It was fall 2013, I was a happy journalism student, and I found out that a biology dept planned to explore the canyon's diverse fauna in a field trip. A word led to another, and I was able to join. Yey!
The canyon, the second largest in the USA, is located in the Texas Panhandle, just south of Amarillo. That meant a few hours behind the wheel, but no bother. Driving across Texas was mostly enjoyable, and the road to the canyon was pretty cool. At one point, we drove through a river, which, with my low ground clearance, surely raised my heartbeat.
Once the road ended, we went further to the wilderness on foot.
The initial clouds went away, and by the evening, the sky was almost all clear.
Eventually, we settled in a neat, quiet area east of the Randall County line.
Note the tent in the left corner. Our address for tonight
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- Setting sun brought spectacular colors..
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- ..and once it went past the horizon, local wildlife came in sight.
million-star hotel cliche 100%
A self-portrait lit by moon
The temperature was just right, no wind or rain predicting clouds, so I ended sleeping under the sky. No sleeping bag needed; it was as comfy as sleep rough gets.
The morning was completely clear, and the sun saturated all the vividness around.
Palo Duro comes from Spanish, meaning "hard wood". There is plenty of that to admire.
After a day of hiking, relaxing, and picture taking, I had to say bye. Bills won't pay themselves, and work was waiting.
If you like this post, you might also enjoy my other posts from the USA, such as.:
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