packed up our gear and took one last look at the early morning glow on the arch and down on the valley. We would beat the heat.

Ahhhhhhhhhmazing!

We departed this adventure with our socks full of cheat grass and our hearts full of gratitude :)