A Drive out to Hanksville

Today was another day with thunder storms in the forecast.  We decided to take a drive and look at how full the trailheads are.  They're full, but not nearly as bad as Zion.  I guess we'll be getting up early to avoid some of the crowds.

Capitol Reef is so beautiful.  It doesn't take long to be reduced to "holy cow, look at that."  There will be a lot of red rock photos in the coming days.

We drove out Hwy 24, turned on Notom, and then went down a dirt road so we could see this.  It's  unfortunate the sun was not out.

Erosion does all of this.  Different sedimentary layers were deposited when this area was under water.  The layers compressed, the water receded.  And then erosion started and made all of this gorgeous rock.  Different layers erode at different rates.

A canyon at the end of Notom road.  Notice the rain in the distance.

After Notom road we continued down Hwy 24 towards Hanksville.  It's an amazing drive.  The scenery out there exceeded expectations.

I love how these shapes are revealed as the various rock layers erode.

An art installation in Hanksville.  I think it's a dinosaur museum.

On the way back from Hanksville there was more rock to be photographed.  Look at the precision of the layers here.

This is Factory Butte.  The pioneers named it that because it reminded them of a woolen mill in Provo.

 

Here is some rock being revealed in the vertical.

I love this, look at the gracefulness of the curves in the rocks.

Here we are back near the park.  It rained a lot there while we were gone.  You can see the monocline here.  A monocline is a is a step-like fold in rock strata.  There's a lot of geology in this park.  I keep reading the articles and not really comprehending it.  Basically it's upthrust due to clashing tectonic plates.

Chimney Rock.  It looks like a chimney.

Is this not staggeringly beautiful?

Since we were last in Torrey the RV Park has upgraded their wifi - it's very usable.  It comes and goes, but when it's up it's good.

Wahweap to Torrey, UT

Today's drive was a drive and a half.  There were many two lane roads and bad surfaces.  After one turns onto UT24 there are some grades that are not signed that were pretty steep.

There is an accessible gas station selling diesel in Panguitch.  Please make a note of this.  We lucked out and the pump island near the road was open.  There is space on the road to wait if that pump needs to empty out.  That's the Silver Eagle gas station.  Note Jim's bare legs and flip flops underneath the door to the RV.  It was 58 degrees there.  After a couple of weeks of really hot days, that felt cold.

We're here, we're sleeping in tomorrow.

Williams to Wahweap in Page, AZ

Saturday’s drive was east on I40, then north on AZ89.  All road surfaces are just abysmal until you get within 20 or so miles of Page.  In addition to being full of cracks that pound the bus, it’s nap of the earth hilly and there is a lot of crown on the road.   When it’s windy, it’s painful. 

When we left Williams we stopped at a Pilot at exit 185 on I40.  It’s a terrible Pilot.  Traffic enters and exits through the same narrow driveway.  When the trucks are lined up for fuel you can’t get in, and you can’t get out because the exit is blocked.  I think next time we’ll try Little America in Flagstaff.  Once you are on 89 there are no truck plazas.  There was one gas station in Cameron that looked doable if you were able to get the pump closest to the road.

Having said all of that, it’s a beautiful drive.

This is the amazing cut in the rock that lets the highway through.

Scenery.

Lake Powell.  It’s very low.  One wonders why Arizona keeps building golf courses.

This is the Glen Canyon dam.  It’s on the Colorado river.

At the campsite we see this.

Well, that was my burst transmission from Kanab, where the force of the internet is week.  Think I'll put this up while I can.

Leaving Williams for Utah

Tomorrow we are up and out for Torrey, Utah via Page, AZ.  The last time we were in either locale there was no internet.  We're in Torrey for ten days, so if you don't hear from us, it's because we're in a dead zone.

Here is one of the flowers that grows in the RV park, it's kind of pretty.

This is the cutest thing we've seen in awhile.  She, her driver, and her Mom were heading down the street in Williams.

That's it!  That's all I've got.