Arches and Canyonlands

I got to arches after a long desolate drive through desert and very isolated places with some very interesting scenery of what, like most of this stuff, was once seabed. Its hard to believe and you are just in awe at every turn and straightaway at the incomprehensible power of nature. The desert too proved to be as unforgiving as advertised on TV. It was still free weekend at the national parks, so I had to deal with the crowds on Sunday, but Monday was just as bad, if not worse, but manageable anyway. I did luck out and got a free night camping thanks to some nice bikers who had enough of the desert themselves I think. I camped on BLM land alongside the Colorado river within the canyon walls of 200 feet or so high. A neat surrounding, so I jumped on it and I was only 6 miles from the park. I found out at the gate the campsites fill up by 7:30!! WTF? Ok, no problem, turns out that campsite is like 30 miles into the park anyway. I was closer to Moab, which is a nice little oasis town full of adventurers (rafting, biking, ATV, off road Jeep rides, speedboats, mountain bikes, skydiving, you name it). Some nice looking restaurants, boutiques, hotels and resorts. If this was a destination vacation, I would have chosen one of the nice hotels over camping, but again this is about going as cheap as possible 95% of the time.
Well the campsite was nice, but it had its issues as I found out. First off it was so windy I couldn't put up the tent without a little help and without staking it down first on all 4 corners. INsane. That was just the first day. There is also some night tours that come by and shine real bright lights up on the walls of the canyon. No problem, kinda interesting and not invasive. There was however alot of in and out traffic along the gravel road all night, which was annoying. Only one way out too, so often people came in and out and floored it going out making more noise and dust. There was no shade. The sun was unrelenting both days. Intense as I have ever felt. I drank plenty of fluids and sought shelter on short hikes, but nothing was enough to keep you cool and hydrated. It would get to the point of feeling kinda nauseaus after a while. From 745am to 845 pm the sun would beat on you and you could feel the rays through your shirt even. Arches was quite interesting, but I wouldn't recommend visiting in the summer (on the solstace no less!). You do have to drive around alot, but you can see alot if thats all you chose to do, other than the two best arches. Those you have to hike 1-3 mi Round trip. I felt the deserts wrath here like no where else on the trip so far. Capitol Reef was quite pleasant, but I lucked out on weather I think. But having written this after crossing into Colorado, I still back that statement up. Much more pleasant here. Same altitude and longitude roughly. I am curious what the winters are like here. I do think they get down to 0-20F at night if I recall correctly. Id like to see arches with a dusting of snow.
After two half days at Arches NP, I had enough and really just wanted to sit in the shade, inside or swim in a cold pool, but I did not have those options. I was also missing the US Open final pushed back to Monday. I decided to use the balance of my time to see Canyonlands NP since I had a pass and it was just 9 or so miles up the road if that and it seemed like the type of place you didnt have to walk much. I was able to drive with the AC on to keep cool and its a long trek into the park down and up canyons to higher grassland plateus and then out to the farthest end of it for a fantasic view that probably rivals the Grand Canyon. This is just a higher elevated portion of the Colorado Plateu and flows down to the Grand Canyon. You can see where the Green River and Colorado merge. Its an amazing spectacle. There are two more parts to the park, but you have to circumnavigate to get to the needles section which also has two separate one way in/out entrances, divided by unnavigable terrain. Then there is the mazes which is not reachable by paved road. You have to drive dirt and hike to get to it. Its rough challenging backcountry that is one of the most remote areas of the continental US. Both look interesting, but to be honest a few days of desert and I had enough. All I can think about is ice cold drinks and getting wet. I had to keep buying ice to keep my drinks/groceries cold. I was lucky to get 8 hrs before it melted inside the coolers. Never had to buy ice at the other parks. Canyonlands is much less popular, so you can get some solitude if you want.
That eve, I could not wait for the sun to go down and til morning to leave this dry hot place and head for more hospitable locations. I could not even enjoy my dinner with the low sun beaming on my back. It would not really cool down til well into the night. Of note though, the night skys were spectacular like Capitol and Bryce and you could catch shooting stars pretty often and again see the milky way. A real treat for us east coasters. I was happy for what I have done on this journey, but I preferred the cool nights of the higher elevations and north country. Oh and I almost forgot. The Gnats here are ridiculous. Some kind of flys too, but the gnats would not leave you alone. That just added to the uncomfort.

