Road Trip

Along the White Rim Trail, 2017, Part 3

We had a good night at Candlestick camp and before we were up we were passed by the only other person going our direction (besides a lone bicycle) the entire trip.  Before long we were out of camp and back on the trail.  We didn’t have too far to go for day three, but there was a hike on the list that would take a bit of time.

 

As you make your way upriver along the Green there begin to be bottoms that seem to be big flat bars along the river.  They may have had extensive cottonwood galleries at one time but now the tamarisk has mostly taken over.  There are still some nice cottonwoods to be found too.  We passed Valentine Bottom, Unknown Bottom, Queen Anne Bottom, Beaver Bottom and Potato Bottom.  Somewhere in there the White Rim started getting closer and closer to the level of the river.  In hindsight it should have been obvious that we were seeing the last of it, but we didn’t really realize it until it was gone.  I would have said goodbye.

The White Rim approaches the level of the river

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Along the White Rim Trail, 2017, Part 1

After our tour of several southern Utah National Parks it was time to settle in to Canyonlands for a few days.  We left our camp along the Colorado River outside of Moab fairly early and stuck out for the White Rim Trail.

 

The White Rim Trail (Shafer Trail) Becons

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Exploring Southern Utah, 2017

November brings some colder and wetter days to central Oregon.  It was time to head south, for a week, southern Utah was the destination.  It’s a bit of a drive to get there so the first day was all windshield time.  We ended the day just as dark settled in at Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada.  It seemed like a nice spot but it wasn’t until morning that we were able to get oriented.  The sun was just up as we headed out but we stopped to take a look around before hitting the road.  It looked like an interesting place surrounded by highly eroded hills.

Cathedral Gorge

A sign indicated that this picnic ramada was built by the CCC’s in 1934.  1934!  They have apparently done a bit of maintenance on the willow thatch roof every so often, but what a testament to the value of the work done in those days.

Picnic Ramada

After that it was on to our first destination, Zion National Park.  Arriving on a Saturday we found the typical crowds encountered in most national parks these days.  We were still able to find a place to camp that allowed a place to base a days worth of exploration out of.

Kolob Canyon, Zion National Park

The view from camp was entirely acceptable.

Zion Camp View

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