Capital Reef

Capital Reef is a lesser known National Park, just a few hours NE of Bryce, but it is a stunning mass of colored sandstone formations, peaks and canyons. It has shades of Zion, Bryce, Sedona and the Grand Canyon all rolled into one. It’s also less crowded than the big parks and has some great hikes.

Bob and I enjoyed a few days here, but the weather was very cold. We even had a bit of snow one morning! It was fun to see the ice patterns from sprinklers and irrigation systems. On the drive from Bryce to Capital Reef we had to stop twice for cows in the road, and once for a large flock of sheep!

Right now we are outside of Salt Lake City, getting ready for our trip to the Bahamas to swim with wild dolphins on the 29^th. I’ll report on that experience when we get back around June 6^th. Have a great Memorial Day!

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most spectacular sights in America. The amphitheater area is about 8 miles across and filled with hoodoos, holes in the rocks, arches and spires of white, pink, gold and brown sandstone. This canyon was not carved by a river but by erosion. Unlike Zion, Bryce’s rock is soft and crumbly and slowly melting with each season making it an ever-changing landscape.

When we were at the Grand Canyon we wanted to hike to the bottom, but Phantom Ranch was completely booked. The next time we visit there, we will plan in advance and get reservations for a room so we can do that hike. It’s too much to go down and back in a day. Here at Bryce, you can easily hike to the bottom and out in a few hours and we didn’t miss our opportunity to do that. Bob and I made the 5 mile trek down from Bryce Point, went along the Peekaboo Trail to Queens Garden and out at Sunrise Point. It was a fantastic hike with a 1500 ft drop to the floor at Bryce Point, unbelievable rock formations, areas of snow and a variety of evergreen trees along the floor and sides of the amphitheatre. The way up, at Sunrise Point, was only about a 500 ft climb in elevation. Photos are from the rim looking down, and from the trail looking up.

Most of Bryce is 8,000-9,000 ft in elevation. We enjoyed two days of 70 degree weather, but on Saturday the wind started to blow and the temp at the high end of the park was 48 degrees when we took a little hike on the Bristlecone loop. These rare pine trees grow to be 1600 years old in the park. Along the road we saw mule deer, pronghorn antelope and Utah prairie dogs.

One day we enjoyed a trip outside of the park into Red Canyon on horseback. It’s been quite some time since either of us had ridden, and in “the end”, three hours was more than we needed. We both got pretty gentle horses though and the ride through the red rocks was spectacular, but I don’t want to get on my bike anytime soon.

Rotel

In five months on the road, we’ve seen a lot of RVs and tents, of varying shapes and sizes. This week we had a Rotel next to us two different times. This ingenious vehicle is part tour bus, part hotel. The front of the bus is just like a tour bus, but the back is 24 sleeping compartments that are three high and eight across. The approximate size of these capsules is 3 feet by 3 feet by 7 feet long. There is an outside cooking area that is accessed below and on the opposite side pf the sleeping compartments. So far the occupants have all been from Germany.

It’s quite an interesting concept and sure brings out the photographers at the campground. It’s not for me though. I really enjoy this roomy home that Bob and I inhabit.

Zion - Spiritual Sanctuary

Ah Zion. Mary and I love this place. For us, it’s the spiritual heart of America. When Mary and I first discovered Zion (separately), we each thought it was unique and magical. Since then we have seen many places throughout this trip that have reminded us of Zion with similar colors, types of rocks, and formations. So we weren’t sure that Zion would still hold the unique magic for us that it had before. Well, it still does. There are places that look some what like it, but none on the scale and magnitude of Zion or with the spirit.

Zion has four distinct areas:

Zion Canyon - The main part of the park, and where the Virgin River runs all year surrounded by 3-4000’ high sandstone cliffs and formations in various shades of red, orange and tan. Hiking here is switchbacks up to high viewpoints, or small pools fed by waterfalls in some of the side canyons. In the summer you can hike straight up the Virgin River at the head of the canyon (yes, you hike right IN the river!).

Kolob Terrace – An area of high forested plateaus to the west of the main canyon. We’ve only scratched the surface of this area.

Kolob Canyons –Almost an hour by car from the rest of Zion, yet only a couple of miles from Interstate 15, you reach an area where you are starring head-on into three large rock peninsulas and the canyons that separate them. Looking to the south you can see over the vast plateau toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We hiked up one of the canyons (Middle Fork of Taylor Creek) crisscrossing the streambed over 60 times in 2.5 miles, and ending up at Double Arch Alcove. This amazingly large open cave seeps moisture and supports a wide array of vegetation.

