On Thursday of last week, I took off for southwestern Utah to spiff up my photo collection on Utah's national parks and monuments -and nearby state parks.
I went from Salt Lake to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Escalante, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument's Smokey Mountain and Hole in the Rock roads, Devil's Garden, UT 12 and its Hog's Back Section, the Escalante River Trailhead, Lower Calf Creek Falls, Petrified Forest State Park, Boulder, Boulder Mountain and Boulder Mountain National Forest, Torrey, and Capitol Reef National Park.
In order to see all of this and get a lot of new off-road photos and vistas, I had time only to run these trails with my camera in a ziplock bag; walking would have been too slow! It was incredibly fun, but draining as well...
Driving up canyon from Panguitch toward Brian Head Resort and Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Still snowy up high near Cedar Breaks.
Cedar Breaks scenic overlook
In Zion National Park, my first run: up to Angel's Landing
Looking down Zion Canyon from 1/2 way up the Angel's Landing Trail
The Angel's Landing trail above Hidden Canyon
The final and steepest/ most exposed pitch of the Angel's Landing Trail. Amazingly, a significant number of the people at the top were in their 60s and 70s.
View up Zion Canyon from the top of Angel's Landing
Heading back down
Leaving Zion National Park on UT 9/ Zion-Mt Carmel Highway. The beautiful slick rock is much different than the deep canyons to the west.
Briefly out of red rock country and heading northeast toward Bryce Canyon.
A quick preview of what's to come in Red Canyon.
In Bryce Canyon National Park, the horses seem to be taking the proper trail.
View down into the Queen's Garden on the Navajo Loop Trail
Descending into the Queen's Garden
Hikers ascending the Navajo Loop trail back to the rim
Kodachrome Basin State Park, on the northwestern end of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Petroglyphs above my campsite on Smokey Mountain Road (south of Escalante) in the G.S.E.N.M.
Stones in the wash along Smokey Mountain Road
Looking north from Smokey Mountain Road toward Escalante
Views west from Hole in the Rock Road
Endless washboards on Hole in the Rock Road
The Devil's Garden, 12.5 miles south of UT 12 on Hole in the Rock Road
Heading back north toward UT 12 on Hole in the Rock Road
Driving east on UT 12 toward Boulder
Lower Calf Creek Falls
Hanging gardens at Lower Calf Creek Falls (between Escalante and Boulder), Grand Staircase-Escalante N.M.
UT 12 meandering its way up slickrock
In Petrified Forest State Park, a non-petrified plant
A petrified LOG
The reservoir of the Petrified Forest State Park in Escalante as viewed from the hiking trail. I swam in this to rinse off after two days of running.
The Hog's Back section of UT 12 between Escalante and Boulder
Ascending Boulder Mountain
Boulder Mountain sits high, high up above the surround red rock country
Bad dogs peace out on Boulder Mountain
View east and down from Boulder Mountain
Scenic pullout on the Boulder Mountain Road; views of the many features of the Grand Staircase possible from along this road
Entering Capitol Reef National Park from the west
Free camping on BLM land just west of Capitol Reef 
The Castle in Capitol Reef
Blacksmith Shop in Capitol Reef National Park
Grand Wash in Captiol Reef National Park
Trailhead in the Grand Wash of Captiol Reef National Park 
The Narrows of Capitol Reef National Park's Grand Wash
Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
UT 24 west of Torrey
UT 50 between Salina and Scipio
Great pics, and it sounds like a very tough trip!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun! I'm definitely still tired. And I believe the car is, too...
ReplyDelete