2 Brits in a Chevy: a Southwest Road Trip LV, Southern UT and Northern AZ

Oh good...a trip report!

Thanks for thinking of us.

quiUK:

Good start - looking forward to more.

Sandy

Really looking forward to your trip report. Sounds like you had an amazing trip!

quiUK,

I'm so happy you are doing a report for us! Can't wait to read all about your adventures.

If you get stuck in Vegas for three days again, take day trips to Death Valley National Park (could do more than one there), Valley of Fire State Park, or Red Rock Canyon. Sounds like you've been on a great trip. Thanks and keep writing.

Lovely report so far - I'm looking forward to reading the rest!

Lee Ann

I love the tasteless fridge magnets! I've been working on my own 'bad art' collection for some years now and it's so silly. Looking forward to more!

Thanks for your comments everyone - I recognise most of your names from your previous helpful forum posts on the area!

Day 3:

We woke early, checked out and got the shuttle to the airport to pick our car. This then involved yet another shuttle to the rental car centre which isn't near the terminal itself. Whilst not particularly onerous, we discovered when we returned the car to the airport at the end of the trip that if you're staying on the South end of the strip, the cost of a cab to/from the airport is comparable to the shuttle, and saves a bit of hassle. We took taxis instead when we got back to Vegas for our final night before flying home the next day.

Anyway - back to the beginning of the trip! We cashed in some airmiles to get a heavy discount on our rental car, and had a Chevy Impala - aka Betsy. Prior to the trip, we had ummed and ahhhed about whether to upgrade to a 4WD SUV, but in the end were glad we didn't spend the extra as it wasn't required. Once we'd piled all our gear into Betsy, we hit I15 North and hoped to pass a Walmart or similar to buy a cheap cooler and stock up on some road trip essentials - picnic items, trail mix bars, water and most importantly a few cold beers! The suburbs of Vegas we passed through didn't appear to have anything of the sort though - where do people do their food shopping in these parts?! Even our GPS (nicknamed Tim) didn't appear to have anywhere local listed (although perhaps he was still in a bit of culture shock having been plucked out of London and plunged into Vegas). We decided not to spend too long in the city though and headed off up the Interstate hoping to pass somewhere en route and exited at Mesquite where we found a Walmart.

Having managed to get everything, we set our course for Springdale, UT and reached there and checked into our motel by early afternoon. We stayed at the Zion Park Motel and were very pleased with it. I'm sure you can't go wrong with any lodging in Springdale though as it's such a nice place! We had 2 nights in Springdale, so set off to make the most of what was left of our first afternoon there. I'm sure many of you who read this forum are familiar with the shuttle service there, but for those that aren't: there are 2 free shuttle bus services in operation in the summer months (until October I think?). The first takes you from any of numerous stops in Springdale to the Zion Visitors Centre, and the second runs inside the park from the VC up the canyon and back again - also with frequent stops and plenty of excellent and informative commentary on the park, the stops and access to the different trails. The system works like a dream - it's frequent, pretty quick and makes the park itself a much nicer place by not having traffic, noise and parking issues.

We gained entry to the park with our annual pass which we could also use for all other NPS run parks we visited too - it proved to be excellent value for money. We spent some time by the excellent VC looking at the detailed information on the different hikes we could do, and decided that as the afternoon was ticking by, we'd use the time to take the shuttle up the canyon and get our bearings, do the Riverside walk at the end and then see what we had time left for and get an idea as to what hikes we would do the following day. The sky was also looking threatening in parts, and we did have a brief rain shower whilst on the bus.

Zion is stunning. Simply stunning. We enjoyed our first ride up the canyon and hopped out at the last stop to experience it for real. The Riverside Walk was pleasant. It's not long (about a mile to a mile and a half), and on level, paved ground. A nice introductory walk in the park, and fun to see everyone coming in off the Narrows at the end. It was also DH's first chance to get the cameras out and start shooting some of the fabulous scenery - as such, the walk took us while as we stopped quite a bit to enjoy our surroundings. As we came back towards the trailhead, the heavens threatened to open again so we thought best to head back towards the park entrance, have an earlyish dinner and night and prepare ourselves for the next day.

