Tuesday, December 27, 2016 – Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks
The cabin in Glendale really turned out to be a spectacular spot – plenty of room for all of us, right on US 89 so the snow was kept clear, and convenient to both Zion and Bryce Canyon. The only drawback was its remoteness – no restaurants or shopping nearby – yet we were prepared for that, so it suited us just fine. But it was time to pack up and head on.
We were heading east and stopped again at Bryce Canyon. The trails were all still snowed over so we still couldn’t hike, but the park road was open almost all the way to the end. We drove as far as we could and stopped at several overlooks that we couldn’t access two days earlier, taking in more views of the stunning canyon.
We had seen what we could see by lunchtime, so we grabbed a meal at Ruby’s, the only thing open in the small cluster of commercial establishments at the entrance to the park. It was a good meal and fueled us for the rest of a long day.
From Bryce we continued east to Capitol Reef National Park. The drive there was beautiful. It traversed mountains and some very remote areas that were the last areas in the lower 48 states to be mapped. We hadn’t heard of Capitol Reef before planning this trip and were excited to experience it. Coming from a place where the word “reef” is automatically associated with coral, a reef in the middle of the desert seemed very odd. It turns out there is a connection: we learned that early prospectors visiting the area had nautical backgrounds and they referred to the ridge as a reef since it was a barrier to transportation. And the white sandstone domes reminded them of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., therefore they called it “Capitol Reef”.
When we arrived at Capitol Reef we drove the Scenic Road to the end of the pavement, and of course we kept going on the dirt road to the end where the road becomes a hiking trail. It was late in the afternoon and, unfortunately, we were making this trip just a few days after the winter solstice so daylight was short. We hiked about a mile into the canyon to a collection of rock depressions called water tanks. These depressions hold water, which of course is very important in the desert, and being a “water guy” I found them especially fascinating. They have been used by people and animals alike for centuries and are now routinely observed by hikers and tourists. We found them full of frozen water, which made them even more interesting for us Floridians.
We hiked out of the canyon and got back to the car just before dark. We agreed that we should come back to Capitol Reef and spend more time someday. But that night we were heading to Moab, which was a long drive in the dark. I’m sure the scenery is beautiful, but I don’t know because there was no moon that night and it was DARK.
We finally arrived in Moab around 8:30. We rented a condo in town for the next few days. We found it, then went in search of dinner. We stopped at a couple of places whose kitchens were already closed due to winter hours but found an Asian restaurant that was open and had a great meal. It was much better than the fast food we thought we might have to settle for. With full bellies we settled into our condo – a duplex with a gas fireplace and a garage for the car. Quite a contrast to the cabin in Glendale. Not better or worse, just different and a great home base for the next few days.
Where Are We Going Now? 