April 2000

Location - Lake Powell Daytime Temperature: 48 - 83 degrees Lowest Nighttime Temperature: 40's degrees Rainfall: None
	Rainbow Bridge National Monument - Lake Powell

With so many beautiful places to visit within easy reach from Lake Powell, Wullie really had a tough job choosing places that would keep Linda's face happy.

Antelope Point - Walked along the river bank in the hope we would come to the Antelope Canyon - but to no avail. It was too far. On the way home we stopped at the Dam but it was rather cool so decided we would return on a warmer day.

Lee's Ferry - This drive retraced some of our route into lake Powell and is extremely scenic. This allowed us some photo opportunities we missed earlier. Lee's Ferry between Glen, Marble, and Paria canyons, is a natural corridor was the only place wagon trains could cross the Colorado river from eastern Arizona into Utah. It was also known as the honeymoon ferry as newly wed Mormon couples would cross here on the way to Salt Lake City to have their marriage blessed by the church. At Lee's Ferry we took a leisurely two mile walk along the west bank of the Colorado river. During our lunch break the floating tour boats from Glen Canyon Dam passed on their way to Lee's Ferry. We just wish we had enough time to take this exciting tour, but it was not to be this time round. The float trips into and through the Grand Canyon begin at Lee's Ferry but you have to make a reservation almost a year in advance.

Rainbow Bridge - This all day boat trip starting from Wahweap Lodge was a round trip of more than 100 miles and is one we will always remember. The tour boat capacity in high season is about 50 people but since the season only begun the day before, our tour only had 8 passengers. This made it more like a luxury tour as more time was available for the captain to do extra canyon diversions. We started at 9.0 a.m. in cool but bright sunshine. We stayed on the top deck throughout the trip, being joined by some of the other people on occasions. The whole day out was one we will never forget. Our first detour was up the narrow picturesque Cathedral canyon, then onto Bridge Canyon and our first sighting of Rainbow Bridge. Unforgettable. Spanning 275 feet across, 290 feet high, 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide, making it the biggest natural bridge in the world. Because this is a Navajo religious site the path stops before the great arch. On our return we called into the right fork of Forbidding Canyon, Cascade Canyon, then a very narrow one that I can't remember the name of. These canyons are very imposing as you sail between towering rock formations. The canyons narrow as you progress and to take a small boat into the further reaches (where our tour boat couldn't go) must be a great adventure. There are literally thousands of boats for hire here from canoes to houseboats and this is a boat persons paradise. We called into Dangling Rope Marina which is only accessible by boat. It sells boat fuel and basic supplies to the boat people many of whom spend days living on their boats or camping around the canyons or shoreline. We arrived back at the Lodge at 4.0 p.m. It was a truly wonderful and tiring day.

Utah - One afternoon we took a leisurely stroll into Utah. Utah is now on summertime but Arizona's time never changes. As a result it took us well over an hour to walk a few hundred yards into Utah but the return journey to Arizona was accomplished in -45 minutes.

Antelope Canyon - This is part of the Navajo Reservation and the "slot" canyon was discovered by a young Navajo girl in the 1930's. It was a very lucrative discovery as thousands of tourists visit every year and the Navajo get $2 for every visitor. This is a photographers spot where the sunlight creeping through the roof of the canyon accentuates the different colours of the rock formations. The best time to visit is when the sun is at its highest (about midday in the summer). We got there at 2.0 p.m. (in the spring) took lots of photo's which hopefully will turn out well.

Glen Canyon Dam Tour - This one hour tour was really interesting (and free). We were taken to see the generators, shown the sensors incorporated into the wall that detect if the dam is moving too far. Told how the concrete was set and bombarded with lots of interesting facts. Took lots of photos and video. A very informative and pleasant tour well worth doing.

Utah

Achieved Statehood in 1896. With five National Parks, two National Recreational areas, six National Forests, and numerous State recreational areas, what more could you want if you like wonderful scenery and lots of hiking. If what we have heard is true, we are certainly looking forward visiting some of these wonderful places.

We chose to stay at Virgin which is about 13 miles west of the park. Zion River Resort RV park was only opened the Saturday before we arrived. Located by the river, with all the amenities we required, plus a phone hook-up it was a good choice, although a little more expensive than we really wanted. Our journey from Lake Powell took us through the East Gate of Zion NP. This route is complicated by a 1.1 mile tunnel, cut through bedrock, with a 5% downgrade - so what? Well the tunnel is only 10 foot high at the sides and the RV is 11 foot 4 inches? Don't panic this is the USA and everyone wants to take their RV through the park, so for $10 you can drive down the middle of the tunnel (height 13 foot). They do stop the traffic from the opposite direction! Your $10 gives you 2 tunnel trips in a week which allowed us to exit that way as well. After the tunnel the road descends in a series of switchbacks to the canyon floor providing beautiful views.