We ate at a restaurant next door to our Motel - the amusingly named 'Wildcat Willie's'. It was pretty good, service was very friendly and they served beer in 1l glasses so DH was happy. He had ribs, and I had a shrimp salad. Both tasty, but let's face it, this trip was not about the food.....

Before leaving London, I had read about Angel's Landing and thought 'there's no way we could do that', then I thought 'well, maybe we can, let's see what it's like when we get there'. For anyone not familiar with it, it's 5 mile round trip trail with an elevation change of 1500ft - most of it seemingly in the last half mile whilst hauling yourself up on chains over a giant precipice (on both sides). Not for the faint hearted. When we passed it on the bus, I had second thoughts again (or is that third thoughts?!) - it looked huge, steep, treacherous, beyond our capabilities and downright lunacy to even try and attempt it. But everything I had read suggested it was one of the best hikes going with tremendous views and this nagged in the back of my head. Could I overcome my fear of heights? Would DH be able to get some of his camera gear up there? Would we fall to our certain deaths in trying? Even if we got up, would we get back down again in one piece? We went to bed without having made a decision - if we were going to do it, we'd have to start first thing in the morning. We agreed we'd see what the weather forecast looked like in the morning, pick up some picnic items at Sol Foods just outside the park and play it by ear.

Next installment: Day 4 - "Angels Landing: did we or didn't we?"

I'm really enjoying this. It makes me realize that I should see more of my own country.

OK, we're waiting with baited breath, did you???

Very good, adding suspense to your report. I remember you asking for advice for this trip. Looking forward to more.

MY

I'm enjoying your report. It's good to see such familiar country through someone else's eyes. I hoped you waved as you passed me in Mesquite.

I'n in...

Day 4

In the morning the weather forecast predicted a 30% chance of thunderstorms (or, depending how you look at it, a 70% chance of no rain). DH muttered something about it being dangerous to be high up on exposed rock when lightening was nearby. Hmmmm. A fair point. Perhaps it was madness for us to consider hiking up to Angels Landing and it should only be undertaken by seasoned adventurers – the kind of people who make fire from damp twigs, kills animals with their bare hands for food, and build shelter out of leaves. Or perhaps we were being chicken and trying to talk ourselves out of it. ‘Lets get the shuttle there and ask a Ranger’ we agreed.

We arrived early at park entrance (8ish) and got a quick breakfast at Sol Foods and stocked up on some packed lunch items. As well as a mini mart there, the cafe also had a breakfast fruit and cereal bar which suited us fine as opposed to waffles, pancakes etc so it’s a handy place to know just outside the park. Whilst on the subject of breakfast, I’d like to digress slightly. What I’m about to say will do no good for international relations between our 2 nations, but with the veil of anonymity afforded by the internet I’m just going to come out and say it: America – your coffee is rubbish. It doesn’t taste of anything. There. I’ve told you all and I feel better for it (and sorry if I’ve offended anyone). At Sol Foods that morning, I noticed that aside from the usual ‘brew’ you guys serve up under the guise of coffee, I could also purchase espresso. Praise be - a decent cup at last, and I knew to look out for places serving it throughout the rest of our trip.

Thus fortified, we spoke to the Ranger at the entrance kiosk who said any thunderstorms would be more than likely in the afternoon, and early morning was the perfect time to start Angels Landing so off we should go. So we did. And it was brilliant.

The start of the hike was easy – shady and cool at that time of day, and not too steep. Then it got steeper, then levelled out in Refridgerator Canyon, and then came the Wiggles....pretty steep, but nothing we couldn’t handle. So far so good. We got to Scouts Lookout where the paved/gravel trail ended and Angels Landing loomed before us.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ DH asked. ‘We can always turn back now if you’d prefer’.

‘We’ll never forgive ourselves if we don’t at least try it. Let’s go.’ I said.

