Thor's Hammer: Petrified Forest National Park (6-16)

Friday, February 19, 2021

Petrified Forest National Park (6-16)

[1. 簡介] [2. 旅遊建議/食宿交通] [3. Painted Desert] [4. Blue Mesa] [5. Petrified Forest] [6. Off the Beaten Path] [7. More about the Park] [8. Conclusion]

6. Off the Beaten Path

[6-1. Four Bridges] [6-2. Historic Blue Forest Trail] [6-3. Petroglyph Mesa] [6-4. Red Basin/Clam Beds] [6-5. First Forest Overlook] [6-6. Bidahochi] [6-7. Flattops Circumnavigation] [6-8. Siltstone] [6-9. Titanic] [6-10. Historic Rainbow Forest Road] [6-11. Haystacks] [6-12. Blue Mesa Walkabout] [6-13. Petroglyph Canyon] [6-14. Sorrel Horse Mesa] [6-15. Dead Wash Overlook] [6-16. Painted Desert Saunter] [6-17. Martha’s Butte & Beyond] [6-18. Third Forest] [6-19. Agate Mesa Ramble] [6-20. Wilderness Loop] [6-21. “Starving Man”] [6-22. Bear Spring]

6-16. Painted Desert Saunter

IMG_0571 Guided Backcountry Hike: Painted Desert Saunter

Figure 6-16.1: 活動起點在Tiponi Point，Matt正在為之後要走的路程作簡介。

IMG_0586 Guided Backcountry Hike: Painted Desert Saunter

Figure 6-16.2: 一開始得從Rim走到底部是Painted Desert這區活動的共通點。

IMG_0654 Guided Backcountry Hike: Painted Desert Saunter

Figure 6-16.3: 這地方很久以前有給汽車開的路，不過這輪胎看起來似乎不夠舊。

IMG_0667 Guided Backcountry Hike: Painted Desert Saunter

Figure 6-16.4: 走在紅色的沙漠裡。

Painted Desert Saunter是個大概在兩年前新增的活動，顧名思義會去Painted Desert裡溜達。活動的起點在Tiponi Point，整趟走下來的路程大概在5 miles左右，總爬升大約400 feet，沒有什麼特別艱難或危險的路段，難度被公園列為中等。

這活動會用saunter是有典故的，主要是來自John Muir以下的這段話：

“I don't like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not 'hike!' Do you know the origin of that word saunter? It's a beautiful word. Away back in the middle ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going they would reply, 'A la sainte terre', 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them.”

IMG_0678 Guided Backcountry Hike: Painted Desert Saunter

Figure 6-16.5: 之後馬上要走到這眺望點的下面。

Figure 6-16.6: 這是個人為的遺跡，但公園至今還不清楚這是用來做什麼的。

IMG_0722 Petroglyph, Petrified Forest National Park

Figure 6-16.7: 這活動也可以看到petroglyph，這圖形看起來像是隻蜥蜴之類的動物。

IMG_0768 Guided Backcountry Hike: Painted Desert Saunter

Figure 6-16.8: 這應該是CCC做工的遺跡，印象中Matt說這些石材被用來鋪在Painted Desert Inn外面的地上。

帶隊的Dorenda特地念了這整段話，而且還用法文念了'A la sainte terre'。我不確定她念得正不正確，但聽起來像是法文。我在參加這活動之前就知道John Muir喜歡用saunter這字而不是hike，但在Dorenda念了這整段後才知道原來這字是來自於法文，也算是個收獲。

如果你覺得只在馬路邊的眺望點欣賞腳下的Painted Desert不過癮，這是個可以走進這彩繪沙漠的活動之一，除了讓你可以近距離感受周遭的一切，在上下走動以及左顧右盼的過程中同時建立跟這沙漠之間的intimacy。其實有幾個走過的地方我想要進一步探索，但不方便自己脫隊，希望之後自己找時間來完成這個心願。

除了風景，路上的一些地方也可以看到古人或是前人的遺跡。所謂古人指的是現今印第安人的祖先，Figure 6-16.6是一個例子，大部分人走過可能不覺得有什麼可看性，但仔細看會察覺是人為的，而公園至今不清楚功用為何；所謂今人指的是汽車時代的早期，除了有看到廢棄的輪胎，還有看到類似電影「上帝也瘋狂」裡的可口可樂玻璃瓶。