Bryce Canyon Hoodoos

Bryce
I am playing catchup as I have had limited access to blog or type with precious battery power. Bryce was basically what I expected. Zion was a tough act to follow. I had only planned to spend one day/night there, but because I was so exhausted from too much activity and the strenuous Angel's Landing hike I needed an extra day to just relax and take it easy. I did take a lot of photos, but found it difficult to get really great shots at Bryce. The lighting dynamic range was often too wide to capture as I wished, the angles were not just right and part of the second day was driving alot to see the various areas along the 16 mile or more drive. Most were not as impressive as the main sections near the entrance. I did not hike the first day, I caught up on some things and met some interesting people that I spent time talking/socializing with, one of which was even from Durham and working at the campstore. Small world indeed. I compared trip notes with a man from Germany (currently living in LA), who was seeing many of the same places and also doing alot of photography, and we each suggested other places to see and visit. In trying to find the astronomy talks and stargazing centers, I also stumbled into another Bryce employee who was also lost in the pitch black star filled night trying to find the same thing and we teamed up to located the telescopes and shared alot of intersting conversations along the way. It was nice to finally have some interesting company on the long solo journey and get some insights into seasonal working and share some snarky humor too.
Finally, after weeks of waiting I was able to see the Milky Way Galaxy at Bryce, far from the polluted city skies. What an amazing site. Now I can get just a little incling what it must have been like for the ancients and native americans to stare at the beautiful star filled night sky. I hoped to get some long exposure photos done, but got too tired and cold late at night after the activities to give it a go, knowing it is a trial and error kinda process. I may try tonight at Capitol Reef. Now proclaimed the best stargazing site in the Continental US according to the Ranger at the Visitors center.
I had pretty good weather at Bryce. Just a little of the shadowing rain that I can't shake, but nothing severe. IT does get cold there after midnight, but I kept warm in my sleeping bag. Bryce was somewhat reminiscent of the Badlands, but on a bigger scale maybe and you could not drive through it like you could in SD, which is a really cool experience. You can see for over a hundred miles in places though. Sadly I had the most obnoxious campers nearby. One foreign couple with a child that just never would stop crying/whining and they never seemed to try to stop it. A family of five with 3 kids, 5 bikes, 5 chairs, 3-4 tents and buttloads of stuff packed in and on top of their king sized SUV. I saw their pack laid out the day I left and don't know how they ever fit all that crap in one vehicle. Then hordes of kids running and screaming like mad. It is becoming epidemic lately with crying and misbehaving kids everywhere. Not to mention the tour busses that pour into the parks and clog everything up immediately like a flash flood of senior citizens.

