2008 Road Trip - Tombstone to Calgary - Page 2
We'd gone as far south this trip as we could go and normally it would be slightly depressing to turn north to head for home. This year felt completely different because we knew we still had new roads to explore ahead of us. The internet is a wonderful tool. Karen had simply typed the words "switchback roads in America" and found a multitude of unique highways to investigate. Two roads in particular fell into both our travel plans and the unexplored category.
The first was the southern portion of Hwy 191. Eastern Arizona is reputed to have one of the curviest stretches of pavement in the continental US. This would be the section of Hwy 191 which lies between Clifton and Alpine, Arizona. We had travelled the northern portion of Hwy 191 several times and were completely unaware of what we were missing. Fortunately for us, Hwy 191 begins at the Mexican border just southeast of Tombstone, zigzagging it's way north, ultimately leading us to our favourite red rock locations and the second, comparatively shorter road called the Burr Trail, from Bullfrog to Boulder, Utah.
Both of these roads took us through unbelievably beautiful countryside from the flatlands to tops of mountains and down again - so many times, we lost count of the mountain ranges we crossed over. Before we'd gotten home, we were again saying.....we have to do this run again!!!
Highway 191 - The Devil's Highway
We backtracked from the Mexican Border and headed north on Highway 191. Karen had searched the internet and MapQuest to find new and interesting roads for us to explore. What she found was highway 191.
We have travelled the northern part of highway 191 and, although it is quit a scenic and enjoyable drive, it was not really remarkable or unique. Not to be said, however, for it's southern end. It was an absolutely incredible drive. The twists, turns, hills, switchbacks, and valleys totally thrilled us.
When the road was first proposed in 1916, an old cowboy said "There ain' t even a good horse trail."
Highway 191 is the only road that had its name changed by the Bible. US 191 was US 666 and nicknamed "The Devil's Highway." Over the years, U.S. 666 has sometimes been the object of controversy because "666" is the "number of the beast" (or Antichrist) in the Bible. Revelation 13:18 states:
Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast,
or it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
or it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Jonathan D. Rosenblum wrote "Route 666 rides the rugged eastern seam of Arizona from the Petrified Forest, south, across the Zuni River, through the Apache National Forest, and into the mountain mining towns of Clifton and Morenci. Unlike the straightforward, gentle passage of retired Route 66 ("America's Highway"), U.S. 666, its descendant, is tortuous, wild, and as strange as its name. In little more than one hundred miles, the surrounding altitude ranges from twenty-nine hundred feet to more than eleven thousand feet. With some four hundred twisting curves in one sixty-mile stretch, the road has sent more than its share of travelers crashing off cliffs. If, as Nat King Cole sang, drivers get their kicks on Route 66, they take their risks on 666."
On May 31, 2003, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials approved a new number "191" for the remaining segments of U.S. 666 in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
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| Francisco Vazquez de Coronado |
The Coronado Trail
The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway is an adventure of over 400 switchbacks, steep grades, and hairpin turns. In some parts, you cannot travel at more than 10 to 15 miles an hour. The road reaches elevations over 9,000 feet and lacks guardrails. It was fantastic!!!
The Coronado Trail got its name from the explorations of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, who came searching for the non-existent Seven Cities of Gold.
But for today's drivers, the riches of Coronado Trail are evident and enjoyable. Steep and winding, with frightening drop-offs, it has an eerie absence of human habitation.
The Coronado Trail passes through the White Mountains, with about 6,000 feet of elevation change. The scenery ranges from the red-rock country north of Clifton to a magnificent pine forest, most of it in the Apache National Forest.
There are more than 500 separate curves between Morenci and Springerville which is one reason why the Coronado Trail is reputed to be the least-traveled federal highway in the nation.
According to the state Highway Department, cars on this road are spaced an average of 19 minutes apart. And that's including rush hour. Plus, it's about 100 miles between gas stations. Wildlife sightings are common, especially around dusk, so caution is a must.
Clifton, Arizona
Clifton and it's neighbor Morenci are mining towns. Copper mining is a depressed industry, so these towns appear to be slowly dying. But there is history here. Geronimo, the famous Apache war chief was born near here.
