Amazing Mesa Verde

Standing among the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, you can almost feel the presence of the ancestral Puebloans that occupied these amazing spaces.  Perched high on the cliffs of skyrocketing mesas, the dwellings are a masterpiece of human ingenuity and skill.  Although none of the sites are fully recovered, it is still possible to imagine how the structures functioned.  With expert craftmanship molding and carving the stone to near perfect fit, the dwellings utilized nature to its best advantage.

We ended up in Mesa Verde after Arches having bypassed the Needles section of Canyonlands when our great friends from Boise decided on an impromptu road-trip to join us.  Before leaving Ken’s Lake, we hiked to the “waterfall” that feeds the reservoir.  Originating from a pipe running through the mountain from a spring on the other side, the waterfall was not only beautiful but fascinating.

The day slightly less arid than the preceding days, we had a comfortable ride out of Utah and into Colorado.  Needing a few extra supplies with company coming, we stopped in Cortez, CO just in time to be stopped by a parade (the origin of which we still don’t know!!!).  After fuel, groceries and much-needed laundry, we headed up the steep slope to the Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde to set up camp.

What a treat to have Christine and the boys join us!  They arrived late and we had chili waiting just in time to beat the chill settling in with the setting sun.  After dinner outside, we huddled around the RV table for a game of “golf” that we played repeatedly when sailing together in the Bahamas years ago.

The next day, we headed out early for our first cliff dwelling tour at the Balcony House.  With stairs, ladders and tunnels, we worked our way into our first Puebloan experience.  To imagine the inhabitants living and working in these surroundings fascinating.  Each space is intricately planned and utilized from the ceremonial kiva to the grain storage high above, from the unique water capture system to the cooking fire space.  Each block used to create the structure was individually formed and where extra mortar was required, chips of stone or even cobs of corn were used for stabilization.

After Balcony house, we hit another challenging trail to view the area petroglyphs and stopped for our picnic before hitting our second tour of the largest dwelling, the Cliff Palace.  Again, we found the same amazing cliff-side community but on a grand scale where they expect over 150 people lived!  On top of wandering through the rooms and imagining days past, we enjoyed the amazing views before heading back to the campsite.

The night brought delicious barbeque, a campfire with marshmallows and another rousing game of golf and we retired ready to wake early to head to the second mesa and final cliff tour of the Long House.  This dwelling is guessed to be the spiritual gathering place of the area with less living area and 21 ceremonial kivas being the main focus.  Taking an hour to hike to the area and another steep descent, it was again unique although our guide seemed to be proficient in one words explanations and, on that front, we felt a little disappointed.

The final chapter was to hike to the Step House, the only cliff dwelling where you can view the space without a tour.  The Step House was the only one with a pit house in it.  These were the structures used on the mesa before the people moved down the cliff face.  I guess that would make it an older structure.

All of the sights being seen, Christine, Logan and Cole headed down the road for Canyonlands, Arches and home and we regrouped back at the campsite.  Having reserved the site for three days, we spent the day getting ready for the balance of our Colorado adventure. 

Before heading down the road, the next morning Rob did the “daily maintenance” (think fill water tanks and drain “the other” tanks) while I took advantage of yet another nearby trail.  Being further down the mesa, I was enchanted when I hiked around a bend and found a view of the entire valley and surrounding range and continued to be amazed at how an entire population managed life on the sheer cliffs.

On the road again, we set turned the map to the Durango area and a day of more surprises and delights, thankful for what had happened and excited for what was yet to come.

Last of the Utah Parks

It never ceases to amaze me how unique each of these parks are.  Of course, if they weren’t, there wouldn’t be much point in seeing them all!  But the topography is SO unique from one to the other, it seems almost impossible that we could be in such awe at each one.  We arrived at Canyonlands Park again not knowing what was in store.  Having seen so many canyons by this point we really didn’t expect much.

So much for that!  Canyonlands has canyons inside of canyons inside of canyons!!  No, really!  Climbing from the entrance to the first overlook, we found a sheer cliff to a lower white granite plain to more sheer cliffs to another plain.  Each level had unusual rock formations sculpted by wind, water and weather over the ages. 

