Thursday 22nd September

After breakfast we visited the Horseshoe Overlook which entailed a 1.5mile walk over the sand and rocks. There were notices everywhere warning of extreme heat but luckily it was cloudy and spitting with rain so we didn't suffer from heat stroke! The views were wonderful.... well worth the effort!

We then drove mostly through pouring rain or cloud with the occasional sunburst, for a couple of hours, down to Cameron Trading Post again, where we had a bit of lunch before continuing on to Flagstaff and our B&B on the outskirts of town.

Our host recommended a small authentic Mexican place within walking distance, so we ate there. Very cheap and cheerful but the food was fine, so we will probably return tomorrow.

Friday 23rd September

The upside of this B&B is definitely the breakfast - delicious! The downside is the lack of facilities to make a brew. The sun was shining this morning, although there had been torrential rain in the night, and it was still a bit windy. 

We decided to do a recommended local walk on the side of Mount Elden, called Fat Man's Loop (because there is one place where the rocks are a little close together and I suppose if you were enormously fat it might prove difficult). This was a pleasant 2-3 mile walk that climbed through woodland on a rocky path to some splendid views before bending around down the mountain. 

We both felt that the altitude (7000+ ft) was affecting us a bit and making us more breathless than usual. 

We then drove for about 10 minutes to Buffalo Park and walked for a couple of miles there, as well as sitting in the sunshine and having a snack for lunch. Lots of butterflies and grasshoppers, including one that flashed a brilliant red when it jumped.