Tuesday, November 7/2017

Headed out

The sun was shining this morning when we awoke and that is a good thing.   The night had been quiet as being away from the highway left us with only the sounds of nature to deal with and they too were quiet for the most part.
This morning we actually took the road out that we were supposed to take into this site but somehow we managed to take the "back way" in yesterday and that was less than optimum but we managed to find this sweet little spot despite our rather dubious entry!!

Utah 24 west

We continued our journey today which took us through Capital Reef National Park.   Thanks to Google.... I read that this National Park, situated in South Central Utah is about 60 miles long and averages about 6 miles wide and covers an area of 241,904 acres!!  It was designated a National Monument in 1937 by Franklin D Roosevelt  in order to protect the areas colorful canyons, ridges, buttes and monoliths but was actually not open to the public until 1950.  Capital Reef National Park preserves the nearly 100 mile long "upthrust" formation called the Water pocket Fold - a rocky spine that goes from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell.  The park itself was named for a line of cliffs of White Navajo Sandstone with dome formations - similar to the white domes often placed of Capital buildings.  The word "reef" refers to any rocky barrier to land travel just as ocean reefs are barriers to sea travel.

The scenery within the park was once again.....incredible.   I wonder how many times I can actually use that word and not start sounding redundant!!

Fall is still very much a part of this canyon with its incredible
yellow colors clinging to the cottonwood trees.

Once, a school house

Capital Reef National Park Visitor Center

Another sign and another turn.......more adventure awaits!!

We eventually drove out of the park and soon came to our turn.  We would now be travelling south on highway 12.   This would take us through one of the many  National Forest that cover Utah.    This particular forest occupies almost 2 million acres and stretches about 170 miles across Southern Utah. We reached elevations greater than 9000 feet today and thankfully....NO SNOW!!  Oh, life is indeed good!
The travel through the forest offered several incredible vistas to view and there were many scenic turnouts.  We did stop at one but unfortunately the camera on the phone just does not pick up the incredible awesomeness of the area.
There was a definite chill in the air but at these elevations, it is to be assumed "the norm"!!  After all, it is November!!

Awesome Views

Finally.....I got the elusive road sign!!

Summit 9600 feet

As we travelled along Utah West 12,  the scenery changed from mountain summits to farm land to uninhabitable ruggedness.   The highway continued to carve its way through this country side avoiding the higher mountains while skirting their base.  We did climb up in several areas and were met with more incredible scenery.

Sharp curves

The highway continued its meandering through this rugged mountainous terrain and we found ourselves on more shelf roads that I care to even think about.  At one point the highway actually travelled across the spine of one mountain so it was nothing but shelf road.  Both sides of the highway dropped off into miles of nothingness.  And, most of the damn road did not have guard rail and what was there was (I believe) sorely inadequate.   They is no way that it would stop you from plunging over the side into the great abyss of Southern Utah!  Kiss your ass goodbye!!  Holy Buckets.....I was even leaning over towards the center of the truck and had to close my eyes and go to my "happy place" just to ease my rising panic.  My fingernails were embedded into the door and into the center console.  I was hanging on for dear life!!  I almost had to get out of the truck and walk.....Now that would have been really stupid but believe me..... the thought did cross my mind!!
John of course was loving the drive and actually thought that this was one of the best roads we had ever been on!!  Well.....I beg to differ!!
I do have to marvel at the engineering that went into the building of this highway and wondered about the poor buggers that had to pave it.  Man, there was simply no room for mistakes when you were working a shelf trail like that.
It is a good thing we can now say that we have "been there, done that" because it is not a road that I want to take again anytime soon!!

The incredible beauty of Bryce National Park took up the end of our day.   Although we didn't actually go directly into the park, the surrounding  mountainous cliffs showed their splendor.
One has got to love Google as it abounds with information
Bryce National Park's (located in Southwestern Utah) major feature in Bryce Canyon which, is not really a canyon at all.  It is a collection of great natural amphitheatres along the Eastern Ridge of Pausaugunt Plateau.  The Park is distinctive because of its geological structures called "hoodoos" and their distinctive colors of red, orange and white provide incredible views.
It covers 35,835 acres and reaches elevations of 9000 feet.  There are less visitors to this National Park than any other in Utah due to its rather remote location.  That being said, one should not hesitate to  make the trip to this unique area as it too holds so many incredible sites and is a recreation area for many different outdoor enthusiasts.

Bryce Canyon City herald the entrance to the park.  We entered the touristy town and quickly found the road we were looking for that would take us to a boon docking area for the night.   John, once again, did his research for a free campsite and this one popped up.

We settled in easily all to happy to get out of the chill of the evening.  It is going to be a cold night with temperatures dropping below freezing.   That is probably not good but what else can one do when they camp in November in the upper elevation!!