We didn’t get up for sunrise. The main problem was that sunrise occurs very early in the day. To see it, you must get up before it’s light out. I hate that. Actually we all slept poorly last night and decided to forget it. That permitted us a leisurely morning and an early start towards Capitol Reef National Park.
The drive there is incredible and we took the less scenic route to avoid some significant grades on Utah 12. Southern Utah has hoarded a large portion of the nation’s beauty. It seems unfair, but makes for great driving. We left red canyons for green meadows, pasture land, and mountains. Then we suddenly found ourselves driving in an otherworldly landscape with huge ornately carved cliffs rising on our left. This was the our first look at a waterpocket fold.
A waterpocket fold is a giant wrinkle in the earth, in this case, 100 miles long. The layers of rock have folded, creating a vertical crease which, over the millenia, has eroded into astounding cliffs. Capitol Reef preserves this stretch of dramatic geology. We went straight to the campground in the park and claimed the last large spot. Whew! It fills up quick. It’s the most popular national park in Utah among Utahans. Uh, I mean Utites. Or is it Utes? Not sure.
We didn’t have to be here long to recognize that we should have spent one day in Bryce and two — or more — days here. It has many of the neat features we found in Anza-Borrego and Big Bend, plus the ever-present, jaw dropping cliffs. There are slot canyons, dirt roads, natural water carved tanks, and orchards. Seeing an orchard at the base of a massive red cliff is… not usual. The early settlers here planted 2,700 fruit and nut trees of various kinds. You can pick and eat them right off the tree if they’re ripe. We were too early for everything, but the mulberries are right on the verge.
While Elise learned geology in the nature center, I chased lizards. Andrew, I think this one is an eastern fence lizard (iguana family).
Elise attended a ranger talk on geology with three sisters, Heather (9), Mariah (7), and Amber (5). Afterwards we talked with their parents Doug and Elaine while the girls played. They are traveling (in the opposite direction) for a few months, but have no exact deadline or destination — sounds good! In fact, they reminded us of what we most like about our trip. We like the meandering and the lack of much planning and the enjoyment of simple being in a place.
Ironically, Capitol Reef is one of those places where you enjoy just being there, but we planned only one day for it! It’s a keeper, a place to return to — more so than Zion or Bryce and those aren’t shabby places.
A Year About 
June 11, 2008 at 4:11 pm
At first I thought it must be a western fence lizard, but my Mom and I looked it up and found the range of the western fence lizard is pretty small. It is an eastern fence lizard and I think it is a female.