Travelogue

Bryce AmphitheaterEveryone should see Bryce Canyon in their lifetime. We were fortunate enough to have been here two times prior to this visit, but its magic never fades.

There are lots of beautiful places in the west, but there is something special about Bryce--something unique and somewhat unreal. It's a lot smaller and less intimidating than places like the Grand Canyon and much easier to explore.

Hiking down into the AmphitheaterYou can stand at the edge of the plateau rim and gaze down into the maze of hoodoos below or descend the trails from the rim and wander around among them.
It is majestic yet intimate.

Ironically, Bryce Canyon is not really a canyon at all, but rather a series of amphitheaters cut into the Pink Cliffs of the Paunsaugunt Plateau by millions of years of erosion from flowing streams.

It’s a geological fairyland, and the centerpiece of the park is the 6-mile square Bryce Amphitheater with its intricate maze of whimsically-shaped pinnacles of rock called hoodoos.

Queen Victoria on her throneThese rock spires (hoodoos) are the result of erosion in rock layers that vary in hardness. When water flowed through the cracks in these rocks, the softer rock wore away leaving behind the harder, erosion-resistant caps. The ongoing cycle of freezing and thawing continues to dissolve the softer rock, constantly changing the shape of the hoodoos. This continuous erosion is also causing the plateau cliffs to recede at the rate of about one foot every 60 years.

Along the Queen's Garden TrailAnd the best part is the hoodoos put on a show twice a day - at sunrise and sunset, changing colors from warm yellows and oranges to more dramatic pinks and reds. During the golden hour they appear translucent, seeming to light up from within.

That was why we were here.

Along the Queen's Garden TrailWhen we made the last minute decision to add Bryce to our itinerary, there was no lodging or camping available in the park, so we booked a room at the nearby Ruby’s Inn, just 3 miles from the park visitor center. Fortunately, it had a very liberal cancellation policy - up to 4:00 on the day of your arrival.

So, when we entered the park and realized that Sunset Campground was first-come-first-serve, we immediately drove there and claimed a site. Then we made a quick call to Ruby’s Inn to Cancel. So, instead of $200 for the night, we were paying $10 (Good old Senior Lifetime National Park Pass) for something we like so much better. Now we had easy access to the hoodoos both for sunset and sunrise.

Along the Queen's Garden TrailIt was already around 1:00 when we arrived in Bryce, so we decided to have lunch at the Bryce Canyon Lodge. I love the National Park lodges, and although this one was not as majestic as the Ahwahnee in Yosemite or Old Faithful in Yellowstone, it was still cozy and warm and its rustic design fit well with its surroundings.

After lunch we returned to the campground for a while to take a well-needed nap. We had already done two hikes this morning - Angel’s Palace in Kodachrome and the Pink Ledges in Red Canyon State Park - so we wanted to rest up for our late afternoon Sunset Point to Sunrise Point hike into the Bryce Amphitheater.

Along the Queen's Garden TrailAround 3:30 we drove over to the Sunset Point parking lot, and it was a total zoo. There were even parking attendants to control the situation. What a difference from the last couple of times we were here 20 years ago. We mentioned that to the parking attendant and he said that ever since Utah’s “The Mighty 5” ad about Utah’s awesome national parks, attendance has increased exponentially, almost to the point where they wanted to dial it back a bit.

Selfishly, I wanted these places to remain undiscovered. Unfortunately, with social media and people posting Instagram of Facebook photos of themselves in incredible scenery, there are no secrets anymore.

Along the Queen's Garden TrailMany people don’t even hike down into the canyon, but just stay up top and enjoy the amphitheater from one of the benches along the Rim Trail.

We, however, joined the stream hiking down the steep switchbacks of the Navajo Trail down through the narrow walls of the canyon into the amphitheater.

Unfortunately, the Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop trail was closed because of a rockfall. Too bad, because I remember it being a real highlight.

Sunrise hitting the tips of the hoodoosOnce we connected to the Queen’s Garden Trail, the crowds began to think out a bit. When we got to the garden, we paid homage to Queen Victoria, sitting high above us on her throne.

As we continued along the Queen’s Garden Trail, the light was starting to get better and better, transitioning from to more dramatic pinks and reds. They looked translucent, as if lit up from within.

Sunrise from Inspiration PointFrom there we followed the Queen’s Garden trail up to Sunrise Point. Since our car was parked at Sunset Point, we walked the half mile back along the Rim Trail to the car.

When looking back down at the Amphitheater from the top, I couldn’t help but think of Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon pioneer who built a cabin here in the 1870s and grazed cattle and sheep in the canyon. After losing one too many of his cows in the labyrinth of rock formations, it is claimed that he said: “this is a hell of a place to lose a cow.” For that alone, he deserves having this incredible park named after him.

Sunrise from Inspiration PointBefore calling it a day, we decided to check out Inspiration Point. We could have just walked along the Rim Trail for 0.7 miles, but then we would miss sunset, so we drove instead.

We started first at Lower Inspiration Point, where there were less than a dozen people waiting for sunset. Already we liked it better than Sunrise and Sunset Points with its easy accessibility and therefore larger crowds.

Sunrise from Inspiration PointFrom there we hiked up to Upper Inspiration Point where there were even fewer people and better views. To one side was the veritable forest of hoodoos and on the other what looked like castle complexes.

This is definitely where we wanted to be for sunrise.

It was dark now and we really didn’t feel like cooking back at the campground, so we went back to the Bryce Canyon lodge and had a light dinner of quesadillas and wine.

Sunrise from Inspiration PointThen it was early to bed, so we could be very early to rise in order to get to Inspiration Point to watch the sunrise.

When we got there in the morning, we were the fourth car in a large parking lot. By the time we got our camera gear out, a dozen more cars had pulled in and more were coming.

We quickly hiked up to Upper Inspiration Point which we had scouted out last night, and found only 2 other people there. We knew more were coming, so Herb set his tripod up to claim his ground.