We followed our usual pattern and got trail advice from the visitor center and headed out to hike and explore.  First stop was Grand View Point where we had a great time wandering the trail to the furthest-most vantage point over the fascinating expanse.  Most trails are marked with cairns – rocks piled on each other – to help people navigate across larger expanses.  With the area littered with wonderful rock chips, visitors can’t help but “play” with the rocks.  Sometimes frustrating (when the actual trail markers disappear or creative ones lead you astray!) to entertaining or artistic.  On this trail, the art was in the form of little cairns built from tiny pebbles in wind holes in the cliffs which provided extra diversions.

We moved on to Upheaval Dome where they theorize this unusual crater-like cavity was formed by an ancient meteor hitting the earth.  Taking the trail even further, we climbed huge sandstone slick-rock mounds for views of the Green and Colorado Rivers.  Hiking on slick-rock (slick when wet but like walking on sandpaper otherwise) is an interesting experience and great exercise because trails follow paths at crazy, steep angles that you would swear impossible to navigate.

Having begun the day with 3.5 miles in the Capital Reef Cohab Canyon and logging 4-5 miles more at Canyonlands, we were wearing pretty thin by this time!  We pressed on, having heard the Green River overlook was not to be missed.  With another view of the odd canyons and rivers, it was a good way to wind down and happened to be right next to the park campground.

Now after 6pm and being told the campsite was full early in the day, we did a drive-thru just in case and found an open site!  Our good fortune continues!  Exhausted from days of extended hiking, we settled in quickly.  Enjoying a beer with neighbors, we all headed to the overlook for a magnificent sunset over the canyons.  Mesmerized by the shifting colors on the rock, it was a perfect end to the day.

Arches was the next park on our itinerary.  With a reputation for being exceedingly crowded AND under construction, we knew we had to visit early in the day and before the weekend to beat the crowds.  That meant we were up with the sun before 6am and on the road minutes later for the 45 minute drive to the entrance of this park boasting over 2000 arches in its boundaries. 

We arrived within minutes of the park opening and already saw streams of cars climbing the entrance road to the sights.  We skipped the visitor center to save time and headed straight for the big attraction of Delicate Arch.  Thankfully, the parking lot had room for us and we hit the trail. 

The 3 mile hike was essentially straight up!  Climbing one slick-rock face after another, we made our way to this beautiful formation already feeling the heat.  Almost entirely slickrock, the “cairn artists” had a time of it along the trail!  At the arch it was fun watching each group as they made their way under the arch for photos doing crazy poses.  The girl doing the backbend won a gasp from the crowd of onlookers.

Although crowded and with a major area, Devil’s Garden, closed for road work, the park did not disappoint even with temps in the 90s and dry with winds at 20-25mph!  Undeterred, we forged on and got as close to Devil’s Garden as was possible, hiking connecting trails to 3 other massive arches and enjoyed finding faces in the stone along the way.

Sandstone Arch is a favorite with kids with a natural sandbox inside the canyon where the arch is found.  Not inclined to build sandcastles, we moved on to Broken Arch (it should be named Cracked Arch!) and Tapestry, hiking another 3 miles and beginning to feel our early morning start.  With the campground closed and the crazy traffic, we knew we wouldn’t be spending another day so onward we went! 

The final big stop for us in Arches were the Windows, Turret and Double Arch, all accessed in the same parking area.  Maneuvering and parking our big ole girl in heavy traffic and tight spots is not a highlight but we successfully found a spot and carried on.  I think Double Arch was my favorite of them all with the light playing with the different surfaces of the sandstone and surrounding walls.

After logging 7-8 miles of hiking before 2, our feet and determination gave up and we headed to the Visitor Center for our traditional movie and seeing the exhibits.  Having lunch in the parking lot and making a few calls with the very sparse service available, we regarded the next challenge of no campsite for the night.

Can you see the face?  A funny one!

We named this one the Sphynx

Checking sites as we plied the highway, we ended up at Ken’s Lake, a Bureau of Land Management property on a reservoir.  Fighting the area’s fine sand and 25mph winds along with the 95 degree day, we did our best to get settled.  We made refreshing drinks with the last ice on board and recounted the bounty of beauty we had already witnessed, ready to see what was yet to come.

A Fruitful Delight

Without a definite plan for our next campsite, we got on the road toward the southern Utah national parks.  Finding amazing scenery yet again, we headed to Capitol Reef without any particular goal in mind.  Passing the few campgrounds that were our choices, we ended up in Capitol Reef and were pleased to have no problem securing a site.