Several pieces of history are on display for travellers to investigate. This locomotive from the Coronado Railroad is open to the public and well as other pieces of equipment.
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| Clifton Jail |
Clifton's first jail was carved out of the mountainside.! The jail has two cells, one with a window, and one without. To enter the cells you first must descend a flight of stairs, which takes you underground. Then you go into the mountain, into a central room, where the doors to both cells are located.
The story also says that the stonemason who built the jail, Margarito Verala, went out celebrating after getting his cheque when the job was done, got drunk, shot up the dance hall, and wound up being the first guest at the new jail.
The situation of the town was such that it was subject to dangerous floods which time and time again took lives and destroyed property. The greatest flood occurred on December 4, 1906, when it rained continuously for thirty hours. Although most of the citizens took refuge on higher ground, eighteen people were killed by this flood. No serious flood has occurred since 1916.
The mining industry relied heavily on the railroads which is true even still today. The little locomotive on display in Clifton next to the Old Jail is the #8 locomotive or “The Copperhead”. The #8 locomotive was used to haul ore between Clifton and Longfellow.
The historical main town street appears to have been desolate for years, ever since the Phelps Dodge Mining Company moved the main road. Almost everything is boarded up and deserted. The outer town of Clifton is populated, although dwindling due to slow-down in mine operations again.
Whole towns like Strargo, Metcalf, and Newtown have fallen victim to the mining operations and ended up inside the great pit and many residents feel that it is just a matter of time before Clifton follows the same fate.
Seeking the riches of the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola, Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's 1540 route ran close to this scenic Byway. Coronado looked in vain for cities of gold as he traveled past Morenci in 1540. Prospectors 340 years later found veins of copper, silver, turquoise and gold.
Morenci, Arizona
At one point, the mine and the town itself, was owned by the Phelps Dodge Company. It was the largest operating open-pit copper mine in the country. May still be, but it's current ownership - according to the "Keep Out" signs posted along the fences is now Freeport - McMoran.
The colossal destruction of land as far as the eye could see was both impressive and devastating at the same time. Whole towns have been wiped off the face of the earth because they had the misfortune to build on land the company wanted. It simply repossessed the properties and people were often forced to just abandon their homes and leave town. The immense loss of wildlife and natural habitat is unfathomable. And the pit just keeps on growing.
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| Old Morenci Mexicano Cemetery |
Old Morenci Mexicano Cemetery
Along the road there is a cemetery. We almost missed it as it is on the side of a mountain and blends right into it. The cemetery is almost hidden by overgrown vegetation and brush.
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| The Elk |
Apache National Forest
As we approached a meadow we noticed herd of Elk in a frantic run. Before I could stop the car and Karen could get her camera focused on them, it became apparent why they were running. A bear was chasing them.
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| The Bear |
Although the Elk were obviously in a panic, it really didn't appear that the bear was doing anything more than "having fun" or perhaps he knew he'd never be able to catch them.
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| The Outhouse Alternative |
The Outhouse Alternative
Apparently, I would prefer the bushes over a smelly outhouse!! Picture compliments of Karen!!
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| Madonna of the Trail |
Madonna of the Trail, Eagar, Arizona
This 10 foot high, 5 ton statue, cast by St Louis sculptor August Leimbach is on of 12 identical monuments to the bold spirit of the pioneers, erected in 1928-29 along the national old trails road from Maryland to California.
Madonna of the Trail is a series of 12 identical monuments dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women in the United States. The monuments were commissioned by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) during the administration of President General Grace Lincoln Hall Brosseau. They were installed in each of the 12 states along the National Old Trails Road, which extended from Cumberland, Maryland, to Upland, California.
Petrified Forest National Park
Increased tourist and commercial interest in petrified wood during the late 19th century began to alarm residents of the region. In 1895, the Arizona Territorial Legislature asked the U.S. Congress to create a petrified forest national park. Although this first attempt failed, in 1906 the Antiquities Act signed by President Theodore Roosevelt was used to create the Petrified Forest National Monument as the second national monument. The monument became a national park in 1962.