Sunrise from Inspiration PointTo the left of us was a forest of hundreds of hoodoos. To the right, you could really let your imagination run wild. There were fortresses and castles, complete with surrounding walls, towers and turrets, like the drip castles kids make on the beach.

Right on schedule, the sun rose and began lighting up the tips of the hoodoos.

As soon as the sun finished rising, most of the people left, but this was when it was just getting good. The morning golden hour only starts an hour after sunrise, when the deep reds and whites of the rock formations light up in pastel pinks, yellows and oranges, as if they were lit from the inside.

It was mesmerizing. And to think this goes on every morning.

This was the end of the trip for us, the last planned stop on our 11-day trip to Utah. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

Travelogue

Red Canyon State ParkSince our check in time at Ruby's Inn wasn’t until 4:00, we had some time to kill. So, rather than go directly to Bryce Canyon, we passed the turnoff and drove another 11 miles west on Highway 12 to visit Red Canyon State Park, Bryce’s lesser known neighbor, which has some spectacular orange-red sandstone pinnacles, spires and hoodoos of its own.

For most people it’s just a quick stop along the side of the road to take a few photos, which is too bad, because it has a personality of its own with red sandstone spires and formations an even intenser red than you’ll find at Bryce.

Red Canyon State ParkWe didn’t have that much time, so we chose to hike the one-mile long Pink Ledges Trail, which starts from the far side of the Visitor Center parking lot.

It has some moderately steep sections as it climbs through a ponderosa pine forest past red sandstone hoodoos, alcoves, and other formations along the cliff.
.
By far my favorite was what looked like an adorable snowman, but rather than the white kind made of snow we are all familiar with, this one was bright red and made of sandstone, Sitting atop of rock surrounded by ponderosa pines. I almost missed him. He was adorable.

There are several other trails in the park and a state campground as well.

Travelogue

Big Stoney in all its majestyKodachrome Basin is another one of Utah’s incredible state parks. As with Goblin Valley, and the Boulder Mountain Lodge, I was very lucky to have gotten a last-minute reservation, allowing us to set a framework for our travels through Utah.

Although best known for its beautiful red rock, Utah’s parks have much more, and each park has its own unique geological features.

Kodachrome’s unique feature is its 67 multicolored rock spires, known as sand pipes, which appear nowhere else in the world.

Heading out on the Panaorama TrailGeologists believe that these sand pipes are solidified sediment that filled ancient geysers and springs and were left standing after the softer sandstone surrounding it eroded away. They vary in size from 6 feet to nearly 170 feet high and their colors vary from soft whites and yellows to more dramatic pinks and reds.

The most prominent and by far the most interesting sand pipe is the very large, anatomically correct, phallus-shaped one that overlooks the campground. And as if that wasn't amusing enough, its name is "Big Stoney."

Indian CaveThere are six hiking trails in the park, most of them less than 1 mile in length, except for the Panorama Trail, a 3-mile loop through what is probably the best and most varied scenery in the park.

Back in 2003 when we were here with our then 11 and 13-year-old sons, we mountain biked this trail. It’s the only trail in the park where mountain bikes are allowed. Well, today, we would revisit it, this time on foot and without kids. Wow! Twenty years. I still can’t believe that.

The scenery was amazing right from the start. We weren’t more than 100 yards from the trailhead before he came to a beautiful red-orange Entrada Sandstone rock formation with a large white chimney-like sand pipe rising from it.

Handprints on Indian CaveGeologists think that this was once a geothermal area with hot springs and geysers. After they stopped flowing, they filled with sand. These are the white spires (sand pipes) we were looking at today. They are composed of coarse sand, which is far more resistant to erosion than the overlying orange Entrada Sandstone, so that is why so many of them remain. It was amazing to think that this is the only place in the world where they can be found.

Already the hike was worthwhile and we had only gone 0.1 miles. At 0.3 miles we came to a fork and took a right, going the recommended counter-clockwise direction around the loop.

Ballerina SlipperAt 0.7 miles we came to Indian Cave, a small rock overhang just a short distance off the path. It was thought to have been inhabited by Native Americans.

The interesting feature of this cave was a row of handprints adorning the outside wall of the cave. These were very different from the pictograph 100 Hands we had seen earlier in the day. These were deep grooves (handprints) carved into the wall, which makes them a petroglyph rather than a pictograph. Some are very deep while others are just shallow indentations.

Teepee rocks in the Secret PassageThere was no signage explaining the handprints, so they might not have been made by Native Americans. In either case, they were very interesting.

The next feature of note along the trail was the Ballerina Slipper, a tall, graceful sand pipe, resembling a ballerina en pointe (fancy word for on her toes).

Next came the Hat Shop, a collection of hoodoos, one of which looked like it was wearing a baseball cap - a bit of a stretch.

Morning visit to Big StoneyAt around 1.5 miles we came to the “Secret Passage,” a 0.3-mile spur loop over a small slickrock divide between the high cliffs. I’m so glad we took this little spur trail, because one of the highlights of the entire hike was a collection of teepee-like rocks, so smooth and perfectly cone-shaped that they seemed man-made.

We skipped the additional side trails to Cool Cave and Panorama Point, which would have added another 3 miles to our hike.

Sunrise start on the Angel's Palace TrailIt was already around 5:00, and we were anxious to get back to the campground and settle in. It had been a very full day already, with the hike to the 100 Hands Pictograph, the drive down Hole-in-the Rock road to the Devil’s Garden, and now this.

So, all in all, a 3.75-mile hike with lots of great and varied scenery along the way.

The campground was very nice, 27 sites set in a natural amphitheater right by “Big Stoney.” Like Goblin Valley State Park, the bathrooms had wonderful showers, nicer than the one I have at home.

Entrada Sandstone along the Angel's Palace TrailI slept very well that night, listening to the patter of rain on the roof of the 4Runner. By morning the rain was gone and we had clear blue skies.

Before leaving the campground for another hike in the park, we took a stroll around the campground. I tried to climb up and get as close to Big Stoney as I could. He’s even bigger up close.

Along the Angel's Palace TrailThis morning, before leaving the park, we decided to hike the Angel’s Palace Trail, probably the second most popular hike in the park, after the Panorama Trail, which we did yesterday. The two trailheads are right across the road from each other.

The beginning of the hike was along a mostly flat sandy path. After about a quarter of a mile, we entered a small canyon lined with beautiful orange Entrada sandstone and began to climb for about 150 feet up the left-side wall of the canyon, eventually switchbacking over to the right.

Promontory out to an awesome viewThe trail flattens out as the top of a ridge and becomes somewhat hard to follow, so we just wandered wherever it looked interesting. We knew we would get lost because we had enough technology (Gaia, Strava, Google Maps) to land on the moon.

We eventually came to a short spur trail that led out to a long promontory overlooking the entire basin below. The trail out along the promontory was at least a sidewalk's width, so it shouldn’t be a problem unless you have a real fear of heights.

From the end of the promontory there was a great view of the entire basin below - Entrada badlands to the north, a cluster of small buttes and sand pipes to the south, and an extensive outcrop of red sandstone to the west.

Views from the Angel's Palace TrailPlus the rising sun was now illuminating the tops of the jagged formations to the west.

A lot of bang for our buck on a 1.66 mile hike with just a 260-foot elevation gain. What a great way to start the day!!

Kodachrome was originally supposed to be our last stop before heading home, 14 hours away. That was until we realized Bryce Canyon National Park was only a half hour away and along our route home. How can anyone pass up such an easy visit to Bryce.

So we checked the Lodge and the Campground in Bryce, but they were totally booked. So, we did the next best thing - book a room at Ruby’s Inn, the closest lodging to the park just a 3-mile drive to the Visitor Center. This would allow us to get into the park for both sunset and sunrise.

So what if we got home a day later. That's the good part (one of many) of being retired.

Travelogue

Notom Bullfrog Road and the Burr Trail

Along the Notom Bullfrog RoadAfter Cathedral Valley, we left the San Rafael Swell area and headed south along the Notom Bullfrog Road towards the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument area, another one of Utah’s many gems.

The Notom Bullfrog Road runs south from just west of Caineville through the lovely Strike Valley along the eastern boundary of Capitol Reef National Park, between the Henry Mountains and the Waterpocket Fold. It goes all the way to the Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell, but we only went as far as the turnoff for the Burr Trail switchbacks.

The scenery along the way was so unique and beautiful that we stopped several times along the way. The ranches set against the base of the Waterpocket Fold provided a lovely juxtaposition of man-made and natural beauty.

Burr Trail switchbacksAt 34 miles, we turned right towards Strike Valley and began our climb up the Burr Trail switchbacks, which although dirt, are doable in a 2WD car. However, they did climb 1,000 feet in a mile, so they were still pretty exciting. We stopped several times to gaze down at the tiny vehicles winding their way up the twists and turns of the switchbacks.

A short distance after the completion of the switchbacks, we came to the 3-mile spur road to the Strike Valley Overlook and the Upper Muley Twist trailhead. We did this hike in 2021 and it was absolutely incredible - probably one of the best hikes we have ever done. I highly recommend it. It is quite strenuous though - 10.7 miles with a 1,050 foot elevation gain, but the views along the way are worth every step of the way.

Atop the Burr Trail SwitchbacksBut we would pass on that today, as we had lots of stuff planned in the beautiful Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument area.

It was getting late in the afternoon though, so before venturing onto the Burr Trail, we decided to camp in the same spot we camped in 2021. This would allow us to enjoy the very scenic Burr Trail in morning light.

Since dispersed camping is not allowed in Capitol Reef National Park (or any national park), we drove a few miles past the Strike Valley Overlook turnoff until we hit asphalt, which told us we were now outside the boundaries of the Park, and camping was allowed. It wasn’t long before we found a nice spot in a pinyon forest.

Along the Burr TrailIt was getting late in the afternoon though, so before venturing onto the Burr Trail, we decided to camp in the same spot we camped in 2021. This would allow us to enjoy the very scenic Burr Trail in morning light.

Since dispersed camping is not allowed in Capitol Reef National Park (or any national park), we drove a few miles past the Strike Valley Overlook turnoff until we hit asphalt, which told us we were now outside the boundaries of the Park and on BLM land where camping is allowed.

Along the Burr TrailThen we made a right turn into a lovely pinyon forest. The last time we were here, we could drive pretty far into the forest, but so many trees were down that we could get too far. However, we did find a nice spot to spend the night.

Herb cooked up his go-to camping meal - Bratwurst and powdered Idahoan potatoes. We counted the guacamole we had with our blue chips as our vegetable.

Along the Burr TrailThe next morning, we left the pinyon forest to start our drive along the Burr Trail. We had already done the most exciting part of it when we came up the Burr Trail Switchbacks yesterday, but there was still much great scenery to be had on the remaining 30 miles to the town of Boulder.

The Burr Trail used to be an old Mormon track used to bring livestock from the high-altitudes of Boulder to the warmer grazing areas of the Waterpocket Fold. The country is still wild and remote, but in the 1980s, the old trail was paved right up to the boundary of Capitol Reef. Today it is strictly used for recreational purposes, and there is nary a sign of a Mormon or a cattle herd to be seen.

Along the Burr TrailThe nicest section of the drive is the last 10 miles or so through Long Canyon, which passes through sheer red sandstone cliffs covered with desert varnish.

The Burr Trail ends at the intersection of Highway 12, one of the most scenic roads in America, especially the section between the towns of Boulder, where we were no, and Escalante, where we were headed.

At the intersection is the lovely Boulder Mountain Lodge where we would be staying tonight. I was so excited. We stayed here in 2021 and it was awesome. But first, a short drive down Scenic Byway 12 and a hike to the Lower Calf Creek Falls.

Lower Calf Creek Falls Hike

Heading out on the Lower Calf Creek Falls TrailHowever, we were too early to check in, so we drove 12 miles south on Highway 12 to the Lower Calf Creek Falls Trailhead, a hike I have wanted to do since we first came to Utah almost 20 years ago.

This is a very popular hike, so we were very lucky to get the last parking spot by the trailhead. In fact, it is considered by many to be the most rewarding short hike in Utah, which, if you’ve spent any time in Utah, is very high praise indeed.

We took one of the leaflets at the trailhead that had descriptions of various numbered stops along the way. We were most interested seeing the Rock Art at Stop #8.

I want my trekking poles!The trail begins at the Lower Calf Creek Falls Campground and crosses a sandy stretch, before going up a side drainage, before dropping down some sandstone ledges to a few feet of the creek.

We were so distracted by the beautiful red Navajo Sandstone canyon we were in, that we forgot to look up high above on the canyon ledges where there were several granaries built by the ancient Fremont Culture that inhabited Utah from AD 700 to AD 1300 (#5 if we had been paying attention to our pamphlet).

Lower Calf Creek FallsSometimes the trail got pretty rocky and I wished I had my trekking poles.

When we got to signpost #9, we realized we missed Stop #8 - the Pictographs, so we vowed to not miss them on the way back.

As we got nearer to the falls, the canyon narrowed and there was some welcome shade. The desert varnish on the canyon walls became even more noticeable - a nice contrast with the green of the tall grasses and the cottonwood trees.

Lower Calf Creek FallsAnother thing that happened as we got closer to the falls were several people telling us that we were in for a real treat up ahead, which I assumed referred to the waterfall.

After crossing a small meadow, we arrived at the plunge pool where the 126-foot-high falls poured down the streaked, moss-covered wall. This was probably one of the prettiest falls I have ever seen, and we’ve seen a lot.

There were about a dozen or so people there hanging out on the nice sandy beach, politely taking their turns posing in front of the falls.

We must have stayed there enjoying the falls for over an hour before returning the way we came.

Fremont PictographDetermined to not miss the Pictographs again, we kept our eye out for Signpost #8. They were hard to find at first, but there they were, across the canyon at the base of a smooth cliff face streaked with desert varnish - three large, human-like figures painted with red pigment, wearing headdresses and holding hands.

Their trapezoidal shape and elaborate headdresses are typical of Fromont-style rock art. They were probably created by the Fremont people, who lived in this area from about 700 – 1300 AD.

The entire hike was about 6-miles round-trip, with about a 530-foot elevation gain. It was worth every sandy, rocky step of the way.

Boulder Mountain Lodge and the Hell’s Backbone Grill

Boulder Mountain LodgeWe were very excited about returning to the Boulder Mountain Lodge, which we had discovered two years ago on a road trip to Utah.

It is set in the middle of Utah’s red rock canyon country at the intersection of two of the most beautiful roads in Utah - the Burr Trail and Scenic Byway 12 - making it a perfect base camp for exploring the Grand Staircase-Escalante area.

Boulder Mountain Lodge is an unexpected oasis of tranquility and comfort, overlooking an 11-acre bird sanctuary. This nationally recognized luxury lodge provides everything for a fabulous getaway - spacious rooms, intimate ambiance, unparalleled views, fine dining, and an impressive array of services and amenities.

Our balcony at Boulder Mountain LodgeAfter so many nights of camping, it was like an oasis of comfort and tranquility. But first, I was very much looking forward to a shower.
We were very lucky to have been able to reserve a room, because the Lodge is extremely popular and often books up years in advance. When I was still waffling back and forth about going on this trip with Herb so soon after our return from Vancouver Island, I went onto the Boulder Mountain Lodge website and checked availability for every day that we could possibly be here. There was only one night, and it was surprisingly for a Saturday, so I immediately booked it and the decision was finalized - I would accompany Herb on this spur of the moment Utah trip.

Dinner Time!We had Room #12 on the second floor of the main building with a balcony looking out over an 11-acre bird sanctuary. The very first act, after a shower of course, was sitting in the adirondack chairs on the balcony with a glass of wine.

I also made dinner reservations for 7:15 at the award winning Hell’s Backbone Grill, located on the premises - a culinary experience not to be missed.

Lolo and her Hellfire MargaritaI was worried when I read that they had hired a new chef in March, because we really were impressed by the food the last time we were here. But no need to worry, as an award-winning chef named Tamara Stanger was taking over the kitchen, but still working with Jen Castle, and Blake Spalding, the two women that originally founded the restaurant over two decades ago.

Sanger plans to continue following their Buddhist principles of commitment to sustainability, environmental ethics, and community responsibility. Much of their produce is grown on their six acre farm and their meat comes from local ranchers.

It was very hard to believe that we were in Utah, in the town of Boulder (population of 226), one of the most remote towns in America.
I had the Steelhead trout with rice and organic vegetables and a fancy Hellfire Margarita. Herb had a very large pork chop with mashed potatoes and organic vegetables plus a Highway 12 Old Fashion.

Needless to say, the food was delicious, the service impeccable, and the ambience lovely.

Tonight was certainly a contrast to our nights camping out in some very remote and beautiful places. However, Life is full of contrasts, and it is those contrasts that make things special. The totally different experiences of those nights in the wild and our cushy night tonight of fine dining enhanced our experience of each of them.

100 Hands Pictograph Panel

100 Hands Pictograph is up there somewhereTonight we had camping reservations at Kodachrome Basin Campground - another lucky grab before heading out on this trip, so we had the whole day to explore while driving south on beautiful Scenic Byway 12.

Our first stop was to see the 100 Hands Pictographs, located just above the Escalante River Trailhead, right along Highway 12.

From the parking area, we crossed the road and picked up the well-used social trail on the other side, which parallels the north property line of a private property. The pictographs are known to be a bit difficult to find, but that’s half the fun.

We could see the 100 Hands pictograph on the flat face of the large rock formation above us. Now we just had to get there. It did involve some scrambling over rock ledges to get to the base of the cliff.

Bighorn Sheep panelThe first panel we came to was the Bighorn Sheep Panel. We were shocked to see that some vandals actually tried to saw the panels off the wall. No wonder some people frown upon disclosing the location of ancient pictographs and petroglyphs. There are too many idiots out there to do harm to these irreplaceable gems.

Actually, I think the Bighorn Sheep panel is a petroglyph, not a pictograph. The difference between a petroglyph and a pictograph is that a petroglyph is an image carved, incised or scratched into stone, while pictograph is a painting on stone, using natural pigments.

100 Hands PictographFrom there, we continued left along the cliff base constantly looking up for the 100 Hands Panel. It wasn’t too far before we found it, 30 feet above us on the cliff face. It was very cool. I wonder how the Fremont artists got up there to do this.

Unlike the Bighorn Sheep panel, this was a pictograph, because those hands were not carved but painted on using natural pigments, like the ones we saw on our hike to Lower Calf Creek falls yesterday.

After leaving, I realized I forgot to count them. I guess I could zoom in on the photo and count, but I’ll let it remain a mystery.

Devil's Garden along the Hole-in-the-Wall Road

Herb at Kiva KoffeehouseOnce we clambered back down to our car, we drove less than a mile down the road to the Kiva Koffeehouse, a favorite stop of ours in the past.

This is not just your ordinary coffee shop, but a work of art. This beautiful building was built in 1998 by Brasdshaw Bowman and his family. His vision was to create a beautiful building that blended harmoniously into the landscape of Southern Utah using natural building materials. Well, he succeeded and now people flock to this place, not just for the wonderful coffee and pastries, but to enjoy the incredible setting.

Devil's GardenWe sat there having our coffee overlooking the red and white striated sandstone rock formations that we had grown so accustomed to over the past week. Then we grabbed some sandwiches to go and headed back down Highway 12 for 9 miles, before turning right onto the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, a 106-mile (out-and-back) rough dirt road that starts near the town of Escalante and goes all the way to Lake Powell. Except for the last 7 miles, which gets very rough, it can usually be driven by high-clearance 2WD vehicles.

Devil's GardenIt's an historical trail that retraces the route taken in 1879 by a party of 230 Mormons, 83 wagons, and 1,000 cattle, who were sent out to build a settlement on the San Juan River.

53-miles into what was already a rough journey, they came to the top of a cliff, with a narrow and steep crevice leading at a 25 to 45 degree angle down to what is now the Escalante Arm of Lake Powell 2,000 feet below. It wasn’t a lake then, but part of the Colorado River.

Devil's GardenThat crevice became known as the Hole-in-the-Rock, and we have seen it from the water when boating in Lake Powell. Staring up at that steep crevice, I had a hard time imagining how they had accomplished this amazing feat. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to come down that, especially with wagons and cattle.

The pioneers spent the entire winter working on the crack, slowly enlarging the opening with only pick axes, shovels, and small supplies of blasting powder.

Finally, on January 26, 1880, the expedition slowly made its way down the precarious “road” where a ferry had been built to get them across to the eastern side of the Colorado River where there was a route for them to continue on.

Devil's GardenUnbelievable. Never again will I complain about road conditions of any kind.

This is a road we very much wanted to do in its entirety someday (not the river crossing part), but for today we would have to satisfy ourselves with just the first 12 miles to get to the Devil’s Garden.

I felt kind of wimpy in our comfortable 4Runner, with the air conditioning going and sandwiches from Kiva Koffeehouse in our frig, driving just the first 12.5 miles of the road.

Devil's GardenThe Devil’s Garden was pretty awesome, a wonderland of Navajo Sandstone hoodoos, domes, narrow passages and small arches, all in beige and brown, just ready to turn red in the golden hour. Instead we had to make due with the harsh late morning light, but it still was a delight to visit.

There are no marked trails, so we just wandered around as we pleased, sometimes passing the same hoodoo several times. My favorite was the ones that looked like ice cream cones, or maybe I just thought that because it was so hot.

Definitely a worthwhile stop, and there are so many other beautiful places to see further along on the Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Maybe next time.

Travelogue

Temple of the SunCathedral Valley is a separate district of Capitol Reef National Park, located just north of Highway 24 between Torrey and Hanksville.

It is a scarcely visited, remote, rugged region of eroded colorful buttes and pinnacles that rise high above a flat desert plain - similar to Monument Valley.

The lack of crowds is probably due to the fact that driving the loop requires a 4WD with high ground clearance, and the road conditions are constantly changing based on the weather.

Lolo climbing Glass MountainThe park recommends that you drive the 57.6-mile loop in a clockwise direction, starting with the Fremont River crossing, so that you get that done at the very beginning, rather than drive the whole way around from the other direction, only to find you can’t cross the river at the end. That is what we did in 2021,

However, because of yesterday's heavy rain storm that closed down Highway 24 for several hours after the Fremont River overflowed its banks, we didn't think it was a good idea to cross the Fremont River at all.

Selenite (Gypsum) crystals on Glass MountainPlus the section of the loop after the river crossing is the beautiful Bentonite Hills, but bentonite turns into a slippery, gooey mess when wet.

So, instead of doing a loop, we decided to go counter-clockwise, starting at Caineville Road, 12.7-miles east of the Fremont River crossing. Ironically, this was the road we came out on yesterday afternoon when fleeing from the thunderstorm that hit when we were climbing up on the west side of Factory Butte.

Upper Cathedral ValleyFrom the Whispering Sands Hotel, where we were staying, it was an 18-mile drive west on Highway 24 to Caineville Road and the start of the Cathedral Valley Loop.

Just when we turned onto Caineville Road, I realized we left a nice half bottle of Chardonnay and my yogurt in the hotel frig. Oh well, the cleaning person was going to be very happy.

We headed north for 2 miles before bearing left to continue on the Cathedral Valley loop. It was hard to not keep pulling over, because the scenery was beautiful.

Upper Cathedral Valley LookoutAt about 17 miles, we turned left into the short spur road to the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon, probably Cathedral Valley’s most iconic monoliths.

Unlike the monoliths we would see in the rest of Cathedral Valley, these monoliths have lost their protective gray caps of Curtis Formation sandstone. This means that they are eroding pretty rapidly, in geological terms anyway. Up close, the face of them looks a bit like flowing mud. That’s because in some way, it actually is. When there is a heavy enough rainstorm, the surface actually turns into mud and oozes down, hardening again when things dry.

Upper Cathedral Valley OvelookBoth the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon consist of fine-grained sandstone and siltstone in shades of red to reddish-orange. The color is the result of tiny amounts of hematite (an iron oxide) and other iron-bearing minerals.

Before heading to the Glass Mountain parking lot, we stopped in the middle of the road to admire the Temple of the Sun up close. To really get a sense of their size, you need to get right up to their base. They are huge. The Temple of the Sun rises 422 feet and the Temple of the Moon 265 feet from the valley floor.

Upper Cathedral Valley OvelookWe continued on to the turnout for Glass Mountain, from which you can photograph all three mountains in a diagonal line.

The Glass Mountain is a bit of a geological curiosity composed of large selenite (gypsum) crystals forming a mound, or plug, about 15 feet high. I overheard a guide explain to his group that it goes deep underground - I think he said about 60 meters.

I’m no geologist, but I tried to research how it formed. About 165 million years ago, the gypsum was deposited here from evaporating seawater. As it got buried by subsequent layers of sediment, the lower-density gypsum moved slowly upward along fractures in the sediment, forming small domes like Glass Mountain.

Upper South Desert OverlookSince gypsum is a slightly soluble mineral, precipitation will eventually (over a very long time) dissolve Glass Mountain and create a sinkhole.

Pretty awesome. So I climbed to the top of it. It was really easy because the selenite crystals were easy to grab onto. I like to rock climb and I would grade this as a very easy climb. From the top, there was an awesome view of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon with the selenite crystals in the foreground.

Upper South Desert OverlookWithin the bounds of Cathedral, camping is restricted to the one first-come, first-served primitive campground near Upper Cathedral Valley, which has only 6 campsites, so we needed to get there in time to secure one, so we could enjoy the valley lookouts during the golden hour, both in the evening and at sunrise. The Upper Cathedral Valley is considered one of the most beautiful spots in Utah, and that’s saying a lot.

When leaving the Temple of the Sun area, we pretty much drove the 15 miles to the campground without stopping much along the way, as tempting as it was.

Success! This time, for whatever reason, there was only one other person camping there, so we secured a site and just relaxed there for a while until the golden hour approached.

Sunrise over the Upper Cathedral ValleyAround 4:00, we drove the short distance to the Upper Cathedral Valley Lookout where from the edge of the plateau we could look out over the entire Upper Cathedral Valley in all its splendor.

The monoliths in the Valley looked like the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon in that they were a reddish-orange sandstone, but these still had their gray-green caps of Curtis Formation sandstone, slowing down their erosion.

There was a very cool outcrop to walk out onto. Looking out at Herb on it, I could see that he was standing on the gray-green cap rock with the softer reddish-orange sandstone below. I was beginning to feel like a geologist.

Sunrise at the Upper Cathedral Valley LookoutAfterwards we drove the short distance to the Upper South Desert Overlook for even more spectacular views, this time out over the Upper South Desert with its lovely greens and browns.

What a beautiful evening!

Back at the campsite, we had Thai food - Mountain House Pad Thai with chicken. It actually wasn’t bad.

The next morning, we arose before sunset and headed back out to the Upper Cathedral Valley Lookout for a spectacular sunrise that painted the surrounding cliffs a brilliant red.

Sunrise at the Upper Cathedral Valley OverlookI always complain to Herb that we never have photos of the both of us on our trips, so he went to the trouble of setting up a tripod to photograph both of us on an outcrop looking out over the valley. He had to run to get into the picture in time. There are some funny outtakes of the near misses.

It was pretty stunning.

From there we drove the 30 miles back from whence we came, stopping briefly at the Temple of the Sun and Moon, to Highway 24.

From there we would begin our journey south along the Notom Bullfrog Road to the Burr Trail.

Travelogue

Factory Butte in the morningOn our way to Moonscape Overlook yesterday, we had passed right by Factory Butte on our left, not because it is unworthy of a stop, but on the contrary, it is worth an entire day of exploration.

It is the most recognizable feature in the area, a cathedral-like sandstone hill, set on a wide, flat badlands plateau, surrounded by a sea of Mancos Shale. It is this shale that gives the area its unique appearance of colorful ripples, root-like combs, and crags that you see so often in the foreground of Factory Butte photos.

Factory ButteIt is best shot at sunrise, but we were too busy photographing the badlands from the Moonscape Overlook. Too bad you can only be at one place at a time for sunrise. Maybe tomorrow morning, as we planned to camp somewhere near the Butte.

Since we camped at the Moonscape Overlook last night, it was a short drive directly west. It’s very hard to miss as it pretty much dominates the landscape, rising to 6,302 feet above a lunar-like badlands.

Factory ButteIf you haven’t camped and are coming from Hanksville, just follow the same directions we described for the Moonscape Overlook. Drive 10.6 miles west on Utah 24, and then turn right onto Coal Mine Road (also called Factory Butte Road). From there drive about 5.5 miles on the dirt road for a turnoff.

We had missed the morning golden hour, but the Butte was still pretty amazing. Today, we would drive around the entire Butte, attacking it from every angle.

Lolo trying to find a way across the ravineThe southern end of Factory Butte is actually an OHV area, so there were lots of dune buggy tracks across the plateau, going in every direction. I was just glad there was none zipping about today, as it would have very much destroyed a very peaceful setting.

Up until then, we had been following what was an obviously established dirt road, but then we went off-off-road a bit and followed their tracks.

Continuing on along our circumnavigation of Factory Butte, going north along its eastern side, we turned left onto a dirt road that Gaia showed that would bring us very close to the Butte. We followed it, hoping we would get some interesting foreground, but the road that Gaia indicated led us to a deep ravine, uncrossable by any vehicle.

Factory ButteI got out of the car and crossed it on foot, looking for a possible way we could get across. Meanwhile, I saw Herb start driving the car alongside the ravine, looking for me, but I was pretty deep in there. Eventually, I found a shallower spot to climb out of, but had to report that there was no way to get the car across.

Oh well. Gaia is usually really good, but conditions do change, so back out to the main road we went.

Along the drive around Factory ButteWe continued our counter-clockwise drive around the Butte, starting to think about places to camp for the night. This would break our usual camp 2 nights, stay in a hotel 1 night rule, which Herb has implemented to keep me happy, but I was game, especially because the Goblin Valley Campground had a nice shower.

We rounded the northern end of the Butte and started heading south along its western side, looking for the spot that Herb had marked on Gaia as a possibly good vantage point of Factory Butte’s west side. When we got there, we couldn’t even see the Butte. Then we realized that the steep hill of dirt and shale to our left was blocking us, and the Butte was hiding on the other side.

West side of Factory ButteSo, we got out of the car and started scrambling up the hill. As we neared the top, the threatening-looking clouds behind us that had been building towards the west got even more ominous, and we saw our first lightning bolt and shortly (too shortly for my comfort) afterwards the thunder clap.

Let’s get out of here, Herb said as he started scrambling back down the hill. I was still on my way up, only about 20 yards from the top, so I somewhat foolishing continued up and took a photo. Ironically, the skies over the Butte were blue with nice puffy clouds, but when I turned around to start heading back down to the car, it was a very different situation.

Storm's comingI ran as fast as I could down the slippery shale, seeing two more lightning strikes on my way. I was so happy to finally reach the safety of the car before it started to rain pretty hard.

Although we were safe in the car, our problems weren’t over yet, because it’s not good to be driving in an area prone to flash floods, especially when you have to cross several washes. We looked at Gaia and figured we had about 8 miles to drive to get back to the safety of the asphalt of Highway 24. No time to waste, so we high-tailed it out of there as fast as we could.

Safe and sound at the Whispering Sands HotelSo much for camping tonight. That’s what happens for trying to break the 2 nights camping, 1 night hotel rule.

When we got out to Highway 24, we turned right (west) through Capitol Reef towards Torrey where we thought we would spend the night. Our plans, however, were thwarted when the Fremont River decided to flood the entire road, closing it for hours.

We had no choice but to head back east to Hanksville to hopefully find a place for the night. Luckily, we got the last room at the Whispering Sands Hotel, and who should be there but our good friends Kevin and Mark, sitting in front of their cabin? Didn’t we just see them this morning at the Moonscape sunrise? Obviously, we were traveling in the same circles.

Herb and the DukeThis would be the third time we crossed trails. They were going out later that night to do some night sky photography and asked us if we wanted to come along, but we declined, as we had already had a very long day, and we were looking forward to a shower and a nice glass of wine on our fancy porch.

Plus, we had a night out on the town planned at Duke’s Slickrock Grill. Fortunately, for being the only game in town the food was really good and the portions were very large (Kevin and Mark loved this place), but it was a bit heavy on the meat and light on the vegetable options to support a sustainable healthy lifestyle.

So as they say that Hanksville is a really, really nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here.

Travelogue

Excited Herb at the Moonscape OverlookAfter the Mars Desert Research Station and Long Dong Silver, we drove back on Cow Dung Road to Highway 24 and went east about 7 miles or so before turning right onto the bumpy, dirt Coal Mine Road (also called Factory Butte Road) to get to Factory Butte and the Moonscape Overlook (also called Skyline Rim Overlook).

There are no signs on these roads indicating where anything is, so we had to rely on Google Maps and Gaia to get where we wanted to go.

After driving about 6 miles on Coal Mine Road, Gaia indicated that we should turn right (east) to get to the Skyline Rim Overlook, ignoring the fact that Factory Butte was on our left. Herb and I were confused, as we thought the overlook was going to overlook Factory Butte.

Moonscape OverlookWe followed Gaia’s instructions and drove east, but saw nothing but a flat expanse ahead of us. In about 2 miles we came to the end of the road, where we found ourselves perched on the edge of a cliff, looking out over an expanse of badlands, known as the Blue Valley, below us and the Henry Mountains in the distance. It was mind blowing.

There was only one other car there, but no visible passenger anywhere. Not sure where they could have possibly gone as there was no way from here to get down into the badlands.

Looking at Herb’s face, I knew this is where we were going to camp for the night.

Moonscape OverlookWe set out our chairs to settle in for the evening here, and Herb set his tripod up on one of the outcrops over the badlands. Then we sat and watched the light change and took some photos of this breathtaking scenery. .

The light was good, but we knew it was going to be even better in the morning.

We crawled into the back of the 4Runner to get some sleep. The only other vehicle was still empty. Kind of mysterious.

Happy Herb camping at MoonscapeThe next morning, before we even got up, we saw several headlights headed our way. By the time we got out of the 4Runner, over a dozen cars were pouring into our little secluded paradise.

