We packed and left the house where we had spent the last 6 nights. We considered ourselves very fortunate to have been able to spend this time with an extended family, even if we had to deal with the Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother coming into our room three times a day wondering who we were.

We had chosen to take a longer route back down the east side of the valley. The first day of this involved a gradual climb up a ridge and then a steep descent to the river through a slot canyon that could have been in Utah.

The desert mountain scenery was varied and fantastic. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We spent the night in a small village called Yaragaon about an hour up a side canyon. Opposite was a wind-sculpted cliff that could have been an impressionist painting. In the cliff was another extensive set of cave dwellings.