We were hiking in a the Capitol Gorge canyon, the wind was blowing, sand was flying around and sandblasting our faces. We had only one bandanna with us. So, in true pioneering fashion we found a sharp rock, laid the bandanna on a flat rock and while I held it, Merle cut it in half.
Here is a watercolor "map" of the trip we made in late May for two weeks. It will hopefully help us remember the trip when the old gray cells start to wither away.
One hot day, we navigated Sulphur Creek for 5 miles of twisting turning canyon including slot canyon areas where we had to wade in the creek, waterfalls that we had to climb around and encounters with the occasional hiker. It was a one way hike so when we arrived at the visitor center in Fruita, Utah we tried to hitch a ride back to our car up the highway. No luck....until two hikers we had met in the canyon saw us walking along and gave us a lift. There's a little red car with angel wings on it on the map - that's them - our guardian angels. It was very hot and the walk would have been exhausting considering that we had been hiking most of the day in Sulphur Creek.
Fruita Utah is beautiful It is a old town once settled by Mormon pioneers and is now managed by the park service. The campground is situated in a beautiful green valley with orchards. It has to be one of the prettiest campgrounds we've stayed in. However, due to the fact that we were there over Memorial Day weekend, it was way too crowded. We would like to go back sometime in the fall. Here are some pictures.
Wind was a factor during our stay in Capitol Reef National Park. In Fruita we were protected by the trees, but before we went to Fruita, we stayed in a private RV park in Torrey. Our site was a good one with fantastic views but the wind was too fierce. Here is a picture and as you can see, we had a wonderful red mesa to look at each day. But, the wind..............
One day we decided to drive to Boulder Town and drive on the BurrTrail and Notum-Bullfrog roads. While crossing over the mountains to get to our destination in Boulder Town we encountered snow on the high pass but not enough to stick to the road. Once in Boulder Town we ate at a wonderful little cafe called Hell's Backbone Grill. It sat in a cool green oasis of flowers, grasses and tall trees. The food was great. After relaxing there, we drove through some lovely scenic areas that would eventually take us back to our campground, particularly on the Burr Trail portion. The Notum-Bullfrog road was rife with washboard ruts and we were relieved to eventually get off of it. Washboard roads are rough on cars.
A hiking trail just above the campground led to a fairyland canyon called Co Hab Canyon. There were pockets in the rocks and old trees and we were so glad that we decided to climb the steep winding path that led to it from our campground. It was like nothing we have ever seen.
Our trip ended in Moab where we had a good time, as usual. At one point, we were heading home and suddenly decided to go back. It was Merle's idea. So, we went back and stayed another two nights. That's the fun of being free and easy. I guess free isn't the exact word because it did cost us, but it was worth it.
