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| Hiking | 0.30 Miles |
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| | Hiking | 0.30 Miles | | | |
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| partners | | On our way up to Flagstaff we wanted to do some touristy things and we came up with this and Walnut Canyon, finishing off our day with a walk counter-clockwise thru Buffalo Park. The last time I was at Montezuma Well was August 1992 with my mom and some friends... no wonder I couldn't remember some of the details. I do remember I wasn't very good at taking photos and it was a bit warm. From the pics back then, it doesn't look like we went down to the river. But I can tell you, we were all skinnier  .
Mr. desertgirl and I took the low path first and went down to where the water exits under the cave while Ambika went over to the river where the water exits to a canal and into the river I presume. Montezuma Well has a lot to offer and a lot to look at between the ruins, the well, the ducks, the flora and very large trees as well as the mini-canal. The signage is quite nice too. We were very pleased that we made this stop.
Interesting tidbits:
-Used to be part of LAKE Verde (27 mi long, 15 mi wide).
-Over millions of years underground streams dissolved away the limestone producing caverns. 11,000 years ago one of the caverns collapsed creating a sinkhole 368 ft wide with cliffs that tower 70ft above water's surface.
-Fed by 3-4 larger underwater vents, over one and a half million gallons  of 74 degree water a day flow continuously exiting thru a cave 300 feet long.
-The waters of the well contain several forms of plant and animal life not found in any other waters of the world (amphipods).
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeKlHExr0aA |
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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