Moab, Canyonlands NP, Dead Horse Point NP, Arches NP, and Capitol Reef NP
 

I decided to split the TR that I started earlier since I saw several Moab specific threads on this forum, but mainly because the Southern Utah parks are so distinct from those in Wyoming that they would best be organized as a thread of their own,

We drove to Moab from SLC hitting heavy rain on the section through the mountains. The Nissan Versa that I had rented while roomy for its class and a decent driver most definitely does not have the moxie for mountain driving - It reminded me of the time I rowed a FIAT Panda through the Italian Alps - but it got us there. Once over the mountains we saw a sight that we had not seen for a week - bright sunshine, and it would remain like that for the remainder of the trip. In Moab we stayed at the Bowen Motel, which was quite acceptable, but not quite the digs we enjoyed earlier on.

I am going to write about this segment out of order so to maintain continuity in organizing photos and will begin with day number two where we had booked a 3 hour jet boat ride down the Colorado River through the red rock canyons. We chose Canyonlands by Day and Night as our tour purveyor because they were right on the river, thus the 3 hours is a true 3 hours on the river with no time wasted driving from a tour purveyor to a dock. We chose the jet boat also because of time constraints - another choice could have been a rafting trip but those are considerably longer. I also chose the early morning tour so that I could take advantage of what would be left of the morning light. This tour turned out to be ideal for us and the other passengers. There were 12 others in a boat that could hold twice as many and all appeared to be escapees from geezerville, so we fit in just fine.

This part of the TR will be just about the ride down the Colorado. Simply stated, the canyon walls seen from the river were gorgeous in the morning sun. In my photos you will see that the colors are mostly a deep red. That is not because of post processing, but just the sun on red rock. In fact the vast majority of the post processing was simply straightening the pics to compensate for the rocking of the boat that made many to be somewhat angled,

These photos really speak for themselves about our experience on the river, and any narrative would be superfluous. Just know that the trip goes down the river for about 24 miles beginning in Moab and ending at the entrance of Canyonlands, NP. On the way one sees part of Dead Horse Point State Park. Our guide did a nice narration with appropriate stories. One in particular that was interesting was when he pointed out a cliff that is part of DHSP. This is the place where the final scene in the movie Thelma and Louise was shot - the cliff where they drive their car into the canyon below. The movie has this as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but it is not, It is DHSP in Utah.

Enough prattling on with the TR and lets get on with the photos. I believe they speak for themselves proving the old adage that one picture is worth 1000 words. A couple of photos to watch out for are two that I took of a nesting Blue Heron (I think that is what it was) and 2 at the end of a young lady climbing a sheer cliff - impressive. Also look for a few pics of a formation locally called "the jug handle" - it is self evident. A few of the pics show a cliff and a sign that says "Indian Writing." If you can find it, you have better eyes than I do.

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/On-the-Colorado-Moab/

I should mention that clicking slideshow works best.

Glad you've posted the pictures for this part of the trip. The "Indian Writing" is on the darker flat part of the wall. There are petroglyphs of figures incised in the varnish and show up a bit redder. They would show better with a different angle of the sun or if you had zoomed in on that part of the rock, but are still visible if you look carefully.

Thanks emalloy, I found them. I did not zoom in more because I did not know where the petroglyphs were so figured I could take several pics and then examine them at home. Later on in this TR. I will have a photo of petroglyphs at Capitol Reef which are very obvious. BTW, what they are scratched into is a form of mineral oxidation on the wall that shows up gray. As you can see, there is quite a bit of oxidized areas on the canyon walls.

That windmill looked like some strange weed. What unusual formations. We have great blue herons here and that’s what “yours” looks like—I’ve never seen a nest though.

More soon, please!

TD, yes it does seem like a man made weed invading the canyon wall. I particularly like these photos because I had to take them from a moving boat that was not only moving forward but also not steady on other planes. I discarded more than I posted. The other challenge was to try to capture interest in an expanse of red rock. To this end I used different angles, focal lengths and the changing light as the boat moved. Since it was a forth and back trip, I was able see the same formations from two directions and light conditions. It was fun.

Were there any houses along the route? Forgot to ask.