Capitol Reef is usually a “stopover” park for tourists moving from the more popular parks of Arches and Bryce.  What we found when we arrived was a complete surprise.  The scenery moved from awesome to breathtaking and the park itself was a soothing mix of beauty and peace. 

Comprised of what is called “the waterpocket fold”, a unique geologic formation making the area nearly impassable, the Mormons settled the area in 1853.  With up to only 10 (albethey large) families, they made full use of the land and created their own little paradise in the valley. Fruit trees were planted around the settlement and a one room schoolhouse built.  They stayed the only inhabitant of the harsh challenging area until the early 1900’s when the government started acquiring pieces of the surrounding landscape as national parkland.

The campground green and hospitable and surrounding by orchards, barely before we stepped out of the coach, we had people streaming in curious about Holy City Beer.  Figuring our exhaustion was from the constant rise and fall of the elevations we’d traveled, we asked for a reprieve until “cocktail hour” and got ourselves settled in.

The big event for any visitor to Capitol Reef is the Mormon community house and bakery selling pies, jams and breads made locally.  After a light lunch, we wandered over for a most wonderful fresh baked mixed berry pie with vanilla ice cream !  We sat under a shady tree surrounding by blooming lilies all around and breathed soaked up the warm day and the special treat.

Feeling satiated and lazy, ,we took a short nap before aking a hike from the campground.  We wandered the Freemont River Overlook taking us along the stream and up to a great view of the Fruita community area.  Is there any end to new and beautiful vistas on this journey?!  With the orchards thriving in the valley, the contrast of the harsh, dry high desert was striking.

What we anticipated during the evening hours did not disappoint.  With our biggest gathering yet, we had 17 of us around the picnic table all partaking in BEER!  We shared for hours until the cold beer was gone and came away with a host of new acquaintances and friends all who completely enjoyed the Holy City experience.  At sunset we took off to watch the sun settled over the canyon and then headed to the well-presented ranger program on astronomy under the full moon.

That's Moonshadow way down there!!

The next morning’s morning hike was not as early as we planned, but we did head out on our bikes for the 3 miles to the Rim Overlook Trail.  A steep climb for 1100 ft up the slickrock and Navajo sandstone brought us to another breathtaking precipice with a view again over the Fruita settlement and down the gorge.  The temperature was fast climbing to a dry 93 degrees in the full sun and the unexpected gnats and flies at the top (what WERE they doing up THERE?!) had us headed back down the mountain after a short break.

Again feeling spent from the heat and elevation, we spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the company of our neighboring campers.  Many who we had met the night before, we had a chance to get to know them better including Siegers, a life drawing professor and combat art specialist.  A fascinating and exceeding talented man, he brought his chair over, opened a beer and got to work drawing sketches of a few of us. 

Having to run for our “date night” with the campground hosts, we changed and headed for the big town of Becknell, UT (population 300?!) about a 20 minute drive from the park.  In a creatively repurposed home-to-theatre, we were surprised to find reasonable prices, fresh popcorn and a surprisingly delicious menu.  Rob had a bbq pork and horseradish sandwich with a caramel milkshake while I munched on my first theatre popcorn in ages while we watched “Wonder Woman”!

We got along famously with Ralph and Tess and told a lot of stories and had some good laughs as we slowly made our way back to the park taking scenic detours the whole way.  My plan for attending the park’s full moon hike was surpassed by Ralph driving us through the park’s scenic drive in their 4 wheel drive truck with the lights off. 

With the canyon walls surrounding us and the moonlight illuminating the cliffs and features, we sat in the truck bed with Tess completely dumbfounded by the beauty. At the end of the passable road we stopped and wandered in the moonlight and craned our necks for shooting stars although the closest we got were a couple satellites passing by.  What an end to another amazing day!

Today we DID rise early to grab a final hike up the Cohab Canyon as the sun filtered back into the park.  With lizards scattering, birds singing and mountain goats hiding around each bend, we got some exercise before stopping to grab the bakery’s famous cinnamon rolls.  Luckily, we also happened onto the season’s first fresh picked fruit – CHERRIES! – in 1# bags for $1 that were picked an hour before! 

Having said our goodbyes to Ron and Mike, Ralph and Tess, Siegers and other  new friends, we're back on the road for the final Utah parks before moving into Colorado and  a month of family and long time friend visits.  Another transition to another adventure!

