A City of Rocks?

City of Rocks Natural Reserve is a curious geologic feature located in central southern Idaho and was a key landmark on the California Trail where passing emigrants would leave their names written in axle grease.

We had been here before with Burt and Carol's crew, and had climbed some of the iconic features like Bathtub Rock, but this time we were looking for a series EarthCaches that lead us down trails we didn't know existed.

This is a world-class climbing area, and we saw a group ascending a rock face using ropes. We stayed a little closer to the ground.

I was reading Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire" at the time, which is about his time as a Park Rangers at Arches National Monument in Utah during the 1950s. I can see how you could grow to love the high desert.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.