Mother's Day to Capitol Reef

We took a day trip to the national park northeast of us, Capitol Reef NP.  It is about a 2 hour drive one way on the most scenic road in Utah, Route 12.  It goes through Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest and Boulder Mountain.  It is a wonderful breathtaking drive. 

Capitol Reef National Park at a picnic area with very old cottonwoods.
  The settlement was established by Mormons who planted fruit trees along the Freemont River. Green with orchards that are still bearing fruit today,the small farms of 8-10 families changed the landscape.  The name of the town is Fruita.  These Cottonwoods are huge.  John and Emma are a contrast in size.

This formation is known as the Castle.  What a contrast to irrigated lands along the Freemont River.

Emma is always interested in the view.  Where did the grass and trees go that was here a minute ago???

Capitol Reef is along a waterpocket fold in the earth's crust.

The farm backdrop is like Zion National Park but with lower cliffs.  Both are former Mormon settlements.

The dirt road went right next to and almost under this formation.

I love the rock's different colored layers. 



Back at Bryce we went on a rim walk with the ranger on Monday.  If he backed up he would have seen the bottom of the amphitheater.  Beyond the bush is nothing but air.




and then we went on a rim walk towards the Fairyland Trail.






This is a picture of Boulder, UT, one of the isolated towns on Scenic Route 12.  Boulder was the last town in the US to get it's mail by mule.  It's legends also include making sour cream or butter out of the milk that was shipped out of Boulder.  It is so remote and the road so twisting that I can easily see the legends as truths. 

 

Cedar Breaks National Monument & Red Canyon

On our day off we went to Cedar City by way of this monument. It was in ski country and still closed for the winter.  We traveled up 11,000 feet to Brian Head, a winter ski town near Cedar Breaks which still had snow but no skiing.  After food shopping, etc. we went back to beautiful Bryce traveling scenic Route 12 going through Red Canyon.  Everywhere the scenery is fantiatic!   

This is Cedar Breaks NM, about 58 miles away from Bryce.  The monument was still closed for winter and snow was still in the shady places.  It was very cold and windy.  We just had wind break jackets on and we froze.  Emma stayed in the car, smart dog!

This seems to be a smaller Bryce Canyon.  It was very beautiful.  The summer season at the monument is only mid June to mid September.  Everything was closed.

John is looking at the back of the log cabin which is the closed visitor center.  It is right on the edge of the amphitheater/canyon.  Maybe it was built by the CCC in the 30's????

This visitor center is a great photo for my paintings.

Red Canyon is on the way to Bryce.  All the hoodoos are this color.



This tunnel is one of two on the way to Bryce on this very scenic route 12.



Kodachrome Basin St Pk and Queen's Garden, Bryce

We visited Kodachrome Basin State Park yesterday and today hiked the Queen's Garden trail in Bryce.  What Scenery!!!  Now I have pictures I can paint!!  Tomorrow back to work.

Doesn't this rock look like it is giving us the finger?

This is the landscape of old western pictures.

Just add the cowboys and cattle

We did our first hike down into the canyon called Queen's Garden. 

John looking at the trail at a nice cool spot

We headed down the trail that starts above 8,100 feet and goes by switchback down, down, down.

We did reach bottom of the steep .08 mile one way trail (it seemed more like 2 miles) but I erased the picture of the rock named Queen Victoria overlooking her garden of hoodoos.  We will just have to hike down again to get that picture.  Going back up was slow in the noon heat but very beautiful.  It is steepest at the top.

Camphosts at Bryce Canyon National Park

We have discovered our surrounding towns and gone shopping at the nearest box stores in Ceder City, 80 miles away.  We have worked 4 days on and have discovered our surroundings.  It is just beginning!  What a place to be for the spring!

Our host site, new electric vehicle, and propane tank

Emma can keep track of the campground doings

Our dining window view

John looking out at one of the 15 viewing areas in the 18 miles of rim road

Wonderful hoodoos of Bryce that go on forever

The pine forests view from one of the viewpoints

Wow, and we are here for 3 months

Now I must get painting!

Zion to Bryce Canyon, UT

We stayed in Zion National Park while a storm passed.  Our boss at Bryce Canyon National Park told us to take our time and let the snow pass.  Over a foot of snow was predicted in Bryce.  Zion being 4,000 feet and down in the canyon did not see any accumulation, just snowy peaks.  In Zion we met someone whose blog I have been following.   Mike has been a camp host in Zion all winter.  He met our dear friends in Oregon while they were hosting together there.  Our friends arrived and we spent an evening together in our RV while the weather did it's thing outside.  They are on their way to Oregon for summer interpretive host positions at the shore. 

I arrived in Las Vegas and John drove to Zion where he and Emma hung out.
 The next day the weather turned to snow and sleet in Zion.



It was rainy and cold outside but with good friends it was warm and sunny inside.
We met our dear friends in Zion, UT who we have met in AZ and TX.

Snow in the mountains but not in the valley or campground

From the campground looking up towards the peaks

Our friends 5th wheel with a great background

 We stocked up on food and arrived in Bryce and were shown our campsite home for the next 3 months.  We are camp hosts in the North Campground, one of two campgrounds in the park.  We will be working 3 days on, 3 days off until July 15th.  We will be making sure guests in the campground are settled and we make rounds 4-5 times daily to create a friendly presence in the campground reminding guests about the rules if someone forgets them.  We were given uniforms, keys, radios, etc. and were training for 2 days.  Tomorrow will be our first day on the job.  I hope to start painting soon.  On our 3 days at least one of us must be on duty either at the campsite or walking or driving around the campground from morning until dark.  I will be painting at our site and the hours are counted as volunteer. The only physical job is cleaning fire pits and they should be done once a week. Then we have 3 days to go and do whatever. Right now only 1/2 the campground is open.  Snow is predicted next week.  May 15th things open for the summer season.  Right now even the dump station is closed due to possible freezing.

Our first day at Bryce we took a ride to some overlooks.  Note the snow from the storm last week.



Bryce is viewed from above.  The odd formations are called hoodoos



Can you see some people hiking down into the canyon?
 We want to adjust to the 8,000 feet above sea level before we hike this trail.

Just another view of a tiny piece of beautiful Bryce.  It is just awesome here.

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam

Before I flew to Connecticut we toured Hoover Dam from water and from land but did not walk the new high bridge across Black Canyon.  We were camped in the national recreation area on Lake Mead. 

John looking at Hoover Dam from a boat tour of Lake Mead.  The white on the rocks at the water line is from where the water used to be.  The lake is low right now. 




Boulder Dam from the land side of the dam



The dam blocks Black Canyon and holds back 2 years worth of water use in Lake Mead.  The water is used by Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, California, and Mexico.  Imperial Valley, CA uses the Colorado River to irrigate it's fields.  Imperial Valley grows 1/3 of all the fruits and veggies in the US.

We took a boat ride, then went to the dam itself and went on a tour including huge turbines for electricity.

Downstream a new bridge opened in 2010.  One cannot drive over the dam anymore unless checked by security.

Our view out the front window of the RV of Lake Mead and mountains

View of the dam from the boat tour

I Flew out of Las Vegas, NV to Connecticut family for 10 days.  Emma took care of John as he drove to Zion National Park in Utah and stayed while I was away.  Next stop Bryce Canyon National Park!!!