It is one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites, and displays of over 200-million-year-old fossils.
The Petrified Forest was discovered thousands of years ago by American Indians and was inhabited by groups of them for varying lengths of time. More than 650 American Indian sites have been found in the park.
Petrified Forest National Park straddles the border between Apache County and Navajo County in northeastern Arizona. The park is about 30 miles long from north to south. Interstate 40, former U.S. Route 66, the BNSF Railway, and the Puerco River bisect the park generally east–west.
We were a bit disappointed in the Park. I'm not sure whether it was because we didn't spend enough time there, or that we prefer to discover spectacular out of the way site's on our own, or that we had to pay to travel through it.
Driving through the park was just that - a means to get to the other side. We can say "we saw it" and that's good enough for us.
Interstate 40 to Bluff, Utah
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| 1931 Studebaker |
We followed the highway up to I 40 and passed another short section of Route 66 we'd seen on another return trip.
We picked up highway 40, then west through the Hopi Indian Reservation to Tuba City.
At Kayenta, we visited the hospital on the chance that the nurse that took care of Karen in 2003 was there. No such luck and Karen was a bit disappointed. She has wanted to stop and visit him since that fateful night.
Also, no luck on a hotel room in Kayenta so we headed north on highway 163 to Monument Valley. We phoned ahead for a reservation at Bluff and managed to get one of the cabins at the Desert Rose hotel - one of our favourite places to stay.
Bluff, Utah
Now all we had to do was simply relax and tour around the area. For many years we have been saying we wanted to come back to the Bluff area, and spend a few days just touring around. This was the year. Nights in Bluff are incredibly peaceful. We just sat outside taking in the "still of the night".
Painted Desert
The next morning we decided to head to Monument Valley. On route Karen was thrilled to discover a "painted desert" formation - something we had never noticed before.
We were travelling in the area in the morning rather than afternoon and evening and things looked quite different. With the sun being in the east instead of the west, the monuments looked quite different.
Monument Valley
There was a morning haze giving everything a completely different look. Bypassing Valley of the Gods and highway 261 was a difficult thing to do but we knew we would be back. We made a short detour on a side road then moved on to our Monument Valley day.
With Karen hanging out the sun roof and Willie riding shotgun, we travelled on the "most photographed road" highway - 163 heading into Monument Valley Pass.
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| Hwy 163 Monument Pass |
Hwy 163 Monument Pass
You don't realize how busy that highway is until you try snapping pictures of a barren road without oncoming cars. We were almost ready to put up a roadblock until finally there was a gap in the traffic.
Although we have been to Monument Valley many times, we have never toured through the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Park. This year - true to our fill in the gaps theme - we decided to take the time to tour through the park. There is a new hotel in the park, the View Hotel. We will have to keep this hotel in mind for another trip.
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| Doreen's Favourite Picture |
As soon as we entered, we knew we were in for a treat. The parking lot was humming with tour guides in vehicles that made us wonder what the heck we were heading into. It appeared that we needed some sort of all terrain vehicle or at least a beat up truck.
However, brave as we are, we struck out unguided in the Murano and hit the first wild, bumpy, rutted, steep and (maybe we shouldn't be doing this) road. Of course, we loved every minute of it. It wasn't long before everything smoothed out and we toured on the park's 17 mile road for several hours.
Goulding
We stopped at Goulding on our way out to eat supper. After visiting John Wayne's cabin we said good-bye to Monument Valley and headed down the road to Mexican Hat.
Having Karen's new camera with us again this year made all the difference in the quality of the pictures we took. It's a great camera and all Karen did was point and click. The pictures turned out so great we can only imagine what she could do with the camera if she had some lessons for it. Or, maybe, no knowledge is better - just let the camera do the work!!
Both our favorite pictures capture the feeling of the area. In my favorite, you feel the coolness under the trees with the monuments baking in the heat beyond. In Karen's, the background almost doesn't look real - more like a painting or mural of the monuments as a backdrop behind the wagon.
