Setting up in Torrey

The Waterpocket Fold

Monday the 9th we traveled from Moab to the tiny town of Torrey, Utah.   Torrey is in the south central part of the state, and just west of maybe our favorite summer vacation spot, Capitol Reef National Park.   It is a long narrow park that runs roughly north and south for 100 miles.  About 75 miles of the park preserves a long up-thrust called the Waterpocket Fold.  It is a rugged spine extending from Thousand Lake Mountain, all the way south to Lake Powell.  Some of the most wild and spectacular scenery I have ever seen is in this area.  One of the best things about this park is that it is little visited, at least vs. some of the other famous national parks in southern Utah...  such as Bryce, Zion, Arches etc.  This means when you take a hike in the park, you are not likely to run into 350 other people along the way.

We have been here six times previous to this.  Each time, we have enjoyed the visit thoroughly.  Our camp for the next two nights will be at a little private RV park, with 12 spaces here in Torrey.  It is a little rough, but you can see some great cliffs off in the distance, and it is relatively quiet.  After arriving and setting up camp, we had lunch, and then went for a few caches just to get us out walking and hiking a bit.  Now, we are sitting in the shade by our camper trailer, reading, blogging, and enjoying the afternoon.  Tomorrow we will likely hike, cache, and sit in the shade by our camper trailer, reading, blogging, and enjoying the afternoon.  :-)  What's not to like?  76 degrees in the shade.

A window view from inside our camper trailer

Really Indescribable

On Sunday, June 8, the morning skies were dark as we left Moab and traveled into Canyonlands National Park.  We came upon the indescribable.  

Canyonlands National Park is in an area of the country riddled with thousands of canyons, mesas, hoodoos, bluffs, cliffs, spires, chimneys, and all forms of rock formations.  What it has few of is roads leading into the area.  Paved roads you can count on one half of one hand.  The park itself spreads over 527 square miles, and was the last area in the continental United States to be mapped.  The entire southern half of the park is called the Maze, and for good reason.  The gnarled mess of canyons is so vast, that it became an area of hideouts for bandits into the 20th century.  The Colorado and Green rivers meet within the park, to continue south as the mighty Colorado.

As the skies began to clear, we took the paved road that enters from the northern end of the park.  It goes part way south along a string of mesa tops, so mostly what we saw was from overlooks.  The scale of the landscape is, well, really indescribable.  Indeed it is so grand, that it is mind boggling, at least for me.  We were able at one overlook to see the Green River way down below, before it meets up with the Colorado.  There are a few dirt roads that drop into some of the canyons, and enter from several sides of the park.  One is 100 miles long, and requires a two day trip with high clearance and four wheel drive.  

We did a little geocaching in the morning coming up to the park, but very little.  Geocaches are not allowed in National Parks, so we were out of the environment.  In the park, we mostly we just gawked at one stupendous overlook, then another, and another, until we both were on overload.  Then we headed back to Moab to buy some supplies, and get ready for our move in the morning toward Capitol Reef National Park, and Torrey, Utah.  Here are a few shots from today, but I can tell you up front, most of what we saw was bigger than my little camera could take in. 

(look for the SUV in the first photo below)

  

Cryptobiotic Soil

Okay...  here is your science lesson for toady.  Read only if you are interested.  :-)

Cryptobiotic soil makes bushwhacking difficult in this area.  You have to be very, very careful where you step.  By the way, this living soil is also found in the Sedona area.  When I worked in Sedona, damage to this life form by unknowing urban folks was a constant problem.  If you ever wondered why the Sedona area has so many trails, this stuff is the reason.

Here is a picture that I took yesterday in Castle Rock Valley of cryptobiotic soil.  Zoom in the picture for a closer look.

Cryptobiotic soil crust is a living groundcover that forms the foundation of high desert plant life. This knobby, black crust is dominated by cyanobacteria, but also includes lichens, mosses, green algae, microfungi and bacteria.