Looking back on it, it was pretty frightening, except I don’t remember feeling it too much at the time as I was concentrating so hard on where my feet and hands were going. I do recall however thinking that as hard as going up was, coming down looked even harder – you’re forced to look down! We took the ascent pretty slowly and carefully, stopping to catch breath and balance, and were rewarded at the top with the view to beat all views – the whole of Zion Canyon lay before us. We spent about 45 minutes up there taking it all in, but in the back of mind I kept thinking ‘how on earth am I going to get down?!’ Well, I got down the same way I got up – slowly but surely (although I spent more of it on my backside as I kind of ‘shuffled’ down the steeper bits)! Once back to Scouts Lookout we felt nothing could beat us so strode off down the wiggles and rest of the trail back to the canyon floor. The trail was busier – many hikers starting it later in the day and I can’t imagine how hot it must have been for them climbing up as by that time there was much less shade! Once we’d finished (about 3.5 hours round trip), we felt so elated – what an achievement (for us anyway)! We snacked on our sandwiches in the shady picnic area and both agreed that if we could manage this, we would feel much more confident tackling other strenuous trails throughout the trip.

After lunch, we took the Kayenta trail (more stunning canyon views) to the Upper and Middle Emerald pools. The trail to the former was good fun. Silly though it may sound, I like hiking on more ‘interesting’ surfaces than a path – the more varied the path the better! This path wasn’t particularly steep, but gave some opportunity for clambering round a few rocks, and the pool in a cool, shady glade was a welcome retreat at the end.

Once back on the canyon floor, we shared a cold diet coke before getting the shuttle back to the Canyon Junction stop where we got off to hike the gentle Pa’rus Trail back to the Visitors Centre. Great views again, and this was a nice end to such and strenuous day. DH & I have taken at least a couple of hundred pictures from that day alone (and still managed to purchase 2 Zion fridge magnets to boot).

We had definitely earned our cold beers by that evening, and ate dinner at a small Mexican restaurant in Zion. Tired, but pretty proud of our personal achievement, we hit the sack as we were leaving early the next morning to drive to Bryce.

At this point, I’ll throw in my 2 cents (for what it’s worth) on hiking gear – purely because before we left for the trip, I was wondering what we should take with us to minimise baggage but prepare for extremes of temperature and ensure we hopefully wouldn’t break an ankle! DH & I walk a fair bit back here in Blighty. We have a modest collection of what I term ‘technical clothing’ – you know, the kind of stuff found in an outdoor shops where every tag has a cross section diagram of the fabric to show its various wicking, breathability and/or waterproof features. I love technical clothing - I’m a sucker for it (especially buying new socks for some reason). Whilst we didn’t take the whole lot with us, the following were useful – fleeces for cool mornings and evenings, quick drying t-shirts and shorts, decent walking socks and hiking shoes (we call them approach shoes over here. Like a hiking boot but without all the ankle support). We found the shoes sufficient for the hiking we did and I was pleased as I hadn’t wanted to cart my boots over in my luggage. We each carried a small rucksack which could accommodate several refillable 500ml bottles of water, sunscreen, hat, snacks, cameras, binoculars etc. I felt we were equipped ok for the standard of hiking we were to do and the length of trails (5 miles max, but sometimes more than one in a day). What amazed me in several of the parks we visited, was the number of people setting off on some of the more strenuous trails and despite all the warnings and information provided by the NPS, they were wearing sandals/flip flops etc and carrying little or no water. Luckily we never saw anyone get into difficulty or hurt themselves though!

Anyway, that aside, as I said we were heading off to Bryce the following morning and I was excited because I had heard Hwy 12 on the way there was going to be pretty spectacular too and we were making our first foray onto it.

So glad you had a great hike and the weather cooperated and your gear worked well. Keep it up.

thanks

Great report!

"What amazed me in several of the parks we visited, was the number of people setting off on some of the more strenuous trails and despite all the warnings and information provided by the NPS, they were wearing sandals/flip flops etc and carrying little or no water."

My husband's family did this when he was younger. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on a lark. The trip back up wasn't as fun. I think in the U.S., we all just secretly expect there to be an elevator somewhere that we can find if absolutely need be!

Great report.

I never went near Angel's Landing and think maybe I should have done the lower part.

And coffee? Well, my wife is addicted and I've never had a cup in my life.

