Carol writes: In the past few weeks, we have met many Americans and several Europeans who have told us they are “doing the MIGHTY 5.” The MIGHTY 5 refers to the ultimate vacation road trip to southern Utah’s five most popular national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion.
We did not plan to visit all five parks but instead decided to limit our journey to the two we have explored the least—Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef.
After two weeks at Bryce Canyon, we turned north and made our next “home” at a small family-run campground in Torrey, Utah, just on the doorstep of Capitol Reef. Seeing the Wonderland RV Park trees in full bloom in mid-May reminded me of the old saying: “No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn.” The weather of the coming week would test that wisdom…
Capitol Reef National Park is located in Utah’s south-central desert. A geologic wrinkle in the earth’s crust called the Waterpocket Fold traverses the park for 100 miles north to south. Here, geologic forces shaped, lifted, and folded the earth on the Colorado Plateau, creating the wonderfully rugged American treasure known as Capitol Reef. The park derived its name from the giant rock formations that early visitors thought resembled the US Capitol building,
and from the sheer cliffs that presented a formidable barrier to travel, much like a barrier reef in an ocean.
The geologic story at Capitol Reef was one whose headline would simply read: “WATER.” The sequence of events required three steps: deposition, uplift, and erosion.
During a wet environment period that lasted over a period of 200 million years, sediments were deposited in a massive lake system that existed over the four corners area of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. This was followed by a period of tectonic plate movement which created uplift of approximately 2 miles, thus forming the Colorado Plateau. Over the next 20 million years, the erosive forces of water and gravity worked on these sediments of the past and created the serpentine canyons, soaring monoliths, and massive domes of Capitol Reef.
The Mormon pioneer saga was a big part of human history at Capitol Reef. The park service has nicely preserved the tiny Mormon frontier town of Fruita, which was established in the 1880s at the confluence of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek. Here, Mormon settlers farmed the fertile land that was adjacent to the river. Approximately 3000 fruit trees that were part of the historic orchards planted by these early settlers have been preserved and maintained by the park service. Oh, how neat it would be to visit when the fruit is ready to pick…
Erratic spring weather played havoc with our visit at Capitol Reef. We experienced few sunny days and had lots of rain, snow and sleet across the pastoral setting outside our front windshield.
At the first bit of sun, we grabbed the opportunity to explore Capitol Gorge Wash, a popular hike through a narrows used by early Mormon pioneers as the main travel corridor through the Waterpocket Fold.
Some spots were just wide enough for a wagon…
At the Pioneer Register in Capitol Gorge Wash, travelers etched their names high above on smooth sections of the canyon wall.
A short side trail led up to the so-called “tanks,” a term for potholes in the bedrock that have been filled with rainwater and snowmelt. Not a bad place for lunch and great conversation with other hikers…
At the conclusion of the hike through the wash, afternoon thunderstorms were already starting to build up, which made for a dramatic backdrop with dark clouds towering over red and white sandstone cliffs.
The washes in Capitol Reef appeared to be some of the most popular hikes. We felt lucky just before we moved on to get a clear morning to hike the Grand Wash.
The “narrows” section really was spectacular.
Blue skies at the start of the hike
turned into threatening clouds at the turnaround.
We heeded warnings to avoid being in the wash during a thunderstorm, in which case the soaring vertical walls would be very unforgiving.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS AT CAPITOL REEF
- A very pleasant hike along the Hickman Bridge Trail led to a natural sandstone bridge 125 feet high with a span of 133 feet.
Without the printed trail guide pointing out a niche high above on the canyon wall, we might have missed a granary that dated back several centuries to the era of the Fremont people (300-1300 AD), the hunter-gatherer ancestors of the modern-day Zuni, Hopi, and Paiute tribes.
- Petroglyphs carved into the canyon wall along the main road through Capitol Reef revealed more evidence of the Fremont Culture.
- The premier jeep trail in Capitol Reef was a 57-mile loop that encircled the northern end of the Waterpocket Fold.
Some of Capitol Reef’s most iconic scenes were on display along this hard-packed dirt and gravel road. Colorfully striped barren bentonite hills were a strong lure for vibrant shots.
Our destination for the day was Lower Cathedral Valley, one of the park’s most photogenic areas. This valley was quite aptly named, as many of the freestanding Entrada Sandstone monoliths resembled European gothic cathedrals.
The Temple of the Sun
and the Temple of the Moon
were as impressive as their majestic-sounding names.
Nearby Glass Mountain, an exposed plug of gypsum, was unlike any natural feature we have ever seen before.
The gypsum crystals were quite a curiosity…
A different story played out at the Gypsum Sinkhole where the gypsum mineral dissolved, causing the ground to collapse into a spooky sinkhole.
At the high point on this jeep “loop,” we turned around to head back, but not before taking a few extra moments to marvel at the scenery far below in Cathedral Valley.
Lower Cathedral Valley certainly encapsulated some of the most phenomenal scenery that Capitol Reef National Park had to offer—solitude amid a stark landscape, stunning monoliths, volcanic dikes, and just enough jeep trail ruggedness to evoke an atmosphere of a great adventure.
Carol Galus
Photo-Blogger
No comments:
Post a Comment