The Great West Coast Tour - Day 23 - Good Bye, Grand Canyon. Hello, Walnut Canyon!

I was determined to visit some sort of “Cliff Dwelling” community before we left the Southwest, and since we were heading out of the region soon, today seemed like a great day.

Walnut Canyon National Monument was right off the interstate we would be taking on our route to Albuquerque, NM, where we would be spending one night before heading to Tulsa to spend time with Niece Pam.

No one else was interested in hiking around with me, so I had another solo adventure.

Walnut Canyon was amazing. Tucked down into a valley, you could almost hear the whispering voices of the past; children laughing, hunters returning from the hunt with quiet steps, the smiling words of people cooking over their fire, calling to friends across the valley. It was magical.

The other aspect of the Walnut Canyon visit was being reminded how much I love CrossFit, and why I do CrossFit.

There were multiple warning signs at the beginning of the path down into the valley. “What goes down must come up.” Hundreds of steps down and then around on the path, then hundreds of steps up.

Here’s the Visitor’s Center perched high on its outlook.

It was so totally worth it. Especially when I hiked my way back up the stairs to find my tribe waiting for me.

Onward to New Mexico.