Mexican Hat
Mexican Hat is actually a tiny town on the San Juan River just outside the northern boundary of the Navajo Nation and Monument Valley on highway 163. The name "Mexican Hat" comes from a curiously sombrero-shaped, 60-foot wide by 12-foot thick, rock outcropping on the northeast edge of town.
We have passed this rock many times. This year, we visited. We took a bouncy dirt road leading to the rock. Although there are two paths to climb the rock, we opted for viewing from the bottom. Just a short walk from the base of the rock, there is a terrific view of the winding San Juan River.
Goosenecks State Park
We have passed the turnoff for Goosenecks State Park many times over the years while going to or from Moki Dugway and Valley of the Gods. We have always been curious about the Park and this year we travelled the short four miles to it from highway 261.
Goosenecks State Park overlooks a deep meander of the San Juan River. Millions of years ago, the Monument Upwarp forced the river to carve incised meanders over 1,000 feet deep as the surrounding landscape slowly rose in elevation.
Eroded by water, wind, frost, and gravity, this is a classic location for observing incised meanders. The river meanders back and forth, flowing for more than five miles while progressing only one linear mile toward the Colorado River and Lake Powell.
Today, we seemed to save the best for last. The anticipation grew. It was now finally time to head back to our favourite road - highway 261 and the Moki Dugway.
Highway 261 - Day 1
The Trail of the Ancients is a collection of scenic byways in the American Southwest that pass through Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The trail includes archaeological and geological sites that provide insight into the lives of the Ancestral Puebloans and other indigenous peoples.
Highway 261
Moki Dugway is part of the 116 miles federally designated National Scenic Byway known as The Trail of the Ancients.
The Trail, in the heart of the Colorado Plateau, circles through the ancient Puebloan (Anasazi) Country. It includes Hovenweep National Monument, Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum, Butler Wash and Mule Canyon Indian ruins, Natural Bridges National Monument, Grand Gulch Primitive Area, Valley of the Gods, Gooseneck State Park, Monument Valley, Historic Bluff, Three Kiva Pueblo and Four Corners Monument.
Arriving back on highway 261 is a good feeling for us. As much as it never seems to change - it really never stays the same. Karen even notices when some rocks have moved or a part of the road is changed - sometimes made wider and sometimes missing a shoulder.
This year we noticed a wreck over the cliff and we are absolutely sure we never saw that before. Whether it was a prop or an actual accident, it reminds us that although the road is stimulating, exciting and fun to drive - it can also be very dangerous.
Highway 261 makes you feel like you are on top of the world - and you are!! We never tire of it. It was early evening so there was very little traffic on the road.
Because it was early evening there was very little traffic on the road. We could stop and view from just about anywhere. After driving up and down a couple of times the sun was starting to set and it was time to call it a day. We planned to visit highway 261 again before we left the area.
Painted Desert
As we headed back to Bluff we noticed that the painted desert looked completely different now with the sun setting than it had that morning. Burgundy was gone and brilliant oranges were dominant.
Church Rock
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| Church Rock |
We headed out the next morning to the Canyonlands area. Of course we had to stop so Karen could get a picture of Church Rock. I don't know why this rock fascinates her. I think she just wants to know what is in that hole at it's base.
Surfing I found some information about Church Rock. "The opening to Church Rock is approximately 16 feet high and 24 feet across. It was cut by Marie Ogden's religious cult to make a church. They had plans to hollow out the entire center. These plans were never finished."
Who knows? This may or may not be true, but the story of Marie Ogden is certainly very interesting.
Wilson Arch
Wilson Arch was named after Joe Wilson, a local pioneer who had a cabin nearby. It is a natural sandstone arch. It has a span of 91 feet and height of 46 feet. It is visible from the road to the east where there are turnouts with interpretive signs.
Hole in the Rock
After visiting Wilson Arch and grabbed some ice cream at the site, Hole in the Rock, we headed into Canyonlands. In 2005 we took a quick run into Canyonlands bit were on our way home so didn't do it justice. This was the year to finally tour in earnest.
Canyonlands National Park
Needles Overlook
The half hour drive into the Needles Overlook was really worth it. There was no one else around and Karen and I spent the next half hour just viewing and relaxing.