There was one, maybe two. More like cabins. One has a cool story. One of the cabins belongs to an older fellow who sold a lot of his land and is building a hotel IN the cliffs. That is right, not on them or near them, but in them. Sort of a hotel of caves, or so we were told by the guide. Supposedly it will be an upscale place when done.

This has been a long report when the other thread is counted so thanks to those who have had the fortitude to stick with it.

This section will be about Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands NP.
We returned to our motel in Moab after the boat ride on the Colorado to freshen up and have a quick picnic lunch by the pool before heading out to these two parks. Canyonlands is 34 miles from Moab, and DHP is passed on the way. For that matter, Arches is passed on the way as well. The drive is scenic as are most drives in that area - it is hard to go wrong for scenery driving near there.

One thing that struck us when we saw all five NPs was that each was very different from the next. Even Yellowstone and Grand Tetons which are so close are quite different from eachother. DHP and Canyonlands (speaking only of the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands) are an exception to that in that they are very much alike and that makes sense. They are only a few miles apart and both feature the area's canyons and basically are each an extension of the next. You can see that in the photos. DHP is the smaller of the two and to its advantage has a number of shaded picnic areas, so if you plan to visit both with a picnic on the way, start with DHP. The advantage of the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands is its size. Since it is so much larger, it has more trails of varied difficulty and more views. The views from both, but especially Canyonlands are spectacular. We had originally planned to go to the Needles area of Canyonlands, but because of the nearly 3 hour drive RT we thought are would be better spent with more time in Arches.

In viewing the photos you will see a very blue body of water of rectangular shape with faint white parallel lines. Those are salt ponds. At the very end of the photos you will see 2 photos candidly shot of Mi Chica using her trekking poles on a steep and rocky trail. She agreed that they were good to have.
Note to those who have not read my early threads of years past. I call DW Mi Chica because she is a native of Havana - and because I like it.

Because of our late start, we had the advantage of late afternoon sun - the golden hour. The photos begin with about a half dozen of Dead Horse Point then segue into Canyonlands' Island in the Sky. I changed the thumbnails to make them easier to view, but I still recommend clicking slideshow for the best views.

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/Cany...nd-Dead-Horse/

In reviewing the photos, I think the DHP photos some how became interspersed with those of Canyonland. No problem though because they are pretty much the same.

Also, the 23rd photo shows a large flaw, the remnant of an earthquake.

In addition, I tried using my camera's panoramic feature and think it worked pretty well.

I've been looking forward to reading this TR. Thanks for the reference to Canyonlands by Day and Night, I've been looking to book a tour during our upcoming fall trip to Moab. Do you recall the name of the tour that you took?

We took the 3 hour jet boat morning tour and as you may have read, we very much enjoyed the unique perspective it gave. We chose that tour mainly because of time constraints and that it fit our schedule best. The fact that the dock is right at the tour office was also a factor since no time would be wasted driving to a dock. The tour makes a number of stops outbound to point out particular sights, and does some engine off drifting. It travels about 24 miles downriver. Several couples on the tour also had taken the Hummer tour the day before and had good things to say. Our guide grew up in Moab and provided a good bit of local insight and informative narrative. If you have seen their website, there are many tours to choose from.

It is difficult not to marvel at the scenery and hospitality of the people in there area.

One minor corrections:
" In viewing the photos you will see a very blue body of water of rectangular shape with faint white parallel lines. Those are salt ponds.:

They are potash evaporation ponds colored blue to enhance evaporation. Originally, this area had standard mines deep into earth. One day a massive collapse cause the deaths of many miners. Now those mines are flooded with water. Potash dissolves in water. It is pumped to the surface into these ponds. Later the 'factory' process the potash.

Vaga

RVvagabound - thank you very much for your correction. I was wondering about that because I thought that I heard the guide on the boat mention potash ponds but others said I misheard and I went with the majority when writing the TR. Potash makes sense since there is a potash mine outside of the park. Even a "Potash Road."