More, more, more!!!

kelliebellie - "I think in the U.S., we all just secretly expect there to be an elevator somewhere that we can find if absolutely need be!"

It wasn't predominantly Americans - we saw lots of Germans and Japanese who were dressed more for sitting on their tour bus than hiking across slickrock. Now I'm not one for resorting to stereotypes (well, not often anyway ), but you'd think given the reputation of those 2 nations for fastidiousness, they'd have been better kitted out for it!

Great report...and yes, American coffee generally sucks.

We bring a single burner propane stove and percolator
with us in out luggage just to make sure we get a proper
"fix. We're always amazed how a great breakfast joint
will serve a watered-down mess as you describe as coffee.

FWIW, the Mean Bean Coffee Shop will serve you a decent
cup in Springdale...it is right across the street from
Oscar's.

Peterboy - I remember your (wonderful) trip report and the fact that you had brought your own coffee paraphenalia! I thought of you when we were out there and wished we'd had been able to do the same - just couldn't justify buying similar type of kit for the trip.

I only noticed the Mean Bean on the day we left (I have a feeling in was mentioned in your report though and you'd bought wraps from there or somewhere nearby? Perhaps I'm thinking of someone or somewhere else though). I got a decent caffein fix when we got to Moab though - the Wicked Brew and Love Muffin Cafe both served up a good espresso.

We got the great breakfast wraps at the Cafe next to the Gallery. We call it the Gallery Cafe since we never saw another name posted anywhere. It is 'up by the road' just
before the turn into the Sol Market as I recall. Also, the coffee bar at Zion Lodge serves expresso as well as coffee and they open at 6AM...a handy place if you'r an early riser staying in Zion NP.

Glad to hear the offerings were better in Moab.

Day 5:

Our drive on the Zion-Mount Carmel Hwy started off promisingly the next morning with our first sighting of a Big Horn Sheep. Admittedly, we only saw its behind through binoculars as it scampered up a rocky slope, but an exciting wildlife sighting for us nonetheless. We drove through pleasant scenery, before turning off onto Hwy 12 and were presented almost immediately with our first red rock ‘hoodoos’ alongside the road – what a sight!

By the time we had almost arrived at Bryce (about 10.30am having left Zion at 7.30/8ish – yes we stopped for photos a lot on the way!), we saw signs suggesting we tune into a local AM radio frequency to get park info, so we parked briefly at Rubys Inn to get the low down. The brief seemed to be ‘get the seasonal shuttle bus, which alleviates parking issues in the park, traffic noise and congestion, environmental impact etc’. All things I believe in, and as we veered towards doing this, DH raised some concerns about leaving all our luggage in the car for so long and why didn’t we take the car into the park to the Visitors Centre and find out more about the shuttle before making a decision. We were staying in Tropic, so didn’t plan on checking into our motel until later that day.

Well, I’m glad I followed his suggestion. What they didn’t tell you, was that the shuttle bus doesn’t cover the whole park – only the main viewpoints and trailheads at the north end. I’m a bit ashamed to say it, but we did take our car into the park in the end – despite environmental impact – but I think we got to see more as a result. The shuttle only runs until Autumn (Fall) I believe, so any potential visitors reading this who plan to visit Spring/Summer time won’t be able to take the shuttle anyway.

After a brief stop at the Visitors centre, we decided to start off on the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop trail combo. We parked at Sunrise point and set off down into the canyon. Well. I’ve never seen scenery like it, and probably won’t ever again! The view from the rim is incredible – who would have thought that nature could create such an otherworldly landscape? Not to mention the sheer scale of ‘wilderness’ in the distance too. Not much can prepare you for the first view of Bryce – and having spent some time soaking it all in, we were itching to hike down there. Despite aching legs from the previous day’s Angels landing extravaganza, we set off. Neither of us could walk more than a few paces without stopping to take another photo of the hoodoos from a different angle. I thought the only place with red rock like this would be Mars!

