Outdoor Adventures

Kodachrome, Bryce and Escalante

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Doug and Jackie

Now it is time to head to our third big stop in Utah, Kodachrome Basin State Park. As I mentioned in our last post, we opted to head west and then south to avoid driving up and over the Dixie National Forest. I am sure the scenic drive along highway 12 is wonderful, but I didn’t need the climb in the motorhome. So around to Tropic, Cannonville and then down to the park. In addition to exploring Kodachrome Basin (named by folks who thought the colors reminded them of the vibrancy of the Kodak film) this will be the take-off point for exploring Bryce Canyon National Park, too.

Alas, as we hook up the jeep and start off it begins to rain and it rained the whole way to Kodachrome Basin.  I find it odd we have had so much rain in a high desert zone.  It was an easy drive, though, as we stayed mostly in two river valleys: Fremont River and Otter Creek and the road was in great shape.  We finally experienced what we have been warned about extensively: cows in the roadway.  And they don’t move out of the way, either. Once we got to the campground it was a short drive down a gravel road and we found a level spot to disconnect.  Ah but Murphy’s Law kicked in for us, as the Jeep wouldn’t start.  Well, we went ahead and got the motorhome situated in camp, hooked up water and electric and pondered the situation.  I had a quick charge battery pack that is supposed to jump start you car in an emergency, so I pulled that out … naturally it needed to be charged!  I let it charge and we went back to the Jeep to jump start it.  No luck, just clicking.  Battery was dead, charger was useless. 

I walked back to the Visitor’s Center in the rain to see if one of the rangers had a jumper cable.  Probably, but it would have to wait just a bit for another staff member to return.  I trudged back to the camper, noting to add jumper cables to our supply list for the Jeep.  Then Hayley showed up and said, sure she had cables and we jumped the Jeep from her little Nissan.  Once back at the campsite I hooked up a battery charger I did have in the motorhome (the kind you use to trickle charge over the winter) and left that hooked up overnight.  It started up in the morning just fine.  I think what happened is this.  Because it was raining I had the headlights on in the motorhome.  That must also turn on the lights for the Jeep and it probably runs them off the battery AND since the generator and alternator are not operating to replenish the battery, it dies.

We woke to clear blue skies and 45 degrees – perfect for hiking and exploring the park.  We started with a mile and a half hike on Angels Palace Trail and had great views of the park. 

The trail followed several muddy washes up the canyon and opened up on red shale plateaus that were fun to wander.  The park is filled with unique pipe structures that jut up out of the red sandstone.  Hiking down the canyon wash that wall filled with cedars and pines you could smell the pinyon pine – a definite evergreen fragrance that was wonderful.  Altogether it was a very cool morning.

Lunch back in camp and we discussed the afternoon choices.  Decided to drive 11 miles further south on a sand/dirt/washboard Cottonwood Canyon Road to see Grosvenor Arch, named for the original president of National Geographic Society and located in Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument.  Pretty amazing double arch of white sandstone that really popped in the afternoon sun.  Walking from the parking lot toward the arch there were a couple of folks stopped halfway chatting on their phones.  Somehow this spot in the middle of nowhere, a true cell-phone desert, they were able to get a signal right there.  Ok, that was crazy.

Jackie drove back to camp on the road and got her first 4WD experience.  Hit one muddy ditch pretty hard and splattered mud all over (“hey I’m learning”) but on another creek crossing she maneuvered into the deep mud ruts and drove up and out just fine.  “That was fun.”  Dinner was just as spicy – a nice taco salad.

We expect good weather for tomorrow, so that is to be our Bryce Canyon day.  The final day we might go up Hwy 12 toward Escalante and Boulder City.  There is a stretch of road called the Hogsback that runs along the spine of the mountain.  Might be fun.  Oh, and there are predictions of snow for the day we haul out of here.  Really?  We shall see, since the weather changes by the hour around here.  But, the night sky is clear and filled with stars.  A sliver of a moon sets early and the milky way is very evident.  How wonderful.

Indeed the weather was beautiful on our second full day, not a cloud in the sky and 41 degrees.  Packed a lunch and all our hiking gear and drove the 20 miles or so to Bryce Canyon NP.  I figured our toughest hike of the trip would be the one down into Bryce Amphitheater along the Queens Garden Trail, which is a 1.5 mile one way trek down the canyon.  Wasn’t sure about the return trip.  Well, from the overlook at Sunrise Point we were amazed once again.  The famous hoodoos are outstanding – orange, red, white and yellow sandstone spires that spike upward.  Down we went along the sometimes very narrow trail, through the fins and spires until we reached the white structure called Queen Victoria.  As you can see, even though we got a start before 10 am, we had the place to ourselves (NOT).  This was our busiest park and trail so far, reminiscent of Arches and Grand Canyon.  As kids and parents and others bounced along and zipped past us, we just took our time and gazed up at a perfectly dark blue sky like you almost never see.