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| No Fear! |
We were not really sure what the Needles were and what we were supposed to be looking at, but just being at the top of the overlook was more than enough to thrill us.
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| Total Fear! |
Karen stood as close to the edge as possible. She may "look" like an angel in the sky but don't be fooled. I sat safely about 15 feet away.
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| View from the Edge |
Being the nasty person that Karen is, she stood waiting with camera ready to capture the moment I happened to look over the edge. She didn't even warn me.
Just don't look down!
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
We left the overlook with the intention of taking the lower road into Needles. We stopped at Newspaper Rock, and headed up the road to Needles but it was too late in the day. We turned back toward highway 191 and stopped at Newspaper Rock again.
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| Newspaper Rock |
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument is located 25 miles north and west of Monticello in eastern Utah. The Monument features a flat rock with one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs.
The petroglyphs were carved by Native Americans during both the prehistoric and historic periods. Dating the rock carvings is difficult. The reason for the large concentration of the petroglyphs is unclear, making the rock somewhat of a mystery.
Manti-La Sal National Forest
Karen found a forestry road for us to take back to Monticello. It was getting late in the day and we were heading deeper into the forest. I had visions of getting lost, spending the night in the bush, and meeting face to face with Bigfoot himself.
We have never seen so many deer anywhere we have travelled. There were thousands of them and not just in the trees. They were grazing at the side of the road pretty well oblivious to us.
Karen was standing out of the sunroof taking picture after picture. Soon it became to dark for the camera to catch them without a flash.
Verdure Ghost Town
It was nearly dark by the time we reached highway 191. We noticed a historical marker for the ghost town of Verdure. We never noticed this before and stopped to read it. Verdure, originally named South Montezuma and settled in March, 1887, is the oldest Mormon settlement in the Blue Mountain Region. Settlers set up camp at Verdure to prepare for a permanent settlement at Monticello.
Valley of the Gods
In the morning of June 24th we left Bluff and travelled a couple of miles west to the SE entrance of Valley of the Gods. The last time the Murano had travelled this road was in August the year before, just after a rainstorm and a couple of the runoff areas had been washed out and muddy.
This year, the sun was shining, no other tourists invaded our space and for an hour and a half we had the world to ourselves.
We took a multitude of photos and then drove out onto Hwy 261 at the base of the butte.
Highway 261 Nightmare - June 24th
At the bottom of the Moki Dugway on Hwy261 there is a turnaround where those less adventurous can about-face instead of climbing the butte. A fully loaded tractor trailer with a secondary pup full of sheep was pulling back onto the road from the turnout so we pulled into turnout to give him room to pass - assuming he had mistakenly taken a wrong road.
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| OMG What was that? |
Half way up the butte - we came upon two cars of women and kids, one of which was attempting to back down the treacherous gravel road. A glance to the right gave us the explanation why someone would back up at this point.
Rounding the narrow bend on the next curve - heading in our direction was a fully loaded tractor trailer. We were stunned as there was no doubt the clearly marked road restriction signs posted were intended for this type of vehicle. We suddenly realized that the first truck we'd seen at the bottom had not been turning around but had also just come down the butte.
The truck passed our 3 cars, precariously pulled off to the side and Karen yelled at the two men "Are you crazy" and they laughed as the drove by leaving a cloud of dust. Out came the camera and his license plate was recorded. Maybe the Utah Dept of Transport won't think it's so funny.
Lake Powell Ferry
Following our little adventure on the butte, we continued north on Hwy 261 to the junction of Hwy 95 and a short jaunt into Natural Bridges National Monument. We found out from the gatekeeper that the ferry over Lake Powell closed earlier than realized and we would have to hustle to make it that day. So off we went, skipping the Natural Bridges for another time.
We followed Hwy 276 to Hall's Crossing and pretty much drove right onto the ferry with a scant few seconds to spare.
The captain of the ferry recognized our license plate and came over to chat, as it turned out his mother was raised in Cardston, Alberta, a small town just south of Calgary.
We thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing boat ride, soaking up the sun and snapping pictures of the sparkling water and surrounding landscapes. When we reached the other side at Bullfrog, we had to make a decision - follow Hwy 276 up to 95 again into Hanksville or take the mountain pass up the Burr Trail over to Boulder. We were told the Burr Trail might be difficult because it had snowed the day before. "Might" was good enough for us. Undeterred, we hit the Burr Trail.
Burr Trail - Bullfrog to Boulder, Utah
The Burr Trail is a backcountry route connecting Bullfrog and Boulder. It passes through the painted rock country of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Capitol Reef National Park, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument land.
The route is named after John Atlantic Burr born in 1846. He and his family lived in Salt Lake City, then later moved south and established the town of Burrville, Utah in 1876. John Burr soon developed a trail to move cattle back and forth between winter and summer ranges and to market.
This cattle trail through the rough, nearly impassable country around the Waterpocket Fold, Burr Canyon, and Muley Twist Canyon came to be known as the Burr Trail.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument is a National monument protecting the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante (Escalante River). It was established in 1996 by President Bill Clinton under the authority of the Antiquities Act.
The land is among the most remote in the country; it was the last to be mapped in the contiguous United States. The monument stretches from the towns of Big Water, Glendale, and Kanab, Utah in the southwest to Escalante and Boulder in the northeast.
Update: January 2025
After a reduction ordered by presidential proclamation (Trump) in December 2017, the monument reduced to 1,003,863 acres but it was restored to 1,870,000 on October 8, 2021 (Biden). It will be interesting to see what Trump does now.
Torrey. Utah
Torrey, with a population of under 200, is eight miles from Capitol Reel National Park. The town was established in the 1880s by Mormon settlers, and was initially known as Youngtown, after John Willard Young. It is generally held to be named after Jay L. Torrey from Pittsfield, Illinois, who, upon the advent of the Spanish-American War, achieved national attention by proposing the creation of what became three volunteer cavalry regiments, made up of cowboys and stockmen.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of one square kilometer (0.4 square mile), none of which is covered with water.
Torrey Log School and Church
On September 18th, 1898, the meeting house for the Torrey saints was started. This one room log structure was constructed on the Torrey LDS lot, with the local settlers furnishing labor, cash, or materials.
A school was also opened in this building on December 19th, 1898. It was used for meetings and voting until the 1970’s.
In 1991, the old log building was moved. Local farmers, loggers, and contractors donated the labor and equipment. During the summer of 1994, with a grant from the Utah State Historical Society, the building was moved again to its final resting place.
Chuckwagon Motel
We stayed at the Chuck Wagon motel again but sadly not in one of the cabins. Nevertheless, the peaceful surrounding were the same, the weather was perfect, and our tour of Torrey in the morning was well worth it.
We drove around the town taking in the feel of the history behind it. Many original buildings are still being used.
Karen found a house for sale and for some reason she fell in love with it. It was just an old house, nothing special but I'm sure if she had the money the sale would have been sealed before we left Torrey.
Maybe some day we will be rich enough to satisfy our silly whims.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park, called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s, comprises 378 square miles of colorful canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths. About 75 miles of the long up-thrust called the Waterpocket Fold, extending like a rugged spine from Thousand Lake Plateau southward to Lake Powell, is preserved within the park boundary.
Capitol Reef is the name of an especially rugged and spectacular part of the Waterpocket Fold near the Fremont River. In the early 1880s, settlers moved into Capitol Reef country.
Tiny communities sprung up along the life-sustaining Fremont River. Junction (later renamed Fruita), Caineville and Aldridge were created. Fruita prospered. Caineville barely survived and Aldridge died.
Fruita
We took the short side trip to Fruit before heading to the Grande Staircase - Esclalante. For some reason I remembered the school house on the main highway so I knew we had been there before but we didn't stop that time. Karen didn't remember travelling down this road. We toured around Fruita for a short time taking in the sites.
Fruita is really well maintained and quite scenic - an unlikely lush oasis in the middle of the hot desert sun.
Fruita, located at the confluence of Fremont River and Sulphur Creek, was established in 1880 by Mormons under the name "Junction". In 1900 Fruita was named The Eden of Wayne County for its large orchards. It became know as Fruita in 1902 or 1904.
