The hike is essentially on top of this 150-tall mesa.
The trail
The air was a-buzz!
Following the path through the valley...
... to the ridge above (that worn path in the dirt on the left is the trail).
There were areas of rock that simply looked like clumps of dried mud.
The amount of chemtrailing was ridiculous!
Still following the trail
More 'mud' rocks
This is most likely a Western Fence Lizard, a common lizard of the area also known as blue-belly. It does look quite similar to the Sagebrush Lizard, although these seem to have spinier scales.
This is a male Mountain Bluebird (the females are mostly grey-brown). These birds often hunt insects from perches, pouncing on their prey from above.
View of the parking lot below... with my lone car
The spire along the Nature Trail
And another one
I walked out along the first overlook, which was off of the smaller loop of the trail.
It was a bit intimidating!
The view to the right...
... and the left...
... and down on the Grand Parade Trail
Distinct rock layers
I didn't feel comfortable going much further than this!
The view toward the park entrance
I left the overlook, making my way to the right to the larger trail loop with more such overlooks.
Walking back from the overlook
To the next viewpoint
Just a little bit less scary
At the tip
Heading back off the overlook
The Chipping Sparrow is easy to identify by his red cap. They enjoy high perches from which to sing.
A third viewpoint
The empty shell of a cicada still clings to the bark of a tree. After they hatch, cicadas live underground (as deep as 10 feet!) as nymphs for most of their lives, feeding on root sap. Eventually they dig their way to the surface and molt (shed their skins), emerging as winged adults.