After a few tunnel passes and more meandering, we reached a much more wooded canyon and walked among the spruce, cedar and pine with chipmunks scattered about.  There was a pinyon pine that had a couple of Steller’s jays bobbing around eating the pine nuts.  Such dramatic blue and black birds.  When we reached the end of the Queens Garden Trail we, along with many others, debated the way back.  Map said we should link up with the Navajo Trail for a return trip of 1.7 miles, and not wanting to repeat ourselves we pressed on.  Another junction offered two ways up: Two Bridges or Wall Street. Again, more debate among all of the hikers pausing there until Jackie declared “Wall Street” for us. 

A challenge of an uphill hike until we hit the sweet spot.  Crazy.  There was a cautionary sign of falling rocks at the start of a stone stairway into a crevasse that really looked intriguiging.  We let a larger family group go ahead of us and as we got to the top of the stairway we were speechless.  We were standing in a huge slot canyon with sandstone walls that went hundreds of feet up above us.  The air in the slight bowl at the base where we stood was rather cold but the experience was goose-bumpy anyway.

This section of trail was the last ascent, and it was amazing.  Switchbacks wiggled endlessly up and out of the shady slot canyon and into the sunshine.  It was hard to take it all in, since you were mostly watching your feet as you walked.  That’s ok, we needed to pause MANY times at the switchbacks to catch our breath.  We were pretty much at 8,000 ft, so it did take your breath away.

Finally at the top you could look down across the valley of hoodoos we had walked among and back from our spot on Sunset Point to Sunrise Point.  Pretty much 3 miles, although our fitbits said closer to 6, but why quibble.  It was an accomplishment.

One more drive further into the park to Bryce Point – another amazing overlook, and we sat to have lunch.  Wow.  Lots of folks here.  On the drive out we stopped to watch some prairie dogs (yeah, wildlife!) and made our way back through Tropic to camp.  A short nap and “breakfast for dinner” followed.  We have heard various weather reports that change with the elevation.  At Bryce they are expecting lows in the teens; in our spot, a thousand feet lower, we are expecting 20’s overnight.  Everyone says snow for Tuesday, our departure day, so who knows?  I unhooked, drained and stored the water supply hose, since we are full in the water tank.  Since it is so clear out, it should also be a wonderful night sky filled with stars, planets and constellations that befuddle me, even with a guide.

Well our last day in camp started cold, 33 degrees, but we were just looking to complete two things on my checklist:  Drive to Escalante and Boulder to find the Burr Trail Road and then find Long Canyon slot canyon.  That was just over 60 miles (long distances are nothing out here) and some elevation changes up and down 1,000 to 2,000 feet.  Off we went, stopping at the Grand Staircase/Escalante Visitor’s Center in Escalante.  Very helpful information about how to find the unmarked slot canyon.  Town was cute, just a few markets and eateries along the main road, but it was way bigger than little Boulder.  The scenery was the star, however, as the drive wound around, up and down, with the rock formations changing grey shale and stone to white, rather smooth stone mounds and hills to red rock and shale once again.  In the canyons the aspen and the cottonwoods were turning a bright yellow-orange.

Once in Boulder we stopped for lunch at the only eatery – the Burr Trail Grill, just at the start of the road.  Awesome little place with a delicious lamb burger and some sugar wings.  Never had them, but now I know they are hot wings with a sweet coating of sugar.  Lips burning kind of hot.  They also had homemade hand pies big enough for two, so we bought spicy cherry and caramel apple with cardamon.  Should be good later tonight with some hot cocoa.

Studying our information closer, it looked as though the Burr Trail was a paved road at least as far as the slot canyon.  It turns to gravel/dirt, but much further south.  That’s good, because I wasn’t looking forward to 11 miles of washboard again.  Soon we found the big cottonwood that stood outside the slot in the red rock and pulled over.  Clearly a well-worn stop and the path was pretty obvious.  Into the split in the rock we went, the cool breeze blowing outward.  How perfectly wonderful!  It was maybe only 100 yards in until you reached where the little gap let in only a dribble of water.  But the sheer walls rose up hundreds of feet and echoed your voice around the space.  Not surprisingly we were followed in by several other folks, but there was room for all and time for plenty of pictures.

