Day 26: Zion National Park

The narrow road in the Zion Canyon.

We came to Park from the East taking the US. 9 highway. All the roads in the Park are colored pink probably to merge with the surrounding landscape. But to me it looks somehow funny, like a winding stretch of the bubble gum. At the Park entrance we paid a fee and spotted a police warning: a shotgun armed and dangerous man was at the run at the Park. The authorities were looking for him. There was a picture of the suspect: a face of the normal guy. I asked the lady at the counter about the police warning. She said there was nothing to worry about. The warning was one year old so probably the guy is dead by now - she said with a smile. I smiled her back and moved on. The Zion National Park is in fact a big valley guarded by the high rock formations from the either side. As you travel deeper and deeper into the valley the walls come closer and closer. As soon as we disembarked from the bus shuttle we engaged in our usual business: getting the acquaintance with the park. First we hiked around the Court of The Patriarchs ( below ). These white and red sandstone rock formations are named for three towering figures of the Old Testament and stand over Birch Creek Canyon and the Virgin River.

Court of The Patriarchs sandstone cliffs over Birch Creek Canyon and the Virgin River.

Maciek.

Day 25: A thunderstorm at the Bryce Canyon

A lonely pine tree and a field of "hoodoos" red rocks just before the storm at the Bryce Canyon N.P.

We continued US 12 interstate west, passed a tiny town of Cannonville and soon arrived at the entrance of the Bryce Canyon National Park. Our plan was not to enter the Park, since we have visited it in 2005, but the storm was coming and I felt a photographers thrill. So we turned left and soon arrived at the Inspiration Viewpoint. Bryce Canyon is a product of millions of years of erosion that left a forest of "hoodoos" red rocks in a big valley down below. In the evening we checked in at our hotel at the "town" of Mount Carmel Junction. In fact the "town" was made of the hotel, a bunch of stores and two gas-stations. But we liked it. Set in a wonderful scenery of south-west corner of Utah the place gave us a foretaste of another adventure planned for tomorrow: the Zion National Park. The night has fallen quickly. The air was pure. That was a day to remember - I thought. Maciek.

Day 25: Devils Garden ( part II )

My son Lukasz at the top of the huge monolithic red rock. On the left the dry creek wash we had walked. Devils Garden. Escalante National Monument, Utah.

A bunch of hoodoos. Devils Garden. Utah.

Maciek.

Day 25: Devils Garden ( part 1 )

Metate delicate arch at Devils Gardens, Escalante National Monument.

To explore the Park we first we stopped at the Park Headquarters in the tiny town of Escalante to get information and our bearings. Most of the roads in the Park require 4W drive and plenty of time. We had neither of these.

But then something caught our eye on the display: a picture of Devils Gardens. I want to see that ! - I thought. Soon we wrere back on the road. From US 12 we turned south on the dirty country road, drove about 20 kilometers and soon arrived at the spot. Fanciful hoodoos ( tall thin spire rocks ), orange stone goblins, thin subtule arches, dry river....erosion have created here a visual magic.

Fanciful orange hoodoos.

So there we were: alone with the Devils, later had a nice walk and a picnic with Jackrabbits watching us from a short distance.

Maciek.

Day 25: Pictures from Escalante ( part 1 )

Somewhere between towns of Boluder and Escalante. Earth old skin and curvaceous beauty: US. 12 highway.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a huge natural protected area in Utah and Arizona that spans nearly 1.9 million of acres ( it is bigger than Belgium ).

The park embraces a spectacular array of natural landmarks. This is a kind of the high and remote plateau where multi-hued cliffs run for distances that really defy our human perspective. It is so rich in natural monuments everybody can find a place to explore and not encounter other tourists for hours. Its diversity in colors, landmarks, canyons, places to walk, picnic, ride, climb makes it unique.

Maciek.

