If you haven’t been here in a while, the main entry area has been completely redone. What used to be a big parking lot has been transformed into a very pleasing landscaped area that sets a much better mood for entering the gorge. This is an overview of what it looks like now.Coming here so late in the season really cuts down n the crowds — we had it almost, but not quite, to ourselvesMany visitors pay extra to get bused to the top of the gorge, so they can skip any uphill stairs. We always walk up the gorge and come down the Indian Trail, which runs along the north rim. This charming cemetery is just a few steps off the Indian Trail.
The small black dog and the brown and white dog in this shot, Diego and Ruby, dashed off into the woods chasing an animal just as we were getting back to the cars — Roger, who’s been bringing them to the hikes for many years, spent two extra hours in the woods searching for them — as the search dragged on, five of us drove back to the trail head from Hopshre, where we were drinking beer, to help — the search effort was hampered by very poor phone reception.Otherwise, we had a great walk — wonderful atmospherics …. dark brooding clouds, snow off and on, a few sprinkles of rainWe ran into other people hiking on the trail more often than usual — but by the time our lost-dog rescue squad got back to the parking lot after 1 pm, there was no one else around and the woods seemed bleak and a little ominous