A Change of Seasons

This was our last week in Utah. We had planned to spend three weeks in the Beehive State, visiting the Golden Circle of National Parks. But, the weather stepped in and left us with five and a half weeks to enjoy Utah before making our way South. For our last week, we ended our stay in Torrey before heading to Monticello for a few days. We left Utah on the 30^th, just ahead of a significant cold front sending the temps into the 30s at night. We also left just in time to avoid the possible shutdown of the National Parks because of the temper tantrums in DC. Overall, we are now headed South with a month of wandering through CO, NM, and TX before ending up in Central Texas to see family and friends. Come on along for this farewell tour of Utah.

Our last full day in Torrey included a tasting at The Etta Place Cidery. We have done wine tastings, mead tastings, and ale tastings, but this was our first cider tasting. The Cidery is owned and operated by Ann and Robert. You can read their story by clicking on the link above. Ann gave a wonderful tour and shared some history behind the name. Robert is a retired Professor at UT Health Sciences in Ophthalmology. Again, check the website for more about their Cidery. We shared our tasting with three young women from Newfoundland. They and our hosts made for a delightful afternoon of learning about cider and a special mead pictured above. The chocolate was also a special treat that went incredibly well with cider. We took a drive after a nice meal at the South American place down the road.

 

 

Our impromptu drive on BLM land outside Torrey turned into a lovely excursion into a beautiful canyon. Torrey is surrounded by beautiful landscapes. The Fishlake Scenic Drive took us beneath towers, cliffs, and deep canyons. Nakai handled it all very well.

 

 

 

 

The seasons are starting to change at 6,000 feet at the beginning of the drive.

Deep green juniper and yellow Rabbitbrush perfectly balanced the red rock and blue sky.

Mount Boulder towers over Torrey at 11.313 feet. If you look closely, you will see the Aspen just starting to turn Yellow.

The golden light of later afternoon lights up the cliffs.

Torrey sits nestled between the Fishlake Hills and the shoulders of Mount Boulder.

 

On the road again! The following day, it was time to set off for our next stop in Monticello, Utah. We traveled Utah 24 to 70 and then turned South on our old favorite US 191. The landscape went from interesting to "Wow!' We drove along deeply terraced countryside ranging from lush creek bottoms along the Fremont to dry desert landscapes. IH 70 was nothing too spectacular, but US 191 is one of the most interesting roads in Utah. It traverses the vast world of Canyonlands, Arches, and Deadhorse Point before reaching the plateau where Monticello sits, just outside of Bears Ears National Monument and the La Sal Mountains. The drive was only three hours, but it went by very quickly.

 

We arrived at The Old West RV Park in Monticello, UT. We were here last year on our way back from North Dakota and ate at the Thai Restaurant next door to the campground. Unfortunately, the chef is out of commission and was closed during our stay. The RV park is a basic park that is very clean and provides just what a short-term traveler needs. We were next to the Hwy, but we managed for four nights.

 

 

 

It is no surprise to those who follow us on FB that we enjoy eating out on the road. For me, enjoying life on the road is an exercise in multisensory experiences, especially food! Many have asked me how I have managed to eat well and still lose weight. Mostly, it has to do with a straightforward formula. I can eat and drink whatever I want, but not as much as I want! It takes self-discipline, which is much easier, with good information from our MyNetDiary app and a willing partner in losing and maintaining a healthy weight. You can check out the app at MyNetDiary.com. You will have to find your own partner, however. Just remember, you can eat anything you want, but not as much as you may want.

 

 

We have been to Canyonlands National Park several times over the last 18 years but have yet to make it into the Needles District. This vast park includes Islands in the Sky that traverse high mesas and the canyons in between. We drove Shaffer Road last year off of one of those mesas. We have photographed the Needles District from the Arches at the edge of the Mesas. We did drive part way 16 years ago but turned around at Newspaper Rock. These two characters in the photo were the welcoming committee at the Visitor Center. We have been greeted by their compadres at The Grand Canyon and several other parks, so when they "cawed" out to us, we felt right at home.

 

Newspaper Rock is an ancient panel of Anasazi Petroglyphs on the dark varnish, protected by a deep overhang. It sits alongside the trail people have used for over 1,000 years. Many of these images date to 1,200 – 1,300 years ago and have been added to by future visitors. Unfortunately, some are from the 19^th and 20th Century. These images remain quite mysterious. The Navajo believe that they tell a story or stories. Ethnographers think they may be symbolic writing but have no clue how to interpret them. Mostly, they are images important enough for people to spend many hours etching into this hard rock with stone and bone tools. I marvel at their artistry and allow it to speak to my heart and mind. I suggest you spend time with the panel and the images below and let your imagination wander back to when Europeans started trampling the lands and people around you. 

