Capitol Reef was one of the most surprising parks of our trip! So many hidden treasures, from the scenery to the food. I am so glad we visited there after our trips to Zion and Bryce Canyon. In case you're wondering what was unique about this park, this photo says it all!
Just as we had discovered with Bryce Canyon, there is something different to love about each park. With Capitol Reef it's the colors of the rocks, and the "honeycomb holes" that caught our eye first. The name of the park comes from the Waterpocket Fold, which is an 87-mile long ridge in the earth's crust, and was referred to as a "reef" by prospectors visiting the area since it was a formidable barrier to transportation. As we discovered, the "washes," which are the corridors through the reef worn by water, are the best methods to access beautiful canyons and also provided a way for early settlers to get across the reef rather than going around it. The "Capitol" (with an "o") part of the name is because early settlers noted that the white domes of Navajo Sandstone resembled the dome of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C..
When we first drove into Capitol Reef, we stopped at the Visitor Center as usual, but quickly made our way past the orchards, campgrounds, and Gifford House (more on that later). We were anxious to access the "scenic drive," since we had such a good experience with that in Bryce Canyon. Our first clue to the fact that this park was less busy was the absence of an entrance gate. There is an honor-system entry point, where one purchases a pass for the park and then displays it while parked. Since we had our annual pass already, we were all set.
As we drove through the park, the first thing we noticed were the unique rock structures, which I later learned are formed by erosion caused by wind, water, and ice. Of course we had to stop and get photos, although Capitol Reef is not nearly as good at turnouts as Bryce Canyon.
We continued down to what we thought was the end of the scenic drive, and stopped in the parking lot there. Isn't this a gorgeous view?
One of the funny things I saw there was this RV. Nel had commented that they saw one with a photo of the same view as the National Park they were visiting, so I had to take a shot of this one. Not quite the same view but only one park away!
While we were taking photos, we saw cars driving out of a dirt road that travels between the two cliff faces in the photo above. Initially, we thought our car wouldn't be suitable, but some of the cars coming out were similar SUVs, so we decided to explore it. I am so glad we did! About 90% of the beauty of the "scenic drive" was down this road, which was called Capitol Gorge. This is where we really got a close-up look at the "honeycomb" rock formations. From this website, I learned that these holes, also known as "tafoni," are formed when the grains of sandstone are cemented together with softer minerals, such as calcite and silica. As the wind and rain washes away the less cementing substances, the holes are formed. I was fascinated by these, and tried to get good photos, but the sheer height of the cliffs made it challenging.
You might notice what appear to be black streaks in the middle lower photo above. As usual, when I write these blogs I research things I had questions about and I learned this is called "desert varnish." This website gives a lot more detail, but a quick summary follows:
It is mostly composed of wind-blown clay particles. One of the main ingredients is Manganese Oxide. The mystery is that this particle is found in a much higher concentration on the rocks than in the surrounding soil. The leading hypothesis for these high concentrations is the existence of tiny manganese-oxidizing microbes that live on the rock face. These microbes create concentrated amounts of manganese oxide which, when paired with oxidized iron particles found in the aeolian soil, cement the clay particles to the rock face. Thus, forming desert varnish. (In case you, like I, don't know what "aeolian" means, I looked it up and the definition is "relating to or arising from the action of the wind.")
The average rate of formation for desert varnish is (are you ready…) one MICROMETER per MILLENNIA! On average, it could take as many as 50,000 years for a coating of desert varnish the reach the thickness of a piece of paper.
Indigenous tribes took advantage of the hardness of desert varnish. It made perfect canvases out of the nice, flat rock surfaces. The native peoples would chip away the thin, dark coating of varnish to expose the lighter rock underneath, leaving behind images of spirals, bighorn sheep, warriors, and other petroglyphs (petro=rock, glyph=carving). Today, we can see these pieces of art that have lasted for hundreds and even thousands of years.
We saw a few examples of petroglyphs in Capitol Reef as we headed out of the park.
As we drove down the Capitol Gorge, I was continually amazed by the different colors and layers of rock.
I ended up buying a book in the visitor's center to learn more. As the summary for the book states, it was "written for the geologically curious by professors who have used the parks as their classroom to educate a generation of geoscientists." I think I qualify as "geologically curious," but I'm not sure I'm a "geoscientist," as I found aspects of this book difficult to grasp. I'll attempt to summarize information I found interesting in this blog, but if you're curious you're welcome to borrow the book!
As we planned for our hike the next day, we decided to get up early to avoid the crowds and the heat. At Jerry's recommendation, we decided to hike to Cassidy Arch. Yes, it's named after Butch Cassidy, the infamous train and bank robber and leader of a gang of outlaws during the late 1800's. Cassidy reportedly had a hideout in nearby Grand Wash while on the run, which was how the arch got its name.
This was probably the earliest we had gotten up all vacation, it was still dark!
After a hearty breakfast, we made our way to the "Grand Wash," which you need to drive down to get to the hiking trailhead. I noticed all the signs here are weathered by wind, and this one was no exception.
The warning sign isn't to be taken lightly, apparently summer rainstorms can bring flash floods. I went looking for more information on this topic and found this article from last summer that included more warnings. They say strong thunderstorms over mountainous terrain and slick rock allow for heavy rain to transform into a torrent of water seeking the lowest point. So if you plan to travel to this area, do pay attention to weather forecasts. You could see the "washes," where flooding was likely to occur, and the article provided more detail:
“Capitol Reef National Park also has flooded twice with floodwater rushing over the road, and mud and debris flowing through the normally dry Sulfur Creek. The storms can be slow movers with heavy downpours resulting in flash flooding. It’s important to remember it doesn’t have to be raining for a flash flood to occur. The mud and debris flow with a flash flood can be violent, and so monsoon season in Utah means staying on top of changing conditions and having the ability to seek higher ground quickly.”