Cyanobacteria, previously called blue-green algae, are one of the oldest known life forms. It is thought that these organisms were among the first land colonizers of the earth's early land masses, and played an integral role in the formation and stabilization of the earth's early soils. Extremely thick mats of these organisms converted the earth's original carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into one rich in oxygen and capable of sustaining life.

When wet, Cyanobacteria move through the soil and bind rock or soil particles, forming an intricate web of fibers. In this way, loose soil particles are joined together, and an otherwise unstable surface becomes very resistant to both wind and water erosion. The soil-binding action is not dependent on the presence of living filaments. Layers of abandoned sheaths, built up over long periods of time, can still be found clinging tenaciously to soil particles, providing cohesion and stability in sandy soils at depths up to 10cm.

Nitrogen fixation is another significant capability of cyanobacteria. Vascular plants are unable to utilize nitrogen as it occurs in the atmosphere. Cyanobacteria are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form plants can use. This is especially important in desert ecosystems, where nitrogen levels are low and often limiting to plant productivity.

Soil crusts have other functions as well, including an ability to intercept and store water, nutrients and organic matter that might otherwise be unavailable to plants.

Unfortunately, many human activities negatively affect the presence and health of soil crusts. Compressional stresses placed on them by footprints or machinery are extremely harmful, especially when the crusts are dry and brittle. Tracks in continuous strips, such as those produced by vehicles or bicycles, create areas that are highly vulnerable to wind and water erosion. Rainfall carries away loose material, often creating channels along these tracks, especially on slopes.

Impacted areas may never fully recover. Under the best circumstances, a thin veneer of cryptobiotic soil may return in five to seven years. Damage done to the sheath material, and the accompanying loss of soil nutrients, is repaired slowly during up to 50 years of cyanobacterial growth. Lichens and mosses may take even longer to recover.

La Sal Mountain Scenic Loop

On Saturday, June 7, we decided to visit the high country near Moab.  This meant traveling into the relatively nearby La Sal Mountains.  We took what is called the La Sal Mountain Scenic Loop Road to the north east, which turned out to be a sixty mile loop from town, re-entering the Moab area south of town, near our RV park.  

The road was paved, but slightly wider than a single lane road.  Varied and beautiful all the way, it starts out following the Colorado River going east from town, then turns, and follows Castle Rock Valley, toward the La Sal Mountains.  It climbs from there, and we managed to get into some rather cool country for our lunch break.  We dined at 8,800 ft among the aspens and spruce.  Then, we fell in altitude in the afternoon, returning to Moab, passing ranching areas, streams and lakes.  Of course we cached along the way, which forced us out of the car often to climb the mountain sides, and hike into the woods in search of cache treasure.  This was an area we had never seen around Moab, and we throughly enjoyed the trip.  Nice day.

In the first two shots below, taken from different cache locations, see if you can spy our white truck, to give you some perspective.

Bowtie and Corona

Thursday the 6th, we made an early start and traveled across the Colorado, and then back down along the river to a trail that leads to Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch.  This is one of our favorite hikes of all time, and we have done it several times in the past.  Not in the National Park, it is a slick rock hike, with only cairns to mark your way.  It crosses a railroad cut, and then back around the cliffs a couple of miles, to reveal the two arches.  Along the way, you can see an additional arch called Pinto Arch, but no trail leads to that one.  There are hand rails, and a ladder to help you along in a couple of spots.  

The two main arches are actually only several hundred yards apart, but are very different.  Bowtie formed when a pothole in the cliffs above met a cave underneath.  It used to be called Paul Bunyan's Potty before that name was appropriated for an arch in Canyonlands National Park.  The hole is about 30 ft in diameter.  Corona Arch, eroded out of a sandstone fin.  The graceful span is 140 feet long, and 105 feet high.  

When we arrived at the two arches, we found a boyscout troop rappelling down from the top of Corona arch.  Pretty scary.  We learned that two folks have recently died trying the same thing, just within the last couple of years.  While searching for a cache behind some house sized boulders near the arch,  we found a bronze plaque in memory of one of the young fellows.  He had just returned from military service.  Too bad.

