June 17th through 19th, 2015. We spent 2 nights here in partial shade. The daytime temps are now into the mid 90's. Capitol Reef NP encompasses a giant buckle in Earth's crust that stretches across south-central Utah. This vast warping of rock, created 65 million years ago by the same great forces later uplifting the Colorado Plateau, is called the Waterpocket.
It is an eroded jumble of colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, stark monoliths, twisting canyons and graceful arches. But the Waterpocket Fold country is more than this. It is also the free-flowing Fremont River and the big desert sky. It is cactus, jay, lizard, jackrabbit, juniper, columbine and deer. It is a place humans used for thousands of years, from early indigenous peoples to Mormon pioneers. It stretches 100 miles and beyond.
We explored the scenic drive south inside the park as far as we could drive with their oil and stone paving going on. It is a narrow, paved road that goes along the Capitol Reef's brilliantly colored towering cliffs. The Grand Wash is a gravel road that cars can drive, but we chose to head to the south point and were halted at Capitol Gorge Road. It is deep and twisting with water-carved sheer walled canyons. We had to walk it as it was quite washed out from the recent early rains. We managed to get about 2 miles down and back in the heat. Thankful for fudgecicles in our truck camper freezer! That and some ice cold ginger-ale make a great refreshing combo. We had hoped to make it to the "Tanks" which are occasionally water filled pot-holes but could not make that distance in this heat.
16 miles back up the scenic drive to the main campgrounds and picnic areas in the Fremont River area it is much greener lush with cottonwoods, walnut and fruit trees in the orchards and is a bit cooler. Apple, peach, cherry, pear, plum and apricot trees (almost 3,000 trees) grow in the Fruita orchards. Historic and heirloom varieties of some fruits are still here. You may pick and eat fruit free of charge while in the orchards. (when in harvest season) A nominal fee is charged for fruit you take with you.
Each morning we stopped at the Historic Gifford House, part museum filled with cultural exhibits and part country store featuring pioneer-era sales items and fresh homemade pies breads and brewed coffee. And during the days we were here fresh picked cherries packaged into small paper bags. They were delicious! We started with an Apple Pie, then on the next day Strawberry-Rhubarb and finally on the 3rd morning we bought a Peach Pie to go for later in the days travels. Thankfully they were small and just enough for sharing!
The 2 informative Ranger talks we sat in the cooler evening air at dusk to hear were on Geology and Wilderness. We were told the probable reason for the various sizes of boulders on the hillsides and mountain tops approaching this area on Route 12 and 24 was they were most likely formed by volcanic flow that smoothed over the surface at eruption but was broken up and tumbled through glaciation activity. It made the most sense.
To keep cool, we hiked a bit less and drove to the stopping points on Route 24 just east of the visitor's center. The petroglyphs were nearly in shade and easily accessible, as was the 1800's Fruita Schoolhouse, a restored and refurbished one-room school that was also used at the time as their church meeting house, and social center for dances and such.
We did manage to hike out near the Capitol Dome up to the Hickman Natural Bridge on the mesa above the highway. Capitol Dome can be seen looking to the east. It is a Navajo sandstone feature that was named for its resemblance to the US Capitol and inspired the park's name.
"Going Places With Smiling Faces!" and as Bob now says, "I've just got to see what's around the next bend!"
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