red rock canyon

a couple of weekends back, T and i loaded the pups into the car and set out for a day hike out at red rock canyon. after getting a few recommendations on trails from the park guide, we set out for the rough horsetail nature trail. 

[my beefcake]

the trail itself was beautiful. each bridge led to vibrant, green trails filled with horsetail plants - which if you haven't seen them, they look like long, lean bamboo-like plants. put against the bright red canyon it was simply stunning. 

sadly, the streams throughout the trails were all but dried up so the pups couldn't be off leash (our two boys may be lab mixes, but they cannot resist any water anywhere). but, from what we could tell, when the rains come in, they make for quite the playground for a couple of mischievous fur-covered boys. 

this natural pool was not only cool to look at, but provided the perfect surround-sound acoustics. i'm not exactly sure the pups liked it as much as we did. however, that may be because i pulled a pup mom move in not letting them swim here (stagnant water is a no go for me). 

[checking out hidden ridges and climbing walls]

[x marks the spot]

then, T found a break in the trail where we found ourselves overlooking the area we just hiked through. because of the red rock and, at times, sparse vegetation, it felt a little like we were on a mini mars!  

[always looking to be as close to the edge as possible, these two]

[the top of the pool we just saw]

after hiking at the top for awhile, it was easy to see how you could get lost up there. everything started to look far too similar and was mildly disorienting. it was cool, but once we started to feel turned around up there, we realized we needed to find our way back. 

after, we drove through some of the main (read: more crowded) areas, snacked on some lunch, and headed back home. ready for a hot shower, loads more water, and a nap (or two).