Engineer Mountain 10-27-01 (Final Journal Poem)

 A bitter walk
So worth the chill
To set foot on snow
Already dirtied by
many boots
Yet arousing memories
of snows passed
Peace in the mountains
Beauty in the eyes
The memory shall
remain until we
can return again.

                                        by Melanie (age 16)

Chicken Point, Sedona March 24, 2001

 Faint and hard to
follow, we trod the
light trail
Bright and welcoming
is the warm sun
The re-birth of spring
is in the fresh air
We inhale the sweet
scent of a new
beginning and a new
year.

                                        by Melanie (age 15)

Kachina Trail May 28, 2000

 A forgetful day
I do not remember it
That is too bad, darn

                                        A haiku, by Melanie (age 15)

Chicken Point, Sedona Friday, March 10, 2000

 A faint trail
Hard to follow
Pushing aside bushes
But then the real
trail appears
Ahh, no more scratches
on our arms
We hike on to
Chicken Point
Chicken Point? Why?
Oh well, it is a
great view of
the beautiful
Sedona wilderness

                                          by Melanie (age 14)

Kachina Trail June 26, 1999

 A familiar place
We've hiked before
yet you always
see something new,
A fallen tree
A new grown tree
But no matter what
'Tis beautiful

                                        by Melanie (age 14)

Bright Angel Trail June 25, 1999

 Sun
Pounding down on you
Experienced hikers
sweating, sweating
The sun so hot,
you can see the 
heat rising off
the rocks
Like the ghosts of
those who died
at the whim
of the heat

                                        by Melanie (age 14)

Emerald Pools, Zion May 26, 1999

 The day is hot
The sweat drips freely
off your brow
You wither away in
the harsh sun.
The water is tempting you
It is calling your name
Telling you how cool
it is
But it is forbidden
You cannot, you will
not let the idea
of cool refreshing
water break
your spirit
But to give in would 
be wonderful.

                                        by Melanie (age14)

Angel's Landing, Zion May 25, 1999

 Gravity
To defy it would be grand
To soar like a bird in
the sky
Flying high above the land
But we cannot
Instead we must
climb
We must strain our
muscles
And tire our bones
so we may reach
our destination
High on a cliff
High up where the 
angels land

                                        by Melanie (age 14)

Beaver Creek 3-13-99

 The pool of green
and blue
shimmers in the sun
But oh, a disturbance
in the water
A large splash and
the sound of swimming
suddenly a head
appears from under
the water
But oh, it is only a 
dog
Dipping in the pool of
green and blue
For an escape from
the heat of the
sun.

                                        by Melanie (age 13)

Fay Canyon 2-15-99 1st hike of '99

 Off we go to find
arch.
Around the next
bend.
We look, but we do
not see.
"Above! Above" the
park ranger says.
We look above and to
our amazement
what do we see?
One of God's beautiful
creations formed
out of wind and
weather.
It is well worth the
climb.

                                        by Melanie (age 13)

Hidden Canyon July 30, 1998

 The sand,
The slick rocks,
They all lead to
a bottomless
pit
A hole in the
ground
We do not know
how deep
Filled with water
all mucky and
deep
We do not know 
what is in
there
Could be a shark
Could be a leaf
Do not slip
What is down there?

                                      by Melanie (age 13)

Rainbow Trail at Parissawampitts Point July 28, 1998

Oh clouds
you do threaten
us so,
with rain and
lightning and thunder
Oh why, all we
want is a hike
Oh clouds,
Why do you
threaten us so?

                                        by Melanie (age 13) 

Kachina Trail July 3, 1998

 Come, follow me,
The butterfly
beckons,
I'll show the
way
I'll lead you down
and up the trail
I'll take you to
a special place
where no one's 
been before
Come, follow me,
I'll show you!!

                                        by Melanie (age 13)

Weatherford Trail June 28, 1998

 That log would
 be perfect!
Oh, and that one
As I walk along
I dream of a 
horse under my
legs.
I dream of cantering
up the trail
Of jumping logs.
Of a mane in my 
face and reins in
my hands.
Of the wind whipping
in my face.
Oh, I dream of 
horses.

                                        by Melanie (age 13)

Grandview Trail May 29,1998

 Hop over a rock,
scramble down
a log.  That is the
way of the Grandview 
Trail.  Yet it lives
 up to its name
with a view so
Grand!  The 
Grandview Trail.

                                        by Melanie (age 13)

Beaver Creek (Haiku) 2/10/88

Horses and cars go
By our picnic spot, a dog
Interrupts our lunch.

