Utah - 8th to 19th September

Utah

Saturday 8^th September

Four Corners Monument takes up a small area of the 16 million acre Navajo Tribal Park.    

 

This is the only place in the USA where you can stand in four States at the same time (easily achieved if you are a dog).  In this photo we each have a foot in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.   

We weren’t very impressed with the Monument, for somewhere so symbolic it was fairly ordinary and could have been better presented.

Surrounding the Monument native Indians occupied stalls and were selling jewellery and crafts.  I’ve never seen traditional Navajo Fried Bread for sale.  It was like a huge puffed-up donut the size of a dinner plate with syrup poured over the top.  Exactly 1 million calories. 

We drove 112 miles to Hovenweep National Monument, Utah

Hovenweep Monument has six sets of prehistoric Pueblo sites, five can be accessed by a difficult hike, the sixth had our name on it, nice and easy.  I’m nice, he’s easy!     (wrong way round).    

Linda doing the Blog

At 6.00am the following morning Al dragged me out of bed to attempt this walk.  Sun rise is the best time before it gets too hot. 

At Sunrise

 



We hiked at least 3 miles around the ancient site of Hovenweep (meaning “deserted valley” in tribal Ute language).

No-one has lived there in over 700 years.  Some dwellings were perched on top of boulders and we could clearly see the remains of homes leaning at precarious angles.   Why did they build on sloping boulders when they could have built on flat land? 

  

The towers ranged from round, square, twin and D-shaped and they were all grouped around the Canyon. 







 

We walked for over 2 hours and did not see another person.

Bluff

 

We had a pit stop at the Trading Post and bought some souvenirs to take back home. 

 

Behind the Trading Post are two very rude looking rocks aptly named the Navajo Twins.   Wow!! That’s not what I call them.   

 

The gigantic red rocks bordering Bluff look as though they could swallow up the tiny town.    

Bluff is bursting with native history and stories about the Mormon pioneers who made it their home in 1880.  Their treacherous journey in wagons and on foot in freezing conditions was referred to as The Hole in the Rock trail. 

We spent at least 3 sweltering hours wandering around Bluff Fort.  The descendents of the Mormon Pioneers have been instrumental in building a replica village almost identical to the one their ancestors inhabited.

 

In each cabin there was a written biography about the original settlers who lived there.  
 
 










We also wandered into the School House and Blacksmiths quarters.

 

 

Stayed a couple of nights at Cadillac 

Ranch RV Park but unfortunately our second night had been double booked.  Every site was full but the Manager kindly offered us somewhere at the back of the Park with the resident goats!!  

 

 Bluff Cemetery – there’s nothing like a good cemetery to start the day.   One morning we walked up a steep hill to the cemetery and found some incredibly old headstones from the mid 1800s.  Many original pioneers were buried up there alongside Indians and humble unnamed graves.   

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

In 1883 an explorer found three ancient stone bridges and after bringing it to the attention of State members, President Theodore Roosevelt, declared it Utah’s first National Monument. 

The three bridges are called Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo taken from the Hopi Indian culture.  The highlight was the dark-stained and white sandstone canyon.    

Hite is a tiny community at the northeast end of Lake Powell. 

First drop of rain for months

Clouds??   Looks Ominous

Hite Bridge is an arch bridge that goes over the Colorado River and is the only road crossing for 300 miles.

Colorado River

Hite Bridge

 








There’s not much to Hite other than a ranger station, gas station and general store.
 

Torrey, a little village 8 miles outside Capitol Reef National Park.  Population on a good day 170.   

 






The Mormons settled here in 1898 and this photograph shows an original one room log school/church house.  It is a unique structure and the community used it until the 1970’s.

Spent a quiet night in a Rest Area before entering Capitol Reef National Park.  We camped very close to a muddy brown river and we were warned we’d parked in the middle of a Flash Flood area.  

Flash Flood

Had been dry for months

It had rained the night before so guess what – we were camped right next to a Flash Flood!!  Allen then made sure we were on high ground should the worst happen.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

More totally unbelievable sandstone formations, twisting canyons, domes and spires.   

Lots of Domes & Spires

 









 

Visitors come to see the 100 mile long bulge in the earth’s crust called the Waterpocket Fold.  Erosion has carved the rock into the most fantastic shapes.   

  
 

An Amazing Drive

 

Freemont Rock Art was easily accessible from the roadside.   These amazing petroglyphs date back thousands of years.  You can plainly see stick people and animals carved in the rock.

Hell’s Backbone is a rugged, high mountain track with a sheer drop both sides of the road.  The elevation is 9,300 ft. so it’s not for the faint hearted.  If you dare look down you’ll get a stunning view of Box Death Hollow.  

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Words fail me.  This was Mother Nature at her best and I couldn’t begin to describe the beauty of this place.  It was utterly breathtaking.  

We caught a Shuttle bus to Bryce Canyon and on the journey I was thinking I’ve seen enough rocks to last a life time why do I need to see any more. 







The bus stopped and I walked over to a viewing platform and looked over the rail.  OMG this was the most magical sight I have ever seen in my life!

 

I was looking at a massive, brilliant red sandstone amphitheatre, with mazes and hoodoos (hoodoos are odd shaped rocks left standing by the forces of nature).  

