Friday day we headed out to explore Capital Reef National Park. We stopped as usual at the visitor centre. We got some information, maps, and watched a movie about the geological formation of the park. Most of the Scenic Road through Fruita is closed due to reconstruction of the road. However it is open to the campground and the Historic Gifford House. This is important because they sell small pies at the Gifford House made from local fruit. We decided to get a mixed berry pie and ate it that night. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a store bought pie that good – not even in Mennonite country!
From there we headed back to the highway and decided to go hiking. We chose a hike at the Grand Wash. You walk a dried creek bed and eventually you are walking through the narrows with very high canyon walls on each side. Round trip was almost 5 km.
The rocks are very interesting with lots of holes, big and small.
On Saturday, our first stop was at Gifford House for cinnamon buns and another pie.
Then we did a long scenic drive – some was paved, the rest sand or rocks. Part we had done from the other end near Escalante – The Burr Trail. We started off Hwy 24 onto Notom Rd.
Eventually we reached the end of Notom Rd. where it joins with the Burr Trail. We had driven about half that trail earlier in the week, but had stopped before the pavement ended. The first part from the south end where we were, takes you through some significant switchbacks.
Overall a great day for scenery and once again the clear blue sky and warm temperatures made all the difference. Tomorrow we move on.
Following Joyce & Paul's Travels in Retirement 