The Grand Wash

6/20/09

Well I wish I could say I got to take a nice long hot shower, but no such luck and its been a few days, since I have, but who's counting? No after two nights camping in Bryce Canyon, I got up early (thanks to the loud people around me and the non-stop crying toddler nearby both days) and headed for Arches NP, but a funny thing happend on the way. I keep joking that they should just call Utah "Utah National Park" instead of having all these different ones. Every drive is an adventure and constant change of dramatic scenery. I took the well regarded scenic route 12 and it was no disappointment. The scenery was unbelievable on the way. Canyon butrised farms and ranches, molded and weathered limestone and sandstone mounds, buttes, canyons, monuments, ridges-you name it. Breathtaking the further along you got away from Bryce and ever changing. Escalante was especially nice and then over the spine to Boulder, which as a cute, but very remote town in a hole between ranges of limestone or sandstone domes and ridges. I saw the Calf Creek, which I hope to return to someday. It was not a place I was aware of but did have a campsite, coffee shop overlooking the valley and some intersting sounding hiking trails. There is a 5.5 mi trail along the creek that carves into the surrounding rocks and is lined with trees, leading to a 120 ft waterfall at the end and a turquoise plunge pool. It was very cold, rainy and windy in that area today, but surely unusual. I will someday return here to do that hike and take in the otherworldly landscape.
Passing there it seemed like I was finally heading to the desert areas like I had expected in Arches and for a while it was a little desert like, with the occassional contrast of green pastures enveloped in brown sandstone canyon walls, with houses perched on the upper ridges of these 15-50 footish mesas. The climate turned sunny and warm too. A microclimate. That didn't last long, as I entered the Dixie National Forest it began to cool down and rain. The forest was something I have never seen before. It was exclusively tall white Aspen trees, well spaced out and green leaved. IT was a beautiful magical looking forest unlike any I had seen. I stopped to take in a panorama as I got up to 9600 feet and it was very windy, raining slightly and the wind chill must have been 30F. The parkland was dotted with campsites that made me once again envy Utah residents multitude of naturistic escapes. Accross the way was again, green strips of land surrounded by desert walls dotted with pines and sagebrush and behind that a 10,000ft+ range of the Henry mountains as a backdrop that was obviously getting rain as well. It was a small range though 3-4 peaks, but jutting up from the floor pretty abrubtly. After the steep descent though and out of the forest there were some other trees mingled with the Aspen and the rain ceased and again warmed up as I got into lower altitudes.
Not long after the climate and landscape changed yet again. Still cloudy and cool, but dryer and less windy. I stopped for a coffee and Mint truffle, instead of lunch (I couldn't bear Subway again and they charged $9 for a footlong in Bryce, so I thought it might be the same). The coffee was a pick me up, but the truffle wasn't up to my expectations. I think they used peppermint, which just didn't seem to gel with the chocolate flavor, but otherwise ok. I then entered the towering and eroding red canyon bluffs and the chimney rock at the entrance to Capitol Reef NP. I planned to see what it was like, but had low expectations, besides the fact that it was narrow from West to East and long from North to South. The scenry was breathtaking though and the weather warm. There were orchards within the warm confines of the canyon floor, deer walking about the picnic area, ancient wide oak trees, towering monuments and cliffs of various colors and a campsite among these treasures of a desert oasis like I had never seen. My curiosity was piqued. I went in the visitor center and got some info, but just then another damn tour bus of old people was unloading into the small, spartan visitor center (way smaller than any of the NP's I have been to). The movie was a 10 min wait so I figured I would drive into the park a few miles and see what it was all about. A picture of some people in a dried out canyon called The Great Wash caught my attention, so I decided to investigate, since I had wanted to hike a "narrows like" trail that I missed at Zion. This wasn't so narrow but huge in scale. The drive in was awe inspiring. I figured I could do a short hike and catch the movie and drive on to Arches, since I was making good time. Was I ever wrong on that plan.
It was about a mile + drive down a gravel riverbed road shouldered by towering weathered cliffs. I started to wonder if this was a trail or a road. Finally a parking lot. The hike was amazing. The canyon was about 40-100 foot wide as it meandered and winded through the steep, torn rock walls. There were holes and crevices everywhere and overwhelming evidence of erosion on a massive scale. The possibilities for exploration of the side canyons and bluffs was endless. Relatively easy climbs up rubble and carved slopes made it possible to make climbs to the upper reaches of the canyon, but I was just here for a short walk right? I thought this was a 1.3 mile trail, but I just kept walking and taking photos and taking in the amazing scenery. After what felt like a few miles and more than an hour I encountered some women walking the other way. The informed me I was just 5 min from the end of the trail that came back out on route 24 which is the road I came in on. After a few min more the walls got shorter, so I turned around rather than take the longer circuitous and unknown route back along the highway. Going the opposite direction also provided a new perspective of what I just saw. It was a realy neat experience to see this. Legend has it Butch Cassidy and his gang used this area as a hideout and you could just imagine them riding horses into this remote and safe place. You got the feeling you could realy hide out here for a long time without being located (for better or worse). I felt as far away from civilization as I have ever felt. With a little more time, I could definitely enjoy climbing some of the side routes and exploring the hidden canyons and slots along the main valley. Luckily it wasn't sunny and hot, as I imagine it normally is and you could really bake in this place on a hot day. The sun did come out for a while as I neared the parking lot on the way back and was a welcome sign. I drove down to the far end of the main road to another canyon, but it was closed for flash flood possibilities. The erosion and deposits of rock, sand, mud along the way was like mass destruction on an epic scale. I went back, got a campsite, set up camp and caught the short film. Then had a picnic in the beautiful orchard surrounded picnic area, where a deer walked right by and grazed with me as I ate my soup and had a long awaited cold beer. I later noticed her doe and another adult wandering around the field and are obviously quite used to humans. They say Capitol Reef is among the least visited National Parks, and after having visited, I have to wonder why. What a beautiful Oasis (literally). It is what they call a waterpocket fold. Surrounded by desert on all sides with the Virgin river running through it. This weekend is Free entrance to all national parks, so the full campground and surprisingly many cars may be unusual. I get the impression its usually a little less crowded. I think it is a well kept secret treasure and the surprise of my trip thus far. OF course, like clockwork I am getting rained on as I speak and have obnoxiously loud foreginers with screaming kids and loud music accross the street. The rain and annoying people keep following me. Tomorrow on to Arches?

