Into the Wildness!

 ***We just learned how to add photos and will be going back and adding some in!***

The past couple days, we have visited Petrified Forest National Park. It offers a multitude of experiences including wilderness backpacking. The forest spans from the painted canyons of the north, past the devil's playground, the blue mesas, and down to the crowded and colorful petrified logs to the south. As we explored the short hikes and scenic drives, we found each turn more breathtaking than the next! 

When we drove up north to the Painted Desert Inn, we hopped out of the car and got some ice cream! Our final meal before our excursion into the wilderness was a hefty single scoop strawberry cheesecake ice cream cone. It was amazing! When discussing our plans for future trips to come, two cool ladies walked over to our table after hearing us discuss the Virgin Islands. These travelers became friends in the Virgin Islands and deeply encouraged us to go !! They told us about all the parks they've been to, recommend that we don't drive through the redwood tree, and told us about their experiences in the National Parks in Alaska! We were so enamored by their experiences, stories, and lifestyle! 

After well-wishes, we prepared to hike into the painted desert badlands. The steep trek down was followed by wash walk. Winding between steep mounds. The rich red mounds lead us out into a region which we could explore as much as possible! We wandered around mostly lost and with near-complete abandonment of our map. Following the shade, we set up camp behind a smaller mound roughly 50 ft tall! 

We sat around waiting for the sun to set laughing and telling stories! Because of our experiences on the El Capitan trail, we have decided that we are atrocious at reading maps. This persuaded us to wait until the sun came up for us to pack out of the painted desert. Once it was light enough, we headed back up the steep trail to our car.

We packed up and hit the road, unaware of what trouble would follow us. But that's for another story...