Capitol Reefs National Park

...afternoon May 18, 2013

Hwy. 12 from Bryce to Torrey is one of the top ten scenic highways in America.  The drive proved to be even more spectacular than we had expected as we drove the 4 hours from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reefs NP in Torrey, UT. Unfortunately, the drive was so captivating that we didn't think of photos.  There were few pullovers as we got to the top. We came to the top of a high bald where the road was the only land on top.  It was very spooky with sheer drop-offs on either side with hardly any shoulder.  The pinnacle was 9,600 ft.  We drove down the other side of that divide and found the most beautiful terrain we had seen with Aspen trees dominating the landscape.  The vistas were amazing.  It is truly big sky country and the eye seems to see forever.

Hwy. 12 Scenic Highway between Bryce City and Torrey, UT

He was the star of Torrey, UT near Captitol Reefs National Park.   This Mountain Bluebird, a Life Bird,
allowed many photos while he perched on the pasture fences at the Cowboy Cabins

At the Cowboy Cabins in Torrey, we were delighted to find 4 quaint little log cabins on a working ranch.  We cooked steaks at the grill and enjoyed the farm.

Number #4 was the best of the 4.  It was at the end of the line
with great fields and views beyond

The front yard view from Cowboy Cabins.  Yes, it's snow over there.
The Ferruginous Hawks were out there, but it was before I thought
of the camera.

It was too late to go to the park so we drove to Torrey and visited the tiny historic Mormon church/school in town.  A larger church stands on the original historic site after the old church was moved.

Historic Mormon Church/School in Torrey, UT (1885)

Danny titled this photo.  'Cherrie is outstanding in her own field.'

Bird notes:  The ranch was very birdy.  Mountain Bluebird perched on the farm fences.  In a spectacular display of sparring or courting two Ferrugineous Hawks (lifers) flew over the dry wash behind the cabins and rose to the cliffs beyond.  Lark Sparrows, Lesser Goldfinches, Yellow Warblers, Mountain Chickadees, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Bluebirds, Western Kingbirds, Plumbeous Vireos, Say’s Phoebes, Pine Siskins, Robins,  Chipping Sparrows, the ever-present Common Raven and a Mystery Bird were found.  As we drove to the cabins we found a Black-billed Magpie near the entrance.

Black-headed Grosbeak late in the evening

A far away Lesser Goldfinch

Who knew!  Chipping Sparrows in Utah

Lark Sparrow: a beautiful bird but far away

...could not get enough of the beautiful Mountain Bluebird

May 19, 2013

The drive between Torrey, UT and Capitol Reefs NA Park

Capitol Reefs is located on the Fremont River and has a fertile valley where many fruit trees are seen growing.  The landscape changed quickly as we moved away from the river.

The Cassidy Arch hike (4 mi. round trip) was our first hike.  It was the most strenuous walk with a narrow switchback trail that twisted and climbed sheer rock faces.  We finally came to the arch and the final part of the hike was to walk out over the slick rock on top of the arch.  The hike included hanging on to the cliff walls as we wound around the edges.

It is impossible to show the scale here.  Cassidy Arch is the hole in the red cliff at the top of the photo.  The dots on top are large trees.  We were no more than a dot there.  The trail around the cliff can be seen to the left of the trees in the foreground.

A closer look at Cassidy Arch.  We soon would hike over the arch.

There are many pointy beehive looking formations as seen at the top of this photo.
I thought it had a a connection to Utah being called the beehive state, but the beehive
stands for industry in the state name.

Many of the peaks here had rounded tops.

More rounded peaks near Cassidy Arch

A second hike went through Capitol Gorge Road which in olden times was a highway for cars during dry seasons. Through the wash we saw petroglyphs  that date to the early 1600s, and the Pioneer Register where pioneers had carved their names into the canyon walls as they arrived.

There were a number of petroglyphs but most were too light to show well.

Sunrise petroglyph

One of the carvings in the Pioneer Register.  It must have been difficult to carve using cursive.

Capitol Gorge Wash: Cherrie in a niche 

Past these interesting carvings we hiked up the switchbacks again to an area called "The Tanks".  These were  holes in the rocks that hold water and draw wildlife.  None was there except for us.

Danny standing in front of one of the tanks

...and sitting beside the tank

...a tiny tank

Another of the interesting beehive formations.

More interesting formations on the Tanks hike.

Trails were not flat, or was Cherrie's camera not straight.

Danny played with cairns stacking and re-stacking them.  The cairns marked the trails
in many of the parks.

No mistaking the path here.

Sometimes the cairns were a distance apart and we were glad to find them.

The 9.5 mi. hike to Navajo Knobs was closed due to a landslide.  I don't think we had the energy or time to try it, but Anne and Lee Sneed had walked it and had encountered a rattlesnake along the trail.  We stayed alert for snakes but never saw a poisonous one.

Bird Notes:

Two Chukars were at the parking lot to Grand Wash.  They sneaked away while I was
getting the camera.

This non-native bird was introduced from Eurasia for hunting purposes and has naturalized in this area.
It is a member of the partridge family.

A pair of very vocal Black-throated Sparrows appeared just as we entered the wash to Cassidy Arch.

...so handsome. ...not the typical sparrow that we know as a little streaky brown job.  

One more of the Mountain Bluebird.  

We left in the afternoon to head for Moab, UT where Canyonlands NP, Arches NP and the Colorado River awaited us.

Accommodation Notes:
The Cowboy Cabins were about 12 mi. from Captitol Reefs but were really enjoyed our short stay there.  The cabin was large and had a nice kitchen with everything needed.  It did not have WiFi.