Meanwhile, almost two months ago now back on May Day we flew from Denver to Flagstaff in a few hours. It never ceases to amaze us how much variety a few hours in Tripp can scroll beneath our wings. Taking off we enjoyed our last look at Denver on this our first Tripp trip there.
0986 Denver Farewell
With mountains so near, it was little surprise that after a 20 minute leisurely climb toward home we were over the high mesa at Woodland Park enjoying this closer look at majestic Pike’s Peak.
1202 Pike’s Peak
Another 20 minutes of various fascinations found us over famous Royal Gorge that Stacey & Cam had so wanted to share with us.
1287 Royal Gorge
Now I have to confess first that it is indeed striking, enhanced by both the slender suspension bridge and the nearly vertical funicular that’s barely visible in the notch on the left side here. That said, it doesn’t particularly stand out from the innumerable geological wonders we’ve seen from the air. It’s not that we’re jaded or elitist, just that we have the vertical freedom to amaze our eyes on every flight. Yet in a way it’s like Big Sur: different and more immediate from the ground, so in some ways better there and in other ways better up here. 🙂
1336 High Dune
I’d been curious about a sand dune on the aviation chart near Mosca Pass, so after a brief stop to stretch and give Tripp a little more fuel we saw the sand rippling at the feet of the range we’d just crossed. In the high wide valley beyond there were of course more interesting scenes like this colorful collection of ponds drying in the sun.
1398 H2O+Minerals+Life
After about four hours of flying on a languorous zigzag route with innumerable vistas and famous places including some I’ve already shared in prior 4C Adventure posts, we were again over magnificent Monument Valley.
1759 Monument Valley
It’s not just the towering spires and buttes we enjoy in Tripp there, but quiet marvels in the surrounding area like this shady spot next to a dune that few outsiders ever see.
1769 Oasis
Continuing on a now more direct path toward Flagstaff I was struck by this line defining two quite different vast areas of desert.
1845 Divided Desert
We got another look at some of the ruins in the Wupatki National Monument, looking similar to Chaco and other ancient sites in the 4C region.
1867 Wupatki Ruins
Then to complete the vast variety of landscapes from Denver to Flagstaff was this moonscape of cinder cones close to our day’s destination.
1876 Volcanic Vista
In just a few short hours, our hearts had been treated to a thrilling array of experiences and we were ready to explore Flagstaff before settling into our last night of dreams before home.
John & Anne Wiley 
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