Ted's Hiking World Fruita Overlook & Hickman Bridge
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

April 28, 2021

On Day #9 of the Utah Excursion, Dave will join Brenda, Eileen, Paul, Ti and me for his first real hike since he injured a leg over in Arches Park a week ago.  Because I am the designated tour guide for seven others unfamiliar with southern Utah, this will be be just my second, and last, chance to walk a new trail on this trip.

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In the parking lot

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Starting off with a couple hundred stone steps, just to get warmed up

We will bypass the Hickman Bridge spur for the moment, and continue straight on the Navajo Knobs Trail.

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The basalt boulders, rounded by river action, are common to the Fremont River area

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Roundleaf Buffaloberry

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We'll go over there later

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An optical issusion of sorts

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Plugging away

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The scenery just gets better

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Ti spots a likely promontory

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Soon, we are there, overlooking the heart of Capitol Reef Park.

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Another hiker here says that this is not the official overlook, but it's close enough for us

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View to the west

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Looking south

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Somebody fed the panhandler

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Our cars are down there

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Under other circumstances I would continue up to the end of the trail, but not today.

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Starting down

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Textures

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Henry Mountains to the east

The Henrys were among the last ranges in the United States to be surveyed and named.

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Fern's Nipple tops the skyline

We'll be over that way tomorrow.

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Ti and Eileen forge ahead, as usual

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Descending the wonderful slabs

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Claret Cup Cactus  -aka-  Kingcup Cactus

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That's 'PECTOL PYRAMID'

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Globe Mallow

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Nels Johnson Bridge

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It has a window, making it a double natural bridge

And it goes unnoticed by most hikers.  I missed it on my own first visit.

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Getting closer

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Hickman Natural Bridge, 133' × 125'

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Paul feels that this one will outlast most of the spans in Arches NP

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Behind the formation

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We were over there earlier, at the bridge viewpoint

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Carmine is here as well

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The trail loops back around the big rock

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The top side of Nels Johnson Bridge

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-aka-  Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus

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Patterns across the canyon

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Now they tell us

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§: Well, Dave handled the walk without much complaint; so I guess there is hope for him.  This is good, because I was instrumental in the cause of his injury.

Some of today's route was a lot of fun.  I probably will not get around to the rest of it, but that's okay.  There are two other items of interest in this park, awaiting the next visit.

Scenery *
Difficulty *
Personality *
Flowers *

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