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

 

Long Canyon 3/9/98

I am the king

the king up above

I sit on my

perch in the sky

Below me, I see all

Above me, I see sky

My land, the trees

below

My home, on top

 of the world

People come to

invade my kingdom

Below me they

walk

The soon disappear

To where did they

go?

Lost in my kingdom

they are.

by Melanie (age 12)

Wilson Mountain South 1/18/98

Cheer, Cheer the

first hike of

the year

the weather's great

the scenery's great

So why not Cheer,

Cheer the first hike

of the year
3 Cheers for the 

first hike of

the year!

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Beaver Creek November 29, 1997

I don't remember

It was just a 

normal hike

We walked to

the weir

We walked to

the car

It was just a 

normal hike

And I don't 

remember much

Chips!

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Queen Anne/Navajo Loop 7/24/97

The queen awaits

your arrival.

She waits to

hear your voice.

She sends her

guards to fetch you.

For you to do

what she wants

unhappily she waits,

as you trudge

down the trail.

As she looks down upon

you, you think I

do not wish to

serve her.  Run!

In and out of

holes in rocks

winding your way

up the trail, up

through wall

street up, up, up

never stopping to

 catch your breath,

running all the

way, the guards

far behind you

making their 

way up wall

street look up at

you and sigh a

sigh of lose, and

you stop to catch

your breath.

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail 7/23/97

Sun, it burns our

backs and burns

our heads.  We

walk, sweating and

tired, to the falls.

Oh, but the falls

are gorgeous.  The

water rushing over

the glimmering rocks.

The water so 

cool and refreshing. 

Then, after the

cool swim there 

is the horrible

walk back.

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Humphrey's Trail 7/1/97

Eyes can be deceiving

the top, oh, it's just

over there

Eyes are deceiving

No, the top is

far away over

rocks and twigs.

Up steep descents 

and down

No, it is not close

you think it is

because your eyes

deceive you.

                                       by Melanie (age 12)

Humphrey's Trail 6/22/97 (We saw snow!)

So many people

rushing to the

top.  Why?  Some

tell me so they

can tell their

friends, "Oh, I

made it to the

top."  Some tell me

they need to cool

off on top of a 

mountain and some

tell me they need

exercise.  Well, I

know why I want

to go to the top

for all of those

things, and the 

wonderful view.

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Kachina Trail May 30, 1997

Caution:  what does

it mean?  It means if

you do not visit this

beautiful place you will

always be angry at

yourself.  Caution means 

you must be quiet and

let nature do its thing.

Caution, it means don't

leave trash or any

sign of yourself when

you visit this sacred

place.  You don't know

what caution means,

but I do.

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Harding Springs Trail May 25, 1997

Who knew the

view was so

great.  Who would

have known

it would be better

when you had 

hiked to the top 

or the wonderful

feeling.  Even 

with legs of

lead that you

cannot lift.  You

will know that

wherever you

go the view is 

better when you

get there on your

own legs.  Who

knew?

                                        by Melanie (age 12)

Wagon Trail, Cottonwood, Sedona 3/9/97

Where can they be

They do not appear no

matter how far you can

see

The dust does not rise

But yet there is no

surprise

When you see the ghosts 

of long gone men

walk out of the kilns

And you can

finally see

                                        by Melanie (age 11)

Sunset Trail 11/11/96

I bet you've never

stood in the snow

and listened to

the coyotes

I bet you've never

walked up a winding 

trail in a snowstorm

I bet you haven't

And I'm probably

right

                                        by Melanie (age 11)

Hidden Canyon w Don & Linda G. May 31, 1996

Where are you my

dearest one?

Beyond the clouds and the

sun

I call you but you

didn't come

I searched the

ground and the

sky

I looked this way

and that way

I needed a place to

think

so I found myself

in Hidden Canyon

And there I found my

dearest one

Beyond the clouds

and the sun.

                                        by Melanie (age 11)

Angel's Landing w Don & Linda G. May 30, 1996

The place where angels

land

And the sun rests its

Fingers upon

Climbing upward

Slipping downward

Heaven above

And the ground below

I saw an angel there

last night

So I called Angel's Landing

                                        by Melanie (age 11)

Kaibab Trail 4/27/96

Loud and aggressive

the mule is

Quiet and passive

the mule deer is

I'll carry you up and

down the canyon each

day.

I'll let you take my

picture

and then be on my

way

I'll stomp you to bits

I'll just run away

Loud and aggressive

the mule is.

Quiet and passive

the mule deer is.

                                       by Melanie (age 11)

Long Canyon 4/13/96

Long, long ago

Someone named it

Long Canyon

It was made long

long ago

And called Long 

Canyon

Long Canyon

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Wilson Mountain South 4/6/96

As long as it looks

As steep as it is

We will make it

We will climb it

It will no longer

be dreaded

Because we made

it
We climbed,

Almost!