Yellowstone & Tetons

Well, this is in hindsight, so I will write an abbreviated version, as I have been offline for 5 days and turned Grizzly Adams, beard and all (now gone finally). After a rainy night in Meteetsie camping, I got up early and headed to Yellowstone. I found a great 25F sleeping bag at Kmart in Cody, WY for $20. Best $20 spent yet on the trip. Now I no longer get cold camping and its actually quite cozy, so I am able to sleep later in comfort. The drive up was pretty (despite what some woman told me). I had to bypass going the beartooth hwy as it was closed due to snow. This drive was nice. I stopped at the Damn, which was quite impressive and spewing lots of water due to the heavy rains and snow. It was cloudy and drizzly coming into Yellowstone and many RV's ahead of me. It was not intially impressive, since I couldn't see the peaks. The lake was ok, with thermal areas on the shore, but not unlike any other lake I have seen. Once I got near the Canyon area to the North, things got more interesting. I saw lots of Bison and that was a continuing theme throughout the park. Many near the roads. I stopped at some smaller geysers and mud pots and went to check out the campsites. I also took a side route to view the upper falls. The close up area was closed due to a rockslide as were many other trails due to high water. The falls were gushing for sure though. As I passed Canyon I passed some high peaks above the pass. The views were great and all the peaks were covered in recent snow.

I ended up in Tower campsite, which worked out nicely. Primitive, but I had a great campsite with a bit "lot" in the woods, with plenty of firewood around and overall quiet area on a hillside. Just down the road was a general store and trails to view the Tower falls, tower, and the beautiful canyon. Also close by was Roosevelt lodge, which had showers and a cute dining room. I didn't eat there, but did "borrow" their shower a few times, which was nice. I ended up staying 3 nights since I had one of the two best campsites and location was convenient, weather was sunny and warm (relatively) and most importantly DRY! I was also close to Lamar valley for wildlife viewing, but I am not patient enough to sit around with a scope to view it hrs on end.

2nd day I went over to Mammoth springs. Just 18 miles West it was a whole different climate and scenery (a common theme here). It was sunny and dry and warmer than the other areas. Slightly lower elevation and in a rain shadow apparently. Most of the springs were dried out, but still some impressive sights. I stopped in Gardiner MT just 4 miles down the canyon and Yellowstone river to grab some groceries and check out some of the shops and get a picture of the famous North Entrance, inspired by T. Roosevelt. I did the upper loop (70 miles), checking out some geysers, hot springs etc. There is a lot of beautiful scenery all over, but its a little exhausting having to get in the car and drive/stop, drive stop, etc. Everything is spread out here and most of it is "roadside". There are alot of restrictions on where you can walk too. Less trails than most parks, but if you look hard enough you can find them.

Day 3 I heard the beartooth pass was open and decided to see the NE entrance and drive to the pass summit, which was approx 75 mi each way though contruction delays and torn up roads. This part of the park was full of wildlife and high peaks. Prob fewer people view this part of the park then most areas too. The drive to the pass was pretty and varied in terrain, climate, scenery. I started to wonder if I was wasting my time though, but then finally I started to get to the upper elevations, I had pictured in my mind. Everything was blanketed in snow. Lakes frozen over still, but beginning to melt with circles and ovals of aquamarine showing through the snow. Then to the pass itself, a series of switchbacks up to a white heaven. The views from the middle section to the two summits were nothing short of spectactular. You could see in all directions as far as the horizon would allow. Mt Ranges far east and south in WY, West in MT and the lower, warmer sections of Montana near Billings. I hiked up to one of the summits in 2 feet of snow, where there was a weather station to get the full view not seen from the road. Stopping often to catch my breath and eat some refreshing corn snow. The pass itself is 11,000 ft. It looks like you are in the himalayas. White peaks stretching all over. Barren rock and snow, 4-10 foot walls of freshly plowed snow on the sides of the road and to my surprise a ski lift at the summit! I had read about skiing up here, but that was walking uphill to ski from what I read. I had no idea they had a ski lift up there. Turns out they use a portable generator to power it. It is only open a little over 2 mos a year for the die hards to ski in June & July.