The altitude meant it was much cooler at Bryce than Zion had been, but after a while descending into the canyon, we began to warm up. The trails were busy(ish) but not overcrowded, but we felt there was a very different kind of vibe at Bryce compared to Zion – more ‘tourists’ and sightseers rather than hikers. Lots of people appeared to drive (or be driven in their tour bus) from one rim view to the next, rather that get in amongst it all. This wasn’t a problem for us, but purely an observation.

After the first trails, we found a shady spot for a picnic lunch, and continued to drive down the park stopping off at viewpoints and then doing the easy Bristlecone Loop trail at the end. After that, we headed back towards Inspiration point for DH to get some sunset shots – the light wasn’t great however but we could see cloud cover would thin out eventually(gotta love those big skies out there – you can see for miles!). DH headed back up to the upper viewpoint with his tripod however by this time unfortunately, I was feeling quite weary – I hate to say it, but I think the altitude was getting to me – so I stayed further down. I still enjoyed the changing light though, and the viewpoint was pretty quiet so I could enjoy the peace as I soaked in the amazing amphitheatre view.

After having stopped by the VC quickly again (to buy our fridge magnet!), we headed into Tropic to check into our accommodation – the Bryce Valley Inn. I guess it’s part of a franchise called America’s Best Value Suites, but I had long since renamed that as America’s Best kept Secret (for no reason other than that was easier for me to remember!). The motel was as hoped for – clean, comfy bed, decent bathroom etc. There was a restaurant a few steps away too, which was ideal as we were tired so didn’t want to have to travel too far too eat (ie no more than about 10 paces...).
Now I love small town America (otherwise I wouldn’t keep coming back!), but Tropic, UT really was a small town. The only oddity being the proliferation of European tourists there. Clarke’s Restaurant was one of only 2 places in town, and as a result we had a wait of about 30 mins for a table. Not a bad wait really, but when you can’t get a drink at a bar to kill the time (this is Utah after all), and all there is to do is wander round the adjoining mini-mart, it can creep by. Luckily, I like wandering round mini-marts....

Our dinner was good value, filling, but nothing to write home about. As I said, this trip wasn’t about the food! Service was friendly, but DH & I were intrigued by our Russian waitress. Living in London, we have many Eastern European neighbours, but we never expected to encounter someone with a Slavic accent in Southern Utah! Signs that we really do live in a Global Village perhaps.

Next: Day 5 – Capitol Reef – What a gem!!!

Keep it up!!! Really enjoying revisiting the areas with you.

Thanks

JUST returned from (coincidentally) taking your exact same trip last week...can't wait to hear what you thought about Cap. Reef. Also,did you happen to stop by the Kiva Koffeehouse while on Scenic Rt. 12? What a find that was!

Am enjoying your report so much, quiUK, thank you. We two old Aussies did much the same trip this last April - but after the Mt Carmel road, we turned off onto the pretty Route 14 to Cedar City, and got caught in a snow storm. Talk about exciting! At first it was fun, then we had one set of tracks in the snow to follow from a previous car traveller , and then nothing but white out, and it was really scary. We couldn't turn back or stop, just had to keep going and hoping we'd get through. We had a Chevy Avio rental, no snow tyres, but the car was new. Anyway, we made it, through very heavy snow at the top near Cedar Breaks National Park turn off, and down the slippery other side into Cedar City, where it was still snowing. That day, it even snowed in Las Vegas! I was very proud of DH's driving. Looking back, it was an experience worth having once in your life, but it could have been a disaster.
A couple of days later, we were in T shirts at Capitol Reef. Springtime! We stayed in Torrey, and loved Capitol Reef, but Canyonlands is a favorite for the less touristy experience, and for stunning scenery, Arches.
Am looking forward to the rest of your story.

I am LOVING your trip report.
I agree that the views at Bryce are beyond belief. I hope you had a chance to witness a sunrise there...incredible!!

This is an outstanding report. Looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks everyone.

Donnawho - we passed it (I can picure it now!) but didn't stop. How silly of us - especially as I've since read so many great reviews of it, and given our obsession with coffee! Hmmm...maybe that can be my excuse to return to the area...!!

Carrabella - what an incredible experience you had!! And to think I was worried about driving the Moki dugway ina rental car. That was nothing compared to what you did! Am pleased you both made it out in one piece.

