Utah - Beehive State
This was the first trip we took during the pandemic, in September of 2020. We had plenty of masks in our suitcases, but we felt this was a good destination for this unusual time because we intended to spend most of our time outdoors, exploring the national parks of this beautiful state.
We spent the first two nights at the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale, near the south entrance to Zion National Park. The weather was beautiful, so we were able to eat dinner both nights outdoors. The mountains behind the Inn were gloriously colored in shades of red, orange and gold. They gave us just a hint of what we were to experience the next day as we explored Zion National Park. We began by hiking the Pa’rus Trail, a paved trail that follows the Virgin River to Canyon Junction. Returning to the Visitor Center, we took a shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, a huge natural amphitheater in the center of which are two large stone pillars known as The Altar and The Pulpit. A paved trail leads to the beginning of the Narrows, with many springs trickling from the walls of the canyon. Upon reaching the Narrows, we had to decide if we were going to walk in the water into the canyon. Andy decided to keep his feet dry, a wise decision, but I wanted to venture part way into this spectacular section of the canyon, which at one point is 1,000 feet deep and only 20 feet wide at the bottom. I didn’t go that far, once I realized that most of the people forging forward were wearing sturdy rubber boots while I just had my tennis shoes, but it was fun sloshing through the shallow, rocky stream, glancing up at the brilliantly colored walls of the canyon.
On the east side of the park, we hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail. We encountered some drop-off sections which were a little scary, but there were handrails at the steepest sections. The trail ended at a viewpoint into lower Zion Canyon, and we could look down and see cars, appearing as small as ants, as they came up six large switchbacks before entering the 5,600-foot Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. We marveled at the desert terrain and huge, sculpted rock formations. A young boy, who never seemed to listen to the cautionary calls from his mother, scampered up and down the rocks and peered over the cliffs. We admired his fearlessness while simultaneously we worried that he would fall to his death. Luckily, that did not happen! Back in our car, we headed east but stopped to take photos of Checkerboard Mesa, a weathered sandstone hill, crosshatched with fissures in a checkerboard pattern. How could this happen in nature without some grand architect or artist to design it?
We drove northeast to Cedar City, where we had lunch, then took the scenic route from Parowan to Panguitch, stopping at Cedar Breaks National Monument at an elevation of 10,350 feet. It encompasses a 5-mile-wide natural limestone amphitheater eroded to a depth of nearly 2,500 feet. Apparently, early settlers mistook the junipers growing at the base of the rock layers for cedars, hence the name. Below the amphitheater’s 10,000-foot rim the slopes fall sharply away in ragged walls, spires, columns and arches tinted shades of red, yellow and purple by the manganese and iron oxides in the rock. Bristlecone pines, among the oldest plants on Earth, cling to the windswept ridges above the rim. At the rim, we encountered a young art student who was painting the breathtaking view. We were impressed that nearly everyone was wearing masks, even when outside, a constant reminder of the raging pandemic despite the otherworldly sites we were enjoying.
We arrived at our hotel, the wonderful Stone Canyon Inn in Tropic, just before dusk. Before checking into our modern and well-equipped cabin, which had a patio with a view out back, we tried to make reservations at the restaurant. They were booked, but the receptionist called us a few minutes later to say that someone had canceled. Lucky us, as it was a wonderful night, and we were able to eat outside by moonlight. The food was so good that we ate there again the following night, although we opted for indoors, despite COVID, since the temperature had dropped precipitously.
During our day exploring Bryce Canyon, we saw many glorious sites as we drove along the 37-mile round-trip on a road that follows the high rim to many major vantage points, including Natural Bridge at 8,627 feet and Inspiration Point. Most fascinating to us were the many hoodoo formations. Hoodoos are eroded out of cliffs where rows of natural walls form. The thin walls of rock are called fins. Frost-wedging enlarges cracks in the fins, creating holes or “windows”. Further erosion dissolves and sculpts limestone pillars between the windows into bulbous spires called hoodoos and they are everywhere.
We took a hike on the Queens Garden Trail down into Bryce Canyon. It was easy going down, but due to the elevation, it was bit challenging on the return trip. We both used poles and a young boy asked me at the top, “Do those things really help?” I explained that as you get older, your balance is not as good as when you are young, so, yes, they do help! Having spent a couple of days at the Bryce Canyon Lodge on our honeymoon, we were pleased to find a cabin that looked just like the one where we had stayed 54 years previously.
