First part of a 2-part blog.
It was probably better I didn’t know the elevation from the truck to the base of the sandstone bluff. The trail was steep enough to require switch backs. Buffy and I hiked at Stone Face, a site on the Shawnee National Forest.
The view from the base of the bluff extended 15-20 miles into a blue haze. We followed the trail along the bluff. It wasn’t the easiest place to hike with the ups and downs, and with so many rocks at the surface. I kept taking pictures of the bluff, turning often to check for picture possibilities behind me. Imagine my surprise when I turned and there was a black vulture on a ledge! Another one walked out of a crevice to join it.
I took a few pictures. Buffy and I then walked a little farther and stopped. We sat side-by-side, eating a snack. She was content just to sit, looking around and smelling the smells. A light breeze rustled dry leaves remaining on small trees nearby. No traffic sounds reached us. No other people were there. I prefer to hike where there’s as few people as possible. That way I can completely immerse myself in the experience.
We started back the way we came. The vultures were ….
Continued in a second blog for this trip.
