Circle Rock - Part 2

Standing at the top of Circle Rock.

We've never wandered further than that, although it is possible to veer to the left, walk along the rim and pick up the next large rock (in the picture) and then the next.  

For well over a mile.

We've always stayed on Circle Rock - mainly because it is an extremely intriguing and stunningly beautiful place that takes a couple of hours to fully explore...................

The sandstone rock is very brittle and easy to break apart - at one point I picked at the edge of one large, wind-molded rock, broke off a small piece and then crumbled it between my fingers...................

Surreptitiously snapping pictures of LC while he was talking to his brother on the phone.................

There are trees like this located all over Circle Rock.

Small trees - growing low to the ground in a survival-mode effort to escape the elements.

The extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme drought, extreme snow, extreme wind.

Cedar trees with twisted branches and twisted trunks.

With wide, twisted roots that wind and curl themselves around the tree, around the rocks - searching for water and nutrient-rich dirt in the all consuming fight for survival..............

The bulky and twisted surface roots of the tree in the picture above.................

The wind has carved out sandstone sculptures.

And it has carved out sandstone shelves - natural seating areas we took advantage of while taking in the views of the Oregon Basin..............

LC and I obviously love this place, but it was the first time Kory had ever been here.

She loved it too.

What's not the love, for a dog?

Hidden nooks and crannies and unexpected rises, all ready for an inquisitive pup to investigate, crawl under and climb over, and an endless expanse of empty land to enjoy.

This is the my SECOND favorite picture of this adventure.

I see a contented man and a loyal and joyful dog, in a place where they love to be.

That's a pretty good place and it's a pretty good picture................

Heading back down, on the back side of Circle Rock..............

One last look at Circle Rock as we head back across BLM land after a great adventure..................

All the lessons are in nature.  You look at the way rocks are formed - the wind and the water hitting them, shaping them, making them what they are.  Things take time, you know?.................Diane Lane