Day 24: Dixie National Forest

After being surrounded for so many days by rocks and the desert, this afternoon came as a little surprise for us. From the beginning I suspected something is going to happen while we proceeded the US 20 highway southwards. The road made a gentle but steady climb, the temperature dropped by 15ºC, the clouds appeared and it started raining. The landscape dramatically changed: no more rocks, gorges, deserts. First pine then thousands of birch trees appeared. It could be Massachusetts or Vermont - I thought. We entered the Dixie National Forest. I had never suspected such a landscape could exist in Southern Utah, shame on me! The Dixie Forest was enormous: over 250 km long ( like 1/3 of the whole Poland ) and I had no idea it even existed ! That can surely give you the perspective how huge Southern Utah is. Anyway, the Forest was a very pleasant change of landscape. We stopped at the top of the hill at a view point, breathed a clean fresh air. We will be needing that - I thought. We were about to enter the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument - one of the less explored, remote areas in US and the last place in the continental United States to be mapped. Maciek.

Day 24: Capital Reef National Park ( part 2 )

The road in the Capital Reef National Park snaked along the massive, 160 kilometers long wall of Capital Reef rock up the mountains in a series of long and lazy s-spins.

The paved road ended giving way to the dust road of the Capital Gorge. The road was rough but passable. In the end you arrive at the gravel parking area. Here the walking trail started.

Hiking along the wash at the very end of Capital Gorge. We followed the dry creek bed. Passed the old petroglyphs written on the walls and the Pioneer Register - a place with a series of names and dates of people traveling through the canyon from the later 1800´s and early 1900´s. We had no rush, stopped frequently and had plenty of time to admire the natural beauty around us.

Maciek.

Day 24: Capital Reef National Park ( part 1 )

Driving through the Southern Utah is like being constantly in the one big Natural Park. It is hard to find a road that does not dazzle you with the unforgettable scenery. Your eyes do not have time to rest ! And obviously it happened to us this morning as well. As soon as we stepped out of our hotel room at Best Western, Torrey we could admire the sensational views of the red cliffs of Henry Mountains just in front of our eyes. Then, after a good American breakfast at Red Cliffs Restaurant, we were ready to hit the Park. When you approach the Capital Reef from the East you drive through a deep gorge along the Freemont river. But when you come to the Park from the Western side ( as we did that morning ) you can fully appreciate and be impressed by its sheer rocky mass and glory of this 160 kilometers long wall of rock that runs through the desert north-south. I fell in love with the Park in an instant. But before we entered the main part of the Park we made a stop at the historic Barn and orchards in Mormon pioneer town of Fruita at the entrance of the Capital Reef National Park ( pictured above ). Here you can climb the ladder yourself, pick up the pears or apples and then leave 5 dollars at the special box. A self-service without the counter or salesman. This is the beauty of the "small town America". Maciek.

Day 23: Hiking the Leprechaun Slot Canyon

Following the river wash up and entering the Leprechaun Slot Canyon, Utah.

A few miles north of Glen Canyon and Lake Powell we stopped with a suggestion for stretching our legs. We intended to do some desert hiking. Our aim was a Leprechaun Slot Canyon. So we parked the car in a middle of the hot desert, got our gear and moved along. There was no living soul in the area. There was also no trail as such but, as instructed by the lady in the Tourist Office, it was easy to find your way. We simply followed the wash, which extended for about one mile from the main road. The walking was easy ( along the flat sandy winding river wash ) except from the heat: the sun was hitting us hard with its 34ºC. Features of the trail included miraculously curved sand rocks, high walls along the wash and finally the narrowing slot canyon. At the end of the canyon the path was so narrow that it was difficult to turn around. After and hour we got back to our car and hit the road again. We passed a village of Hanksville, turned west on U.S. 24 drove by the grayscape of Factory Butte hills and landed at Torrey, a nice little town, for a good night sleep. It was all an amazing day. Maciek.

Day 23: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

U.S. highway 95 descending to the Glen Canyon and Hite Bridge.

Later that day we passed the National Bridges Monument. The unbelievably empty U.S. 95 road was cutting the red and orange painted rocks and canyons like a sharp knife as we headed north. Quite abruptly the road made a gentle descent to the Colorado river and reservoir. We arrived at Glen Canyon. In August the Colorado reservoir was almost empty. We parked the car went to see around.
Impounded behind the Glen Canyon Dam, waters of the Colorado River and tributaries are backed up almost 200 miles to form Lake Powell, the recreational focus of the park.


Maciek.