Utah Day 7: Capitol Reef Naitonal Park

Wonderful day in Capitol Reef National Park. Mom and Steve dropped me at the bottom of Grand Wash at 8:45 with a promise to meet at the parking lot at 11. They drove the scenic drive down into Capitol Gorge while I hiked up the wash.

I reached the turn off for Cassidy Arch (almost at the parking lot) at 9:40. Darned if I was going to sit in the parking lot for an hour and twenty minutes. The wash trail was easy--up hill but the incline was slight the whole way. Cassidy Arch Trail is 'strenuous'. 'Strenuous' by American standards (rather than Korean) includes steps carved into the rock. No need to pull myself up by chains. 

But while it had been cool in the wash, it was hot when I reached the top and the sun. I didn't make it all the way in the 45 minutes I had to give, but I did get in sight of the hole (below) where Butch and Sundance hid out. I could see people walking on the top, but I'm not sure if there is a way in without scrambling up the ravine from below.

Steve and Mom picked me up at the end of Grand Wash Road and we followed the ranger's suggestion of making the loop to the south. Leaving ghe park, we followed Notham Road. Eventually it becomes gravel, but high quality, and the ranger assured us that we didn't need four-wheel drive since it hadn't been raining. 

We drove between two reefs of ancient rock as different as nitght and day. Eventually the road went into the park, climbed a bit and we stopped for lunch at the Cedar Mesa Campsite. I was hoping for a little shade, but we even found a picnic table in the shade. No campers around to be bothered. Here is a picture back up the way we had come from the campground.

The road continued south along Sandy Creek, then crossed a divide and we found we were following Halls Creek before turning off to the Burr Trail Switchbacks you can see in the red triangle in the distance. Fabulous views, of course and no stopping for pictures on the steep incline.

Burr Trail Road was eye-popping. We came through a wonderful canyon and eventually out to Rt. 12 at Boulder. Said to be the most beautiful road in Utah, I beg to differ. It IS beautiful, but feels more like Colorado than anything we have seen in Utah, all of which has been stupendous.

We dropped Mom and the hotel in Torrey for a nap and Steve took me back to some of what they had seen while I was hiking, namely Sunset Point, where a 1/3 mile trail takes you out to an overlook facing east.

There were a couple benches, and I decided to return after our steak dinner at Broken Spur Inn and Restaurant where we were staying. I wasn't the only one to enjoy the sunset, although several people seemed confused as to where they were supposed to look, being accustomed to look west to the setting sun.