Well folks, it seems I just about successfully lived through my second monsoon season out here in the desert (read about my first one here). While last year I mourned the lost of the dry, warm summer – this year the rains couldn’t come soon enough! You see, my job at Canyonlands last year required only a few hours a day in the outdoors. And when I was outside I was permitted to wear shorts. For some reason or other our supervisors here at Mesa Verde have forbidden us the luxury of cropped trousers, so we are made to suffer through the heat in our full length, wool (yes, wool) pants. Combine this silly rule with only 30 minutes or so a day of air conditioning (if you’re lucky) and pretty much non-stop strenuous activity and you get for some very smelly and sweaty rangers. I’ll give a tour in the pouring rain any day over one of Cliff Palace in the afternoon sun.

In addition to the cool that comes with the rains, I’ve also gotten to view more gorgeous rainbows than I can count. Unfortunately, I only had the wherewithal to photograph two. For your viewing pleasure: