Route 12 Scenic Highway Bryce To Capitol Reef

13^th May

 

On the move again up to Capitol Reef National Park.  Everything was against us from making an early start; just as we were about to pull out of the camping space Paul looked round from his driver’s seat and spotted a nose and whiskers making a dash up the outside steps (not the usual mouse he is used to seeing)…….. he made an attempt to catch it but it disappeared up a ventilation grill. Then we spent 30 minutes at the dump station and filled up with propane.  Then we spent 45 minutes in the petrol station as 4 (only 4!) cars were also filling up – how they took so much time to fill up, pay, clean windscreens etc was beyond belief!

We had been advised the National Park campground filled up by lunch time and we knew we wouldn’t get to the Park until later in the day, so we booked ahead to spend the night in Torrey.  Just as well as the 115 mile drive took us over 5 hours! 

The scenic drive was absolutely fabulous; we had

to keep stopping to admire the views.

Route 12 took us through the western edge of Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument.   

The road was twisty and steep in places.  At one point, outside the town of Boulder, we were down to 10mph as the RV slowly climbed up to 9600ft, we nearly had to stop and take the car off.   I dread to think of the mpg we were getting on this route.

14^th May – Capitol Reef National Park

We left the campground before 10am to get a place at the campsite in the National Park. 

 

This Park preserves the “Water-pocket Fold” which is described as a giant buckle in the Earth’s crust created millions of years ago and stretches over 100 miles.  It is a jumble of colourful cliffs, massive domes, monoliths, arches, spires and twisting canyons.  Red, gold, cream and even chocolate coloured rocks. 
There are ancient Petroglyphs and some old buildings from the Mormon pioneers who populated this area from the late 1800s.

 

Fortunately we managed to get one of the last spaces by 10.30.  It is a lovely peaceful place positioned next to a creek with orchards and horses in the fields.  So we sat the rest of the day gazing up at the mountains and admiring the views enjoying a good rest after the strenuous hikes in Bryce.  It was surprising the number of people arriving despite the “Campground full” signs out on the main road at the visitors centre, and yet they still drove the mile down to ask if there was any room at the camp site.

Shortly after our evening meal a London Bus turned up!  We couldn’t believe it – just like the film Summer Holiday (Cliff Richard fans will remember that one).  Two lads from London had converted the bus, shipped it over, and were now travelling around USA.  We had a chat with them and although there was no room for them that night they came back the next day.

That evening we were all entertained by one of the Volunteers telling Native Indian stories at her campsite, whilst some Mule deer wandered around the campground.

 

 

15^th May – Fern’s Nipple …… and Cohab Canyon Trail

We set off on a trail straight out of the campsite.  After a quick gain of elevation, up a steep slope above the campground, the trail levelled out into the Cohab canyon.  The rocks were full of holes – like gorgonzola cheese. 

We went into a couple of side canyons and also up to the Overlook View Point which looked down on the road and where the old Mormon settlement would have been.  We then carried along the Frying Pan trail to a point where we sat and had lunch – with Fern’s Nipple (7065ft) in the distance.

On the trail we came across a squirrel taking bark from a tree. We followed it to his den and watched it disappear. He came out again a few minutes later and went back to the same tree to collect more bark. 

   

The evening program was about the Apollo Landings with photographic story boards. Unfortunately a cloudy sky prevented the telescope from being used to view the moon. 

16^th May – Capitol Gorge

We took the car down the paved, 16-mile round trip, Scenic Drive.  After lunch at the picnic site at the end of the paved section we drove the car down the unpaved track of Capitol Gorge Road.  It basically follows the dried up wash that would take water from flash flooding.  Local people had  
cleared the road of boulders back in the 1920s.

We drove to the busy parking lot and then continued on foot down the gorge, which was relatively flat, between the sheer cliff walls that were coloured red, gold and cream.  Some areas were striped whilst others had swirling colours on the rocks.  There were places where slabs of rock had broken off and slipped down from the face of the cliffs.   

We passed the ‘Pioneers Register’ which was a rock face where people had carved their names since the 1880s ie “antique graffiti”? 

We then climbed up to “The Tanks” which were rock pools of water coming down from the mountains.  They were quite a surprise in what would otherwise be a barren environment; some of the pools looked pretty deep.  They capture rainfall from storms and are a vital resource of water for wildlife in this desert region.

 


 

17^th May – Oh oh, car problems …..

We took a trip into Torrey for shopping and to try to find a wifi signal (with limited success).  We started off OK but when we stopped we could not turn off the engine – the key was stuck in the ignition and would not turn off!  The only thing we could do was take a fuse out from under the bonnet.  We could still start the car engine but not turn it off, nor take the key out to lock the car!  Ooops!  Perhaps the jolting on the dirt track yesterday had not done the internal mechanism any good?  Luckily we found a guy in a garage who could order the part in over the weekend, with a view to fixing it on Monday morning.  That meant we had to stay at Capitol Reef over the weekend – not a great hardship.

On the way into town we picked up a young lad hitch-hiking; not something we have ever done before but he didn’t look like his back-pack had an axe in it.  He had spent the night back-country camping in the park and was off to Bryce Canyon.

We spent a quiet afternoon back at camp and then were treated to another story telling evening; with over 40 campers listening in.

18^th May – Fremont River Trail

As we did not want to risk driving the car any further than necessary, we stayed near the campsite and hiked a trail which followed the Fremont River, next to the campsite, and up to an Overlook.  It was only a 3 mile round trip so we were back in the camp site for a lazy afternoon in the sun. Paul then decided to run up the same trail we had walked in the morning. (never again he said) first good run in nearly nine months.

 

The evening program was Astrology and covered the Mars Missions and other planetary exploration missions.

 
 

19^th May – Sunday

We wandered around other parts of the old Mormon settlement; blacksmiths shop, school house, farmhouse. Paul went fishing in the afternoon.  The evening program was on Geology.

We have enjoyed watching the wildlife here; chipmunks, squirrels, bats, and once a marmot in the distance.  The Mule deer come to the campground every evening and there are lots of American Robins collecting worms for their young.

The site is surrounded by Cottonwood trees and in the breeze the cotton-like seeds blow everywhere – it is as if it were snowing.  
 

The Park has kept the farming spirit by creating fruit orchards and in the Fall visitors can pick the fruit.  There are two retired couples who are Park Volunteer hosts. They park their RVs for free, with full hook-up and are each paid $7.50 per day, for up to 4 days a week.  At such a lovely spot this is a great way to spend a few months.