California condor (photo by Patrice Rhoades-Baum)

We knew we would be in condor country…

Biologists sometimes release captive-bred California condors at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument — a sweeping, impressive desert landscape in a remote stretch of northern Arizona.

Prior to our June roadtrip to AZ/UT to celebrate our 30th anniversary, I learned everything I could about this huge bird, which hovers close to extinction. I read biology notes and watched wildlife videos. And I got my hopes up.

Quick facts: 

• This critically endangered species is the largest bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to 9 1/2 feet!
• In 1982, only 22 California Condors were left in the world. Thanks to captive-breeding programs, they now number over 400. Approximately 200 are flying free in the wild throughout the Southwest.
• They can travel hundreds of miles in a day.
• They live up to 50 years.

Despite the odds, I hoped to see this rare raptor. 

Mike at Navajo Bridge.

Only 77 California condors are free-flying in northern Arizona and Southern Utah. According to a March 2015 update by The Peregrine Fund, only 8 of these birds are wild-hatched.

I got my wish and saw a condor — she is one of the few born in the wild!

Condors have been seen at Navajo Bridge, which
spans the Colorado River at

Condor release site, Vermilion Cliffs.

Marble Canyon (downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and upstream from Grand Canyon). Mike and I stopped for lunch at the small visitor center there. We planned to find shade. We hoped to see a big bird.

Just as I stepped out of the car, a shadow swept over me. “It’s a condor!”

I grabbed my camera: click, click, click. So majestic! So thrilling!

Later, we searched the tag number and, according to The Peregrine Fund, “my” condor is a 2-year-old female that was born in Marble Canyon, right where we saw her.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument at sunrise.

In all, we saw THREE condors!

The next day, we bumped along a gravel road to the release site at the base of the Vermilion Cliffs and waited … and waited. Finally a condor soared over us, high above our heads, then disappeared to the east. A moment later, another condor came into view from the west, spiraling on an updraft. It was high overhead, but the markings were unmistakable.

If you’re planning a roadtrip to northern Arizona/southern Utah, keep your eyes peeled… 

With only 77 condors in the wild in this part of the country, you don’t want to miss seeing this majestic, rare raptor. And give me a call. I’m happy to share trip notes and directions to our lucky condor-viewing sites!

During the May NSA/Colorado celebration, President Chandra Hall surprised me with the 2015 President’s Award for service to the chapter.

I am extremely honored and humbled. As I noted when receiving the award, “Where else can you fly with the eagles?”

Hats off to an AMAZING group of fearless entrepreneurs!

On an entirely different note, I received 2nd place in the Pikes Peak Chapter/Colorado Archaeological Society photo contest.

I took this photo in Monument Valley last year, while Mike and I explored the 4WD back road at Monument Valley … the road less traveled.  :>  In a previous year, I won 1st place for this image (below) of an Eastern collared lizard, which graciously posed for me at Hovenweep National Monument.

“The Far Corner of Monument Valley”–photo by Patrice Rhoades-Baum

Eastern Collared Lizard–photo by Patrice Rhoades-Baum

To celebrate our 30^th anniversary in June, Mike and I are taking a 2-week roadtrip through remote stretches of northern Arizona and southern Utah.

Highlights will include:

• Boating on the Colorado River
• Camping at Grand Canyon North Rim
• Hopeful sightings of California condors at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
• Hiking and investigating Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park
• Conquering Zion National Park’s most extreme hike!

Join the adventure! Watch my Facebook page to get a front-row seat of this Southwest tour.

Let’s be Facebook friends! I plan to post regularly on Facebook – pix and videos – so you can travel along. You’ll get a front-row seat, plus you can rest assured that any scorpions or rattlesnakes we find will be at a safe distance.   :>

CLICK HERE
to visit my Facebook page

“Morning on the River,” by Michael Baum (the Colorado River near Moab)

We hope to see California condors during our June roadtrip to Arizona and Utah. While researching, I came across an informative video, produced by the Arizona Game & Fish Department.