Journey to the Dinosaurs

The past couple days have been less eventful as a whole, especially when compared with our normal excitement.  We’ve had a lot of ups and downs the past few days … up to 9000 feet and down to 5500 feet!  Driving south from WY, we passed over a long high plateau, oil fields and cattle ranches.  We made a quick fuel stop just before we crossed back in Utah on our way toward Dinosaur National Monument.

Entering the Flaming Gorge area of Utah from the border, we found plenty of significant hills to keep Rob on his toes at the wheel.  The campground we had chosen for the night ended up being down a steady steep decline.  Arriving at the bottom, we found essentially a parking lot for a marina – not exactly what we had hoped for!  And back up the hill we went!

We did find a nice campground down the road on a stream and set up camp.  We needed to stretch our legs after the drive so we walked the short distance down the road to check out the “big sheep creek geologic loop” drive.  Walking it just to get some exercise, we happened on some big horned sheep right along the road – and neither one of us had brought a camera! 

It just so happened that we were across from another campsite we hadn’t known was there and walked over to ask they only people in sight if they might take a photo for us and send it when they got back to service.  Sadly, as of this writing, the photos have not arrived BUT it was fun to meet Kyle and his wife (ugh, names!) and have a few laughs about our odd introduction.  Thankfully, the sheep were still around the next morning when we set out to tackle that 12.5 mile geologic loop on our bikes. 

Utah does an amazing job of educating in their nature areas.  With roadside markers for different geologic features throughout the state, it’s fun to learn little facts as you go along.  That’s what our bike ride was like.  The path was beautiful and interesting, both of which were particularly helpful because it was also ALL UPHILL!  About half way through the loop, when the road started to go down, we had had enough and enjoyed the ride back down the hill to the campsite.

With our exercise for the day out of the way, we got back on the road for the final grueling stretch of road before Dinosaur.  Notorious in the area and online, Hwy 191 south to Vernal touts a steep 8% grade decline for 7 or so miles.  Rob did an amazing job getting us down the hill (without burning up our brakes) and we stopped at our chosen campground for the night. 

The rest of the day was spent just taking it easy, something we have not really practiced on this trip!  We walked to the reservoir and I caught a few rays and we sat in the shade in our campsite and ate snacks and had a drink.  We had grilled tuna steak for dinner when an evening storm kept us in playing cards for the duration.

And today we spent at Dinosaur!  Wow!  I’ve seen the reconstructed bones in museums repeatedly but was never as impressed as I was seeing where those bones had laid.  With timelines dating back 149 million years and dinosaur bones in a pile on a mountainside, I found myself awestruck.  They’ve done such a tasteful job protecting this amazing site.  Having excavated a large portion of the wall providing skeletons for museums around the world, what is left is what was an old river bottom where dinosaur bones piled up when the creek ran dry.  In the jumble of bones the archaeologists do their work.  Numbering and logging the bones individually, each piece is identified.

After the quarry site, we drove further into the park for a hike and found the Sound of Silence trail up into an amazing sandstone canyon.  The mountains in the area have a look all their own and we enjoyed the hike through skinny passages and down sheer sandstone faces.  We surprisingly saw no wildlife other than a prairie dog and a few chipmunks but there were plenty of indicators that deer and mountain sheep had been in the area.

After a stop to see a small petroglyph site we were back on the road and headed south again.  With Capitol Reef park next in our sites, we had a few miles (and hills/mountains!) to travel before days end.  We made it to Ferron, UT almost in the exact center of the state.   We found a campsite at a big reservoir surrounded by gorgeous cliffs and buttes and a rainbow just for good measure.

For as hesitant as I was about the whole concept of this trip, it is turning out to be a journey hard to be beat!

The Big Date

June 1 marks the 33^rd anniversary of Rob and I getting married.  The day began early and cold as we opened the shades and looked out on the surrounding snow drifts.  The plan for the day was to finish the remaining sights and area of Yellowstone before heading out the east exit to Cody WY where we’d have a “night out” with Mexican food and the famous Cody Rodeo opening night performance.

After wrapping up the obligatory tasks, we went to the neighboring visitor center for the park video.  Another outstanding film (Yellowstone, Land of Life), we were ready to get out and be a part of the amazing surroundings.

