We awoke to another sunny day and began the day by taking the scenic drive in Capitol Reef National Park. It took us on a winding path through both arid and green country. We stopped at the Grand Wash Road to read the placard opposite abandoned uranium mines. The Radiation Warning symbol was enough to keep us from poking around the entrance to the old mines.
We continued down the scenic drive to the end of the pavement and continued a few more miles on a rutted gravel road (Capitol Gorge Road) which descended steadily through rock formations down to the capitol gorge trail. We really hadn’t committed to this 2 mile hike, but were drawn to the narrow canyon passage. At one point, the sandy floor between the canyon walls was only 15 feet wide but ranged from 500-1000 feet high on each side. It was an easy hike but at the same time constantly changing. This turned into a moderate hike when we climbed up to an area where there was a lookout for the golden dome. This was a cone shaped rock formation on top of the alreay high bluff above the canyon. The overview also provided a view of what the park calls tanks, or natural bowls in the rock that hold water. Teare ventured down to the tanks while I stayed higher on a rocky ledge. I had one eye on the scenery and my good eye out for rattlers and cougar…
We returned and noticed petrographs on the canyon wall of the sun and people carved by ancient American Indians known as the Fremont tribe. It was a day where if you were low to the canyon, you wished you had worn shorts and a tee shirt, but on the higher elevation lookouts, you were glad you had jeans and a long sleeved shirt. We stopped at the Visitor Center briefly, and felt pleased that we had seen the best of Capitol Reef. We were both glad we took the time to visit this national park, as it was a great place to hike and get down in the canyons.
Back in Torrey, we stopped at the Chuck Wagon and shared a cinnamon roll while waiting for our deli sandwiches which we planned to eat at some point down the road. After driving around Torrey, we headed south on Utah State Route 12 which the Forest Ranger said was voted one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. This highway traverses two summits, multiple ecosystems, streams, small villages, and other attractions along the way. One of which is the Utah Petrified Forest and segments of the Staircase National Monument land. At the highest, we were 9200 feet.
We stopped a few times to take in the wide open vistas and our picnic lunch stop was in the village of Escalante. After lunch, I walked to the edge of town while pretending to hitchhike as Teare scooped me up. Several miles later we were amazed to see a golden eagle making a prey dive next to our car and just ahead of us. The eagle abandoned his prey but gave us a great show. We pulled over and watched as it rose with the thermals and rejoined its mate doing lazy circles in the blue western sky.
One final stop before Bryce Canyon City was at a huge rock formation that resembled stalagmites rising up to the sky. The trail led us to Mossy Cave and an split-off trail revealed a beautiful waterfall with the rock formation as a backdrop. It was an easy climb and as usual, felt good after being in the car for a while. The drive time between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon is 3 hours, but we took 4+ with our hike and stops.
Ruby’s Best Western is more of a complex than a hotel complete with a full self service laundomat, restaurants, shops, lake, and an entertainment venue which hosts a Western Music Dinner show. We know about this because we attended the show and dinner. The music was professional and the atmosphere was fun. There were several countries represented in the audience, so apparently Bryce Canyon is no secret around the world. Teare had the game updates so we enjoyed the show while knowing the Cavs were definitely going to win game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals… We visited with a couple from Boston and two couples from St. George, Utah. As I write, Teare is planning our attack on Bryce Canyon. I’ll let you know how that turns out…
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