On the way back to camp I hooked up the GoPro to the bumper and filmed the Burr Trail Road and parts of Scenic Highway 12 back to Cannonville.  Hope to put that on our youtube channel when back home so you have a idea of how this landscape looks.  Totally amazing.  For the weather tonight there are various reports of rain, snow, mixture and maybe temps in the 20’s.  It all depends on your elevation.  Bryce is the highest spot around, so on our trip out of here tomorrow, which climbs relentlessly uphill to the Bryce Canyon entrance and then down through the very scenic Red Canyon (with two short tunnels!) we might see some flurries.  Yippee! Yet another reason to lose sleep tonight.

Thanks again for joining us on the journey.  Shout out to our hardworking teacher daughter Karina and her equally hardworking husband Jason and our two grandsons!  And to Alex, Bethany and Jim for teaching us how to get our Jeep all muddy.

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Capitol Reef and Rain

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Doug and Jackie

Sadly, it was time to bid farewell to our beautiful campsite at Dead Horse Point State Park and drive southwest to Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park.  We made it six days with the water stored onboard and without having to dump, but of course we made sure to empty the grey and black water tanks before leaving.  Jeff, you should know that Jackie declared the dump site “best ever” in her rating scale.  So off we drove, north to I-70 and west to Green River, leaving the red sandstone cliffs for dry, dusty, grey sands that had little vegetation.  Despite seeing signs for “Cows in Roadway” and “Open Range” there were no wildlife sightings or cattle. There was, however, gas in Green River, so we loaded up both vehicles.

The interstate was easy driving, flat and straight and uninteresting terrain, frankly.  We made a turn off to the south and after a while dropped down from the desert into another lower scrubland, crossing the Dirty Devil River toward Hanksville and Caineville.  There the terrain changed dramatically.  Suddenly the road passed through grey and beige hills and what looked like huge piles of cement or gravel.  Cones of grey stone and sand looked like you were in the gravel pit of a quarry – but all naturally occurring.  A line of rough black ridges jutted upward like a line of giant teeth, giving the landscape an otherworldly look.  Definitely the spot for a science fiction movie shoot.  

We were soon on the approach to Capitol Reef and dropped into a rather fertile valley where there was hay and other crops being grown.  We were now entering the historic town of Fruita, where Mormons once had a small town and extensive orchards.  These orchards are maintained by the Park Service and are open for you to wander and pick in the harvest season (picked out now). 

We drove another 10 miles or so to Torrey, a town with no stop lights, stop signs and little activity, though nicely tree-lined.  Camp was a private spot, Sand Creek RV, with full hookups and a wonderful view of the scrub field and backdrop of sandstone cliffs.

It was such a nice day, temperatures in the 60’s, that we ate a quick lunch and set off back to the Visitor’s Center to explore Fruita and beyond.  Once again, the colors of the sandstone cliffs and the eroded crags made for impressive, breathtaking views.  I have taken so many pictures, but can’t help taking more, as each view seems better than the last.  Capitol Reef got its name from a formation of white Navajo sandstone that looks like the Capitol dome in DC and the reef is a reference to the Waterpocket Fold that runs north to south and was long a travel barrier. 

We still have not seen much wildlife, despite the many signs for deer crossing, cattle crossing and even this new one: Marmot crossing. Capitol Reef is supposed to be home to mountain lion, but the chances of seeing them are well, not likely.

At the Visitor’s Center we caught the forecast for rain the next day and decided to travel the Scenic Drive and Grand Wash before any flooding occurred.  The Grand Wash was a gravel road that could require 4WD in wet conditions, but there were all sorts of cars and vans driving in to the trailhead.  Several times you crossed or drove along the dry wash, even on the paved Scenic Drive, and it was evident there had been recent flooding.  We hiked the wash into twisting, turning passages lined with sandstone that had huge pockets carved out – not quite a slot canyon, but a very cool hike that was relatively easy in and out with a cool breeze blowing up the wash.

Exploring Torrey didn’t take long – there are two gas stations, several places to eat that are closed or out of business, one gift shop and that’s about it.  However, the campground has decent wifi, which has allowed me to upload pictures and post two blogs so far, and Jackie is going to clean some clothes in the camp laundry.

It was good that we drove the Grand Wash when we did, as rain began on day 2 and may continue for another day.  There is too much possibility of flash floods and road closures around here to drive where you clearly see where the creeks cross the roadways.  We are declaring this rainy day a recovery day, taking a hot shower, working on crochet, writing the blog and just relaxing a bit. Although, I would like to make a run to Fruita and buy a homemade pie at the historic Gifford House so we can enjoy a nice dessert as we cozy up with our comfy pants tonight.