Realizing that it was a photo tour group, Herb quickly went out and set up his tripod, claiming the vantage point he wanted for sunrise. We felt we had earned it. Afterall, we slept here all night while all these people were probably in a hotel room.

Happy Herb in the morningBut who should we see among the newly-arrived crowd then our friends Kevin and Mark, the two night-sky photographers that we had met at the Goblin Valley Observation Point just last night.

It felt like we were meeting old friends as we shared what we each had done that day and what we had photographed.

Then we got down to business, watching the sun light up the badlands in all their splendor. And we didn’t even have coffee yet!

Moonscape in the morningThere were photographers scattered on every outcrop. Some idiots were even climbing up on a precarious narrow spire to take selfies of themselves. You couldn’t pay me enough to risk that for a photo. What a difference from last night when we had the whole place to ourselves.

Once the sun was up, people started getting back in their cars and driving back towards Factory Butte. Just as quickly as they came, they were gone, and we once again had this lovely place to ourselves.

After a quick breakfast, we got back in the 4Runner and started driving west back towards Factory Butte, with the intention of driving around the entire thing, seeing it from all vantage points.

Travelogue

Angel of DeathHerb loves watching YouTube videos of places we are going to, and he often goes down a rabbit hole and finds new points of interest. This is how while watching videos about Factory Butte, he found out about the nearby Lone Spire (cleverly named “Long Dong Silver” by rock climbers).

With a name like that, we definitely had to see it. To drive to it requires a high-clearance 4WD, which fortunately is our means of travel these days for this very reason.

I’ll try to give directions, but it is much easier to simply put “Lone Spire” into Google Maps and it will navigate you there. Also, we use Gaia, which has a lot more details on remote 4wd trails.

Parking for the hike up to Long Dong SilverIn case you have no coverage, from Hanksville, drive west on Highway 24 for 10.6 miles and turn right onto Coal Mine Road (also called Factory Butte Road). From there we drove about 4 miles north and then turned right onto Factory Bench Road. After another 2 miles, we made another right.

If you don’t have a 4WD, you can hike directly there from Highway 24. We didn’t do this, but I think you can drive about 7.5 miles west on 24 from Hanksville and park on the side of the road. From there, I believe it is a 1.8-mile hike north up a wash to the spire.

Long (and Short) Dong SilverAlong our drive, we stopped at another spire that Herb had learned about on YouTube, called Angel of Death, also named by rock climbers who are known to give very colorful names to rocks they climb.

The Angel of Death rose 80 feet from a dirt mound. Behind it was a huge mass of rock colored in the same deep browns with lighter tan horizontal lines across it. I wish I knew geology better, but I do know that these lines are strata, and they tell the story of the rock. Each distinct layer shows a change in the landscape going back millions of years.

It definitely looked like the Angel of Death was once part of the massive block of rock behind it, but erosion must have separated it some time along the way, possibly millions of years ago.

Little Lolo on Long DongWe continued onto Long Dong Silver and parked the 4Runner at the base of another massive brown with tan striped rock formation, similar to the one by Angel of Death.

Like Angel of Death, Long Dong Silver was located atop a dirt mound and had the same brown and tan strata lines.

From the car, we walked up the hill, but rather than walk towards the spire, we went left and climbed up a very steep section of trail to another large block of the same kind of rock. From this vantage point, we could see that there were actually two spires, the 100-foot-high Long Dong, and its shorter side-kick (Short Dong Silver?), about a third the size.

Herb's photo vantage pointIn landscape photography, it is difficult to get a sense of scale of an object if there is nothing in the photo that you do know the size of. That’s where I come in. I appear in hundreds of Herb’s photos as a tiny little object, displaying my insignificance in nature. I don’t mind though - not the insignificant part but the exercise.

So, for the next hour I got a good workout, walking back and forth between the spire and the steep mound where Herb had set up a tripod. I am such a good wife.

Lolo and the Angel of DeathAfter looking at the photos later that evening, Herb saw some missed opportunities, so we actually went back again two days later on our way to Cathedral Valley

On that return trip out here, I also got out of the car at Angel of Death and climbed up to its base, which wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

Herb calls me his supermodel - his very tiny supermodel.

Travelogue

Bentonite Hills on the way to the MDRSWe left Hanksville and drove west on Utah 24 for about 3.5 miles before turning right onto Cow Dung Road. From there we drove about 7 miles through the incredible red and white bentonite hills before coming to the Mars Desert Research Station.

These colorful hills are formed of mud, silt, sand and volcanic ash deposited in swamps and lakes in the Jurassic Period. Their surface is like popcorn and becomes an impassible, sticky mess when rained on, so we had to be sure we kept our eyes on the weather.

It felt like we were on Mars. In fact, it was chosen for field research because of its similarities to the red planet. So much so that it was used as the setting of the fictional planet Vulcan in the 2009 film Star Trek.

Mars Desert Research StationBuilt and managed by the Mars Society, it is one of only four simulated Mars habitats in the words being used to simulate the hardships and challenges that pioneers would face in a potential colonization of Mars.

Although not allowed on the grounds, we could see several of the buildings. The two-story, eight-meter cylindrical one is called the “Habitat,” also known as “Hab.”

Astronauts and research crews spend two weeks at a time living in Hab. To most realistically simulate the Martian environment, they wear space suits and carry walkie talkies whenever they step outside Hab.

Painted Hills beyond the MDRSIt would have been so cool to see astronauts wandering around the bentonite hills, but I later learned that they are only here from October to May - I guess because of the heat.

From the MDRS, we continued driving north on Cow Dung Road for 4 miles to an area called the Painted Hills, marked on Google with a photo icon meaning it’s photogenic. It certainly was.

I don’t know how to describe it other than to say there were white rock pedestals topped with a slanted golden rock boulder. I wish I knew how they were formed and what kind of rock they were, but I don’t. They were beautiful to look at though.