On our way to Moab, we stopped at Capitol Reef National Park, which was named for its reef-like cliffs capped by white Navajo sandstone formations that have eroded and now resemble the dome of the U.S. Capitol. We saw Pre-Columbian Indian Petroglyphs on surrounding canyon walls. We took a fascinating hike through the Capitol Gorge on a trail that is flat and just gets increasingly narrower as you walk through it. We learned that for nearly 80 years, despite its extreme narrows, this canyon was the only reliable transit point for Mormon pioneers passing through what is known as the Waterpocket Fold. We could imagine water rushing through this canyon during a rainstorm and there was plenty of evidence of this kind of event in the eroded canyon walls. The Castle was another iconic landmark, a prominent sandstone formation towering 800 feet above the Visitor Center. Some people climb it, but we decided to pass on that opportunity.
Arriving in Moab, we stayed at a boutique hotel called the Gonzo Inn, which was a blend of southwestern architecture and contemporary décor. It was kitschy but comfortable and centrally located in this historic town which is accessible to National Parks and other scenic areas. Downtown Moab was bustling, even during the height of the pandemic. We were happy to see, however, that the city was strict about masking in all indoor spaces. We learned that Moab was a refuge for Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch and other outlaw gangs. Author Zane Grey made it the scene of many of his novels, and it’s also a well-known location for movie shoots with its red-hued cliffs overlooking the Colorado River.
The next morning, we headed to Canyonlands National Park, which encompasses deeply eroded canyons interspersed with sheer-sided mesas and a variety of spires, arches, and unusual rock formations. The confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers divides the park into 3 sections, and we chose to explore the Island in the Sky district, which consists of a huge level mesa. Mesa Arch provided a perfect photo site, with spectacular scenery as my backdrop while Andy took a picture of me sitting within this pothole arch.
The day was getting very warm, but we decided to take a hike to the Grand View Point Overlook, elevation 6,080 feet. It wasn’t very long, just 3 – 4 miles round trip, but the heat and rocky trail made it seem longer. At the end of the trail were some rocks we could climb to see even more spectacular views, (although the views in all directions were outstanding). It was a little tricky getting up and down those rocks, but fortunately we had brought our poles which helped. Some of our favorite sites were a balancing rock that looked like it might fall down the steep cliff at any moment; a pile of cairns that must have been constructed by a talented architect; flowing rivers and sensational colors as well as several other-worldly geologic formations.
As we walked back to the parking lot and our car, we witnessed a couple getting out of a yellow 1921 Ford touring-style car. Andy engaged them in conversation, and we learned that they had driven to Utah all the way from Washington State in this car! They were probably as old as we are, so we were amazed at their adventurous spirit. The car was in perfect condition.
The next day we drove to Arches National Park, our last excursion in Utah. After all the wonders we’d seen, could Arches measure up? The answer was a resounding yes! Only 5 miles from Moab, this rugged terrain contains the largest number of natural stone arches in the country, more than 2000. There are also many red rock canyons, spires, fins and balancing rocks. The erosion of the Entrada Sandstone, a 300-foot-thick layer of rock that was deposited as sand 150 million years ago, created these formations. The arches were formed by the weathering of openings in vertical slabs of sandstone. Park officials maintain that any opening extending at least 3 feet in any one direction can be considered an arch, but many of them were huge! One of our favorite formations was the Three Kings Monument, which looks exactly like its name.
Driving and hiking throughout the day enabled us to see and photograph fantastical and beautiful arches that are difficult to describe. It seemed that every time we rounded a corner, there was another formation that was surprising, incredible, unbelievable. Visiting Arches, and the other National Parks in Utah, strengthened our belief in a Supreme Being, whoever he or she might be. How fortunate we human beings are to witness these extravaganzas of nature.
On our last night in Utah, we had a cowboy Dutch oven dinner overlooking the Colorado River in an auditorium style dining room. The dinner wasn’t fabulous, but it was followed by a slow-moving boat ride as 40,000 watts of light illuminated the canyon walls. Lights, shadows, music and narration by our guide made the stories of the canyon’s creation, formation and history come to life. There was a full moon that night, which only added to the magic. It might sound hokey, but it was a unique and lovely experience for us.
Leaving Utah to visit friends in Colorado, we stopped in a tiny town called Cisco. There wasn’t much there except for a general store called Buzzards Belly. Cisco was established in the 1880s as a service post along the Denver and Rio Grand Railroad, now Union Pacific. It flourished for several decades, attaining a maximum population of over 200. A decline began when steam trains were replaced by diesel engines. The town is now virtually uninhabited, literally a ghost town, except for this impressive looking general store. Andy had run out of Excedrin, so he went inside to buy some. He learned that Cisco has been featured in several movies, including Thelma and Louise, because of its scenic location. As we left town, we drove by an array of derelict buildings, old vehicles and other debris. Maybe someday it will come back to life? Certainly, the property value must be very reasonable there!