Ever stumble across something in life that you find you really connect with and is way off the beaten path, and therefore feels like a treasure and a prized secret? One of our little something is Palo Duro Canyon in West Texas, with its north rim starting about 30 miles south of Amarillo. This canyon is the second largest canyon in the country, and up until two years ago I had never heard of it. Thanks to glorified hitch-hiking by plane, Palo Duro Canyon State Park (located on said north rim) is within a three-hour reach of us from The Woodlands. Two years ago I took the boys to Amarillo for a weekend of fun and we spent a day hiking there. I vowed I would return with gear and we would end up camping overnight under the stars.
Recently we were able to do just that. On Friday Sept. 14, after packing 40 pounds of camping gear in a duffel bag, I picked the boys up from school early and we were airborne soon after. By late afternoon we were in Amarillo stocking up on food, drinks and ice as well as propane for cooking and light. As rain had passed through the area lately, there was no burn ban and by 8:00 p.m. we had our camp set up and were enjoying hot chocolate by a campfire.
That night we were surrounded by lightning and distant thunder, but the heavy stuff gracefully passed us by and we were treated to the sound of soft rain on our tent. We were up early the next morning and after a breakfast of cinnamon oatmeal, bananas and frosted strawberry pop-tarts (mmmm, mmmm, and mmmm) we loaded (I loaded) up on plenty of sunscreen, first-aid, water, sandwiches, and enough granola bars, cheese, apples and trail mix to feed a small army.
The signature attraction to this part of the canyon consists of two large rock formations named after their perceived shapes: Castle Rock and Lighthouse Rock. It's a pretty good hike over rugged terrain to see these marvels of earth, wind, rain and time, and on our previous visit we only made it halfway due to heat, fatigue and an unforeseen mountain bike race. This time was different. We were on a mission, and after almost three hours of solid effort, we made it. Having lunch in the shadow of Castle Rock was a great reprieve before we actually climbed it for a beautiful view.
It was now early afternoon, and it was warm, but the sun was in and out of the clouds and our water situation was still o.k. This was fortunate as I had observed TJ watering the plants on the side of the trail with his water bottle earlier in the day (we had a polite little discussion about resource management over that one). Off we went. The way back was a little slower with more breaks, but we eventually made it back to the car and we drove back to the campsite, dirty and exhausted. We had just hiked over six miles.
It was time to shower and eat! Our campsite was primitive so we drove to the bathhouse and scrubbed down. On our way back to the car, we found this specimen of nature just hanging out. I made a quick mental note that the tent would be zipped up extra tight on this night.
After stuffing ourselves on beef ravioli, bread rolls, applesauce and some Little Debbie brand awesomeness for dessert, the boys hiked up the hill behind our tent. I soon joined up and we were treated to this sunset, but not before Luka learned the hard way that you'll never win a battle with a cactus. My butt learned that lesson too when I knelt down without looking to help out. OUCH!!!
After another good (reasonable) night, we spent the next morning revisiting the cave that had been explored two years prior and then headed out. We were soon back at the airport getting on the plane, and 90 minutes after takeoff we were back in Houston, really tired but happy. I'd really like to think that these guys are developing a healthy respect for nature. For now, these types of trips sure beat video games and I love to see the boys so exited about going outdoors. Thanks for some more great memories TJ and Luka!
Love, Daddy
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