10/20/19, Capital Reef Utah, Day 40

 

Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina, 

Morning

Last night’s wind storm and moderate rain has passed.  Undoubtedly it snowed in the higher elevations last night.  Daytime temperatures should be high and melt the snow in a day or two.  I’m feeling good about taking U-12 tomorrow and not today.

I’ll take a hot shower in a warm room today.  Unfortunately, It will be a short hot shower.  Southern Utah is in a drought.  We’re asked to conserve water, nothing unusual for a Californian.

Parking at Capital Reef trail heads over the weekends is difficult.  We’re planning to head out early this morning and wait for warmer temperatures while parked.

The World Stage

I’m reading an article about our withdrawal from Syria. It feels to me like we’re leaving with our tail between our legs.  It’s such a sudden retreat.  I can only think there was a “quid pro quo” with Turkey for our retreat that may one day come to light.

Always Walk Around, Always

Our Holander friends were gone early.  Han left a near full gallon of RV anti-freeze for us.  Thanks! However, I have more than we need already.  I left the gallon on a bench hoping someone who need it. Leaving this morning we went through our usual process.  Push-out in? Check.  Disconnect power?  Check.  We went through the remaining check list.  ALL OK!  I stepped out to walk around and saw our DirecTV antenna half way down. WHAT?  Then I remembered I disconnected power before the antenna had stowed.  Imagine if I had not walked around the motor home today. 

I simply reconnected power and with a push of a button, the antenna lowered and stowed.  No Problem, with a walk around.  Imagine if we had gone through a low clearance with the antenna half up.

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Hickman Bridge Trail Head

Leslie mentioned a few short moderate hikes we could take in Capitol Reef:  The Hickman Bridge Trail, The Cohab Canyon Trail,  Sunset Point, and the Petroglyphs.  Han, our Holander neighbor, mentioned that parking at Hickman Bridge was difficult, “Arrive early”.   Early for a trail head, that is different than “early” for Lamar Valley.  We did not get up at 4 AM.  We left Sand Creek RV Camp around 8:15 AM.  We stopped at the visitors center to do some recycling, and drove on to the trail head.  Are we lucky?  We found an oversized parking spot in the parking loop. Aside from that, the parking loop was full.  

We parked.  We had breakfast. We dressed for a short hike. We headed up the trail

We met a number of fun, interesting people as we stood in awe of Hickman Bridge. We spoke with a family whose son came on the trip without packing anything. He had a red pajama style top and bottom  That was it.  Another couple were avid hikers and well travelled.

 

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A Beautiful Day at Hickman’s Bridge

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Cohab Canyon Trail Head

Returning to Li’l Beast, we ate a quick lunch.  I changed into shorts and we went off again. The Cohab Canyon trailhead is close by the Hickman Bridge parking lot.  After lunch in Li’l Beast, we walked across the bridge over the Fremont River,  saw the huge rock across the street, and found the trail head for Cohab Canyon just behind the rock.   The trail climbs to a fork in the trail.  To  the left, the trail winds down to the campground.  To  the right, the trail continues up and away.  We took the path to the right.

Solitude.  Walking this trail we encountered nobody for the longest time.  “Just the two of us!”  Nearing a ridge top, as the wind picked up we heard voices above.  We met a couple from London.  They are vacationing across America.  Their travels will take them to San Francisco on this trip.  We spoke frankly about Boris and Donald with distain.  I wonder if travel is a political watershed.

In all we encountered five people on our hike.  Mid hike, we had an entire valley to ourselves. 

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Modern Graffiti Sucks, EDNA & MARI?

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A Step toward Prevention

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Petroglyphs

On the way back to Li’l Beast, Ellen felt ill.  We sat in the parking lot for about 30 minutes while she recovered.   She didn’t’ really recover, but agreed we should move on to the petroglyph turnout.  We both walked the boardwalk that is the petroglyph trail.  The petroglyphs are remarkable.  I was pleased to see a huge fine for defacing archeological resources on Federal Land is a crime.  I was equally surprised that the graffiti carved in stone have not been erased.

Sunset Point

Sunset point was one of Leslie’s suggestions.  It sits at the end of a dirt road.  I took that road.  It is a mile of brutal washboard punctuated with potholes, some huge potholes.  We shook and rattled our way to the end.  Ellen was “relaxing” in the back bed and getting thrown about.  She had no interest in hiking a half mile to an overlook. I drove back, bumping and rattling all the way.  I stopped at The Chuck Wagon in  Torrey for ginger ale and water.

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Sand Creek RV Resort

We’re back “home”.  There was some confusion about sites.  #2 was taken. We wound up in #10.  I think Leslie overbooked.  The fellow who was in #10 moved to a non-site “site”.  I’m glad Leslie worked it out.

There are three Winnebago Views grouped together.  Our 24J,, a 24H behind us, and a 24D with dual push outs.   Of course Ellen chatted with both families.   Each floor plan has advantages and disadvantages.  We’ll revisit floor plans if/when we get serious about replacing Li’l Beast.

Plans

We’ll drain the swamp and refill our water tank to 2/3 before we drive off on highway 12.  We’ll go through Boulder,  stop at Calf Creek, and go on to Escalante.  Temperatures are not expected to be sub freezing tonight.  We can dry camp if we want.

Han sang the beauty of Bryce Canyon without even mentioning highway 12 as an issue.  Another fellow in camp could only talk about 12 as “dangerous”.  Ellen wasn’t pleased.  Did say the drive is gorgeous.  At one point you’re driving a knife ridge that drops off on either side.  “There’s no guard rail!  How could they not put in a guard rail?”, he was incredulous. He said he’d asked if anyone ever drove off the ridge, “Not that we’ve ever found” a ranger answered.  I’m confident in the sprinter chassis and my driving ability.  We’ll be fine.

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