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| CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UTAH |
“Come
on in. The earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone –
and no one.”
-Edward Abbey,
The Journey Home
It's
August 1st and the first day of our road trip to Utah. It
also happens to be my mother's birthday—she would be 105 today.
Thank heavens for moms—they live in our hearts forever.
There
is a little drama on our drive to Nevada when the traffic slows on
Hwy 15, and we see flames in the distance from a forest fire. We see
helicopters overhead and dozens of firefighters along the road as we
pass. Fortunately, it is brought under control, and we slowly move
through the area.
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| CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UTAH |
After
visiting relatives in Salt Lake City, Ron and I head to south-central
Utah to enjoy some of the best scenery anywhere. It's about a
three-hour drive south to Torrey, Utah (elev. 6,830 feet) which is
close to the entrance of Capitol Reef National Park, and the location
of a studio apartment we rented for the night.
Our
arrival at the rental is a little bit concerning when we turn on to a
dirt road and then drive up a steep hill with large potholes. We were
warned about this and were even informed that it might not be
passable in rain. Fortunately it was not raining, and our van made it
up the hill with no problem. We find parking, however, we aren't
quite sure where to enter, and the surroundings look a bit unfinished
and overgrown with plants and grass.
The
owner, Bob, finally appears on the scene; his pleasant and
comfortable manner changes everything. He shows us the unit—it's
beautiful, just like the photos. It overlooks colorful canyons and
ridges that date back 65 million years, and is one of the more
unusual airbnb rentals we have encountered. It feels like we are
right in the midst of the park with a panoramic view of the red rock
layered cliffs and the desert sky. The refrigerator is full of
breakfast food for the next morning and the homemade cookies are
scrumptious.
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| DINOSAUR DUNG FOSSILS OR "COPROLITES" |
One
of the special things about using airbnb is that the owners are often
friendly and informative. Bob, who owns this place, is no exception.
With a passion for Triassic paleontology, he has an impressive
collection of fossilized dinosaur dung or “coprolites,” bones and
dinosaur teeth—all from the nearby canyons.” His enthusiasm for
the area and knowledge of fossils is one of the highlights of the
trip. I leave with a much greater appreciation of geology and the
millions of years that preceded us—I can almost envision dinosaurs
walking around.
With
fewer visitors, Capitol Reef provides more solitude than many of the
other national parks. We tour and hike in the evening, when it is
cool and quiet. The park offers 15 well-marked hiking trails as well
as numerous backpacking opportunities. There are colorful cliffs,
massive domes, soaring spires and twisting canyons along the way. The
park is 100 miles long and narrow with the waterpocket fold down the
center that exhibits the earth's many diverse geological layers.
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| FRUITA HISTORIC DISTRICT CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK |
A
special place in this park, is the historical fruit orchard where you
can help yourself to an apple, apricot, cherry, peach, or pear when
in season. This is part of the Fruita Historic District, a Mormon
settlement dating from the late 1800s. The last private resident left
in 1968, and it is now maintained by the park service. Also, in this
area is the popular 71-site Fruita campground surrounded by willow
and cottonwood trees and the nearby Fremont River.
Nearby,
and easily accessible from the road, is a walkway to view
petroglyphs that were etched onto the rock walls by early native
inhabitants. Most are attributed to the Fremont Culture, which
existed in areas of Utah from approximately 600 to 1300 AD.
After
leaving the park, we drive on the Scenic Byway 12 and through the
rugged and spectacular Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
The drive, with all of its points of interests and backways, ends 124
miles later, near Bryce Canyon National Park. We continue on to Brian
Head (elev. 9,800 feet), the “Highest Resort Town” in America,
stopping at spectacular vista points along the way.
It's
hard to envision the magnitude and beauty of the lands that are owned
by the American people and managed by federal and state agencies. In
Utah alone there are 2.3 million acres of public land—40% of the
state. It is also home to five national parks, all within close proximity. There are 59 national parks across the US. If I had
a bucket list, they would all be on it.
The
park system offers a $10 Senior Pass for citizens 62 and older. It
includes free entry for life to all of the national parks as well as other
recreation sites managed by federal agencies.
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| CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UTAH |
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| FREMONT RIVER CAPTIAL REEF NATIONAL PARK |
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