Schmerl - sadly we didn't get to see the sunrise at Bryce. In fact, it actually became a bit of a running joke throughout the trip that whenever we made it to an iconic sight, it was at the wrong time of day for optimum light (eg Delicate Arch in the morning rather than evening). Still this never lessened our enjoyment of it all!

Fabulous report. I am enjoying it very much. I just could not do Angel's Landing...glad you did! I love Zion and Bryce too.

Thanks Judyrem. I'm still not quite sure how I managed to do Angels Landing at all as I'm generally not good with heights. I think it was more a case of 'Right, well apparently it's one of the best views going, so I'm dammned if I'm not going to see it'! Looking back on the photos though, it seems madness that we even considered it!

Happened on your wonderfully descriptive tour adventures while looking for info on the national parks of the west. It's been an absolute joy to read of your adventures...I'm of the "armchair adventurer" variety, but never underestimate the pleasure derived vicariously. Thanks so much!!

This is a great read. Bryce is one of my favorite places, it's been years since I've been there. We road horseback down into the canyon. Those trails are quite narrow. Looking forward to more from you.

Thanks jkfrys and crefloors - glad you're enjoying it.

Sadly, after a week back in the real world, I have less & less time to write, but hope to be able to add more in the next few days. I'm still having withdrawal symptoms from the trip!

LOL and we're all suffering from
withdrawl from your trip report ;

It is a special effort that few
bother to make...get to it when
you can.

Your trip report has caused me to relapse. I am getting to relive our trip last year thru you. Thanks for reporting back.

MY

quiUK,
Having been to Zion and Arches, I look forward to hearing about Capitol Reef. I will be there next week and would love to hear what you did while there. Angels Landing is such a great experience, anything like that in Cap Reef?

Thanks everyone. Spirobulldog - we didn't do anything quite like Angels Landing in Capitol Reef, but there are still great hikes there where you are rewarded with excellent views. Loved the walking there!

Day 6:
After the previous night’s wait for a table at the restaurant next door to the motel, we anticipated the same again for breakfast in the morning, we woke early to be there for 7am when it opened – we had an exciting drive ahead of us, and didn’t want to leave too late. We were seated quickly, but the place soon filled up, and as we left there were people queuing out the door. A note to anyone staying in Tropic – Clarke’s Restaurant has a monopoly by virtue of being pretty much the only place in town to eat and gets busy!

We finally set off in Betsy at 8ish and carried on along Hwy 12 towards Escalante. Now I know it’s called a Scenic Byway and therefore the clue is in the name, but this was incredible. Tremendous views as far as the eye can see! There were plenty of stop offs along the way for us to soak it all in, and we stopped briefly at the Visitors Centre in Escalante to learn a bit more about the area (oh ok, and to use the loo, as we call it, or ‘restroom’ as you call it. Do you really rest in there?!).

Our journey continued without incident, until we reached a viewpoint somewhere near Boulder and pulled over to take some pictures. Now I owe you all an explanation. I gather that it is common practice (or used to be before the advent of in car DVD players, iPods, Nintendos etc) for American children to spend long road trips looking out for licence plates from other states. Well I may be 32 years old, but partake in this simple pastime too on each trip I have to the USofA – last year I managed a paltry 32 states. This year I was determined to do better, and given that we were visiting big tourist sites like the Grand Canyon, I was certain we could at least manage 48 of them.

And there, in the depths of Southern Utah, I spied an unfamiliar yellow plate. I tried to sidle up to it nonchalantly – ideally not to attract attention to myself (I’m always a bit worried that people might mistake my interest in their licence plate as criminal interest in their vehicle!). Alaska! I had renewed hope! If someone could drive their pick up truck all that way, perhaps Hawaii would be the only one we wouldn’t see? In fact, to cut a long story short, Hawaiians – stand up and be applauded – I saw 2 of your vehicles on our trip! Rhode Islanders, Vermontians (if that’s a word?), and anyone from DC – please make yourselves known and send me a picture of your licence plate. You were sorely missed out there in the Southwest this September.

