 I follow the trail upstream a while longer to a secluded alcove where water from the creek runs down a high stone wall into a pool of smooth rounded rocks probably swept here by ancient floods. I pick up some stones for a closer look and find this amazing seashell fossil -- a truely strange sight in the desert. It's probably half a billion years old, from the time when this area was under an ocean. I return the stone where I found it to be enjoyed by other hikers for the next 500 million years or so, and head back down to the start of the trail. This was an enjoyable and quiet hike away from the weekend crowds in other parts of the park.
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Nearby on the road, I admire the healthy cactus plants thriving in their natural habitat. At this time of year, most of them are bursting with fruit. Hummingbirds (too fast to photograph) visit nearby flowers and salamanders scamper along the hot, dry ground.
