Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
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Capitol Gorge Road Capitol Reef National Park, Utah |
October 12, 2018
Best of the Best Tour: Day-4
Starting out this morning from Escalante, Gary and I negotiate the famous Hogback on
Highway-12, then continue down the beautiful Burr Trail, which is a worthwhile
destination in itself. Along the way I wave nostalgically at the turnoff to the
Upper Muley Twist Canyon trailhead, where I incurred an outstanding hike four years ago.
At the base of the Burr Canyon 180-degree switchbacks, the dirt road northward has quite a bit of mud in places. Although I have driven countless thousands of miles on snow, ice, and rocks, I never have spent much time in the mud. My Outback takes care of us, however; and there is but one section that involves a significant amount of slipping and sliding around.
Thirty miles later, we are in Capitol Reef National Park. After watching the nice film at the Visitor Center, we head south down the Scenic Drive.
It's not too cold for a picnic lunch
At the end of this road is an unpaved section down into Capitol Gorge for a couple of
miles to a pair of trailheads. Today, however, the route is gated because of the
recent storms; and it won't be re-opened to vehicles for another several
days. Pshaw.
End of the line
We came here to hike, however; and that's what we will do.
Lots of color in the canyon
Remarkably enough, this gorge actually was the main automobile route into the park
until 1964, when Highway-24 was completed.
And what a beautiful drive it was, too!
Of course, one could not even think of driving in here during or just following a rainstorm. Most of the time, the wash itself is the roadway.
Archlet
Patterns
Catching up
The gorge is widening somewhat
More patterns
The 'normal' trailhead is yet another mile down the wash; having already walked more than two miles, though; having no particular destination in mind, Gary and I opt to turn back here.
A woman returning from the Golden Throne Overlook Trail points in the direction of a bighorn sheep that she saw earlier. Oddly enough, it still is there!
In no hurry to get anywhere
Zoomed in
'End' of the photo session
Starting back
What is that iron bar doing there?
Sublime
The next mile of walking features the most extensive collection of amazing patterns that I can recall:
White Clematis — the only flower on today's trail
On the Scenic Drive
§: Doubtless there was more stuff worth seeing farther down the gorge;
yet much of the beauty of the canyon walls would have been missed from a moving vehicle,
and we never would have spotted the bighorn sheep at all. Serendipity.
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