Anyway, back to day 6. High on this latest triumph, we rolled into Capitol Reef. You’d think by now that we were getting used to awe inspiring formations of red rock? Well, no we weren’t. We’d seen a sneak peek of the Waterpocket Fold from on high on our drive down, but nothing could prepare us for the sight of it up close. The drive into Capitol Reef was astounding, and we head straight for the Visitors Centre so we could get some maps and work out what to explore first.

Now I owe Capitol Reef an apology. When I was planning our trip, I just really included it because it was in between Bryce and Moab and I thought it would be a good place to break up the drive. I knew next to nothing about it bar the fact that it is the least visited of Utah’s National Parks. As we had our picnic lunch there and planned what to do, it dawned on me that this was the first place we had been where we could experience not just the scenery and hiking, but there was actually a bit of history there too. The valley had been populated and cultivated in the past, and the park offered an insight into the human element of the area and what it had been like for Mormon settlers, and possibly even the Fremont Indians too. I had obviously underestimated this place, and as we were due to drive to Moab the following day, we really needed to plan our time carefully to get the most out of it!

We decided to do much of the hiking that day, and then an easy hike early the next morning followed by visit the historical sights before setting off. This was we thought, we can get as hot, sweaty and tired as we like, knowing we were only 10 miles or so away from a shower. The next day we would have an easier morning before setting off on the 3.5 hr drive.

But which hikes to do? There are few loop hikes at Capitol Reef, so be warned that in the guide, they show the one way distance only. We started off on the Fremont River trail, which was listed as ‘easy’. A bit of a misnomer really, as whilst categorised as easy, the blurb on it does say that after the first easy half mile, it becomes strenuous as it climbs sharply. This wasn’t a problem for us, and although it was hot and steep, the path was easy to follow and led up to some incredible views along the gorge of the Fremont River and eventually over Fruita. There was some rather worrying evidence of rockfalls however – and a particularly hairy moment when we noticed a giant boulder perched – nay teetering – high above the trail. It looked like if you sneezed it would come crashing down upon the unsuspecting hiker!

An enjoyable hike, and once back at the bottom, we decided to try the Cohab Canyon trail. This runs from Hwy 24 to the campground and you can tackle it from either point. We started from the Hwy, and parked at the Hickman Bridge trailhead (we would walk to the bridge the next day). The Cohab trail starts with a steep climb on a reasonably well defined path, but then the fun begins – the path ceases to exist and you follow stone cairns across slickrock and through sandy washes up a hidden canyon. I LOVED this hike! I loved the fact that you walk over a varied terrain – it’s rocky, sandy, craggy. I loved following the cairns - it was like a treasure hunt and we were looking for clues as sometimes the cairns were difficult to spot. I loved the silence. At one point, DH & I stopped, and realised we couldn’t hear a thing. No wind, no birds, no planes, no nothing. Our ears were ringing with the silence. I don’t know when we’ll next hear that again! And I loved the fact that we felt we had it to ourselves – we only ever saw a handful of other hikers on there (this was the same on all our Capitol Reef hikes). We climbed to an overlook of Fruita feeling pretty proud of ourselves as it had been hot and steep.

We turned back before descending to the campground, and walked back to another spur up to a lookout, and then made our way back to the car. We wanted to get to Sunset point and Goosenecks before the light faded, and we got some more terrific views and photos there.

Well, what a day (and we’d definitely earned our beers again!). We checked into the Sandstone Inn in Torrey where I had reserved a room (our cheapest of the trip), and again we were pleased with the standard of accommodation. The motel also had a restaurant on site and we showered and freshened up quickly as a tour bus was due to arrive for dinner soon and we were hungry and didn’t want to have to wait long. The on site restaurant there was fair, and our meal was filling and reasonably priced, if not gourmet cuisine. In retrospect, I realise there are more exciting dining options in Torrey (Cafe Diabolo or the Capitol Reef Cafe where we had breakfast for example), but that night we really just needed sustenance and pretty quickly!

