I Belong Where the Rocks Are

No matter what terrain I find them in.

When I first read Anne Bonfert’s introduction to this month’s challenge, I immediately thought that I must pick and write about mountains, my favorite type of terrain. If I’m in the mountains or can see them in the background where I am, I feel at home.

As I started perusing my photos to choose which ones to share, I realized that though I certainly enjoy spending time in the mountains, what captures my attention even more are any rocks and rock formations. It’s what truly makes me skip for joy.

Whether in the mountains, the forest, or the desert, or by an ocean, a lake, or a river, rocks draw me in.

I mean, I have more than one photo of me hanging on a rock while rock-gazing at other rocks.

I love rocks: scrambling or climbing up them, looking at them, walking by them, sitting down and relaxing on them.

So if rocks aren’t your thing, you may want to skip this article because it’s going to be all about them, or at least about the ones that have a special meaning for me :)

By the way, here is Anne’s intro to this month’s challenge if you haven’t seen it yet:

Growing up in the proximity of Bulgaria’s Sredna Gora Mountain, in a small village, with 3 months of summer vacation and nowhere else to go, meant one thing: my cousins, friends, and I regularly ventured out and up, seeking or making up our own adventures, getting lost in the woods.

Invariably, I’d end up trying to climb any rock formations we encountered, sometimes making it to the top; other times falling and scratching my knees, elbows, or nose (that last one happened once, to the great amusement of all my friends).

What’s more fun than that?

Through the years of growing up in Bulgaria and then living in the United States, I’ve come to regard several places fondly simply because of the access they afford me to beautiful, ancient rocks and rock formations.

One such place is Vratsata Gorge, located in the Balkan Mountain, just outside the city of Vratsa where my aunt and uncle live.

Though I don’t need a reason other than the delicious meals my aunt and uncle make to visit them, knowing I can walk out of their building and within minutes be among these rock giants serves as the icing on the cake (the one my aunt bakes, of course).

Rising to 400m (making them the highest on the Balkan Peninsula), the majestic limestone cliffs curve on both sides of the road and as you follow the path by the Leva river, you can’t help but look up, mouth gaping in awe and wander. At least I can’t help it!

Climbing routes abound in the area, and quite a few competitions take place here. I haven’t had the opportunity to climb it, though, but know this is bound to happen one day.

Not surprisingly, when choosing my first home away from home as an international student in the United States, I went for what looked as close to home as possible, which is how I ended up in a small town in West Virginia, with access to the wild and wonderful Appalachian Mountains.

Of the many magnificent areas in the state (seriously, though, this entire state is a hidden gem, and honestly, I kind of want it to stay that way, so probably shouldn’t have mentioned anything about it…), my absolute favorite to visit for camping, climbing, hiking, and general wandering is Seneca Rocks.

Its ridges jut into the sky, the crag, though not too high, allows you to feel on top of the world when you make it to its highest point. And because our rope got stuck on a tree once, we got to enjoy a magnificent West Virginia sunset as we tried to get our rope free and make it to the trail before pitch dark set in.

I can’t write about rocks and not mention the Rocky Mountains — reading about them is what first got me curious about one day living in the United States. I eventually made my way to Denver and don’t remember a single weekend where I wasn’t out, getting my nature and rock fix.

Speaking of Colorado, I have to also include photos of the rock haven that is Garden of the Gods.

I mean, look at these beauties!

Even when I lived in places with no mountains to speak of, I made sure to find the nearest rock formations, which is exactly what happened when I lived in Houston, Texas.

Interestingly, it was in Houston that I joined a climbing group and seriously got into rock climbing. H-town is so flat, I’m pretty sure it’s below sea level — at least, that’s how I felt each time it rained and the streets flooded.

But the largest city in Texas is also about a 4-hour drive from Enchanted Rock, a pink granite mountain that became my destination of choice for several New Year’s celebrations in a row. Welcoming a new year around the campfire after a day of climbing is an experience I’ll never forget.

As I realized when first looking through my photos for this article, the best part about rocks is that they aren’t just a mountain feature.

I’ve found and climbed them by the Atlantic Ocean when I visited Acadia National Park in Maine. The rocks are wonderful; climbing over a raging ocean not so much. I just did not like it at all!

Michael Rhodes submitted a beautifully-written, detailed article on the beauty of the coastal terrain, some of his photos highlighting the rocks found in it.

When it comes to color, the most striking rocks I’ve ever laid eyes on have been in desert locations, especially those in the state of Nevada. I’m so thrilled a friend of mine decided to move to the area so I can visit regularly and lose myself in the thousands of little details these rocks present.

You know what, I don’t think one photo is enough, so here is another one. How about that lovely red color?

If you want to admire the wander of the desert terrain, check out Michele Maize’s lovely story and article about it.

I can’t be writing about my favorite places where I can enjoy me some amazing rocks and not mention Zion National Park.

Now that’s the kind of place made for rock-gazing.

I’ve only been once, on a road trip, and frankly, I can’t wait to get back, though I hear it’s gotten pretty crowded in recent years.

So if you made it this far, you can tell I’m serious when I write: I LOVE ROCKS.

I truly do.

Wherever I go, I look for the rocks.

In fact, I have so many photos of rocks, my mother keeps asking me why I keep sending her pictures of rocks and such when I visit a new place, instead of, you know, pictures of me.

Needless to say, it took me forever to look through all my photos to select the ones to use in this article, and if you think that’s still way too many photos of rocks, be grateful because I think I ended up removing 70% of the ones I wanted to initially include.

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