 

What sort of creatures can you see pictured here?

Here, we see modern and possibly ancient images sitting side by side.

  Snakes, sheep, and birds appear prominently in this set.

Can you make a story out of any of these clusters of images?

Do any of these images tickle your imagination?

All the images are within 5-6 feet of the ground at the time when the artist was at work. Some, however, are very low to the ground. What might that suggest?

Some creatures are fanciful, as if they have some mythological origin.

Next to Newspaper Rock is a small overhang that offers some shelter from the weather. There is no evidence of how it was used.

Nor did we see any petroglyphs.

This scene is likely very similar to the view by the artists at Newspaper Rock. Imagine living your life each Summer in a place such as this.

The drive along Indian Creek from Newspaper Rock led us out of the canyon and into the open terrain of the valley floor, which was stunning. These two buttes sit in the middle of a wide-open space and can be seen for miles around. We drove through a small section of Bears Ears National Monument. This Scenic Drive took us past the Six Shooter Peaks in the photo. We soon entered Canyonlands National Park   

These buttes and mesas tower over the desert floor.

Erosion is still taking place, and these features will, in time, be a scattering of rocks on the desert floor.

The red Moenkopi Formation is set off by the white and gray sandstones.

The ancient ones lived among the rock formations. This granary was used to store their crops from season to season. They are generally found in cliffs along creek bottoms where water to irrigate their crops was readily available.

We have seen these through Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

This adorable lizard was not afraid of the giant on his doorstep. They are in charge here and stand their ground. It looks like a long-nosed leopard lizard.

Can you find a rock in the shape of a wooden shoe in this picture?

Here, you can see evidence in the layers of the millions of years of seawater, dry land, uplifts, and fracturing that created this magical landscape.

At Pothole Point, we found a large platform of pot-holed rock topped by huge boulders. How this formed is bound to be fascinating.

Trees and shrubs among the boulders.

This is a rock’s impression of a Swirl Cake.

How long do you suppose that tree has been between that rock and a hard place?

These micro ecosystems provide life the shelter they need from the blistering sun and bone-chilling winter winds.

This platform is high above the desert floor.

Ancient landscape that has not changed in centuries.

This pillar marks a beautiful overlook.

It had a companion at the Confluence Trailhead.

Across the canyon sits twin pillars.

In between the rocks on top of the pillars is this old pockmarked surface from rain and wind.

It even held a passage to the top of the rocks. No, not for me!

Old rocks and trees, what more do you need?

The Needles in the distance. Sadly, no access in Nakai!

The weathering creates strange shapes all around.

Where water collects, the plants thrive.

Mushrooms in the desert!

An abandoned Cowboy Camp from the days when ranchers controlled Southern Utah.

Inside an overhang that has been home to people for longer than the Cowboys.

The extended overhang allowed a lot of people to gather here.

A seep in the overhang provided water for people and the crops they likely grew just outside it.

Art work along the walls.

The walls are lined with seeps that help keep it cool in the blazing Summer.

The length of the main room.

Just steps outside the overhang is a lush, warm setting for living their lives.

This fern grows all along the seeps. I wonder if it is tasty.

Not a bad place to raise several generations.

 

Sand Island is an ancient site for human habitation that reaches back to 6,500 BCE. The site, along the San Juan River, hosts a 300-foot-long panel of Petroglyphs that date from the earliest days of habitation. This picture shows the entire panel. I have some detailed shots below. Like before, no one knows what they mean or the story that they tell. But they ignite the imagination about the people who left them for later generations to discover.

 

 

 

An impressive panel that traces the edge of the old cliff face. Does this tell a story?

  Another tight panel with similar markings. Imagine how much work went into just this panel.

These faint markings may be among the original petroglyphs.

These are obvious modern markings left by people with no respect for ancient cultures.

Here, we find Marlene's favorite image from the Anasazi, Kokopelli. He is the faint flute player in the top portion of the panel. Someone added the flute to the more prominent figure below the original.

These figures are very intriguing. I don't know what they are, but they appear to be quite old. This is the first time we have seen this design.

Very faint. The cliff face has broken off in a few spots.

This looks like a story or two of successful hunts. But this is only a guess. What do you see? Notice the figure shooting a bow and arrow at a Bighorn Sheep in the lower center part of the panel.

These prominent figures with the three shapes above them suggest a headdress. Perhaps this is a dancer in one of their rituals. What do you think?

