Adventure 26: Dead Horse Point Sate Park/Post B

Good Power, Limited Water

I heard a poet on public radio this morning. He was waxing eloquent about a new word a friend of his had coined--a verb--to be azaleaed, which means to commiserate with someone for missing something- such as you just missed a wonderful sunset, or you just missed the fall colors as they peeped through the Vermont countryside, or you just missed you baby's first step. There is no need to feel "azaleaed" in the Utah rock country. You won't miss them. They will be here when you get here, and they will bathe your senses every hour you visit with different hues from pale washed white to vivid orange, to shuddering purple. If you have the time and the patience, you can witnes the wonder of God's creation as he sends His planet spinning like the plaything He must think it is. What follows is an attempt to capture the panorama of Dead Horse Point. We have circumnavigated the park along both sides of the rim. Last night we caught the sunset just as we reached the point itself. While we had to traipse back in the near dark, we felt not the cool of the evening, but instead the gentle fingers of God tucking in His wonder for the night, and besides our picnic table has electric light (a manmade gift) under the awning. I'm telling you, Utah State parks are the bomb. So don't feel like you are missing the boat (so to speak). When it sails for you, the wonders will still be here where life is good, especially today.

 The west rim view somewhere along a cairn strewn trail.

 The canopy at Dead Horse Point--midday.
 
 The east rim right near the visitor center. It's called the amphitheater.

 The Hunny Bunny enjoying a brief concert.

 In the distance are the salt fields. They dry and harvest salt by the megaton. I'm not sure if it is for table or some other use.

 One click over from the salt fields.

 My art shot of the evening. I love the gnarled trees.

 The LaSalle Mountains from between two sunbathed rocks.

 My puny little point and shoot cannot match the magnificence of God's sunset. They happen every night. Come one down. You won't miss it.

 Then the purples come out.

And finally, the silhouettes etch themselves against the sky. 

Adventure 25: Dead Horse Point State Park/Post A

A Nice Fourteenie!

First, a tournament update. I narrowly defeated Judy in the Kodachrome Open (14-13). She had whittled away at my big lead, tying me the night before we left. Then, in the last game, she went out to a big lead. I was suffering great torment, and spent every minute praying for the cribbage gods to make the world right. Finally, in the last desperate hour, my prayers were answered, and Judy was left (like Moses) at the edge of the promised land. The over all  series is now tied, and I've opened an early 3-1 lead. I know that the most lovely Judy, as wily a card shark as Dead Eye Dick, must be carefully watched. Stay tuned. Our drive of nearly three hundred miles to Dead Horse was uneventful, and as has been normal, our campsite awaited us. I've nothing but praise for the Utah State Park system.  We started on a quick walk to the visitor center, and ended up hiking (totally unprepared) a full five miles along the west ridge back to our campsite. The trails are very cool as they are marked at every turn by rock cairns. Every angle provides another marvelous view. We slept well, and this morning we road twenty-one tandem miles, munched left over barbecue chicken for lunch, and now, here we sit back at the junction of Hwy 191 trying to update the blog. Reception is shaky out here in the wild west, but life is  definitely good, especially today.

 The LaSalle Mountain Range, just over the hill from our campsite.

One cute filly trapped at Dead Horse Point. (She's alive and well.)

A view over the side of the canyon.

A close up view from Dead Horse Point.

The cairns marking the path along the ridge.

Art shot of the canyon.

Another view, another rock. Utah's main tourist attraction. We pay to see these!

A little cactus, protected by a previous hiker.

