Jessica Wandering

Photos and thoughts on my travels

  • Petrified Forest

    Such a weird place.
    Having lived in Seattle a long time, I can easily see these big logs as red cedars just fallen. But they were buried in mud thousands of years then the sandstone wore away to expose the rock they had become.
    It’s so cool how you can still see the grain of the wood.
    And the rings
    And it’s just everywhere!!!!
    And it is so neat that it all breaks crossways. This is because it was still buried when the earth started shifting upward so the rock was pushing it up and it broke from below.
    And some petroglyphs to remind you that people lived here and documented the birds etc…
    The people built houses out of the petrified wood. This is Agate House.
    The Park Service rebuilt the roof to envision life there better.
    Each individual brick is so beautiful…

    It’s out of the way. There aren’t really any trees. But it is just so weird and neat. It’s is worth some extra driving if you are nearby.

  • Love

    Sometimes prickly pear grow like hearts. It reminds me of my Lady.
    I gush about everyone else and I have neglected to say that this trip would not be possible and I would be so much less fulfilled without this lady.
    Zarah is super smart and has her priorities such that we figured out how we could work less and play more.
    She rides bikes with me.
    She loves food and friends and new things.
    She loves the outdoors and the red rocks
    She has a spiritual side and nurtures that in me.
    She likes to be ridiculous, and encourages me to be as well
    She puts up with my absent-mindedness, my seeming inability to get up in the morning, my lack of desire to do research on stuff, my occasional grumpiness, and my sugar addiction.
    I truly feel loved for the wholeness of who I am without reservation. In a messy world, there is no one I’d rather spend my precious time with.

  • I’m going to miss my cat

    This is Amelia. I adopted her when she was five, not long after my divorce. She’s 11 years old.
    She is a healthy, round, satisfying cat of 10.5-11 pounds. She has to wear a bell or she will bring you birds and mice and rats as presents.
    This is Noodles. She is 20 and counting. She likes heating pads and cuddles and we have to bribe her to eat so she stays above 6 pounds. She has kidney failure, high blood pressure, and is hypothyroid and takes medicine every day.
    They have learned to tolerate each other. But they don’t really like each other. So when we were going to travel, we thought both in the car would be too much.
    My sister loves cats. But she hasn’t had one as an adult. She was up for trying it out temporarily, which was a wonderful mutually beneficial arrangement.
    We had her checked by the vet so she could fly and I spent about a week there helping her feel comfortable. I knew Jenny would take great care of her and I promised her she would have her golden years as the only cat in our home once Noodles passed.
    And then the right side of her jaw swelled up. Jenny took her to the vet and got antibiotics and found she had lost weight.
    The vet visit was on the anniversary of my moms death. Zarah and Jen took me for drinks and we toasted Amelia hoped for an abscessed tooth and not cancer.
    But the follow-up vet visit found aggressive jaw cancer.
    My sweet kitty died 3 days later.
    Zarah and I have started putting a leg high in the air to commemorate her “chicken leg” when she would groom. This is the even more ridiculous “double chicken leg.”
    She will be missed for her cuddles and her antics. Another reminder to live our precious lives while we have them.

  • I miss my mom

    This was taken in 2018 at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. My mom died unexpectedly at home in Salt Lake City 10/22/20.
    She was always my biggest fan in ways that only a mom can be. It is still so strange to realize I can’t send her pictures or call and talk to her about this trip.
    She loves aspens as much as I do.
    She is why I love The Eagles so much.
    She took me to lots of ancient Pueblo sites when we were kids.
    She was afraid of heights so I always have to scoot over to all big edges and look down.
    She liked to joke that my grandma “never met a road trip she didn’t like”. But of course, the same is true of my mom and the same with me. And a whole bunch of other Brennan descendants.
    Despite my frustration at her reading EVERY boring placard in every historical, geological or ecological area, roadside or main attraction; she is certainly a big reason I love travel and exploration of new places. I know she would want to hear all about our doings and goings. I wish I could call her, or she could meet up with us on the road.

  • Jen’s visit

    I am so lucky that my wife really loves my ex wife. It has been very instrumental in healing the wounds of our divorce. Zarah sees Jen as family. Which she truly is. And she’s a great riding buddy too.
    First day, Grand Canyon
    Pictures never do it justice, even if you take a hard trail.
    But there was a smidge of a rainbow in the distance.
    And elk on the side of the road. So that’s cool
    Day two ocotillos
    And more ocotillos
    And great Sedona trails like Mezcal
    Day three, back to the aspens while Zarah had work.
    Some were past their prime, but then you get a stark wintery look. The sky here is sooooo blue.
    And many are still so incredible
    I love that this hawk has such a lovely territory.
    There was snow on the peaks! 16.5 miles wore us out. Especially at 9000 feet.
    Next day was a relative rest day closer to Flagstaff. The oaks are pretty.
    The trail had some cool bits too, but Jen and I were tired.
    Day five, back to Sedona and the clouds were out to keep us cool. It can still be 80 in Sedona in October.
    More ocotillos. There is something about their gangly movement in the wind, and their green appearance while they have wicked thorns that is compelling.
    And you are just right IN all the formations. Sedona seems too special to not be a more protected area, but it is neat we can ride there.
    I had a vision of capturing them riding in the distance, but they are actually hard to find. Tiny specks near the bushes on the right. I guess it gives the perspective of size like I wanted.
    And we finished right at sunset.
    Day six, Sedona again.
    Bright and sunny
    Occasionally green
    Never dull.
    Great riding, and five days in a row is a lot.
    A good visit. And good to have family when approaching the 2nd anniversary of moms death.