This part of the TR will be about the Arches NP part of our trip and will be more of practical tips than our impressions and adventures - it is all amazing. Arches is just a few minutes outside of Moab, so if you like, depending on where in Arches you find yourself, it could be practical to return to your lodging in Moab to freshen up or to have lunch. There are no places within the park to buy food, water, or gas so be sure you have an adequate supply of these things when entering the park. Don't stint on the water - bring plenty and drink it. It is too easy to become dehydrated there. There are adequate toilet facilities scattered around the park of varying degrees of cleanliness. Some were good, others not so much. There will be one or more at most major parking areas.

By all means stop at the visitor's center just past the entrance and see the short film explaining how the formations came to be. It will be sure to enhance your tour.

Arches is one of those places where the word Wow! is not misplaced. You will use it often. Trails vary from easy enough for a three year old to fairly rugged depending on your own condition. Trails designated as difficult back at the visitor's center are usually so because of length although even moderate trails may have some sections that can pose a challenge because of slope and/or uneven footing. As always, I am a fan of trekking poles.

The roads are easy, with good pavement and well marked. You will not get lost driving. One can easily see the park's highlights without walking far from your car, or even without leaving your car.

Our visit to the park was on the afternoon we arrived in Moab and the last full day we were there.

For photography fans - to take advantage of the lighting and colors, a circular polarizing filter is recommended, or at least a UV filter if your camera can take them. If not, be sure to keep your lens protected when not in use because there is a lot of fine dust - chances are you will not see it - that can cloud your photos or even damage your lens. The fellow in Moab's camera store says he sees ruined lenses where those precautions were not followed every season. There was a fellow buying a replacement lens for his Canon DSLR while I was in the store. He was not happy.

We left the visitor's center, got on the road and had our first Wow! moment when the giant fins came into sight. That would be the first of the posted photos. From there the sights come quickly - you will not go very far without coming to a turnout for a site, most of which can be seen from the road. Where a site requires a walk and you are up to it, please take it to enhance your experience - many are not difficult at all.

Of course, any visitor to Arches knows about Balanced
Rock and especially Delicate Arch. You will know when you get to Balanced Rock since it right alongside the road. There is path that goes around the rock - walk it since Balanced Rock looks very different from various perspectives - my photos show these differences and from some, it is absolutely phallic. Delicate arch requires a short drive from the main road. From there you have 2 choices - there is a parking area at the trailhead where you can walk (much uphill) to the arch, or further on, there is a parking area with a viewing point which is a fair distance from the arch itself, but you can still get a good view. We wimped out and just went to the viewing point trusting in our binoculars to make up some of the difference. The sun was high, the trail has no shade, so we opted out, geezers that we are.

Some trails that we did take and enjoyed were Double Arch, Sand Dune Arch, and Landscape Arch. We also found the Windows area to be especially interesting - that is where you will see most arches in one place - and Panorama Point lives up to its name. We also walked a few other trails, but frankly, I do not recall their names. You may see some photos of them, so if you know which one, please remind me.

If possible stay or come back for the sunset and stay until well after dark to see the stars. Do not be concerned, driving will be no problem. On advice from a ranger, we came back to Panorama Point with the intention of taking wonderful star filled sky photos from a sky that would be darker than back home in suburbia. The sun set about 8:30 PM and it became a very quiet and some may say romantic setting. I believe there were several couple up at the point who had returned for the latter effect.

We stayed until well after 10, but the moon was too bright for many stars to be visible. So, I took some pics of the moon, my favorite of which brings up the rear of the posted photos.

One more thing that I may have already mentioned- back in Moab our favorite restaurant was The Broken Oar. Good food, good service, good ambiance. Speaking of eating, there is a nice but small picnic area in the park if you like. We met a young couple there from Argentina driving a Renault sort of mini camper who had been on the road nearly 2 years. Their goal is Alaska and they had flag decals of nearly every country in South and Central America that they had visited on the way up. Now, THOSE are travelers.

Here is the link. All photos except for the sunset and moon were taken using a CP filter.

The colors in Arches are incredible, and what is even better, they change with the lighting conditions. I would take photos of some of the sites and then come back late in the day when the sun is in its "golden hours" and take them again. The late afternoon sun brings out the reds in the red rocks so it is a really good idea to be sure to be in Arches late in the day for an outstanding experience. Most of the photos that I posted were taken then. Some, where the subject is the same, were taken at 2 different times of day, so you can see the contrast.