Here are highlights:

• In 1982, there were only 22 California condors in the world.
• Rescuing this raptor from the edge of extinction represents the first-ever wildlife recovery program. Every bird was captured for a captive-breeding program, with offspring released into the wild.
• The largest flying land bird in North America, the wingspan is up to 9 1/2 feet! That may be longer than the room you’re sitting in.
• These birds can travel hundreds of miles in a day.
• One of the longest living raptors, they live to be up to 60 years old in the wild.
• They are gregarious and social.
• Adults weigh 16-26 pounds.
• There are now over 400 California condors. More than 200 fly free in the wild, including 58 in Arizona.
• While still one of the most endangered species in the world, the California condor is thriving and recovering.

Click to view this 10-minute video

Click to view this 10-minute video

Mike and I love road trips!
Although short (and involving 12+ hours of driving), our 4-day weekend to New Mexico reaped TONS of fun and R&R … and even a bit of adventure.

Highlights were spending time with Carol and Manuel, eating GREAT New Mexican cuisine, and taking 2 adventurous and rewarding hikes.

Enjoy this visual trip report!
(All photos by Patrice Rhoades-Baum except the photo below-left, by Michael Baum.) 

The slot canyon at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument was a pleasant surprise and grand adventure for our Saturday hike! According to the BLM, the cone-shaped tent rock formations are a result of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago and left pumice, ash, and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick. A small stream cut the slot canyon. Learn more about this wonderland.

Mike is digging the warm New Mexico sun.

On Sunday, Manuel guided us to see arches and a petroglyph panel in El Malpais National Conservation Area. “El Malpais” translates to “the badlands” in Spanish, so named for the rugged lava flows remaining from multiple volcanic eruptions in the distant past. Click to learn more. 

My client Bernadette in metro-Denver put “hike the Incline” on her bucket list and asked me to join her. Although my husband and I are strong hikers and the Manitou Incline is nearby (I can see it from my office window), we never got around to hiking it. Why? Because of its daunting reputation:

• “It’s grueling.”
• “Your knees will NOT be happy.”
• “Did we mention grueling?!”

An abandoned cog railway that’s now famous for delivering a burning workout, the Manitou Incline ascends 2,000 vertical feet in ONE mile.

World-class athletes climb the Incline in under 20 minutes. Bernadette and I took juuust a bit longer.  :>

Hiking the Manitou Incline was a surprisingly rewarding experience. Here’s why:

• Instead of “painful and grueling,” it was actually an
  enjoyable experience. 
  Bernadette and I had agreed to take our time and have fun. What a nice way to meet a goal.
• It was easier than I thought it would be.
  The Boy Scouts say, “Be prepared.” Bernadette and I are serious hikers and were up for the challenge. Plus, we came prepared for the icy, vertical climb with the right equipment. (I love my MicroSpikes.)
• The camaraderie among strangers was refreshing
  and uplifting!
  Athletes pushed upward relentlessly, yet generously shared encouragement and sage advice (“don’t be fooled by the false summit”). First-timers huffed and puffed, pausing often and chatting while catching their breath. Yet instead of pain and suffering, the very air was filled with happiness. In fact, laughter erupted all around us when Bernadette and I had a silly exchange: “Are you going to come back down a few steps, so you can take my picture from down here?” “No way!” And a fellow hiker chimed in: “Never give up elevation!” And, finally, strangers cheered our success when we reached the top, then happily took our picture.

With everyone working toward the same goal, an energizing camaraderie emerged. Hiking the Manitou Incline was a feat. Experiencing the camaraderie was a rare and memorable treat. 

Top photos: Bernadette at the trailhead, and powering through a steep section.
Bottom photos: Patrice heads for the false summit. Bernadette and Patrice celebrate their accomplishment at the top — after one mile and 2,000 vertical feet!