So – a majorly successful day! Captiol Reef exceeded all expectations (I owe it an apology), we still had more to see there the next day, and then afterwards we’d be gallivanting amongst the Goblins on our way to Moab!

quiUK,

I'm so glad you loved the Cohab Canyon trail! Do you know how it got it's name? It's definitely one of my favorites at Capitol Reef. I still have a couple longer ones to hike there - The Frying Pan loop and Cassidy Arch.

Just loving your first timer's report! Do continue!

Dayle, I hope to hike Frying Pan/Cassidy Arch/Cohab all in one big loop next week. I'm taking my next door neighbor with me. he hasn't ever flown or been to a national park so should be fun.

QUK, I am anxious to hear more about the rest of your trip on into Arches, etc. Goblin Valley is on my list for next week as well.

"I LOVED this hike! I loved the fact that you walk over a varied terrain – it’s rocky, sandy, craggy. I loved following the cairns - it was like a treasure hunt and we were looking for clues as sometimes the cairns were difficult to spot. I loved the silence. At one point, DH & I stopped, and realised we couldn’t hear a thing. No wind, no birds, no planes, no nothing. Our ears were ringing with the silence. I don’t know when we’ll next hear that again!"

Clearly you "get" Utah and canyon country. Capitol Reef is, understandably, overshadowded by the better known parks. This is fine with me...it keeps the crowds down. I think I appreciate Capitol Reef for the variety of colors the stone displays versus the mostly reds you commonly find in canyon country. The colors, the solitude, the history, the odd discovery of Mormon orchards, the little schoolhouse and petroglyphs all await discovery by anyone willing to give Capitol Reef a little more time than just cruising down the scenic drive.

Great report...it is making me long to return to the area.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/86223475

QU, pay no attention to Cris P he doesn't think like the rest of us. Great Trip Report. as for you Cris P, if you don't like it don't bother reading it.

What a great report! We will be in the area late October, early November (driving in from Las Vegas) and love all the info we are getting. We won't be able to do all the hiking you guys did, but I love reading about it! Looking forward to the rest. (Thank you for taking the time, few people do I think)

I hope quiUK is well and just too busy to finish
her delightful trip report.

I am loving this trip report! Great job on the write-up, quiUK! This report is inspiring me to see more of my own country. Hurry Back and Finish Up, Please!!!

Will ye no come back again?

Come on quiUK! I've so enjoyed your trip report so far. Please continue.

This is so much fun to read and remember past trips. Keep it up, thanks..

This is one of the best trip reports I've read lately! Your descriptions are wonderful. I'm looking forward to your impressions of the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly, as we were there in August and were "gobsmacked," as you say!

I realize I read the beginnings of this report, but didn't comment, so had lost track! So, I have no exciting input, I merely want to comment so that I will be able to find it and read the final stages...

Just checked in to see if there is an update - dying to read it!

Fra, LOL...my sentiments exactly.

Great stuff... don't forget to post some photos!

I keep checking back for additions to this great trip report....

It always makes me crazy when people start such great trip reports and then never finish. Hope quiUK is OK!

Me too!

Yes, it is odd that the best southwestern trip report
I've seen in a long time just stopped cold. quiUK
started the trip report even before unpacking which was
amazing. We all know how quiUKly the zeal to write a
trip report fades once you return home. If you don't
bang it out quickly the enthusiasm fades. I hope that
that is simply what happend.

quiUK...are you out there?

Yikes! You all got me hooked, too, by topping this great trip report. Here's hoping quiUK finds out how much we are enjoying this and finishes.

I'm topping this hoping for a reply and an end to the story!!

Rats! Hopes dashed again!

Well, maybe my version will help until quiUK logs back on:

Day 7 - Wow! I cannot believe how wonderful Americans are! They are the friendliest, kindest, most attractive people in the world! I'm not sure that I'll ever have to travel anywhere ever again because everything else will pale in comparison so the lovely people I've met in this country. And by the way - the members of Fodors are outstanding, too!

Hi folks!
I'm still alive but just been super busy in the past few weeks unfortunately and haven't had time to write - thanks for all your concern and continued interest though!! I feel so guilty for leaving you all hanging on like this.

This should calm down in the next week or so which means I should have a chance to update you all on the rest of our trip.

Please accept my humble apologies for the delay!