ZionNational Park - This beautiful 2,000 ft. deep canyon was cut by the Virgin River millions of years ago. From the beginning of May the scenic canyon drive is only accessible by the park bus. This can be an advantage if you like hiking, as you can get the bus to the end of the canyon and hike some of the many available paths back along the Virgin river to the start of the canyon road. We were able to drive to the end of the canyon (without the RV) and stop at the many beautiful viewpoints on the return, picking out what hikes we should prioritize during our stay in the area.

Emerald Pools - We started on the path by the Virgin River at Court of the Patriarchs, before ascending well above the river at Zion Lodge which gave wonderful views of the valley below. A steep path to the upper pool was rewarded by a nice sheltered spot by a waterfall to have lunch. We returned via the lower pool where we passed under a water fall before descending back to the river. A total of five enjoyable miles.

The Narrows - We drove to the Temple of Sinawava and had a very leisurely walk along the river to the start of the Narrows. To continue further we would have had to cross the raging river so we decided to take a few photos before retracing our footsteps. Lunch was taken looking through a window with a view of the river. The day was made complete by a BBQ on the log fire.

Observation Point - 8 miles of wonderful views. This was quite a strenuous hike but with the wonderful views available throughout it didn't seem so strenuous. Early spring flowers were numerous and added lots of colour to the hike. It never ceases to amaze how beautiful brightly coloured flowers can exist in such arid conditions - seeming to grow in the rock face? The views from Observation Point were really good looking down into Zion canyon.

Deertrap Mountain - To start this 9.5 mile hike we had to take a dirt road just past the parks East Gate, which our guidebook warned us got rough at the end and required a high clearance vehicle. The last few hundred yards require a 4 wheel drive and good nerves - we parked a few hundred yards away and walked into the trailhead. Although the overall hike was not as scenic as Observation Point, the reward at the overlook point turned out to be even better, which we thought could not be possible. The trail arrived on the rim of Zion Canyon giving a spectacular view into The Narrows, Temple of Sinawava and the Great White Throne to the north. Although the day was overcast which put some cloud in our photography, (all that bright blue sky gets boring anyway?) we still had a wonderful days hike. On the way out of the park the wind really got up. Swirls of dust along with the tumbleweed made us feel like we were in a cowboy movie. Pleased we were inside the truck and not still hiking.

Other points of interest - Visited St George the largest town in the area for supplies and tourist information. Once again the enthusiasm and courtesy of the staff in the Ranger office was outstanding. On the way home we drove to a scenic viewpoint at La Verkin which provided all round views of the mountains and into Zion NP. Here we saw our first flowering cactus. We drove up the Kaibab road into the western side of Zion NP. This is the higher side of the park and many of the trails were still snowbound but it looked very interesting and we will visit again if we return. Intended to visit Cedar Breaks National Monument but this sits around 12,000 feet and isn't open until June usually. A National Monument is not a statue, it can often be a large tract of land e.g. Death Valley was a national Monument before it became a National Park

Location - Bryce National Park Daytime Temperature: 42 - 70 degrees Lowest Nighttime Temperature: 26 degrees Rainfall: We woke up to snow one morning. It looked beautiful from the inside of our warm RV
	Bryce Canyon National Park

The RV Parks nearest to Bryce are over 7,600 feet, so as snow is possible at this time of the year we decided to stay 13 miles east of the park, at an elevation of 6,700. Even that did not protect us from waking up to snow a couple of mornings, and frozen water twice. On those mornings we had to make the sacrifice of staying in bed until the temperature rose high enough to melt the snow and ice, which was not long. Oh! the hardship of being retired and having the luxury of time on our hands!

Bryce Canyon is not so much a canyon, it is more like a series of amphitheaters created by millions of years of erosion. Pink, purple, rust and white hoodoos ( rock formations) where many paths weave in and out, make this a scenic paradise. As all the viewpoints are on the left it is advisable to drive the 18 mile road to Rainbow Point, the furthermost point in the park, then you can visit all the viewpoints on the way out. On a cold and rather windy day we took this drive and called into all the viewpoints on route. The most impressive viewpoints for us were, Fairyland Point, Sunset Point and Inspiration Point which has a short steep walk to a very rewarding viewpoint that looks over the whole canyon and beyond. The lack of pollution at Bryce is remarkable and as a result on a clear day you can see for 140 miles!

