Dead Horse Point State Park - Arches National Park

Our journey continues...

I'm several days behind on my blogging as its Sunday June17 & we are

now in Colorado, but first I have to tell you about Weds, Thurs & Friday.

On Wednesday morning we packed up and left Capital Reef NP and headed

Northeast about 150 miles to the Moab, Ut area.

Our home for the next 3 days had electricity and good internet so much of our

time there was spent by me getting caught up on work.

Since we visited this area last year we had expected to have some downtime anyway

so it worked out perfect.

Our site in Deadhorse Point Campground #21 was secluded and tucked into the

Junipers with a long range view.

It is a small wonderful campground on a plateau above the colorado and Green Rivers in an

area of majestic scenery.   To see some more of the area look at our blogs from

last May.

We did find some time on Friday to do a little exploring so we first made a quick tour

of the Red Canyon that runs from Moab north east.  The canyon is cut by the 

Colorado River as it descends from the East into Moab.

It has numerous BLM Campgrounds and is a big river rafting area.

After the Red Canyon we headed back towards home but first stopped at 

Arches National Park for a short hike in the 100 degree heat.

This is Twin Arches.

It was about a mile hike to the arch, but a cool respite in the shade is your reward.

See the people in the picture?

We were glad to get this one under our belt as we wanted to do it last spring but since

the busy season is earlier in the year the trailhead parking was full last year.

In the summer the park attendance drops due to the heat, and the fact that although

you certainly can drive the park and see a lot - Arches is really best seen by foot.

This formation is called The Three Wise Men...

Wonder where they got that name?

On Saturday Morning we packed camp again and headed another 150 miles or so

East and are now sitting in the higher elevation, and cool Gambrel Oak Forest of

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

The Black Canyon is one of my old stomping grounds from when I lived in Denver.

I've visited this park many times as it was part of a great 3 or 4 day motorcycle loop

thru the Colorado Rockies.

We just got back from our morning adventures here...  cooked some nice Boars Head

Hotdogs on the grill and the Doodles are exhausted and passed out on the couch.

More on our visit here tomorrow perhaps.

Capital Reef National Park

Just when I thought that we had seen it all....

We came to Capital Reef!!!

After two days in the cool pines of Singletree Campground, we moved down the

mountain to the lower elevations of Capital Reef National Park.

Capital Reef is another great natural masterpiece preserved thanks to

President Theodore Roosevelt.

I never realized prior to this trip just how instrumental he was in saving

so many of our greatest national treasures for future generations.

We all are indebted to his vision and foresight.

Before we headed down into the valley...  a last photo of our site in Singletree...

The day dawned cool, clear, and peaceful.

The scent of the pines rode upon the gentle morning breeze.

In Singletree it was cooler and much more secluded...

Capital Reef is warmer and more crowded.

But once we were down in Capital Reef we would be close enough to enjoy,

and take advantage, of the changes in light that come with the beginning and 

end of the day and appreciate the reef to its fullest.

Capital Reef is a 186 mile long - 3 mile wide - crease in the earths 

crust called the Waterpocket Fold....

A fold that was created when the whole Colorado Plateau was being uplifted.

Since many of the original explorers who first mapped these lands were ex-seaman,

and since a reef is a blockage to navigation....and as this reef blocked westward exploration...

and many of the white domes at the top of these formations resembled the Capital...

the name Capital Reef was established.

When viewing these pictures you should remember a few important points....

The camera just cannot do it justice.

These formations are thousands of feet tall!

First we toured the park in the mid day..

Then we toured the park just prior to sunset..

The colors were just amazing...

The quiet was awe inspiring...

The pictures can't do it justice but let me just say that at sunset...

driving this road...

If there is really a hand of god....

It surely touched this place!

This one below is one of my favorites .

Standing there...  in the quiet of the end of day...

Well...  it's just hard to put in words.

Kate rode much of this ride standing with her head up thru the sunroof.

It was funny looking later thru the pictures I noticed that she took this picture of herself

while I was in the background taking the above picture (my favorite)

At the north end of the park is an area called the Fruita Historic District.

It is a section where the Fremont River flows thru the Waterpocket Fold.

It carved a canyon from West to East.

As I've said... in the West water is life.

The Fremont River provides the life.

In 1895 this green oasis in the desert was settled by Mormons and the Village of Fruita

was established.   This village was active until 1947.

The Mormons utilized and improved upon the irrigation channels that were first

 created by the departed native Americans who first lived here.

They planted fruit groves throughout the valley, and the campground

of the National Park is now located in this green setting.

In that setting Kate made a new friend...

do you think the Apple pie in her hand had something to do with it?

In season you can camp and pick Apples, Cherries, Peaches, and other varieties.

Many of the fruits are Heirloom varieties.

So...  in addition to this mind blowing scenery, you have this green historic district

and all the history that goes along with it.

There are still well preserved remnants of the old village including homes, school,

blacksmith shop, etc.

Our Campsite in the Fruit groves

Our self-portrait of the day...

Sitting at our campsite enjoying the quiet.

I had no idea coming here just how amazed we would be about the beauty of this place.

As the light of the day changes the canyons and the rock take on different hues

and it seems like you are in a totally different place.

We need to come back to this place!

Our online map is now caught up as well.

If you go to the blog and click on where are we it is all up to date!

I need to post some additonal pictures at the map points but otherwise...