Of all the places in Utah for Mormons to create a community, Fruita might be one of the most difficult. Fronted by tens of thousands of square miles of desert, along a wild river prone to serious flooding, and in an area so remote that paved roads did not arrive until the 1960s, it is perhaps of little wonder Fruita, for most of its life, was home to no more than eight to 10 families.
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| Fruita School House |
Fruita School House
Today few buildings remain, except for the restored (in 1966) schoolhouse and the Gifford house and barn. The one-room schoolhouse was built and opened in 1896. It was also used for balls and religious services.
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| Gifford Barn |
Fruita today is the heart and administrative center of Capitol Reef National Park.The orchards remain, now under the ownership of the National Park Service, and have about 2,500 trees.
The orchards are preserved by the NPS as a "historic landscape" and a small crew takes care of them, pruning, irrigating, replanting, and spraying.
Karen wanted to pick fruit but my picker days from the orchards in Penticton said "NO - NO WAY". I suppose putting aside my memories of the hot, itchy, grueling, back breaking, bug bitten job of picking would have been easy but "NO - NO WAY". I certainly would have waited though in the comfort on the air conditioned car while she did the picking.
Gooseneck Point
Gooseneck Point is in Capitol Reef National Park about a mile down the road just west of the visitor center. It's amazing that we can take in these sites and be virtually the only people there.
Highway 12, Utah
State Route 12 or Scenic Byway 12, a Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, is a 123 miles long. It was designated an All-American Road located in Garfield County and Wayne County, Utah.
We backtracked to Torrey and headed west on Highway 12 toward Bolder. We were on this road in 2005 and wanted to drive it again.
Hogsback
Specifically though, what we wanted to see was the Hogsback a short strip of about two blocks, that is a real heart stopper. The information sign reads "Take a Deep Breath. As you drive over the narrow ridge of the Hogsback, it is easy to imagine that you are walking on a circus high wire". Exactly!!
In preparation for this two block drive, Karen was hanging out the sunroof camera in hand. Try as we might, it's just not easy to get the feel of the road on camera. Coming up to it you wonder what all the hype is about.
Then suddenly, you are maneuvering twists and turns on a narrow highway with relatively no shoulder - and the edges on both sides go straight down! It really does feel like you are on the high wire. And we love it! Sometimes I think listening to Karen is as much fun as the road itself.
Boynton Overlook
It's not very often that I get to be right. This was one of those rare moments. (I think the last one was back in 2006 in Death Valley - but that is another story.)
I told Karen I remembered stopping at this lookout the last time we were on this road. She insisted we didn't and I insisted that the picture we had was exactly right here. It wasn't until we pulled over that it all came back to her.
Of course I just had to take another picture of her in case I wanted to rub in the "I was right" later on - like right now. The view from the overlook is breathtaking. Willie was really impressed and I was, quite simply, feeling pretty smug.
Highway 153 - Junction to Beaver, Utah
We left highway 12 and headed west on the Old Escalante Road (NF-17) over the mountain through the Dixie National Forest to Widtsoe. Widtsoe is a ghost town in located in Johns Valley northeast of Bryce Canyon and along the Sevier River at the mouth of Sweetwater Creek. The town existed about 1908–1936.
Then we headed north on highway 22 (Johns Valley Road) to Antimony (sounds like matrimony). From there we drove west on highway 62 to highway 89 and north to Junction. Along the way we came across a ghost town.
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| Osiris Creamery |
Osiris Creamery
Between Widstoe and Antimony we passed the remains of Osiris Creamery. Osiris was founded by E. F. Holt, in the late 1920s. Holt built a rock-walled creamery at Osiris, in Black Canyon, which was later converted into a grain processing plant.
At Junction we stopped at the gas station and asked the locals about the mountain pass to Beaver. They advised that it had snowed the night before but it should be clear and with a four wheel drive we would have no problem. Good enough for us!.
We connected with highway 153 and headed out through Fishlake National Forest to Beaver. It wasn't long before we hit the gravel and uphill. We were happy!