Fairyland Loop - This was our first view of Bryce Canyon, and one we will never forget. The road to Fairyland Loop is just before the pay fee area of the park, so we did not know what to expect when we arrived at the viewpoint. We parked the truck and made for the rim of Fairyland viewpoint to start our hike, we were met with a view that will remain with us forever - fantastic, just like the entire hike. Fairyland is a very good description of this wonderful eight mile hike. This hike descends deep into the canyon, weaves in and out of the colourful rock formations, before ascending once giving outstanding views of the canyon again. This is classed as a strenuous hike but with the truly outstanding scenery you will hardly notice. It is hard to imagine a more scenic/colourful 8 mile hike than this one. Highly recommended.

Peek-A Boo Loop - We had intended to start the Peek-a-Boo loop trail from Bryce Point but the path was closed at the el. 8294 ft. point so we drove to Sunset Point. Our hike started on the Navajo loop which descends a very steep switchback path to Wall Street, a narrow canyon with high rock walls and to our surprise, magnificent Douglas Fir trees stretching to reach the sky. This was just the first of many photo opportunities to try out our new JVC video/still camera. We then made our way towards the Peekaboo loop. Throughout this three mile loop we were in awe once again of the colourful rock formations this park has to offer. Even the path had all the colours of the rainbow at times. Knowing that this would be our last opportunity to hike in this canyon we decided to include the Queen's Garden. Delicate rock formations in the shape of Gulliver's Castle, Queens Castle and Queen Victoria herself have all been carved in the soft sandstone. This six mile hike took us five glorious hours, each minute thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.

Kodakchrome State Park - After reading about the park we decided to take the 40 mile drive and do a short hike, in the Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. It was all what we had hoped for, more beautiful views of colourful rock formations which included geyser formations. We completed the Panorama Loop which included Panorama Point where we could see for miles and miles. Unfortunately we didn't have more time to investigate this approx. 3,500 square mile National Monument.

Location - Capitol Reef National Park Daytime Temperature: 45 - 70 degrees Lowest Nighttime Temperature: low 40's degrees Rainfall: None
	Capitol Reef National Park

Torrey

We had chosen Thousand Lakes RV Park at Torrey as it was just 10 miles from Capitol Reef our next National Park. We were not disappointed with our choice - a small friendly site, all the amenities plus Internet access in the office, wonderful all round views, especially for us as we were given an end pitch so nobody obscured these great views.

As we were already staying on Utah highway 12 it made sense to continue on this road to Torrey. This road is rated in the top ten most scenic roads in the USA, but has quite a few steep hills at 12%-14% in stretches of a few miles. After careful consideration and local consultation we decided to take this shorter route. What a drive! Some of the finest scenery we have seen and all on one 120 mile stretch. Lots of steep hills that our FORD tough truck had no problem handling. Calf Creek is somewhere we were told to visit, and when we got to that point we knew why. This was the most spectacular part of this already wonderful drive. Hogsback - a narrow ridge with steep cliffs on either side is not for the faint hearted as you look deep into canyons on both sides of a road without barriers. Just beyond that we came to the highest point on this road, Boulder Mountain at 9,400 feet above sea level. Viewpoints along this plateau give breathtaking views of more than 100 miles away. At times the road is on the edge of the plateau giving a sheer drop to the valley bellow. A wonderful 120 miles of outstanding beauty.

Capitol Gorge - After visiting the Park Visitor center to obtain hiking information we took the scenic drive and exit on the dirt road to Capitol Gorge. This was the road used by the Mormon pioneers in the late 1800's and is still one of only three routes through the "Reef". The "Reef" terminology was used as many of the pioneers had a naval background - large barrier to passage = Reef. We done a short hike to The Tanks - water holes used by the pioneers. This short two mile hike took us about three hours to complete as we stopped to view the many wild spring flowers, studied the many rock formations, had lunch by one of the now dried up water holes before making our slow way back to the truck. The day was made complete by a pair of Chukar (pretty coloured partridge) at the entrance.