Anyways, pictures cannot do this place justice. I stopped often to admire the views and had a great day with sun and scattered clouds. This is the most beautiful scenic hwy I have ever driven. It is listed as one of the best. The other I did last summer, also in MT. at Glacier called the Going to The Sun Road (GTSR). Both were fantastic, but this one was even more amazing and twice as long (and I didn't even drive the lower MT half). This is a drive you must take in your lifetime. Once I am home I will try to stich together some panorama photos, but I doubt they will replicate what I saw.

On the last day I visited Lower falls, that I missed coming in. I really wanted to climb Mt. Washburn up to the firewatch, because it had a panoramic view of the park and mts to the east in WY, but this would have been an all day affair and tiring, plus I had some sore feet and beating the views of the Beartooth hwy would be near impossible, so I decided to pack up camp and go to Old Faithful and the southwest part of the park. I also had some annoying new neighbors in camp, and I couldn't stand another night of them. The kid even brought an electric guitar...To a campsite! If he could play any good, I might not have minded, but he knew about 3 notes it seemed.

I forgot it was Saturday. That and the fact I was going to old faithful, meant one thing. Crowds. I passed a few stops, because there was no parking and lines to bathrooms and tons of obnoxious kids and busses of tourists. Old Faithful itself was witnessed by probably 1000 people while I was there. It did not disappoint, though about 10-15 min late. There were many other interesting thermal features scatterd over miles around the lodge and less visited by the masses.
I noticed at least one soda bottle in a spring. People are so stupid. The morning glory pool was ruined by people throwing coins and objects into it over the years too. The biggest disappointment was the Grand Prismatic spring, which couldn't be seen in its gorgeous entirety, because of the steam and the boardwalks were not raised enough to see it from a higher angle.

West thumb had some good features lakeside too, as well as views of white peaks accross the lake, that I could not see entering the park. Rain was heading this way though. I went to find a campsite only to find out they were not open yet on that side of the park, which meant driving back to parts I had seen or didn't care to see. It was raining anyway, so I decided to go to the Tetons early and camp there since I was just 25-35 miles away from where I was. The south side of Yellowstone was less impressive and badly fire damaged. I was surprised how much fire damage was all over the park. It was very dark and cloudy to the South.

I ended up at Colter Bay campgrounds, which had just 4 sections of about 20 open...still wet and rainly, but some holes in the sky. I had to set up camp in the rain and managed a short fire with some dry pine under a tree nearby. I went down to the rock beach before the sunset to get a glimpse of the tetons I had seen driving in partially surrounded in clouds. Luckily I did this, because the next am it was still raining and the peaks were not visible. Just the lower couple hundred feet. Everywhere in sight was low clouds and rain and not expected to change for over a week. Seems I picked the worst June on record for travel out west. Everywhere I have been had unusually wet cold weather. I did get lucky for 3 days in the Tower area though, but I guess that was isolated. Even Salt Lake and Denver are getting drowned in rain now and have been for a week.

I was not gonna hang out in the clouds, so I pushed on to Utah. Jackson, WY was a cute little town with lots of shops and restaurants and bars with a western mountain feel. Definitely a place I would like to revisit. The sun peaked out there and to the south along the snake river. A long drive down 89 in WY and into Idaho was nice, but the tiny towns with 25 mph limits got old fast. You start to realize just how isolated some of these places are, for better or worse. ID was warm and sunny. I drove past Bear Lake (assuming its manmade), which had a striking aquamarine color to it. Sandwiched between two ranges that ran all the way to the horizon in both directions. I stopped to take some photos, but the beaches/shore areas all seemed to be privately owned. The view from the pass was very nice again. The drive into UT was gorgeous and a very long downhill drive. It had to be at least 30 mi downhill from the pass. It seemed never to end, just like the river along it. Finally, I landed on the outskirts of Logan UT to an amazing spectacle. I lush golf course on one side of the road with peaks towering behind it and a big open valley sandwiched by 3 different ranges. I could see the storm clouds to the South and you could see the patches of rain coming down. Logan seemed partially vacant and many businesses were closed or maybe even vacant. This town looked hard hit by the recession. Its also Mormon country, so I imagine many places are closed on Sunday's. The Wasatch range just dominates the scenery, contrasted by the flats to the West and secondary ranges sillouhetted by the setting sun. Rain got worse as I neared Ogden. Definitely unusual wanky weather here.