Nearby canyon worth checking out

Did you know the second largest canyon in the United States, the Grand Canyon being the grandest, is only 103 miles from Clovis?

I learned this fact this month, but I almost didn’t.

When I woke up that Sunday, the sun was creeping up the horizon and coloring the scant early morning clouds pink. The rest of the sky was blue; the forecast called for the temperature to be in the lower 70s, and even this early in the morning you could tell it would be a gorgeous early spring day.

My wife, Cassandra, was lying next to me and she asked, “Are we still going hiking?”

I had forgotten we planned this, and I didn’t want to go. I wanted to roll over and fall back asleep for another two hours before lazing around the house all day.

This has become our weekend routine. But my mouth betrayed me, and I told her we would go.

An hour later my co-worker, Brandon Mack, pulled into our driveway — we invited him to come along — and the three of us, as well as our dogs Jackson and Riley, set off to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas.

The drive went fast, and not because I was speeding — I drive a Prius. Rather, after four years of marriage, Cassandra and I relish the opportunity to converse with another person besides each other on long car rides.

We both took turns talking to Brandon on the 90-minute drive.

When we arrived at the canyon, I was surprised at how big it was. I was expecting to see an excavation site, but was impressed by the red rock formations and different shapes that had been formed through countless years of water erosion that created the canyon.

Once we entered the park, we learned it allows mountain biking, horseback riding, and there’s even a place to zip-line. But we were here to hike, and my wife selected a six-mile roundtrip route to Lighthouse Peak.

It was refreshing being out in the sun, tanning our pale winter skin. Fellow hikers nodded and said hello to us as we passed them along the trail. Brandon and I talked about work for a good part of the hike while my wife walked 50 feet ahead just out of earshot.

When we made the steep climb to Lighthouse Peak the view was breathtaking, and when we made it back to the car, 2 1/2 hours later, all five of us were exhausted.

But it was a good feeling. It was the kind of content exhaustion you get after a challenging workout.

I recommend checking out the PDC — this is what the locals call the canyon — when you get a chance. Whether you go for a hike, bike ride, or a picnic with your family, I’m willing to bet you’ll have a good time.

Kitsana Dounglomchan, an 11-year Air Force veteran, writes about his life and times for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at: [email protected]