Cathedral Valley - The 58 mile round trip to this part of the park was recommended by the park Rangers. We were advised that the ford at the start of this loop road was running at 18 inches so it would be advisable unless we had 4 wheel drive to take the road at Cainville to get to Cathedral Valley. The 30 mile dirt road to Hartnet Junction was very rough in places, but the scenery once again did not disappoint us. We stopped at most of the points of interest on route before arriving at Upper Cathedral Valley Overlook where we stopped for lunch looking over the valley we had just come through. On studying the handout for the drive we discovered that to go back the way we wanted it meant going over Thousand Lake Mountain at 9,600 feet, and it was still under snow. So do we return the way we came or chance the ford and hope that we would get through the water safely? Two guys we spoke to had crossed the ford earlier and assured us that our Ford truck would cross no bother? so the ford it is! The Bentonite clay multi-coloured hills were the most interesting point on this part of the loop. Then came the ford crossing. We had been told by one person who crossed that driving into and up a river was quite a daunting experience, now we knew what he meant. The ford did not cut straight across the river, we had to make a right turn in the river, drive up the river for about 20 yards before making a left turn onto dry land - it was quite exciting. The water covered the running board of the truck but we made it. Another exciting first for us.

Chimney Rock - A three and a half mile loop which we extended by another three miles by walking through Spring Canyon. The combined hike was very enjoyable with wonderful views of Capitol Reef and while wandering through the canyon the different colours in the rock formation that towered over us were spectacular. Another great hike completed on another very hot day.

Navajo Knobs - A promise of another hot and clear day we decided on the 9 mile round hike to Navajo Knobs. Beautiful scenery through the entire hike. We had 360 degree panorama view while sitting high on the knob before getting a more comfortable seat in the shade to eat our lunch. The hike took us 6 hours to complete and is highly recommended. Just a bit of American English which may seem rude in Scotland but is quite OK here "Whils't sitting astride one of the Navajo Knobs, gazing across to Fern's Nipple, Linda offered me a piece of chocolate from her Fanny pack."

Calf Creek Falls - This trip achieved 2 objectives, another journey on scenic Highway 12 and a hike to a 160 foot waterfall. On the way we caught sight of a Mountain Beaver by the roadside. As the trailhead came into sight it was obvious that a lot of people had the same idea as us (Easter Sunday) - a very popular family hike. The trail followed Calf Creek until arriving at the 160 foot waterfall. We watched parents and children wade in the cold water while we sat in the sun eating our lunch. We enjoyed our 5.5 mile hike, but it won't rank among the best.

A nice clear day for our move to East Bay RV Park, Springville UT, 40 miles south of Salt Lake. This time we had the luxury of a phone line into the RV. The 160 mile journey passed through more very scenic roads before we arrived back to civilization and the busy Interstate 15 leading to Salt Lake City. The Interstate was not without it's scenic interest as the Eastern side is lined with snow capped mountains.

Park City - We drove through Provo canyon, highlight the 607 foot Bridal Veil Falls, and across the mountain ranges to the ski resort of Park City. We stopped at lots of viewpoints, drove across the dam at Deer Creek reservoir, took a detour so we could look down on the newly completed Jordonelle reservoir before arriving at Park City.
A homebrew pub beckoned us to for a wet lunch. What a lovely day we had. This place is well worth the visit, not only for the scenic drive but because it is a beautiful well designed small ski town. As luck would have it, we parked right outside the Brewpub. Linda decided glasses of beer are not enough and ordered a "Pitcher". After an enjoyable lunch we took a leisurely walk up Main Street looking into all the designer shops. We tried to go back via another mountain pass but the road had not been cleared of snow. We arrived back to temperatures in excess of 90 degrees - hot, hot.

Salt Lake City - Wandered around Temple Square which is like "Mecca" to the members of the Mormon faith. Took photos of the Assembly Hall, Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake Temple where a wedding was taking place, and the most impressive Joseph Smith Memorial Building which was once a hotel. The flower gardens throughout the square were beautiful. Many "Sisters" (of different nationalities) of the church offered us guided tours and wanted to discuss the Mormon faith with us.

General Impressions

We celebrated our first anniversary of arrival in the USA on April 14th - doesn't time fly when you are retired and having fun. Utah is a scenically beautiful state, particularly the Southern part. It's 5 National Parks and several other protected areas such as Glen Canyon recreation area, Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument and 3 National forests provide thousands of square miles of scenic protected wonderland. Snow capped mountains abound around Salt LakeCity and the eastern half of the state (we have yet to visit) is reputed to be amazingly beautiful. We have been really impressed and surprised that the 2nd most arid (Nevada is the driest) state is so so beautiful.

Miles travelled this month: 1,839

Accumulative miles: 23,202

Interesting Hyperlinks:

Lake Powell - Page

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

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