  • Sedona -Aerie loop

    We were told it was over run with tourists in October. It finally cools down to the 80’s and people descend in droves. But, as with so many places, get a few miles away from the center of things and it’s pretty chill. We saw maybe 7 people on the trail.
    And with this view…
    Nice smooth parts
    Parts where I am completely out of wind to keep climbing.
    I’m getting in better shape, but techy climbs get hard pretty fast.
    As Zarah said: it’s so nice to feel embraced by the rocks. I love getting to actually interact with the formations. This trail went in and out of washes and had great flow for the most part.

    I grew up with red rocks. Not in my home town of Salt Lake, but going to the National parks nearby multiple times per year. Arches especially really let’s you climb all up and around and in all the formations. I am so lucky to have had my mom and my parent cooperative elementary school and my Quaker meeting to want to make those trips over and over. I have the awe of not seeing it all the time. And I also feel at home and that good things must be happening in life for me to be with them. I am so lucky to be here, now.

  • AZT- San Francisco Peaks

    The trail description said this was beautiful trail. We met Dudley and Candy riding near our lodging who said this was beautiful and that the north end had huge ferns. Starting at the north end gave us a less steep climb and I wanted to see what they meant. They didn’t lie. The maidenhair ferns are as big as they get at home and there are tons of them, even if they are dying out for the year.
    After the ferns, there was open pine forest. Thinned gives you more light as well as better for managing forest fires.
    Then came denser forest with this magnificent old snag.
    Then mixing in some aspens
    I am such a sucker for aspen, and I’ve rarely seen them this big and this healthy.
    Then opening out to meadow.
    I can’t believe how green it is this late in the year in the desert. Apparently the monsoons were strong and are staying around longer this year.
    We just had to stop and stare sometimes.
    And then there was this amazing vista to the mountains off in the distance.
    With crazy clouds forming. I actually saw some lightning out there while I stood in the sun.
    Still so green.
    And then things got ridiculous
    Like really ridiculous
    We chased some birds on the way home.
    And we saw about 20 ravens flying together. I’ve never seen more than 2-3 at one time. According to Wikipedia: Apparently juveniles will tell each other about food larger carrion so that the group can crowd out any adult pairs.
    We normally will ride about 6-8 miles and 1.5-2 hours including some breaks. This ride was all afternoon, about 4.5 hours for 13.5 miles. we had snacks and took breaks and talked a long time to some hikers. But mostly… beauty is excellent fuel.

  • Walnut Canyon/Prescott

    Mary Ann is another college friend. She drove up from Prescott to see us our second day. With the Pandemic, we haven’t seen each other in years. But that doesn’t matter. We “get” each other so well.
    Pueblo ruins showing the view from a cozy ancient home. they were in both sides of the canyon and able to collect water as it drained from the plateaus above.
    Who knew there were sizable lakes in Prescott? Here’s an egret. Mary Ann says Prescott is actually amazing for birding because the migrations stop over here.
    Nice place for a kayak. There are SUPs to rent but too expensive and getting cool enough out to not be worth it. There are also MTB trails, but they look pretty technical.
    We saw a “White-lined Sphinx” caterpillar. I must recommend the “Seek” App. It doesn’t get everything, but it’s cool to be able to look up what the moth looks like too. The caterpillar is cooler though. It’s iridescent and impressive in size. I almost stepped on it, I’m glad Mary Ann pointed it out.
    Prescott is prettier than I thought. Mary Ann is worth the drive, but the added benefit of pretty scenery is always welcome.

  • The move from Golden to Flagstaff

    Dinner out at Sherpa House. The food was amazing the first time and only adequate the second. However, the patio is a magical place to sit. The tree is huge.
    Packing it all up takes some time
    So this is from the car on the “less scenic” I-70 route to Flagstaff.
    More
    And a rainbow to welcome us to AZ despite being quite sunny on the road.

    We were tired to start and had a long drive to make in one day. But the land was beautiful to keep us company.

    We are suddenly at 7000’ and there is an autumn chill in the air. That lovely crispness that says you won’t need your tank tops much longer…

  • Return to Winter Park, this time not rained out

    Just slightly past the peak of color. But such a gorgeous ride, it rivals Red Rock Canyon.
    Crazy when they turn orange!
    I love the yellow with the blue
    And the trunks all camouflaging my lady

    I can’t stop adding pictures. Sorry. I think it’s because I want to capture the day. I wish there were “photos” of the feel of the cool thin high altitude air, and the smell of the fall leaves, and the flickering noise of the leaves as they blow in the wind, or the crunch under my wheels as I fly by. This is for sure a happy place for me.

    I wish I could call my mom and tell her about it. I was reminded today that I am just a couple weeks before the 2nd anniversary of her sudden death. Bittersweet to not hear her excited exclamations about the colors and how much she also loves fall in the mountains.