Somewhere Where My Soul Sings - Toadstool, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah

Have I told you that I love hiking? With new route you not only cover miles and work on your endurance, you open whole new world you never knew exists.

Toadstool route, Grand Staircase-Escalante park, Utah is an easy and short hike, but the most extraordinary route I've ever hiked.

To reach the Toadstool we had to walk 1.1 miles along the dead creek.

You are advised to follow the path because of "bumps" or biological soil crusts in the sand that are a living web of organisms, a medley of lichen, fungi, and mosses. They benefit plants by absorbing water, adding nutrients, and stabilizing the soil.

On the way to the Toadstool I saw life.

A Toadstool is a spire-like feature with a boulder perched atop a pedestal rock, like a mushroom, or "toadstool". It forms when softer rock erodes away, leaving a column sheltered from wind and water.

I climbed on the top of the hill and a new valley was opened in front of me.

I wish one day I will be back to finish discovering Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah...

to be continued...

What the Eyes Can Say...

Do the eyes express the soul?

It is up to you to judge...

WELCOME TO BEARIZONA!

This American Bison looks sad for me.

Doesn't he seem to be happy? Isn't he smiling?

What are you looking at?

I think this one is asking your name...

and don't trust you

Tired?

Full of energy...

I couldn't find Black bear's eyes,

but found his claws

I think Porcupine was hiding something from me...

River Otter was very happy, playful, and naughty

My favorite - Bobcat - such a show off. He just knows how to win your heart!

Let me introduce Javelina to you. They don't like to be called pigs even though they look like wild pigs. Javelinas are actually the members of Peccary family; which are a group of hoofed mammals originating from South America.

Meet Red Fox with lovely tale, the one that nobody knows what it said

American Badger tried to understand our language, moving his heard each time when he heard somebody's talking.

Swift Fox didn't seem to like us and stayed far away

Have you ever seen a peacock opening his tale in front of you? It was my first time...

Oh, I got a ZOO...

to be continued...

What does it make you stronger?...

and the poet said to the mountaineer
don’t look at the peak
as a goal to be conquered
look at it instead
as a loved one to be adored
and explored
and it shall be yours
forever

Vijayalakshmi Harish

We spent a wonderful day at the Zion National Park, Utah.

I LOVE HIKING! I didn't know I would love mountains and rocks so much! Probably because I have never seen real ones?

I took a lot of pictures of mountains and rocks. I just stood and took pictures, then made a step, stopped and took a lot of pictures. Just like I took a picture of this rock.

This is how far down at the bottom of that mountain I was. I almost turned around and left, but stopped. With a corner of my eye I saw something moving on the mountain. I zoomed my camera...

Can you see? That blue dot in the middle? I was so intrigued and zoomed more...

and more

and more

Oh, my Gosh! Un-be-lie-vable!

From that little blue dot (please, click on the picture) that is hardly to be seen

to that critical position where a decision can cost life.

I wonder what does it take them to conquer heights? Probably, something I don't have, and I can blame on my fear of heights of course, but probably this challenge for me is something I will never overcome...

to be continued...