2014 Southern Utah of MarkBC: Part 2 -- Capitol Reef N.P.

[See also Part 1 -- Canyonlands N.P.]
Here's the overview map of my whole southern Utah trip route:


After saying goodbye to Stew my next destination was going to be somewhere to the west, either the Horseshoe Canyon section of Canyonlands (for amazing pictographs) or on to Capitol Reef National Park.

But first I wanted to spend a night indoors, with a shower and TV, have a restaurant meal. So I headed north and then west to Green River and got a room in Motel 6.
Stew had told me of a cool old place, a restuarant/bar that's very popular, and I found it: Ray's Tavern.
I like their slogan: "The place for EVERYONE"
These pics are off TripAdvisor's page, not mine.



I had a cheeseburger and fries. It was a cool place with a lot of character...and I bet there are a lot of characters, too, at times.
Recommended.

The next day there were thundershowers in the forecast (and it was mostly overcast), and the long dirt road to horseshoe canyon is not recommended when wet...so I decided to skip it this trip and continue on to Capitol Reef N.P., heading for the main campground at Fruita, which is paved so not hazardous when wet.
It did shower as I was driving to Fruita, not sure if any dirt became impassable...

The map below shows where I drove and camped on this section of my southern Utah trip


I was glad to find that a late-morning arrival at the Capitol Reef Fruita campground was not too late to score a campsite -- and a good one at the edge of a section, backed by one of the orchards. I ended up spending 3 nights there, but paid for one day at a time as I wasn't sure how long I'd want to hang around there... Camp 6.

I planned to do the Navajo Knobs hike...but the length and elevation gain (2400 feet) had me wondering if I'd go all the way due to my marginal fitness level.
This is the trailhead, with the easy and intermediate destinations listed


Very dark oxidation on these boulders -- so different from the flower...


Hard to pick out, but Hickman (natural) Bridge is in the center of the photo


As it turned out I didn't go all the way to Navajo Knobs -- I decided I was satisfied (tired) at the half-way point, at "Rim Overlook"
Here's the whole Fruita area -- the Visitor Center is on the right end of the view and the campground is on the left end
[this is a pano -- as are all the wide-format images -- so maybe worth clicking on it to open it full-size]


My campsite is hidden down there...


Looking straight down at the road, 1100 feet below


From the Rim Overlook, looking ESE at lots of domes in the Navajo Sandstone (I think) and at the Henry Mts in the distance


The camera isn't tilted -- the ground is


At this point, almost back to the trailhead, a sign warns of falling-rock danger, so no stopping...but I dared to stop long enough to take a picture of these cool layers. At the Ranger talk in Canyonlands-Needles, the Ranger geologist said that the red layers are generally deposited when it's wetter -- water carrying soil, and the white layers are generally when it's dry -- blowing sand.

On the morning that I left the Fruita area I decided to hike up the Grand Wash from its northeast end on the highway, since I was going to be passing by on my way to the Waterpocket Fold section of the Park.


I'd planned to go as far as "the narrows", but I ended up going farther than that -- because I didn't recognize the narrows when I got there -- not as narrow as I was expecting. I guess I was thinking "slot" rather than "narrow".


I tried to shoot a panorama-series under this cool overhang, but it didn't work out technically. I managed to salvage a couple of individual shots anyway




There must be many many miles of this kind of canyon all across southern Utah



It was a nice hike.

Back on the road again, I drove a little further east and headed south down the Notom-Bullfrog road, the mostly-dirt/gravel road that heads down the east side of Capitol Reef N.P., down the Waterpocket Fold section and eventually down to Bullfrog on Lake Powell.

The light was totally blaw, but I took this pano-series anyway 'cause I wanted to show the back side of some of the domes I saw from Rim Overlook. Looks like they're wearing little caps.


My destination was the Cedar Mesa semi-primitive campground, and I was surprised and pleased to find it empty when I got there in the early-afternoon. Surprised because on my 2011 visit I found it full twice. Camp 7.


The next morning I hiked up Red Canyon, a trail that starts at the campground.


It's not a spectacular hike, but not bad...and it gave me some exercise as well as some smaller-scale cool things to look at and photograph.


I thought this sandstone looked like woodgrain


I like rock


Rock is cool


Looks like the head of a bear...sorta. Or maybe a capybara...?


This amphitheatre is the head of Red Canyon


Where the red-stuff formation (can't remember the name of the formation) meets the Navajo Sandstone formation


I liked the lines -- dune lines, I think -- in this very-tilted Navajo Sandstone


What's the point of this boring shot? Just to show not one but FOUR cairns to mark the point where you're supposed to leave the wash and get up on the road/trail on the way back. I guess they must have had lots of people miss it...

Back on the road again, heading south.
This section of the Waterpocket Fold is sooooo cool! Imagine it with morning light...as I had on my previous visit.
But, as I said before, I was too lazy to get up and out early this trip, so mid-day light it is


This was the section of the Park that I'd intended to return to and hike/explore more-thoroughly this time...maybe do a cross-country traverse of that Fold...but I guess I must have forgotten about that plan 'cause all I did was drive by again. Maybe next time.


Heading west, to cross the Fold
Looking back down the switchbacks that I'd just climbed


Looking back at the "welcome" I'd just left


And on the the next chapter


Next: Grand Staircase - Escalante, coming soon...in a day or so.

Fantastic stuff. Thanks for sharing. I passed through there a couple years ago on the way to canyonlands.

Very cool! The view from the rim overlook gives me twitch, even from the photo!

I like the photography, in particular, the portrait of the juniper stump with the wild flowers in the foreground.

Nice pics of interesting country. Thanks!

Yep, Ray's is the place for river runners, desert rats and a place for a cold beer in the hot summer, or fall or winter....
Thanks for sharing the Waterpocket Fold, that is one Utah place I haven't been yet and need to go!

Way cool stuff. Keep it coming.

Thanks guys.

The report for the final segment of my 3-week trip may take a couple of more days to get out.
A quick flipping through the remaining days of pics shows LOTS of winnowing to do to find a few kernels among what seems to be a higher percentage of chaff.

Aren't digital cameras great for us uh photographically challenged people? In the old days you had to be good (or rich enough to keep on shooting till you got something right), now we can all shoot away and hope a couple look decent.

Another wonderful report & photos, Mark. I need to get back that way. My only time in the area was last May and the Fruita CG was no-vacancy. And since it was HOT and very WINDY, I didn't explore the backroads either.

Great info headed there in spring 2017!!


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

Really cool rocks Marc.
Thanks.
Frank