Grand Circle 2

Summary of time:
· Capitol Reef National Park
· Arches National Park
· Geological wonders
· Snow
· Canyonlands National Park

Handy hints –
§ Be content to take things as they come, don’t worry if running behind your schedule, it may mean you experience something new and different.
§ Embrace the weather, be prepared for anything.
§ If visiting National Parks find out the costs and compare it against the cost of the Annual National Park Fee $80 (Zion $25, Bryce $25, Capitol Reef $5, Arches $10, Canyonlands $10, Mesa Verde $10, Grand Canyon $25, Lake Mead $5 = $115 in 3 weeks). Individual park fees are normally 1 price for 5-7 days.
§ Arriving at National Parks go visit the visitors centre, talk to the rangers, get recommendations on what to see and do and what order to do it in. It will always depend on the length of time that you have and how much walking you want to do. Pick up the map and the current guide newspaper.

Driving along I24, which follows the Freemont River through 25 miles of the Fold, you start to see some of its “stars” of Capitol Reef National Park before you reach the Visitor Centre. There is Twin Rocks, Chimney Rock – at the right angle you really think you are looking at the gable end of a house and its chimney – The Castle (although the view of this is much better from the Visitors Centre).
The National Park is on the Colorado Plateau, and due to tremendous forces 65 million years ago, the plateau was lifted and the “Waterpocket Fold” was created. The park preserves the fold, spectacular eroded jumble of colourful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, stark monoliths, twisted canyons and graceful arches.
The Scenic Drive in the park is about 10 miles; this is the paved part, although if it’s been raining then this road will have floods to cross. There are a couple of side roads, that when it has been really dry then it is ok to travel, and some of the sites are along these routes.
Near the visitors centre there is a picnic area, and if you’re lucky you can dine with mule deer. Also there is the Gifford Homestead, which lies in a desert oasis of Fruita valley, it was built in 1908 by Mormon farmer, with the house, barns, smoke house. The farm was occupied until 1969; they raised dairy cows, hogs, sheep, chickens and ducks. They also had cattle in the South Desert, smoking their meat to preserve for their own use and for sale. They also had veg garden, orchards and grew sorghum. From the Homestead they make fruit pies, from fruit grown locally, and scones – well worth buying them.
Driving down the scenic route you can understand why the Navajo call it the “Land of the Sleeping Rainbow”, the changing colours of the layers of rock was just breathtaking, and also the ribs or fins of rock.
The landscape doesn’t show much beyond the rock formations, at this time of year there is no water flowing, and no plants (except near the homestead). I decided to drive the Capitol Gorge, at the end of the paved road. It was very awe inspiring driving along this twisted route through the cliffs of the gorge. At the end of the Gorge, you can get out for a walk, see ancient petroglyphs, not so ancient Pioneer Records – these are engravings on the rocks made by the early pioneers through this area, showing names and the date that they passed through. It is interesting to see that in 1877 and onwards the pioneers wanted to leave their mark, and also the height of some of these engravings, from the current level of the gorge....it must have been higher, as you couldn’t engrave at that level from the current gorge floor. I got talking to a French retired couple, who used me as a scale for the narrow gauge i walked through...they seemed impressed that i could speak some French, and we had an interesting conversation about London and the Royal Albert Hall.
Also there are “tanks” where water would have come down, these are really pools created by the water flowing down, and wearing away the stone...not really much to see. Apart from that part, it was well worth the drive down the gorge.
As i travelled back up i contemplated going into the Grand Wash, but realised that i still had about 3 hours driving to do after i left the park.
Getting back on I24 i carried on East, stopping at the carpark for Hickman Bridge, but on realising it would be an hour’s walk round trip, i didn’t stop for long. Hickman Bridge is a natural bridge, where the rock has been “washed” away, leaving an arch or bridge.
Leaving Capitol Reef Park you carry on East on I24, then at Hanksville, a small town where if you’ve a quarter tank or less you want to fill up, and carried on North on I24. This was a long straight road for around 50 miles, there are hills in the distance to the left and right, and the road dips, but really nothing else, until you arrive at Interstate 70, this is a main through fare in this area of Utah, it’s actually a dual carriageway, though again there is not many towns or rest stops along the route.
I arrived in Moab, as the sun was setting around 6pm. Found myself a place to stop, then headed down to the local microbrewery for a pint and a meal.
