[John Morrow]

I picked up a great trail map by Earthwalk Press ($5.00) of the entire north and south sections of Capitol Reef N.P. at the Visitor Center. Its contours (80 ft.) are sufficient if one is not planning on elaborate canyoneering. April 29: After leaving Bryce I crossed the famous Utah Hwy 12 through the amazing slickrock to the Escanlante-Grand Staricase National Monument.

Highway 12

Escalante River

Viewpoint overlook of Capitol Reef

Must go back someday and begin to explore this vast area. I call it TazzYana Goehikerland. But I was headed to Capitol Reef. After a leisure day of driving I found a campsite in the Main Campground located off Hwy 24 in what is known as the Fruita Historic District. Capitol Reef is ideally laid out for dayhikes so I would remain here for four nights. I still had time for a short hike so I took the "Scenic Drive" (paved) on the west side of the reef to the Old Wagon Trail Loop trail, 3.5 mile hike RT. It climbs on sloping juniper/pinyon pine lands to the west for about 1000 vertical, bringing oneself to a great perch to watch the sunset color develop on the marvelous west facing reef. The reef, or Waterpocket Fold, basically is a hundred mile long cliff face exposed from the folding of the earth's crust and then eroded into the face. It is a great place to observe and learn the many layers of sea floor sandstone deposits overlaid one over another for millions of years. Capped with the yellow domes of the Navaho formation, above the intense red horizontal beds of the Kayenta, above the famous vertical climbing faces of the blood red Wingate sandstone, all above the lowest layers of soft grays, greens, and reds of the Moenkopi/Chinle formations.

Layered formations

Old Wagon Rd Sunset

Henry Mts. Behind

Navaho domes

Golden Throne

Lowered sun

Sunlit Throne

April 30: A great ritual began this morning at 8:00 AM. A little country store in the historic district, a short minute or two walk from the campground, sold coffee and authentic fresh baked scones! That would be first priority for the next few mornings.

Campground

Sun rises over camp

Camp morning

Fremont River gorge

Then I drove Hwy 24 to the east end of the Grand Wash hike. I thought it was going to be an out and back, but I lucked out. Another group had arranged a point to point key exchange. When I met them I got them to take my keys and car back to my campsite! This allowed me to do a one way 9 mile through hike of the Grand Wash-Cassidy Arch-Frying Pan-Cohob Canyon Trails.

Grand Wash

Grand Wash Narrows

Bighorn ewe on ledge

Shinob Canyon

Fryingpan Trail

Cassidy Arch

Capitol Reef National Park

Distant Wingate Formation

In the Kayenta ledges

Capitol Reef National Park

Cohab Canyon cheese

Cohob ends/starts at the campground!

Descent to Fruita

A great day of a wash with narrows, a climb to the top of an arch, over the reef, and down through a mini canyon. After dinner I drove to the Panarama Point overlook on Hwy 24 for the sunset.

Glowing Wingate cliffs

Glowing Reef

Utah_396

Panorama Point

May 1: Today began, predictably, with coffee and a scone. Then I drove to the east side of the park and headed south on the Notom-Bullfrog on pavement and good gravel to the outlet of Sheets Gulch. Sheets, like Grand Wash, bisects the entire width of the reef. This hike goes through a neat dry wash that narrows into several slots, passes through the Navaho, Kayenta, and Wingate sandstone formations, and then requires a turn around for a 13 mile out and back. Combining it with Pleasant Creek to form a three day loop would be a cool option.

Sheets Gulch Narrows

Sheets Gulch

Vetch?

Basalt erratic

Navaho above Kayenta

slot in Navaho stone

More slot

Sheets slot

Sheets Gulch relief

Towering Wingate

Wingate formation canyon twists

Sheets again

Sheets Gulch Narrows

Sheets Gulch

Mini sandstone Yosemite

Sheets Gulch

Nearing the Slots

Deepening slots

May 2: I was now beginning to tire from more than a weeks' hiking, so today was easier. First scones, then a drive south on the scenic drive to the end of pavement, and then two more miles to the Pleasant Cr Trailhead. Pleasant Creek is just that, and a perennial stream that cuts through the reef.

Domes above Pleasant Creek

Pleasant Creek

It was an enjoyable 6 mile out and back along the stream beneath Navaho sandstone domes with a fun surprise side slot canyon thrown in.

Pleasant Creek Canyon, Capitol Reef NP

Pleasant Creek side slot

Then back to town where the park was having a living history program on the homesteading at Fruita. More scones! Finally a quick evening walk up to Hickman Natural Bridge 2 mi. RT.

Hickman

Capitol Reef National Park

Common Flower

Cactus bloom

Last beautiful night in camp:

Last evening

Almost bedtime

After Bryce, the evidence of the ancient Pueblo cultures begins to get more frequent. In Capitol Reaf it was the Fremont Culture of more than 1000 years ago. I was able to start to find some neat petroglyph panels. A few of which are well marked on maps by the NPS:

Utah 487 [800x600]

Utah 497 [800x600]

Utah 496 [800x600]

Utah 501 [800x600]

Utah 478 [800x600]

Utah 477 [800x600]

Utah 479 [800x600]

Utah 488 [800x600]

After that my curiosity of the Ancient Ones or Anasazi was peaked. Next stop: Natural Bridges National Monument and Cedar Mesa/Grand Gulch country with its high concentration of the cliff dwellings and petroglyphs of the Ancient Ones. Three legs down on the trip and three more to go: Cedar Mesa Hovenweep/Canyons of the Ancients National Monuments Canyonlands National Park

[Tazz]

One of my favorite parks down there. Not as heavily visited as the others and has some sweet gems to be found. I can't wait to get back in there. I hiked part of grand wash. nice through hike you did! so much to do and no time to do it all... thanks for sharing! awesome pics!

[John Morrow]

[Dean]

Wonderful report John. Capitol Reef is a gem and you have really done a great job in showing it off. I'm loving living in Utah as each week I get to see something new and wonderful. I've been to Fruita two times so far and will get back there later this summer for some more exploration. Thanks for all the eye candy.

[Slim]

Thanks for the report and photos. It must be getting HOT by now. Isn't that where Butch Cassidy used to hang out ? I've been down that way three times but could go every year and never get tired of it.

[Quark]

John, I love the erratic rock! How'd that get there - is there information on erratics in the area? Your "vetch?" plant looks like a type of pea or perhaps locoweed...? I'll try to look it up tomorrow unless someone else knows for sure.