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/Arches-National-Park/

Re Basingstokc
...there is a nice but small picnic area in the park if you like....
I believe this is the one located near balancing rock. There is a road going north to Tower Arch (4-WD).

It is about 500 yards. Superb views at sunset.

Vaga

This will conclude the TR - Capitol Reef National Park.

If I had to use one word to describe Cap Reef it would be "color." Layer upon layer - reds, greens, golds, browns, aqua, all in a myriad of shades and often layered one on the next. It is something to see.

If I had to choose a second word, it would be "free." There is a visitor's center, but I did not see any official entrance where one pays a fee. In fact, in driving to the park, one drives through the park. Quite a deal. This park is fairly compact compared to others and can easily be seen in a day, even less.

We left Moab after breakfast and the drive to Capitol Reef, a fairly short and mostly scenic 2 and a half hours. Passing Goblins State Park along the way we thought about a visit but decided to press on, one reason is that there are plenty of the goblin formations along the road that we could see as we drove.

We spent the last half hour of the drive behind a tour bus. It pulled over and the passengers got out to see something, so we pulled over as well. What we saw there was a series of wonderful Fremont Indian Petroglyphs. I have seen these on TV on the ancient alien programs - the ones that look like spacemen, some with bubble helmets, others with antennae. These are right beside the road and easily visible. I have several photos of these beginning the set. To see the those and the rest of my CR photos, please use the link in my next post.

We checked into the Broken Spur Motel and Steakhouse (yes, that is its name) that I described in the original thread where I covered the Yellowstone and Grand Tetons portion of the trip. This motel was a very pleasant surprise - much nicer than we expected. Altogether a delightful place.

After checking in, we drove back to the CR visitor's center for a brief orientation and then into the park, first stop was a picnic lunch very near the VC. It was the time of year when cactus were blooming and the prickly pear cacti outside of the VC were lovely. There was also a yellow flowered plant that I think a chamomile, but I am not sure of that.

A light rain had started and the sky was overcast but it quickly cleared up. If I could fault the park on one thing it would be the lack of places to pull off the road and get out of the car. There are some, but not nearly enough so many picture opportunities were lost. The road through the park is of the out and back variety - not a loop.

All in all we saw much of the park by dinnertime so returned to the motel to see if the steakhouse part was as good as the motel part. It was. The steak was huge and perfectly done. The price was good too. After dinner, we drove to the nearby small town of Torrey, an altogether pleasant place, and hung out at the general store for awhile, also visiting a store specializing in fishing equipment where we watched the the owner tie flies while he explained the art for us non fisherfolk. Such is evening entertainment in a small town in Utah.

Next morning, we had an early breakfast, included in the room fee, and it was a good one with decent variety. Not nearly as good as the one in Grand Teton's Alpenhof, but good none the less. We got up especially early to go back to a part of the park that we neglected the day before to take photos in the morning light. There were a few people already in the parking area and a short but rocky climb took us to a scenic overlook that did not belie its name.

Returning to the Broken Spur, we packed the car and headed back to SLC, a drive that went surprisingly quickly arriving by mid afternoon.

Altogether, this was a memorable trip. I had resisted the idea of a NP tour at first, but am sure glad Mi Chica won the the day.

This is the link to my photos of Capitol Reef NP.

I think the layers of color are amazing - quite a sight.
All photos were taken in mid to late afternoon and early morning. As usual, a CP filter was used.

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/Capi...National-Park/

Basing stoke,

So glad you enjoyed your trip! You just might have to come back for more.

Since you decided to bypass Goblin Valley, I don't know what "goblins" you thought you saw along the road. The formations in Goblin Valley are not like anything I've ever seen along the highway and I've driven it many times.

The Broken Spur is a nice surprise! They do their steaks just right and the service is excellent.

I'll check your pictures when I get home. Right now I'm enjoying the view of the Yellowstone river in Paradise Valley, Montana!

Basing stoke

I think the problem is definition between a Hoodoo (along the road) and Goblins - found only in Goblin Valley

Each has their own personality.

Note:
> The good Goblins are east of the campground in a wide open valley.
> The evil ones have been banished over the hill on the west side. They receive no warm sun rays in the morning and burn at sunset.

Keep children east of the campground


Vaga