East or upper Zion – This area is reached by driving Hwy 9 up a series of switchbacks and through the amazing one-mile long Mt Carmel tunnel to a vast swirling maze of “petrified sand dunes”. Dry streambeds, steep and gently sloping rock walls and slot canyons beckon the visitor to get out of the car to touch and explore. There are no real “trails” up here, you just follow a canyon for awhile and then back out, or you just start “walking” up a sandstone slope. The rock is so smooth yet “grabby” that you feel like Spiderman as you walk up and down these incredibly beautiful slopes. Lying on the rocks in this heavenly area, and soaking up the sun from above and earth’s warmth and energy from below is one of our most appreciated joys.

Photos just don’t do this place justice. If you haven’t been to Zion National Park, in the SW corner of Utah, put it on your list. It’s heaven on earth.

Best Friends

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the largest facility of its type in the country (and perhaps the world) with over 1600 animals. It’s located in Kanab, Utah. Bob and I visited there on a trip last year and decided that the next time we were in the area, we wanted to spend a few days volunteering. We are really missing our dogs and cats at home, so we were both in need of an animal fix.

It was really cold our first day there and actually snowed for three hours during our tour and orientation meeting. I worked with cats, socializing, cleaning rooms and even took Kit Cat on a leashed walk. He calls all the shots when walking and if he doesn’t want to go where you want, he just lies down. I couldn’t run as fast as he wanted when he chased birds, so I’m afraid I wasn’t the best walker he’s had.

Bob spent most of his time with the dogs. He did some training with the puppies and walked adult dogs. This is a photo of Squiggy. Bob also attended a Jin Shin class for dogs and toured the horse facilities. Best Friends is a fantastic place and the staff and volunteers really do a great job.

The area around Kanab is gorgeous with lots of red rocks and white rock formations similar to Zion. Angel Canyon where Best Friends is located is very beautiful. We also visited Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, which is very close to Kanab.

On the drive from Lake Powell to Kanab, we passed Colorado City, AZ, the home of the infamous FLDS polygamist group headed by Warren Jeffs. It has huge houses and the women on the street were all wearing 1800s “prairie” type dresses. Sorry no photo.

River Lake

We didn’t make it to the water in the Grand Canyon, but when we reached Page, AZ, we headed straight for the water.

Lake Powell is the body of water created by the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. The lake extends over 136 miles up stream from the dam. The barren yet colorful sandstone formations surrounding the lake create an endless maze of waterways and islands.

The weather was about 80 and sunny, and I took a quick dip in the 60+ degrees water while Mary sat in the sun on our first day. In the summer, temperatures soar over 110 degrees and the water surface (first 10 feet) can get up over 80 degrees. The water is clear and clean. Ideal time would be early fall, still warm air and warm water without the scorching heat of summer. House boating seems very popular here.

Our second day was spent motor rafting on the Colorado River from the base of Glen Canyon Dam downstream to Lee’s Ferry (about 15 miles). The river is pretty smooth here (no rapids). The water is cold (47) as it comes from the bottom of Lake Powell. The river is encased in sheer rock walls that rise 700’ from the river at the base of the dam to over 1400’ just before you reach Lee’s Ferry. The raft is quite large and stable, but we still got spray from the wind blown chop as we headed into an unusually strong wind coming up stream. We stopped at a sand bar area where there are ancient petroglyphs in the rock wall just a quick walk up from the beach.

Our third day, we took a guided tour to Antelope Canyon (it’s the only way you can go there). Antelope canyon is the amazing orange striped slot canyon that you see in pictures with a sun beam streaming down from above. That phenomena happens midday with strong sun but we were there in the morning so we did not see the full show. Slot canyons are winding sandstone corridors with surprisingly clean sandy floors and smooth convoluted walls. They are open at the top but because of the convolutions you usually cannot see the sky, and sometimes you have to turn sideways to get through the small openings. We have experienced them in many places in the southwest. It feels a little like going into a cave, but we didn’t experience the claustrophobia that small openings in a cave situation can create. Hiking in a slot canyon can really feel like exploring. In Antelope Canyon we were with a group of people, but we have discovered slot canyons in Borrego Springs, Southern Arizona and Zion is absolutely filled with them.

Grand Canyon Wildlife

Wow, we got to see a California Condor perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon. What are the odds of that? There are only about 185 in the wild, coming back from the brink of extinction through a captive breeding program. You can see from the photo that he wears his number proudly.

Also shown here are a lovely and fearless squirrel, a molting and rather shaggy elk, and a cocky raven. Again, the signs about cougars are everywhere, but they are nowhere to be seen.

The human wildlife at the canyon is also very interesting and about half foreign right now. We were surprised at the number of Japanese, Korean and Chinese travelers. One day, we were the only Caucasians on the shuttle bus! Germans were also present in great numbers, and Dutch, Spanish, Indian, French, and many languages we couldn’t identify.