Isabella Bird Miscellany

I was beginning to wonder whether it really existed. Maybe it only existed in the distant dreams of mountain men and bats leaving guano against lava walls ; tubes and tunnels and caverns weaving a web underground. It all began innocently enough while exploring cracks and crevices outside of the area surrounding Fort Rock.  We'd gone on a late season camping trip with some friends. You know the type, where nights are cold and stars are visible in the ink above, with days breaking into sunlit skies and moderate temperatures. The initial destination was Crack in the Ground and a roadside diner in Christmas Valley that dishes up darn good Reuben sandwiches. Like most park sites, there's always a map and legend with other scenic spots to check out. And, one such sign told of a cave that was cold and needed reliable illumination. The name, the words, set the marble into motion - the quest which became a crusade to find Derrick Cave. It seemed real enough. There wa...

great white throne, zion national park rock formations rise into sea-colored skies                 crags and checkerboard patterns created and being created desert-scape overlaid with carvings scribbled into the rock                 by The Hand and elements The Hand created Places evoke feelings, and certain places string together extraordinary feelings.  One such spot for me is Zion National Park. I’ve been there four times.  The first was quite a few years back.  Our family stayed in the lodge, watched the overly friendly deer, hiked and played in the fallen leaves while listening to a Kenny G Christmas CD.  It was beautiful and mesmerizing.  Each subsequent trip has become a sort of spiritual pilgrimage; a gift from the earth. The peaks that intersect with the heavens are l...