Ventana High Way

When I visited El Malpais last year I visited La Ventana. What I didn’t manage to do that I kind of wanted to do was to go to the top of it.

On this trip I managed to do so.

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Old Woman. No Shoe.

My last post was of just the campground at El Malpais. I got there at about 10 in the morning, which left me plenty of time to do an exploration that was on my to-do list. I wanted to visit La Vieja.

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Skeen and Bones

I am now off on another of my world-famous trips Out West. I left on Tuesday (May 30) and arrived at El Malpais the next day. Again, I stayed at the (free!) Joe Skeen Campground.

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Opening the Window

It’s still August 14, since after leaving Lobo Canyon (around 1:00pm) I stopped at La Ventana, which was along the drive back to my campground.

You may recall that I’d seen La Ventana from across the grand curve when I’d hiked the Narrows Rim Trail. This was my chance to get up-close-and-personal.

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Lobo Canyon

I’m still writing up my stay at El Malpais, so this hike covers August 14. It was a visit to Lobo Canyon in the Cebolla (“Onion”) Wilderness and included seeing the Lobo Petroglyphs.

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False Promontory Syndrome

It’s now the next day, August 11. On my agenda: the Narrows Rim Trail. The Narrows is not a narrow gap through sandstone bluffs, but instead it’s an area were the flat border between the bluffs and the lava beds is narrow.

In most places, the eroding sandstone has put a layer of sand over the lava on the edge or the lava didn’t extend all the way to the sandstone bluffs. But at the Narrows, it comes right up to the edge.

And it makes for a spectacular hike.

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Lova da Lava

My hike for August 10 was a visit to Lava Falls. This is a 1.2 mile loop into the lava beds at El Malpais.

Was I going to do it barefoot? What do you think?

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Nice and Skeen

I’m continuing to write about my trip Out West. Yesterday, I arrived at El Malpais and hiked the Sandstone Bluffs. I stayed at the (free) Joe Skeen Campground. The next day, Wednesday, August 10, I started just by exploring the area around the campground.

That was great just by itself.

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Bluffing Through Sandstone

I am off again on a trip Out West. I left early Monday, August 8 and arrived at my first destination Tuesday around noon.

Welcome to El Malpais.

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