Seeing old places in new ways
Thursday, March 15 - Have I carped about DST too much? I don't care for it at home. But, it sucks more on Mountain Time. It's 7:30 am and the sun is still below the horizon. Grump!
There was a storm last night. It was supposed to be partly sunny today. It was totally overcast and showers started around noon. I think half of the 14 days we have been gone have been cold and wet. It's supposed to be partly sunny tomorrow then rain again Saturday, then be chilly for the next week. And so it goes. Last year we were hot everywhere we went. This year we might be chilly all year. We saw some Frogs down the road readying their climbing gear. Zion has had a had a dark cloud over it for the last 48 hours. We can wait out the weather. Those on vacation have to deal with the weather.
There are three campers permanently parked out here that look like this. They are rentals. The first we have seen of them. Would never have suspected that BLM would allow permanent campers. We met the owner. He got a permit. Remains to be seen if BLM will renew it. About $150 a night.
Zion Out Our Rear Window 15 Miles Distant
Friday, March 16 - It snowed in the higher elevations last night. It was 32 where we are parked. The catalytic heater kept us toasty. Partly cloudy today.
Keith and Sandy from Iowa joined us.
Saturday, March 17 - Mostly cloudy, breezy, chilly. More of the same in the forecast. Card games with Keith and Sandy filled the afternoon. Rain and snow overnight. The snow reached down to about 500 feet above us.
Sunday, March 18 - Sunlight! A glorious day. We drove up Hurricane Mesa looking for shots in the snow to photograph, then we made a run to Wally World and then a surprisingly good and huge meal at Costa Vida, a local chain. After being deprived of scenery we decided to go with the hordes to Zion. It is always stunning. The snow made for a little extra interest in the pictures.
Monday, March 19 - After an overnight low of 24, we have sun. We sat with Keith and Sandy sunning like lizards. I went from a lined jacket and two other layers to a cotton T. Ed and Carol arrived. A nice surprise.
The schoolhouse and a home in the ghost town of Grafton
We have seen clusters of new homes all over this area. A headline this morning notes that Washington county (St. George) is America’s fastest-growing metropolitan area.
Wednesday, March 21 - Weather wise a repeat of yesterday. We drove Smithsonian Butte in the afternoon. Lots of warning signs about needing high-clearance 4WD. That was true the last time we drove this trial. The uphill was exposed sharp rocks. Now they have covered them with dirt.
Dorothy, Sandy, Ed, and Keith
Thursday, March 22 - Very light rain in the morning, but cloudy all day. We did errands, propane, Costco, library and looked at the 2018 Jeep.
We are having a great visit with our camping buddies, swapping stories and even having a campfire. Life is good!
Friday, March 23 - Dear Diary, it seems every day there is a weather report. It's just not the usual Utah weather.
This was a beautiful Utah Day, just what we have come to expect in our travels.
Not much going on in the morning, except that the “boys" sat outside chatting and looking at maps, making plans for our continued journey. I started lunch and then went outside to join them. Soon the “girls” were outside also and we all had a chat. After lunch and a quick nap, we headed to town to pick up the mail which had Don’s new CPAP and to get the rest of the groceries that I had forgotten the previous day. Back at the campground, more chatting. Before breaking up to have dinner, we agreed to meet at the campfire. When three couples get together with mutual interest, there is a lot of chatting going on.
Saturday, March 24 - The weather was not as nice today with cooler temps and cloudy. In the afternoon, we headed to the Kolob Reservoir. As we gained altitude, we saw snow on the roadside, then snow on the road. The reservoir was frozen. Back at our rigs, it turned very windy so we could not have our evening campfire.
We moved to Escalante Country
Sunday, March 25 - It’s sunny, but cool and windy. We went see the Toad Stools under the cobalt blue skies. After walking for a while, I got tired and turned around. I’ve learned not to go too far because you always have to walk the same distance back. Note to our daughter: Our traveling buddies like rocks as much as we do.
Monday, March 26 - Sandy and Keith made the 33 mile nearly three hour run with us to White Pocket. I had wanted to tent camp there and photograph in the morning and afternoon light, but the weather was like it was it was two years back. Just too chilly and windy for two pampered old folks. I had to accept the flat light of mid-morning. It was a 7+ hour day in the Jeep. Dorothy took a pain pill when we got back and was asleep at 7:30.
Streams of Color
What Is It?
Made in the same way as The Wave, just swirled in odd shapes
My fav Juniper Tree
Tuesday, March 27 - We took the ranger’s suggestion to go to the Paria Canyon overlook. It was an OK wide canyon, but not as spectacular as others we have seen. We did find a great place to put out our chairs and have lunch. When we exited we went to Big Water for gas priced at $3.07.
When we arrived back at the campground, we moved to a mesa. This is a great spot to overlook the red rocks and there is no noise. There is nothing like scenic views, quiet, and free. Thanks to Ed, who is finding us some great spots to camp.
Wednesday, March 28 - The goal was to visit the White Rocks. Keith put this at the top of his list. We had been to the north section a few years back and I expected to find it without any problem. We were thwarted. They have made it a wilderness study area. You are now required to hike 8-miles round turn to get to the hoodoos. Another case of making scenic attractions only for the able-bodied.
Since vehicle traffic is no longer permitted, they removed the limited signage. There is one road and we had to read the sign several times to understand that it was OK to use the road as long as you did not use it access the hoodoos. We turned on one branch road which led to a dry wash. Keith, the tracker, noted that a truck had recently used the road both ways. That jived with the feed and water we saw left for cows. We followed the wash knowing that it would eventually lead to the highway. Along the way, we encountered a portion of the White Rocks and we stayed clear of the forbidden hoodoos.
Dorothy expresses her fondness for Study Areas
Just for our daughter
What Is It? Seems to have a smile and a hat.
The Forbidden Hoodoos
Thursday, March 29 - We made a long distance move - almost 30 miles to Lone Rock on Lake Powell. A long time fav of ours. It's a little lower here, almost a thousand feet, so we put on shorts and stored the heater. We all got a little sunburned.
We decided to do laundry, had a decent pizza and salad in town and made a quick trip to Walmart. We spent the rest of the day chatting, enjoying the view and the warm weather.
Friday, March 30 - Another lazy day and warm day. We have enjoyed brilliant blue cobalt skies and rose-hued sunrises and sunsets. We took KoKo into town did grocery shopping. On Friday, Safeway has 8 pieces of chicken for $5. We cleaned some of the dirt and water spots off KoKo at the carwash.
The town of Page is bordered by a Navajo Res. So more than half the shoppers in town are Navajo and most of the rest are tourists, mostly Asian. It's expected that the Navajo resent whites and they do. The Asian's have no respect for anyone. They are on holiday in another country and rules don't apply to them. They drive here just as they do at home, anything goes.
Saturday, March 31 - It was a full moon last night and the space junk comes down tomorrow.
After lunch, we drove Smoky Mountain Road. So named for the coal seam fire that has been burning for half a century. We did not go that far, but we did go up Kelly Grade which takes you up nearly 2,000 feet to a plateau above Lake Powell. It's a long, long distance view and any haze renders a photo worthless. So I did not try. It was a great winding road with a narrow shelf section.
Back downhill, we headed east to Alstrom Point, which we had visited several years back. It overlooks Gunsight Bay on the north side of the lake. This is my fav photo to date on this trip. Golden Hour was canceled due to clouds in the west, but I got this one two hours before sunset.
Gunsight Bay From Alstrom Point
Reverse View - Gunsight Butte Taken From The Lake Last Year
Sunday, April 1 - Lazy, lazy day. We are splitting paths for a time. We will wind up together in Moab shortly.
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