Grateful Blog Day 102: Woke up this morning to this scene in Mountain Time but still deep in the canyons of SE Oregon at Succor Creek.
Yesterday I wandered the canyons of Leslie Gulch, my new favorite place. The guide book said to take the right fork but the left fork looked steep–and more interesting. So I climbed over several plunge pools and rock faces and was treated to a solitary and beautiful side canyon few might ever venture to see. I lingered awhile, wary of my water supply and knowing I’d need to find another way back down. I was Grateful that my old desert Canyonlands Park Ranger instincts kicked in for I traversed a saddle or 2, dropped into a different side canyon and followed the wash safely back to the truck.
Its been an amazing trip…the weather’s cooperated, the scenery is incommparable…but mostly I’m Grateful to spend some time alone and let the land–the mountains, canyons, rivers and hot springs, work their magic on me.
And I’m Grateful finally for a bit of patience…its often hard to come by but out here on the dirt roads in the remote backcountry, patience isn’t just a virtue, its a survival skill,knowing that you’ve got to slow down on some pretty crazy and narrow roads…and stopping to remember where you’ve been and where you’re going…
