Ubehebe

The wind howled as I looked over the crater rim. Volcanic pellets sandblasted my exposed flesh, and twice the gusts were enough to knock me sideways. This was crazy, but I continued along Ubehebe’s rim, pulling my sweatshirt’s hood up over my head because the constant pounding of the wind was hurting my eardrum.
The crater, which is a half mile wide, was formed 3000 years ago when groundwater turned to steam by the heating power of magma. The resulting explosion dropped debris 150 feet thick over a 6 square mile area. Little Hebe, which is right next door, was formed the same way, but only 500 years ago.
I found a spot that was protected from the wind, sat down, and dangled my legs over the eroded edge. It was so peaceful. I could still hear the wind, but it seemed so far away now. I followed the layers of Earth down to the bottom, watching the tiny forms of people among the creosote. In the end, I would head down there too, but I wasn’t in a hurry to give up the solitude of the rim.