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Beaver Creek 1/28/96

Sitting high

Upon this gentle rock

I dream of the river

Rising up

It swallows me up

And pushes me along

It subsides

I find myself

In a new world

A world of water

I am a ship

In a raging storm

My ship starts to sink

I am dying

I wake up

I find my self

Covered in water

Sitting on the used to be

High gentle rock

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Grandview, Grand Canyon w Barbara M. Jan. 13, 96

The Spaniards could not

believe that it was deep

They thought of the

river as just a little

creek

The Indians told

them to get down

was a great fall

But they just thought

they we looking

at a big thing small

The Indians told them

to get down could

take days

They tried and fell

into a haze

The Indians told them

they learned the

hard way

But they just

said they'd be 

be back another

day

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Kachina Trail Nov. 11, 95

It is another season

We call it small

It is a mixture of

Summer and Fall

The leaves are 

All over the ground

Hardly any snow

On the ground

You can see

Everything through

The trees

small

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Kendrick Mountain Oct. 28, 1995 w Joan Z.

The angry bees

swarm

On a quite hot

afternoon

Boy I hate the

bees.

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

The Mountain

The Mountain is strong,

Has lasted through

storms and fire.

It's superior.

                                        by Joan Z. (a friend)

Kachina & Picket Trails Oct. 14, 1995 w Martha

The wonderful sight

Of the aspen leaf colors

Red, green, and yellow

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Sycamore Canyon Oct. 7, 1995

Slipping down

Climbing up

Playing in the water

Slipping down

Climbing up

Wow look at the view

                                        by Melanie (age10)

Kendrick Mountain Trail Oct. 1, 1995

Hi Ho up the steep trail

Up the extremely steep trail

Everybody goes

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Inner Basin 8/13/95

Shana was pooped out

She could not go farther

Up that steep steep trail

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

South Fork Jemez River July 31, 1995

The grass so

green it's unrealistic

The butterflies

so many it's 

amazing  The

stream so beautiful

it's amazing  The

flowers so plentiful

I could 

pick millions

at the South 

Fork of the Jemez

River.

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Sandia Crest Trail July 30, 1995

Long, and

upgoing.

Tall, and 

winding

upwards all

the time.

Proud and 

brave, is Sandia

Mountain

                                                  by Melanie (age 10)

Kachina Trail 7/9/1995

I see the green grass

And hear the song of the birds

And smell the aspen

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Lakeview 5/21/95

We see this

poem while walking

along.  "Once in body

now in spirit placed

here by those

who loved them

dearly."  We expect

ashes were

scattered there

then we leave.

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

Hermit Trail 4/28/95

My class is tramping
down the trail we
make it down but
the other classes don't
we sing a victory
song although it
was not a contest.
We tramp back
up with the
sticky sweat dripping
down our faces
and backs.  Us stopping
to rest every
minute it seems.
Finally we make
it and all klank
out and all klonk
out

                                        by Melanie (age 10)

H. S. Canyon 4/15/95

You probably don't

know what H.S.

means.  Well I sure

do.  It means

hidden secrets.  The

secrets it holds.

And the beauty.

That's what it

means

                                        by Melanie (age 9)

Red Rock State Park 3/18/95

I know why

they call it Red

Rock State Park,

so does the 

bee and the hawk

the fly and the

trout and the

frog and the

deer.  Why?  When 

the rain splashes

down upon the 

dry cracked earth

animals are forced

into the water and

killed on the

jagged rock, their 

blood flows

out into the water.

When the water

rises the blood

of the animals

stains the rocks

and then the 

water slowly

goes down.

                                         by Melanie (age 9)

Long Canyon 3/13/95

After a long

rainfall the creek

is still dry!  What

a surprise.  Well

walk farther, hey!

water.  The creek

is not really 

flowing but

there is water.

Long Canyon 

is mysterious.

                                     by Melanie (age 9)

Long Canyon 2/5/95

The narrow 

long canyon 

is so beautiful

The birds are

singing so

nicely.  And,

the grass is

growing so

beautifully

so are all 

the plants,

in the great

long canyon

                                        by Melanie (age 9)

Beaver Creek 1/15/95

The beauty of

beaver creek.  Wow!

It is so beautiful

when the dull

sunshine shines

upon the meadow,

and the bird call

out,  It is so

beautiful with the

river roaring.

The rocks are 

red as blood, and

the grass is so

green it seems

unreal.

                                        by Melanie (age 9)