Next morning, there was a breeze, the temperature had dropped, and the snow was forecast for some time later that day. Armed with information from the Visitors Centre, i headed on up to Arches National Park. There emblem is the Big Horn Sheep, unfortunately the only ones i saw where the statues outside the park’s visitor centre. Armed with my map, and advice from the rangers on the more important places to stop, i headed out and i was also advised to keep an eye on the weather.
Water, ice, extreme temperatures and underground salt movement are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery of Arches National Park. This park boasts one of the world’s greatest densities of natural arches; there are over 2,000 catalogued arches which range in size from 3ft opening, with the largest at 306ft base to base (Landscape Arch).
Erosion and weather are destroying old arches, but also creating new ones, it is slow but relentless. As well as the arches, there are also towering spires, pinnacles and balanced rocks.
Arriving at the far end of the park i decided to do the shortest walk which would take me up to the Landscape Arch, but first diverting off the path to see the Tunnel & Pine Tree Arch. Whilst arriving at the first of these i was met with “you’re the girl in the little red car”. The lady went on to explain that her and her husband had been at Bryce Canyon 2 days earlier, and had kept stopping at the various points at the same time as me, and that they had also seen me at the restaurant, a small world. We compared notes on our current travels, but she loved the idea of me travelling for a year, wanting to hear where i had been, and my thoughts. We did the walk together to Landscape, but went separate ways on returning to our cars, they had already done several parts of the park. On my way back down through the park, i stopped at every lookout point, did the shorter of the walks.
It was just mind blowing, seeing areas of desert and sand, and these big rocks sticking up, and often with an arch. I even got to see tumble weed blown along my path at one point.....i was in the desert of the Wild West!
At delicate Arch, there are 3 possible routes, the longest is a 3 mile walk, which will take you right under and around the arch, but there are 2 other routes, i took the middle distance one, from which you can see the arch, from another rock seam. With the afternoon moving on, the temps dropping, and the clouds thickening above, i didn’t feel like being out for too long.
Going through the park, you got to see the multi colours of the geology of the land, at one point it was almost like an artiste’s palate.
The formation of the arches, the remnants of those broken, the balanced rocks, the caves, or just the “design” of the large rock formations was interesting. I saw elephants, ham, the garden of eden, tower of babel, an organ, 3 gossips, 4 penguins, a sheep, petrified sand dunes...... Around 4 i also saw the clouds of snow closing in, and decided it was “time to head for home”.
The snow started to fall later that night, and i awoke to a small covering, but more snow was expected, so i stopped an extra night in Moab, and stayed tucked up in the warmth.
My next adventure out, it was cold, but clear, definitely weather for hat and gloves, and several layers! I headed off to a part of the Canyonlands National Park, which is called “Island in the Sky”. It is another wilderness of rock in the heart of the Colorado Plateau, where the Green River and Colorado River meet....although you don’t actually see that bit from the main route in the park. At Shafer Canyon, there is a small “neck” of land that joins “the Island” to the main part of the plateau at this higher level. From this plateau you can also visit Dead Horse Point State Park, you may have heard of it, or even seen some of it, if you saw the ending of Thelma and Louise. I didn’t get to this part, as i only had half a day.
I got to see another arch (Mesa Arch), which gave a great landscape view (Buck Canyon). I got talking to a British couple who were near the end of their 7 week holiday, and we were comparing notes on Vancouver, Oregon, San Francisco, Yosemite, Zion, Bryce and Arches. They had been to all of these days after i had been (or weeks in the case of Oregon).
Walking around there was still patches of snow to walk in; my nephew later asked me if i had built a snowman, i didn’t. Should have done, i was tempted to make snow balls, but there was no one to fight with.
From the various viewpoints along the road there were just dramatic views of the canyon below, and Green River, winding its way through. Unfortunately the Colorado River was too far down in amongst the fins to see. The vastness of the area before me just blew me away....i almost think this is why Grand Canyon was not so dramatic when i saw it later.
Leaving Canyonlands early afternoon, i headed south on Highway 191, through Moab, and down to Monticello, then SE on Highway 491 to Cortez in Colorado. Along these later roads the snow levels were easily a foot high in the fields. Listening to the radio more snow was falling in Colorado – I’m glad i didn’t go for my original route which would have taken me up to levels of 8,000-9,000 ft – i later heard some of these roads had been blocked. From Cortez I headed E to Durango.
Durango may seem a strange place to head for, but it has a narrow gauge steam railway, over a 45 mile route, climbing 3,000 ft, and the last day of the season was on 31st Oct, 2 days later.