 
Even Allen’s magnificent photographs could not capture the enormity of the rocks and the changing colours.







We walked the Rim Trail and caught up with a lady Ranger who was very informative.   A group of people had gathered and she was answering questions about Bryce’s unique geology.   




 

The Park Rangers are great

Unless you ask the wrong question

At Sunset the colours are magnificent

 
Over a two day period we checked out Natural Bridge, Agua Canyon, Yovimpa Point and Rainbow Point.  All stunning and mind blowing.  

Weird and wonderful shaped Hoodoo's

Natural Bridge

The Rooks are always there

Our campsite was a rocky, back to nature, type site in the National Park.  It was peaceful and tranquil and although there was a lot of campers our site was very private.

Cannonville, Bryce Valley, Utah

KOA Cannonville

We stayed at a KOA campsite in Bryce Valley.  The staff were very friendly and recommended we take at trip to Kodachrome Basin Trail.  

In 1949 The National Geographic Society, with the consent from Kodak Film, named the Park Kodachrome for it’s photogenic landscape.  


 We found the scenery different again, lots of red/pink/white unusual cylindrical chimneys called sand pipes. 

 










We hiked two trails, Grand Parade and Nature Trail, total 3 miles.  Sounds easy but the heat and altitude were playing havoc with our super toned bodies.  We were finding it hard to breath and the head spins were making us feel drunk.  

 

Linda had a name for this Hoodoo

 

Slot Canyon

 

Allen got a couple of hundred awesome photographs so it was worth all the panting and puffing!! 

Sunday 16^th September

Dixie National Forest is over 2 million acres of recreation area and hiking trails.  

We did another killer walk, this time we hiked onward and upward along a remote track called Tunnels Trail in Red Canyon. 

Again got some good photographs but we nearly died.

We were too exhausted to walk the Cassidy Trail.  OK, it was a chance to see the cabin where Butch Cassidy was raised but I value my lungs too much.

Butch Cassidy Trail

Drove towards Panguitch and suddenly the red mountains disappeared and the landscape changed to flat and green.  There was water in the river beds and the animals had feed.  It was like somebody had flicked a switch.

I’m not sure if Panguitch is famous for anything but we managed to find the only Diner in town that was open on a Sunday.  The waitress showed us to our table and we had the funniest seats ever.  We were both sitting side by side and looking face out at everyone else in the restaurant.   

On our way to Zion we saw a wonderful herd of bison near the side of the road.   I swear they were posing for the camera. 

Zion National Park, Utah

At last we reached Zion, the one place Allen has been looking forward to exploring.

No matter how many times I begged, “Pleeeese no more rocks”…....they kept on coming! 

Within minutes of arriving the Ranger explained that our RV was too high to fit through the rock tunnel.  The only option was to stop the traffic on the other side to enable us to drive along the centre strip.  This could be organized at a cost of $15.  

 We paid the money and one of the Rangers held up the traffic to let us through.  The tunnel was 1.5 miles long and black as the ace of spades. 



Drivers, do not wear sunglasses in this tunnel or you may not make it out the other end.  

We found the Shuttle bus an excellent form of transport until the bus picked up 50 raucous young Rangers.  Their average age was around 10yrs and judging by the high pitched babbling I think they’d been drinking red cordial by the gallon.  How can anyone get so excited about rocks!! 

The next couple of days were taken up with sight seeing and more hiking. 

 










Riverside Walk was breathtaking.  It was a lovely change to feel the cool air near the river.

Trees and shrubs were lush and ferns were growing out of the cracks in the rock.  


 
  








 We walked as far as The Narrows but couldn’t go any further without wading across the river in our shoes.




 

 







We combined 2 walks that day, Lower Emerald Pools Trail and the Pa’rus Trail along the Virgin River. 



 

We saw fantastic slot canyons formed by rushing water wearing away at the sandstone to make a narrow canyon. 


 













We were also able to walk underneath an overhanging rock where the water was cascading over the top.  

Allen promised me lunch at The Lodge as an incentive to keep me walking.  He was thinking if he buttered me up he could throw in another hike for good measure. 






Lunch was a great idea but bad timing on our part.  Unfortunately hundreds of non-English speaking tourists arrived at the same time.  We couldn’t hear ourselves think so quickly dashed next door to the Cafeteria and picked a no-fuss lunch that we could eat outside on the grass.  

It was heavenly to swap rocks and barren land for green grass and trees.  We stretched out on the manicured lawn and drifted away.

 















Back to reality and another long walk back to the RV Park.  This time my treat was to soak my aching feet in a nearby river.  I could almost see the steam rising.  
 

We attempted many trails, some easy - some not, and despite my endless moaning about being too hot, too rotund, bad knees, weak bladder, I actually enjoyed spending 2 months living as a mountain goat.   

Wednesday 19^th September

Lake Mead National Park, Nevada

On our journey towards Las Vegas we crossed two State lines, Arizona and then into Nevada. 

We needed one more sleep before hitting the bright lights of Vegas and much to our delight we found a deserted campground hidden away by 10ft oleanders. 

We drove around looking for the best position and realized there were only 6 people in the whole place.  Two couldn’t speak English but the other two made up for them.  

 

Settled in for the night with a million dollar view for only ten bucks.   Bargain.

                                    

 
                                      End of 21^st Post