We headed for the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and Falls for a bit of hiking.  We wandered along the canyon and down to the “brink of the falls” where we stood over the precipice and experienced the power of water first hand. 

The park was incredibly crowded.  Although very early in the season, it was Memorial Day week and by the time we tried to get to our other chosen hike for the morning, the parking lot was a traffic jam with NO place for an RV to park, not to mention maneuver!  Disappointed, we headed down the road toward the final hot springs area, Mud Volcano.

This area of the park is less obviously active than the geyser area.  The springs are more murky, thick and belching.  With sulfur smelling steam and fumes emanating from the different pools and names like Sulfur Cauldron and Dragon’s Breath, it was definitely a different experience from the clear pools and colorful landscapes!

We stopped for lunch along the edge of 

Yellowstone Lake and began the drive out of the park the rough more gorgeous mountain scenery.  Much of the area was victim to the park fire of recent years and total hillsides were covered with charred and fallen trees but evidence of vibrant regrowth was everywhere.  Enjoying the amazing scenery through mountains and canyon, we made our way east.

As we neared the eastern edge of the mountain range, a powerful storm came down the canyon.  Parked along the Buffalo Bill State Park reservoir just over the dam, we stopped and watched the storm come in.  Rob took a well-deserved but 2 hour(?!) nap and all of a sudden we were short on time...

Rob’s nickname in college was Cowboy and he’s always been a big fan of all things western so the Buffalo Bill Wild West museum was a must do on his list.  Being much later than planned, we headed straight there and found an impressively presented museum.  With 5 wings from art to natural history to firearms to, yes, Buffalo Bill, there was far too much for us to see in our limited time. 

We had no problem finding parking and enjoyed the main drag of Cody, a cute albeit touristy little western town.  Being that Mexican is Rob’s all time favorite meal and that the rodeo was next on the list, we stuck to a casual dinner at Las Fuentes restaurant. 

And then the main event...the RODEO!  Unfortunately, the storm that stopped us in the canyon made it’s way to Cody by rodeo time and winds were ripping as the event began.  The equestrian drill team fiercely hung on to their banners as the wind looked to try to carry them away!  The rodeo began with the excitement of bronco riding as the skies let loose a torrent of rain.  But the show must go on and it did for over 2 hours in much the same conditions!  It was opening night so many (okay, MOST) of the performers were not “up” on their game quite yet and we saw a lot of misses vs success but despite that and the cold, wind and rain, we stuck it out til the end and had a good time.  Our big date night was spent in the rodeo parking lot as we watched and listened to all of the cowboys and cowgirls pack up their animals and gear at night’s end.

We woke up early and unsuccessfully tried our luck having lattes in Cody WY.  To its credit, the café looked to have some serious breakfast goods but their coffee DID NOT hold up to the menu!  Nonetheless, we were awake and back on the road to Thermopolis, WY with its petroglyph site and hot mineral baths.

The petroglyph site was a hit!  Leaving the highway for a stretch of dirt road we dodged the cattle and pronghorn to reach this remote attraction.  A 1500’ wall of rock along a riverbed had 15 different panels of ancient petroglyphs that dated from 2000 – 10,000 years ago!  It’s fascinating to get a glimpse into our past and put perspective on day to day life.

Pulling into Thermopolis, WY, we tried unsuccessfully to park and ended up at a hiking trailhead.  No better reason for an impromptu hike!  We climbed a mountain adding our chosen stone to the large cairn and signed the register.  Enjoying wildflowers along the way, we wandered the rest of the path before lunch. 

No day would be complete without a Holy City moment and four folks from Aiken, SC of all places showed up!  A fun group on a roadtrip to Alaska, they had a beer and we had some laughs before we all headed down the hill to check out the hot springs.

The final plan for the day was visiting the “world’s largest mineral hot springs” to which we added “20 minute pool” to!  Being that the deed to the hot springs property came with a stipulation that they remain free, the throngs are controlled with time limits.  The natural mineral hot springs were the perfect remedy for my recently kinked back and it gave us a chance to chat some more with our newly found friends.

Ending the day at a campsite along the reservoir at the Boysen State Park, we continue to marvel at how amazing this journey is.  After sharing yet another beer with lovely folks from Indiana, Harry and Arlene, we retired to our site.  Our campfire skills growing, we watched our expert fire turn to embers as we ended another chapter of this ever changing story.