Among the faintest of all the images. They are likely very, very old figures in the Fremont people's style. The Fremont were the earliest people in the area. What do you see?

Again, profoundly weathered and faint figures with the three tiers headdress.

These highly stylized designs are as fascinating as they are enigmatic.

The whorl is a familiar figure in many of the Petroglyph panels we have seen. There are very few in this immense panel. What does that suggest?

We have seen these “frog figures” before at other sites. Looks like a dance move to me.

I really want to know what this figure represents!

OK, I am almost overwhelmed!

This fellow was not talking, either. It may be a Common Lesser Earless Lizard.

Then there was this lone, little figure 100 feet away from the main panel. Why? Who did this one? Questions abound!

 

One of the main reasons we stopped in Monticello was to see Bears Ears National Monument. This new monument was caught up in the Culture Wars in DC, and I wanted to see the place for myself. It did not disappoint. This image is of the Bears Ears that gave the monument the name. It comes from the ancient people who lived on the land. The two hills appeared like an enormous bear coming up the other side of the plateau. Yes, I took this photo from the middle of the highway. Was I standing or driving? I'll never tell. These photos are from the drive along the Trail of the Ancients and included the Moki Dugway, Bullet Canyon, Natural Bridge National Monument, Mule Canyon Kiva, and the Butler Wash Ruins Overlook. Hang on for a quick trip back thousands and millions of years.

The Trail began with a climb up a vast plateau. The Moki Dugway is an old path that climbed 1,200 feet in three miles of steep switchbacks and narrow, gravel roads. The pucker factor was relatively high on much of this drive. This photo is from roughly midway up the plateau.

 

 

We are a bit higher, and you can see a glimpse of the road below.

This view looks out on the famed Monument Valley, where hundreds of old westerns were made, and Forrest Gump ended his cross-country running.

This was our Lunch View at Bullet Canyon.

This is the first of the Natural Bridges we saw. A Rock Bridge has a creek under it that cuts through the fin. An Arch was cut only by wind, rain, and ice. These are fascinating formations.  This one is called Sipapu Bridge.

Here, you can see the creek bed under the bridge.

This is the trail to our next bridge, Kachina Bridge.

I can't help myself; Dead Trees catch my eye.

Kachina Bridge

The bridge is a small part of a complex landscape.

The other end of the valley at Kachina Bridge.

This is a remarkable rock formation. What do you see besides a rock?

Yep, dead tree!

The last of the bridges we saw Owachomo Bridge.

The span is incredible. How long will it last?

More fascinating rocks

Really dead trees!

Rebuilt ruins at Mule Canyon Kiva

The rebuilt Kiva shows the ceremonial space. It was from an underground passage from the other structures. I am not sure if it had an overhead entrance as well.

The rebuilt base of a tower that was perhaps used to signal the next Kiva a mile away.

The small plaza between the Kiva and the Houses.

A dying tree

Butler Wash

Can you spot the ruins in the cliff face?

Ruins of structures

An old building with a wall, suggesting storage, perhaps a granary.

Yep, I see two eyes staring out of the cliff face. The left eye is blind!

The main house, including the Kiva, storage, and apartments.

A smaller building lower down and apart from the main buildings.

Imagine raising your family in this environment. These were sturdy folks.

 

Our time in Utah came to a close. This is a shot from The Great Salt Lake, where our long journey through Utah began. We have seen some marvelous sights and encountered some fascinating history. We had to do a lot of filtering because the Mormon Culture has so wholly dominated this landscape for over a hundred years that it is hard to see past their Temples. Northern Utah was unexpected and educational. Southern Utah was inspiring. So Long to Utah, the Great Salt Lake, Aquarius Plateau, and the Grand Staircase. 

Our drive to Durango took us along familiar roads. But we could enjoy the first bit of color as Fall took hold of the San Juans in Southern Colorado. Our stay here will only be 6 days, but I look forward to some exciting adventures. We are staying in Oasis RV Park in Durango, CO, and will head into the mountains. We are roughly a week ahead of the first real cold snap and hope to have fantastic weather for our stay.

 

We have a plaque in Koko that we picked up in Bar Harbor a couple of years ago, "Life is a journey, not a race." We are not hurrying through our travels. We know how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy the road together, and I want to savor every minute of it. As we head back to Texas for the winter, I am planning our travels in 2024, but for now, I am taking my time. In the coming months, we will be seeing old friends and family, visiting old haunts, and some new places as well. The road awaits, and there is much to see, one moment and one mile at a time. I am glad you are along for the ride.

 

Bob