Gun Site Flat
After long climb uphill the roads flatten out at Gun Site Flat where the deer were again in abundance. They couldn't have cared less that we were there.
Puffer Lake
Just after the summit (10,000 feet), we came across Puffer Lake a tranquil oasis at the top of the mountain.
We arrived at Beaver early evening and stayed at the Butch Cassidy Best Western. We toured around the town and got our bearings for next morning.
Beaver to Jackpot
Frisco
In the morning we crossed under I-15 on our way towards Ely on highway 21. Shortly after Milford we came across a historical marker for Old Frisco Mining Town.
We drove where we were allowed but the warning signs stopped us from investigating closer.
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| Frisco Cemetery |
Frisco was an active mining camp from 1879 to 1929. At its peak in 1885, Frisco was a thriving town of 6,000 people.
With 23 saloons, Frisco was known as the wildest town in the Great Basin. Murder was common, and drinking water had to be freighted in.
We noticed an old homestead along the road and stopped to take some pictures. There was an open tap with water pumping out into some kind of ditch - possibly irrigation.
To see all the water pumping in this totally barren, dry abandoned area was perplexing. We can only guess that it was pulling water from an underground river.
Jackpot
We connected with hwy 6/50 into Ely and north on highway 93 to Jackpot, Nevada. We stayed at Cactus Petes (our usual favorite haunt).
After a swim and supper we relaxed in our room and Karen dyed my hair on the patio. Good thing. I didn't want to be on my holidays with grey hair.
Sawtooth Scenic Byway, Idaho
The Sawtooth Scenic Byway is the portion of State Highway 75 between Shoshone and Stanley, Idaho. It is a two lane highway that travels through the Sawtooth Valley of central Idaho.
The Byway provides access to Sawtooth National Recreation Area and primarily follows the Big Wood River in the south and the main Salmon River in the north, divided by Galena Summit.
Galena Summit
The summit is on State Highway 75 and is 29 miles northwest of Ketchum and the Sun Valley ski resort. It is the highest summit of a highway in the Northwest.
The summit is 29 miles northwest of Ketchum and the Sun Valley ski resort. It marks the divide between the Big Wood River and Salmon River drainage areas and gives a breathtaking view of the valley and Sawtooth range.
Salmon River Scenic Byway
We continued north on Hwy 75 to Stanley where it becomes the Salmon River Scenic Byway connecting with Hwy 93 at Challis and ending at the Montana border Lost Trail Pass.
Lewis and Clark were forced to come this way in 1805 when their native guide lost the trail. The route follows the Salmon River, dubbed "the River of No Return" through the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
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| Salmon River "River of No Return" |
River of No Return
The Salmon River was called “The River of No Return” back in the early days when boats could navigate down the river, but could not get back up through the fast water and numerous rapids. The romantic name lives on today, even though jet boats can navigate upstream.
This area was incredibly beautiful. The spring runoff was forcing the water over the rapids at a thundering speed. It was a spectacular sight. We came across several brave rafters - not something I would want to do.
We were able to take our time travelling and stopped to read several historical markers and investigate some of the small towns and ghost villages scattered along the route.
We stopped at the Salmon-Challis National Forest sign at the Lost Trail Pass to capture some pictures. The last time we were through this area, we encountered a blizzard.
We finally bunked down in Missoula for the night as we wanted to go through Glacier National Park and see the Logan Pass on our final leg home.
Montana to Home
Logan Pass - Glacier National Park
We planned our route and timing so that we could end up in Glacier National Park and finally make it over the Logan Pass. After all the years we tried, we fully expected to be able to see it this year as we were now into the end of June. Much to our disappointment, the pass was once again closed.
We got right to the gates only to be greeted by a line up of cars and closed sign. With much disappointment we turned around and headed home.
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| St. Mary Lake |
St. Mary Lake
We left highway 2 and turned north on to hwy 49 to connect to hwy 89 at Kiowa travelling along Lower St. Mary Lake.
We crossed into Canada at Port of Piegan/Carway. We were pushing now to get home to go to a friend's birthday party. Since we didn't use up our day in Glacier National Park we were on time for good food, good friends and good to be home.
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