Adventure 21: Kodachrome Basin State Park/Post D

Zion Looms!

Preface -I, Judy-patudy, won four in a row yesterday! Definitely not to my Hunny's liking :)  After a normal morning and a quick skunk  in my favor to regain a comfortable lead (12-8), we dashed off in Fric toward Zion National Park. OMG! Words cannot describe the magnificence, and my feeble photos surely won't. You must experience this for yourselves. Our drive today totaled about 300 miles, and included  a stop at both ends of Zion. First we dove down the canyon on red switchbacks curling like Christmas candy. Above us stood the sentinels and other formations so immense that it was easy to imagine the early Mormon settler who proclaimed, "This is my Zion." Hence the name, although we mere Catholic-Mennonites feel the grandeur of God's work as well. After several jerking stops to snap photos, along with all the other gawkers, we traveled to an off road ghost town called Grafton. A few well preserved buildings remain, and again I wonder why anyone would live in such a place. The early settlers came at the behest of Brigham Young with orders to plant cotton, but flood, disease, drought, and unfriendly locals (Paiute Indians) drove them out. After a lunch of salami and cheese (No whine), we trailed up I-15 to Kolub Canyon at the north end of Zion. It too was worth the side trip. We then ate lunch, a home made burger, in Cedar City, refilled a propane tank-after a wild goose chase following the I-phone map through the suburbs of Cedar City. To finish we traveled across Cedar Mountain (elevation @ 9800 ft.) A month ago the aspens would have been in full fall bloom but nonetheless, the trip was magnificent. Now here we sit at an abandoned pizza restaurant at the turn off to Bryce Canyon. We have five bars, a warm truck, and the remainder of a sky blue day. We think we're going to go down to Ruby's, the local tourist trap for dinner. We also want to enjoy some time talking with the Soup Night crowd back home. We're missing the yummy Taco Soup. Slurp a toast to us, and be well because wherever you are, life is good, especially today.

 I've got to be kidding. There is no justice in this photo.

 This mountain face (part) is about  a 2,000 ft mass.

 One of the sentinels in Zion.

 The drive takes you through this mountain. One of the portals.

 A Judy shot from the road.

 On the way down, looking back.

 Just another almost captured view of the mountains.

 The cemetary in Grafton. Death by disease, falling off swings, and Indians.

 The Grafton school/church. Two story rancher in the back.

 Art shot of one of the cabins.

 Fire place; six foot ceiling. Finished with painted green board lumber.

 Outside view.

 The Hunny Bunny in Kolub Canyon.

 Me too!

 The sky has been blue for almost forever.

Just below the summit of Cedar Mountain.

Adventure 20: Kodachrome Basin State Park/ Post C

A Fire is Welcome at Night

After thirteen days on the road, our established routine is that Judy rises about 5:30 A.M. fixes herself an instant coffee, knits, reads, puzzles, writes, and welcomes the new day. Yesterday she said she heard the coyotes howling under the early morning stars - a pretty awesome benefit of rising early.  As for myself, I spread out and enjoy an hour or so of dream sleep. In part, my dreams this morning included Dave Ulmen, who was miffed because he was relocating his shop and the builder had miscalculated by fifty-seven fr****** feet. Nonplussed, I sped off on  a longboard, but I wasn't standing I was lying down like one of those luge racers. There's more, but it's so bizarre, I wonder if this drug free life is worth it. After I rise, I have coffee, we eat oatmeal, play a game of cribbage, and the do the form. Judy washes the dishes, and I dry. it's a one-butt kitchen in the trailer. Sunday is different. We plan to go to service where ever we can find it. Yesterday, we went to the Mormon service in Cannonville. The sign said, "Visitors Welcome", but I think it should have read,"Visitors Tolerated". The man who led the service talked with a us briefly; otherwise the only comment we heard was, "Someone is sitting there." It was my first Mormon experience, and I was struck by the zealous fervor. After church we had our normal fried potato and egg breakfast, garnished with a little left over taco meat. It's a nice change from oatmeal. We also took our first hike in the basin: The Grand Parade Trail. It stays on the canyon floor and winds itself through two astounding box canyons. I'll post pictures, but you all should really hop in the car. If you leave right now, you can make it before the 1.7 million the state of Utah paid the federal government to keep the National Parks open runs out. You have ten days. Today, we toured Bryce Canyon National Park. It is more amazing than the guide books say, though even in light traffic like today, it's like touring Beijing, but without the sales pitch--not that there isn't ample opportunity to buy trinkets along the way. We hiked what the guide book calls the prettiest three-mile hike in the world: The Navajo Trail. It lived up to the claim, and then some. Again, my feeble photos cannot capture the wonder. On a tournament update, I'm currently leading the Kodachrome Open 8-4. We have a long way to go, and Judy has adopted a new cheating strategy. Yesterday, she counted one hand: fifteen-two; fifteen-four, and three is FIVE. I let it go, since she was only cheating herself. We likely will post one more time when we travel down to Zion later in the week. The rest of our time will be spent exploring the Kodachrome Basin. There is plenty to see, and amazingly, every time we drive the road back to the basin, we see a new wonder. Just the time of day changes the light enough to reload the vistas. Come on down; it freezes at night, but gets up to a balmy 59 degrees during the day, which means life is good, especially mid day. 

 Along the Grand Parade Trail, the bottom grass gives off a blue hue. I wish I could capture it.

