Day 2

Thousand Lakes RV Park Torrey, Utah

Before we got to Utah, I had never heard of Capitol Reef National Park.  Once we got here, everyone said it was lovely.  It is on the way from Moab to Bryce and Zion and so we wanted to stop and check it out.  Capitol Reef is literally a giant wrinkle or fold in the earth.  280 million years ago the area was swamp and sea and rivers and desert.  10,000 feet of sedimentary rock was deposited over a very long period of time.  Then, 50-70 million years ago, along an ancient fault, the layers to the west lifted 7,000 feet above the layers to the east.  In lieu of splitting, the earth and layers folded over.  20,000 years ago, the earth heaved and lifted again.  1-6 million years ago, erosive forces carved the stone, creating the rock formations we saw today.  This is called the Waterpocket Fold.  Explorers saw the dome-like features and were reminded of the dome on the nation’s capital.  Other explorers noted that for about 100 miles the fold was fairly impassable just as an ocean reef caused difficulty for seafarers. 

When we spoke with the ranger at the visitor center yesterday, she told us that there were 3 options for driving through the park.  The first was the 8-mile scenic ride.   This ride is the paved road that most park visitors use. The second option was a 4WD road through Cathedral Valley to the north of the fold.  Cathedral Valley is similar to Monument Valley.  The third option was Notom-Burr Trail a paved/unpaved loop around the fold and through the Burr Pass.  We decided on option 3.  With the cooler packed with our breakfast and lunch we set out.  It was pretty chilly this morning and we could see places where there had been frost overnight. 

We stopped at a petroglyph site.  This art was left here by the Hopi Tribe Ancestral Clans who inhabited this area from AD 300 to AD 1300. 

This park has thriving orchards.  They are remnants of orchards planted by settlers. These orchards are preserved and maintained by the NPS. Right now, pears and apples are in season.  If you visit an orchard, you can eat whatever you want as long as you are in the orchard.  You can also pick your own fruit for $1.00 per pound!

We left Route 24 and turned onto Notom Road. 

For the first many miles, I was afraid that we had chosen the wrong path.  There was nothing really remarkable to see and we were miles from the fold and could only see it at a great distance. 

We took a dirt road and found a nice spot for our breakfast.

There was another dirt trail down the road a piece. 

The sign said Oak Creek Canyon.  We were treated to beautiful scenery as we approached the fold and then entered it and began to climb.  We took the trail until the dead-end.

The views…

When you see the fold up close you can see the chaos and the haphazard nature of the rock and the way it all fell together.  It’s really very impressive.  It makes you wonder what it must have been like when the earth heaved itself up and bent back on itself…

To the west we traveled along the fold.

To the east we traveled along a string of mesas.

Burr Pass was the highlight of our day.  This is a series of steep switchbacks on the side of the fold.  At the top, spectacular views.

Lunch spot.

Cottonwood Trees.

After Burr Pass we entered Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.

Just another day riding on the road less traveled.