Knowing that brought new meaning to photos like this one.
It also helped me understand more about the erosion we saw, they say that the debris in a flash flood is like "liquid sandpaper."
Onto our hike! If you don't want to read the detail, here is a video using the "Relive" app on my phone. https://www.relive.cc/view/v8qVBn9AR7q.
This is an exremely popular spot, so we knew that parking would be at a premium. Luckily we were one of the first ones there, so there was plenty of room. When we arrived back a couple of hours later, people were parking way down the road and there was a long line of hikers coming up the trail, so I'm glad we got out early. Even as we parked, I was amazed at the scenery. This was the view where we parked.
To access the trailhead, you hike a ways up the wash, and then double-back and start going up. Even the hike up the wash had plenty of interesting rock formations and photo opportunities. For the one on the top right, I tried to get artistic and captured Rick THROUGH the hole. Cute, huh?
I really should learn to pay more attention to the topographic lines on alltrails , as this was pretty steep at the beginning.
You are essentially climbing up steps carved into the red rock. As usual, since I am trailing behind taking photos, I got a lot of pictures of Rick from the back!
The scenery on this hike is absolutely stunning! So while the first part is rigorous, you are easily distracted by what's around you. This photo is a good example:
Lucky for us, the morning was cloudy, so in addition to beating the crowds, we also beat the heat. I could just imagine this hike in the heat of summer or midday would be miserably hot. No wonder they recommend you "carry water!"
The next part of the hike was fairly easy. The trail was mainly rock, but was clearly marked. Once we could see the arch, it started getting really exciting!
There were so many picturesque views I can't describe them all. I'll put them in a slide show for those that are interested, to avoid taking more room on this page.
As you approach the arch, the last 1/2 mile or so is across a huge expanse of sandstone. Luckily the shoes we were wearing gripped well, so we didn't have issues. The path was marked by cairns of stones since in most places you can't see where prior hikers have been.
You come around a corner and here is the view. It literally takes your breath away!
We sat and took a break and admired the view. While we were having our snack, I saw one of the only forms of wildlife of the trip. This little squirrel poked his nose out while we were eating. Smart guy! While you were allowed to walk onto the top of the arch, I was not up for that. Another hiker who was traveling solo asked us to take his photo, and then offered to take ours in return. What a great shot, capturing these unforgettable memories.
A few more details from the hike, then I'll get onto the rest of the trip. First of all, as we headed back we definitely started seeing many more hikers. Some had little kids with them, and they were skipping ahead, wearing totally inappropriate footwear. If I were taking kids on this hike I would definitely keep a more careful eye on them! As we neared the end of the trail to descend into the wash, it became a challenge to pass people as the path got narrow.
And I guess I wasn't paying much attention on the way up, but there is definitely a sharp drop-off on the right! I never thought I was afraid of heights but my legs were a bit shaky as I passed that point!
Lest you think all we did was hike, I do have a few tips to share on the food front. First of all, after we finished the hike I shared the video with Jerry and he asked if we had been to the little store yet. I asked what store, and he mentioned that the Gifford House sold pie! I had read about the museum, but didn't read about the pie so of course we had to check it out. Someone has a sense of humor, because apparently Gifford House opens for the season on Pi day (March 14) so luckily it was open by the time we visited in early April. Located right next to the campground, I'm sure it's a popular place with campers and hikers. We visited the store and I bought a few gifts and Rick bought a peach pie and a cinnamon roll. It's too bad we didn't eat the pie until the next day when we were already a few hours away, because we would have gone back for more! I'm a bit of a pie snob since I make so many, but this was probably the BEST PIE I'VE EVER EATEN! Turns out I'm not the only one that thinks so as they are raved about in this yelp review. They had a sign that said they sold over 70,000 pies in 2021! I read about the Gifford House's source, and apparently the pies are baked by Cafe Diablo in the town of Torrey and are delivered fresh each morning. Yum - this would be a reason to go back even if the scenery wasn't amazing.
Likely the reason they serve pie is because this area is also the site of historic orchards and the town originally there was called Fruita. (I read that the fruit from the pies doesn't come from the Capitol Reef orchards, but they are all made from fruit grown in Utah.) I was astounded to see the orchards growing in a National Park, but apparently the early Mormon settlers planted trees for their own use as well as for fruit to sell. Even though it's in a National Park, you CAN pick and eat the fruit, too bad it wasn't yet producing when we were there!
While researching these orchards, I learned that the early families each maintained an orchard. I found this map interesting. I also learned that the fruit production wasn't just enjoyed fresh, "putting up" produce was essential for survival through the winter.
There is so much interesting information out there about the history of this area. I really must spend more time before our next trip doing this type of exploration. In the meantime, maybe these articles will enrich your knowledge or that of future visitors. This one is about the culture of the area, and this article is about the history of pioneer women.
In addition to pie, I highly recommend the coffee at Dark Sky. The drinks were excellent and the cinnamon rolls were amazing. I agree with the 5 star rating! We also had awesome burgers at the Capitol Burger food truck. It was so good Rick went back the second day to try something else. Make sure you get lots of napkins though. Good thing we were burning lots of calories doing all that hiking!
Well, I couldn't finish this blog without our Capitol Reef photo. I'd like to say we're getting better at these selfies but we cut off the name and we're STILL not looking at the camera right. It was early morning yet, that's my excuse, I'm sticking to it.
Next up, Arches National Park.
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