On Friday, the atmosphere was again lacking the necessary instability or shear for severe weather. From Roswell, we headed northeast to Amarillo to take in the sights of Palo Duro Canyon.
The second-largest canyon in the US didn't disappoint. Though many of the trails were closed due to recent rainfall (part of the same system that may delay my return to FL.. more on that in a second) breathtaking views were possible from pretty much every point on the main roads, where over 1000 feet separated the canyon floor and the observer near the top.
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| With all the vegetation, it may not look as impressive as the more barren Grand Canyon, but many features of the landscape lent Palo Duro a unique charm. |
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| The view from the bottom was just as cool! |
A short drive down a narrow road full of switchbacks led to the bottom. I was amazed at the number of places where you were able to just get out and explore. Another cool feature was the thin, red-tinted soil covering everything - it stained your hands to touch the stuff. Just like as in Carlsbad Caverns yesterday, it was hard to believe I was still on the same planet considering the vast, nearly featureless landscape surrounding this place!
Today is the last full (scheduled) day of the trip. We're driving the 3 and 1/2 hours to OKC, and set to observe the Alfred Murrah building memorial.
I have no idea when I'll get home.
Heavy rains have flooded much of east Texas over the past few days, with 8 - 10" of rain having fallen in some spots! I am scheduled to fly through Houston on my way home to Tampa, which, yes, by the way, is squarely in the path of a developing tropical wave. So between the multitude of weather delays currently in Houston and the many delays likely to impact Tampa, I put my odds of getting home on Sunday at an optimistic 50/50.
That's for another day, though. I'll update you tomorrow with the latest!
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