Nature Eases My Pain
Mooney Falls
The Havasupai are the People of the Blue-green Water. The color of Havasu Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River, its waterfalls and pools, is due to a high concentration of calcium carbonate. This mineral, dissolved from the surrounding limestone and travertine rock formations, scatters blue and green light, creating the distinctive hue. As the water flows over the falls and into the pools, the calcium carbonate precipitates out, forming travertine, which further enhances the color by reflecting sunlight. The minerals also form the plateaus beneath the falls.
The hike from the lodge to Havasupai Falls is about two miles, all downhill. The falls border the start of the campground, which continues along the creek for about a mile until you reach the top of Mooney Falls. Continuing beyond this point requires a 200-foot drop down a sheer cliff of wet rock thanks to the spray from the falls. There is a chain for support until you reach a wooden ladder near the bottom, which is as slippery as the rocks. Going down means that sometime later in the day, after about seven miles of hiking, one is going to have to navigate his or her way back up the rock face. I decided to worry about that later.
Nature Eases My Pain
It’s been more than six months since I posted a gallery, so I thought I’d share some of my adventures, none of which have produced a prolific portfolio of photographs, but all of which were worth exploration. I’m still hunting arches as I was re-elected as President of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, am still fascinated by long hikes to waterfalls, am still learning new techniques to photograph the night sky and am still hiking here and there, especially there.
Some people age gracefully and some do not. I retired in time to join those who do not. Details aside, when physically challenged, I try to respond defiantly in kind. The more I'm hurting, the longer and harder the hike. One of my gastroenterologists recently said to me: “At some point you are going to have to put your medical care before your passion.” And I responded, “Or not.”
As I inferred, there is no cohesive theme to this gallery, so I named it, “Nature Eases My Pain.” At the very least, it's a distraction.
I hope you enjoy it and don’t forget to read the captions. Often, they are more interesting than the photographs. Sad, but true.