Cozy in bed

Ah, but the Gifford House was closed for lunch as was the Visitor’s Center, so we drove back to town and stopped at the Chuckwagon for lunch. It is almost the only place in town open during the week. It was Taco Tuesday, so we had a nice hot plate of steak tacos and sides. Very busy, although the shopkeepers say they are closing at the end of October. Seems this is a big month for leaf peepers – the nearby Fishlake and Dixie forests have color. We walked across the street to the Trading Post and poked around a bit before going back to the motorhome and relaxing. This morning’s rain has stopped, but the temperature has dropped to almost 50 degrees. It is expected to drop to 39 degrees tomorrow night. Brrr.

It seems our decision to drive the Grand Wash yesterday was smart, since it is posted as closed until further notice due to the rain and flood potential. Not sure how the next few days will work out, but we plan to try for some overlooks and short hikes. The trail to Hickman Bridge warns of pesky, aggressive yellowjackets, so if we do that one I will definitely take my EpiPen.

Day three brought the predicted low of 39 degrees, with overnight rain, but the day started clear and bright, so we packed our hiking gear and water and headed the 12 miles back to the Visitor’s Center and Gifford House to get some of that darned pie! We had an early tip-off about it from “Adventures of A+K” that we had been following. The small house that served as museum about the Mormons who settled Fruita did indeed have pie. So I bought Cherry and Apple and an awesome cinnamon roll for breakfast. Yummmm. Next to the orchards were some huge cottonwood trees that dated to the early 1900’s.

Back to driving, we stopped to look at some of the Hopi and Pueblo petroglyphs scratched into the rock face and then on to find a parking spot at Hickman Natural Bridge trailhead. With water, snacks, trekking poles and camera we headed uphill once again on what was to be a 1 mile hike, 1 mile return. But we know how these distances go … always a lot longer than when you walk the same distance in your neighborhood. But it was turning partly cloudy and still on the cool side, so the uphill hike wasn’t too bad. It changed from steps to a sandy wash to more slickrock and sand, and finally there it was. A magnificent arch of stone overhead that was worth the hike. We paused at a rock overlooking the canyon below, drank water, and ate grapes before heading back down. Very cool.

We finished the afternoon with some more overlooks, we drove the dirt Goosenecks Road and Doug took a short hike to Sunset Point before we packed it in for the day and joined Kodi and Merlin back at camp. Dinner was a no-fuss meal of baked beans, burgers and salad. Doug picked up a pack of Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen brewed in Salt Lake City (so only 4.2%) but it was cold and wet and had a nice tart snap to it.

On our last day in town we drove west a few miles to the towns of Bicknell and Loa. Filled the jeep with gas in Loa and stopped in Bicknell once the State Liquor Store was open. Tiny, itty bitty shop, but I picked up some Wasatch Beer and vodka. I learned that ABV less than 5.2% can be sold in grocery and convenience stores, but the higher ABV beers are sold in state stores. That helps explain some of the beer confusion in Utah.

On the way back to camp, in fact right next to camp, was a cidery we had not noticed. Of course we pulled in to Etta Place Cider and were soon very glad we did. Owners Robert and Ann were such friendly ciderists – we learned so much about the process of making hard ciders that were really wine quality and their effort to grow heritage varieties of apples, pears and other fruits. Ann called Robert in from picking the current crop of apples to host a tasting for us that was just wonderful. Robert shared a few slices of a red-fleshed apple that he had just picked – delicious. We bought several bottles of their hard ciders, including the Bourbon Barrel Aged cider that Jackie was very excited about. I can’t say enough about their place, which is only 5 months old, and encourage you to stop in if you are ever near Torrey.

We also mentioned the restaurant Hunt & Gather across the street. Well, Ann and Richard were headed there for dinner tonight and raved about it. Lucky for us it was Thursday and they were open through Monday before closing for the season. Jackie called in a reservation so we are prepared to have a great meal tonight. Just before we headed across the street we heard a clap of thunder and in the distance a storm was brewing. Never actually made it to the campsite though. For dinner we had a delicious Cabernet with beef tips marsala for Jackie and elk steak for Doug. What a delicious end to the first three weeks of our adventure and a toast to the next three.

Looking at the various maps we have, it looks like we will scrub one excursion we planned: Burr Trail Road and switchbacks.  It is about 75 miles one way and we really have done our fair share of driving lately.  We also changed plans not to take the Scenic Route through the Dixie Forest south to Tropic and our next stop, Kodachrome Basin State Park, since it looks like a 4,000 ft. elevation gain with 8 – 10% grades for a few miles and I just don’t care to drive 20 mph through the mountains again worried about overheating.  So there is a slightly longer route that circles up and around to the west that should be just fine.

Kodachrome Basin State Park has no cell service, so we will likely be totally out of touch for almost a week. Thanks for joining us on this journey — and stop kicking the back of the seat, please.

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