Alexes Abroad 2009: Southwest USA

Red rock country near Sonoma, Arizona: Amazing landscape, odd people

Montezuma's Castle, Arizona: Nifty little subdivision

Paria Canyon, Arizona

Our whole 5 month trip was structured around 6 hikes. Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch was the final walk. The contrast with the earlier walks could not have been stronger (water-eroded red rocks versus glacier-eroded grey rocks, and desert versus mountains, just for starters), making it a great way to round off the trip.

Paria Canyon, Arizona

Walking in slot canyons usually involves wading, but a flash flood (the worst in 15 years) down the Paria River the day before we walked meant that a bit more was required. In fact, we spent more than half our time wading, swimming or bush-bashing around impassable stretches of canyon. It was however well worthwhile, and we had the place to ourselves.

Buckskin Gulch, off Paria Canyon, Utah

It's impossible to capture in a photo or describe in words how amazing these slot canyons are. In many places, you can touch both walls at the same time, while the walls soar 100m above you. In places, the water line from the flash flood the previous day was 6m or so up the wall, and there were tree stumps from upstream "hung" in some unbelievable places. It doesn't do to dwell upon flash floods while you're in the canyon! In other places, the canyon is wider but the walls are so high that you end up with bird-watchers neck from looking up at them. The view changes constantly with different rock formations in different places, and "desert varnish" staining cliffs with intricate patterns.

Paria Canyon, Arizona: Bighorn sheep petroglyphs

There were heaps of petroglyphs along Paria Canyon, and it was great seeing them without any "paleface" graffiti or crowds.

Paria Canyon, Arizona: Cactus

Not so good for walking amongst, although the main problem turned out to be a little shrub that looked harmless but turned out to be truly nasty.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: BIG.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

There's no easy way down, or back up, although it's not as bad as it looks. We walked down to Bright Angel Campground, just off the Colorado River, spent the afternoon dozing in the Bright Angel Creek – a trip highlight – and then came back up the next day.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

The photo above was taken from "The View Lodge", a new motel with nice rooms and amazing views but many issues. It's on Navajo land but is now embroiled in a marriage breakdown that involves a Navajo and a non-Navajo…

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

We did a jeep tour here. Our "guide" clearly made everything up as he went, but he was okay and we had entertainment provided by a fellow tourist, an older American woman, who cried, "weee," every time we went over a bump and generally managed to express a unique perspective on all matters.

Goosenecks of the San Juan, Utah: Give it a few million years and it'll be another Grand Canyon

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah – one of several nifty bridges here, but not sure which one this is…we did a lot of stuff that day.

Capitol Reef NP, Utah

Capitol Reef was unexpectedly beautiful, with multi-coloured bands of rocks and some interesting history – we walked down a (small)car-width canyon that was the major road across Utah until the 1960s. Those Mormons just didn't accept defeat!