 A desperado hiding out in the box canyon from the federales.

 A desperdolita hiding out as well.

 Bryce Canyon: Paria View Amphitheater.

 BryceCanyon: Bryce Point View

 Hoodoo you think you're fooling?

 A dusting of snow and a balmy thirty-six degrees just down from Bryce Point.

 Bryce Canyon: View from Inspiration Point.

 Along the Navajo Loop Trail.

 Switchbacks abound as we lose altitude.

 The bunny outside one of the arches.

 Just a knurly tree.

 Queen's Garden spires

 Climbing back up the canyon wall.

 Just an easy to moderate hike according to the guide book.

 A view back down the switchbacks.
The panorama from Sunset Point. 

A little oak leaf taking a break on the trail.

Adventure 19: Kodachrome Basin State Park/ Post B

Red Rock Canyon: Great Trail!

Ok, so it's not quite accurate to say that we're so jaded by now that we're tired of taking pictures of beautiful rock formations. The fact is that in this Jurassic wonderland, it's literally not possible to capture the wonder on camera. Yet we try just like every other stunned tourist who sees the area for the first time. Today we drove to Red Rock Canyon for a very nice, but chilly, speedster ride. It was up hill against the wind on the way up, but even with the drag break on, we hit thirty-one miles per hour on the way down. The government shut down inconvenienced us a little because the pit toilets were closed. It's a good thing I learned from Ed Drouin how to take nature breaks OUT in nature. On a side note, just to be clear--Judy cheats at cards! For example, this morning when I narrowly avoided a skunk which would have tied the score, Judy had one hand in which she counted...fifteen two and eight is a dozelito. Not bad for a former math teacher. Don't let that sweet smile and Kansas charm fool you, she's not as cute as she looks, but she does make life good, especially today.

 The morning view from that back of Frac. Every time we look the wonders change.

 Before our ride, we stopped to take a short hike to the Mossy Cave and waterfall.

 The early Mormon settlers dug an irrigation ditch through this canyon.

 Their need must have been great because the ground is crushed rock.

 Imagine the water draining this area millions of years ago.

 Besides rock, there are dead trees everywhere, twisted from their effort to live.

 View on the way up the Red Canyon. A feeble attempt at capturing the awe.

 Every first time gawker jerks to a stop to take a picture of this arched tunnel.

 It's all down hill from here.

 Three miles ahead the bike path pavement ends.

Summit signs are always a welcome site to bikers. It's nice, but it ain't Colorado.

Adventure 18: Kodachrome Basin State Park/Post A

Kodachrome Basin!

After another pleasant day of traveling mercies, we arrived at Kodachrome State Park. I know it's early, but we're already so jaded by so many beautiful rock formations that we're tired of taking pictures. On our way down, we stopped just past Sevier, Utah to ride the Big Rock Candy Mountain Express bike trail. It's a seven mile paved trail that winds itself through a quite beautiful canyon along the Sevier River. It was the day the weather front moved in, so it was cold and rainy; it also hailed, but none of that mattered to the Speedster. We did pedal quite hard back down the canyon, averaging just over twenty-five M.P.H.  Nothing is better than tandem riding down hill on smooth pavement. On our way into Kodachrome, we traversed Red Canyon, which has a paved rail trail that is about ten miles long. We plan to ride that trail tomorrow. More rock pictures will most certainly follow. We are camped in a nice site, and we plan to stay here for ten days and take day trips around the area. Pressure from Utah's governor has allowed the National Parks in the area to open for ten days or so. That makes us happy because we will get to at least tour Bryce Canyon. We have a full agenda of hiking and biking, and if they will let us, we will attend service Sunday morning at the Cannonville Mormon Church. Posts will be intermittent for awhile because down in the basin the jackrabbits, ground squirrels, and scorpions have little need of wifi. This is good because there is no cell service. I'm currently in the Panguitch City Library, where a nice young lady is allowing me to use both power and internet. One traveler we follow has suggested that Southwest Utah is a no Mcdonald's area, which hindered him because that is how he communicates on the road. I learned from Niel Kempen that libraries offer the same service. We are doing well. Judy's stitches are mending well from her small cancer surgery. We removed some with no ill effects. I'm suffering from literally a pain in the neck (Not Judy), but I asked a fellow camper to pop my back. We did it in the bathroom. I hope I'm not accused of being like that Idaho Congressman a while back. At any rate, this guy was big enough to lift me, and that seems to have straightened things out. We continue to live the good life, and we're alway grateful for each day, which reminds me--I'm currently ahead 3-zip in the Kodachrome cribbage open, but I'm not taking anything for granted because that hunny bunny of mine is quite wiley (and she cheats), so I'll beware. Stay tuned--when we are again in range, I will post again. In the meantime, we're just here where life is good, especially today.

 200 ft. tunnel pushed through the rock in 1890.

 The frickin' sixty-seven  year old ready at the trailhead.

 White and red rock faces surround Kodachrome.

 Are we excited yet?

 Fric and Frac seem to be.

 A view from our great room

 Judy seems to be enjoying herself (so far)

 The pointed rocks are called pinnacles.

 Taken from inside the trailer while sitting at the dinette.

 The pioneer cattle ranchers must have been tough as leather.

 Lake Panguitch.

 I tried to get the sense of how high the cliffs are around the campground.

This really should be our cover shot for this spot because this is what it is like in every direction.

A view as we left Panguitch on the way to Kodachrome Basin.