Adventure 24: Kodachrome Basin State Park/Post G

The View from the Kiva Kafe Deck

Our time in the Basin has been very enjoyable, especially if you like rocks, sagebrush, cattle, and blue sky. Judy is ahead 3-2 overall in the Cribbage tournaments, but the Kodachrome Open is yet undetermined. I lead 13-11 with two nights left. We usually play a couple of games a day. Today, we drove another 145 miles up Highway 12. The scenery, amazingly, was a different brand of rock. We crossed one ridge where the cliffs dropped off on either side. Miss Jane would not have done so well, even in the front seat! I almost had to close my eyes. As for me, I was nervous as a Mormon in a coffee shop. I would have been catatonic if I had been pulling Frac. The highlight of our day was a stop for lunch at the Kiva Kafe Shop somehwere outside of Boulder, Utah. What an amazing structure, built by an eighty-seven year old engineer/artist right into the side of the mountain. He didn't fix lunch because he died building the place, but the current operators are making him proud in a fabulous way. The red chili pork tamale was amazing.  Fellow tamale makers - we will have to perfect our masa.  Theirs was so-o light and tender.  Still like our filling, though. This is likely to be the last post from this area. I'll miss the big white steer who has greeted me the last two mornings under the full moon! Our site has been so beautiful, especially in the evening and early morning. We leave Sunday morning for Dead Horse State Park near Moab, Utah. More rock pictures are likely, as is the possibility that life will be good, especially today.

 Anazazi mock up at the museum in Boulder.

 They lived underground. Cool in summer; warm in winter.

 The view from the top before the descent into Boulder, utah.

 Heading back down the canyon toward Escalante, Utah. Notice the 1000 ft. drop at right.

 The view from the terrace at the Kavi Kafe Shop.

 The garden in front of the coffee shop. Purple sage, squash, and pumpkins.

A sunset view at the turn off to Bryce Canyon. Se ya'll real soon.

Adventure 23: Kodachrome Basin State Park/Post F

Thirteen Miles Seemed Like Much More

After a normal morning start of oatmeal and cribbage (Judy has closed the gap to 13-11 with two nights left), we hopped on our single bikes for a dirt road ride into the wilderness. It was all up hill including a portion so steep we had to walk. We totaled thirteen miles in the round trip. That's about twenty-five in dog years, and seems like more riding on the dirt considering ruts, washboards, soft dirt, and severe conditioning deficiencies. But it was spectacular, and it gave us another view of the park. We enjoyed our packed lunch under a shade tree, and soaked up the panorama. It is certain that much of Utah is a place where life is good, especially today.

 The frickin' sixty-seven year old, undaunted by the terrain.

 The terrain.

 Notice the sky. No vitamin D needed in this place.

 Going downhill was much quicker (Duh!)

 If we had continued on this road, we would have met up with Highway 89 in 56 miles.

 Even the bikes got tired, but they revived after lunch--no wait, that was us.

Adventure 22: Kodachrome Basin State Park/Post E

Today, we toured the Basin trails right around the campground. Our Fitbit registered 9.5 miles at the end of the hike as we wound down and through the Hat Shop, the Secret Passage, the Ballerina Spire, the Cool Cave, and finally Panorama Point. The trail is orangish red dirt, but really a freeway as trails go. We didn't miss the afternoon hail storm, but we didn't get too wet or cold, and Frac warmly welcomed us, baked as he was by the daily sun, and soon we were toasty warm in our little trailer where life is good, especially today. 



The bunny Bunny, sticks at the ready. This trail purports to be 6 miles, but somehow our Fitbit didn't think so.

 Rocks, hoodoos, scrub pines--just typical flora and fauna

 Her leg does look quite shapely from this angle.

 I didn't really get the "Hat" part of this, but it's been documented nonetheless.

 These kinds of formations are everywhere.

 Judy as she enters the Secret Passage.

 A view from one of the high spots along the hike.

 Judy as she enters the "Cool Cave". It is very cool.

 More rocks.

 Quite a severe climb to get to Panorama Point, but from here you can see--you guessed it, the Panorama. The flash storm at the right.

 Bryce Canyon in the distance.

 A better look at the storm getting ready to dive into the basin.

'Rocks in Shadow'- one of my art shots today.

 'Driftwood Pony"--another art shot.

 This is the view from behind Frac, where we do the form every morning.

A photo of our campsite at sunset.