Below you can see a few pictures of the main arches along the trail, as well as some other shots of the river and of the railroad cut.

Backroads and Bridges

Yesterday, we cached in the back areas of Moab.   Hunting geocaches takes you out of the main tourist areas,  away from the crowds, into the neighborhoods,  the little local parks,  and to the outskirts of town.   You learn a lot about an area this way.  

During the morning, we climbed into the sandstone cliffs, enjoyed amazing views, toured a few exclusive neighborhoods,  some not so exclusive,  and came into a pretty little park with its own flowing spring. 

After lunch at a local micro brewery,  we continued caching in another part of town,  bringing us to a very cool little park filled with outdoor musical instruments that you could play to your heart's content.   I had a hard time getting Kathy,  my child bride,  back on the road from this park.  Later, our hunt took us under the main highway bridge that spans the Colorado River,  where Kathy made a difficult cache find,  and then skipped stones across the flowing water.

It was a fun day.

Traveling to Moab

Yesterday,  leaving Lake Powell,  we headed east,  then north into Utah.   Along our route we passed through little towns on the Navajo Nation with Navajo names such as Tsegi, Kaibito, Shonto,and Kayenta, and on into Monument Valley (a Navajo Tribal Park).  Then into Utah,  and towns that were named for geological features in their areas.   Towns like Mexican Hat,  Mexican Water,  and Bluff.  We crossed a very rushing San Juan River,  and so many huge rock outcroppings,  cliffs, and monuments that had no names on our maps.  Then after the little towns of Blanding and Monticello,  we passed by the southern entrance to Canyonlands National Park,  and on into Moab,  Utah. 

After checking out a few RV parks,  we settled into a rural park, the OK RV Park, about 5 miles south of town.   It is quiet,  peaceful,  and has many trees.   The views are of massive redrock cliffs,  and of the great  La Sal mountains.  Our plan is to stay a few days here and explore a bit.  It had been a long drive,  so we spent the late afternoon in camp, enjoying adult beverages and snacks for dinner.

Passing Powell

Yesterday, taking a route North from Flagstaff,  via a temporary paved bypass around a landslide damaged highway, we arrived in Page,  Arizona.   The temporary road proved satisfactory,  and we lost no time.  Just outside of Page,  we drove across the controversial Glen Canyon dam,  and set our eyes on beautiful Lake Powell.   It had been a decade since we had last seen it.
 
This was just a stopover for us on our way to Moab, Utah.  It was good to break up the drive, and we found another great campground for future trips.

Flagstaff - Day Two

Yesterday was our second day enjoying our old hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona.  The temps were nice, and the air dry and clear.  After a leisurely start to the day, we went on to visit many back roads and alleyways in the area, in search of geocaches.  Our hunt took us to a lot of areas that even we, after living here for fourteen years, had never been.  This is often the case with geocaching.

At one point by a railroad crossing Northeast of town, I stopped to gaze at the San Francisco Peaks to the West.  It was quiet there, and the smell of the pinyon/juniper landscape was strong.  Beautiful. Had to take a picture.

After having a great lunch at a local favorite, Mike and Rhonda's Cafe, we hunted a few more caches, and came upon an old truck parked near Sheep Hill.  Sheep Hill is a bit smaller than the last time I saw it.  This is the source of all the cinders that are spread on the roads in the area during snow cover for vehicle traction.  One day the red/brown hill here, part of the San Francisco volcanic field, will disappear altogether I am sure.

After caching, we did a little shopping, and then had a lovely dinner at a friend's house in our old neighborhood.  It reminded me of the value of friendships.  Priceless in a real way.

Back in Flagstaff

We are beginning our first summer trip,  heading to some of our favorite haunts in Southern Utah.

Arrived in Flagstaff yesterday in time to set up the trailer,  grab a few caches,  eat a great Thai meal,  and stroll a bit around the downtown area. So many old memories.  We both struggled with the altitude change.

Breezy and cool yesterday.  Angie seems to be enjoying the trip already.