Capitol Reef Area

[Udink]

I hit up the Capitol Reef area for the first time this weekend. I did a long loop around and through the park, starting out southbound on the Notom-Bullfrog Road, then west on the Burr Trail to Boulder, then north on UT-12 to Torrey, and finally back on UT-24 east toward Hanksville. It was just over 400 miles round-trip from home, and I spent about 13.5 hours on the road. It was basically an exploratory trip, preparing for a multi-day trip later in the year.


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=http:%2F%2Fudink.org%2Fgeo%2FCapitolReefArea.kmz&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.038806,86.572266&ie=UTF8&ll=38.098902,-111.265411&spn=0.528461,1.352692&t=h&z=10
http://udink.org/geo/CapitolReefArea.kmz


It's been a very long time since I've been as far south as Hanksville, and I'd never actually been west of there. I topped off my fuel in Hanksville and headed west on UT-24, then south on the Notom-Bullfrog Road. I stopped at Notom, then stopped to find a geocache before eventually entering Capitol Reef National Park. Up until that point the roads were nice, but once I got near Bitter Creek Divide, there were some fairly muddy spots all the way to the Burr Trail junction.

Hanksville airport with Factory Butte in the distance
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsXRl_gMI/AAAAAAAARfc/D1PhfcI027Q/s640/IMG_1082.JPG

Eastern park boundary on UT-24
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsaDih1xI/AAAAAAAARfo/LfNmNvMSFl8/s640/IMG_1090.JPG

Notom with Capitol Reef rising up behind it
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsfuVrLtI/AAAAAAAARf8/Ns0Yuc0T8BY/s640/IMG_1102.JPG

Mt. Ellen viewed between some Entrada Sandstone formations
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsix2MSMI/AAAAAAAARgM/i9uvbL5yrjw/s640/IMG_1122.JPG

End of the pavement at the Wayne-Garfield county line
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxskdhlPyI/AAAAAAAARgQ/t_8PlvSG8NA/s640/IMG_1124.JPG

Park boundary
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsnEzvlmI/AAAAAAAARgc/8puTY7L9VN4/s640/IMG_1139.JPG

Mud on the Notom-Bullfrog Road
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsoZ-sgUI/AAAAAAAARgg/gBDf-b1w_Xo/s640/IMG_1147.JPG

A little mud on the tires
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsqOZU8CI/AAAAAAAARgo/HLyCvFZqU_U/s640/IMG_1150.JPG

Valley east of Capitol Reef
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsrniiyeI/AAAAAAAARgs/NbfsMISPSRg/s640/IMG_1157.JPG

Mt. Pennell
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxsvV0jvVI/AAAAAAAARhA/JjFuV7m9ra4/s640/IMG_1191.JPG

Notom-Bullfrog Road
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxswnnChVI/AAAAAAAARhE/YqrcCUAHQ7k/s640/IMG_1192.JPG

Capitol Reef pano
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxszKyFA0I/AAAAAAAARhQ/QOIW-URSqrg/s800/IMG_1202_stitch.jpg


I wasn't sure what to expect of the Burr Trail switchbacks. I'd seen photos of the switchbacks and they didn't look scary, but with all the mud I'd encountered and snow that I'd seen, I was wary. Except for a few small snowy/icy spots on the southern hairpin turns though, it wasn't bad, and I made it up easily in 2WD (still got the blood pumping, though). At the top of the switchbacks, I tried going to the picnic area, then on the side road to Upper Muley Twist Canyon, but both roads were pretty muddy and I didn't want to tear them up. Instead, I stuck to the main road and found a spot to eat lunch, then headed west out of the park and into GSENM. I cruised across to Long Canyon and made my way to Boulder, then headed north on UT-12.

Burr Trail switchbacks
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxs2gshPNI/AAAAAAAARhg/oy_YCNeKy5w/s640/IMG_1212.JPG

Looking down from near the top of the switchbacks
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxs77Zk0xI/AAAAAAAARhw/Sc-mWSagtDU/s640/IMG_1231.JPG

Peek-a-boo Rock
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtALC1NXI/AAAAAAAARiE/n-NDmvKfRzE/s640/IMG_1243.JPG

The Burr Trail west of Upper Muley Twist Canyon
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtA8CKgmI/AAAAAAAARiI/FesxffaoQ6c/s640/IMG_1247.JPG

Swap Mesa with the Little Rockies in the distance (Mt. Holmes on the left, Mt. Ellsworth right)
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtBtPv34I/AAAAAAAARiM/qigxLuM2SOE/s640/IMG_1252.JPG

View from the Long Canyon overlook
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtHHDCLFI/AAAAAAAARik/8ZF8HoaZXBY/s640/IMG_1269.JPG

Formations in Long Canyon
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtIyrCHzI/AAAAAAAARis/e18BpBAxomA/s640/IMG_1272.JPG

Natural arch in Long Canyon
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtMW-z14I/AAAAAAAARi8/AQq4kmGJqr0/s640/IMG_1287.JPG

Frozen spring near the Gulch
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtNRvNrWI/AAAAAAAARjA/8oxC3gj0Hm4/s640/IMG_1300.JPG

Deer near Boulder
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtX9TzXiI/AAAAAAAARjs/MkIAPz6Ihck/s640/IMG_1340.JPG

Sugarloaf near Boulder
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtYy2axYI/AAAAAAAARjw/44JS7MtrIHM/s640/IMG_1343.JPG


There were some overlooks on UT-12 between Boulder and Torrey that afforded gorgeous views east into Capitol Reef, especially since the sun was getting low in the sky. By the time I got to Torrey, the sun had set and I stopped taking so many photos, but I did snap a few on my way through Capitol Reef. When I reached the park boundary once again, the sun was still shining on the Henry Mountains, and I got a few very nice shots. Once I reached the west end of the park it was almost fully dark, and the rest of the drive home was spent beginning to plan my next trip to the area.


Entering Dixie NF
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtZ7JfMGI/AAAAAAAARj0/t08VG5DCi9o/s640/IMG_1344.JPG

View from UT-12
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtaWA1lvI/AAAAAAAARj4/595jR7ZH5i8/s640/IMG_1345.JPG

The summit on UT-12 between Boulder and Torrey
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtbXvth3I/AAAAAAAARj8/3_lGN5XZzFw/s640/IMG_1349.JPG

Lower Bown's Reservoir
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtb4xh7jI/AAAAAAAARkA/a6HonkADAh8/s640/IMG_1352.JPG

Capitol Reef
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtcQILM6I/AAAAAAAARkE/RkUcWGNOQfY/s640/IMG_1353.JPG

The Henrys
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtc4p8RsI/AAAAAAAARkI/khRGyj7YgMI/s640/IMG_1354.JPG

Cap Reef and the Henrys
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxteUUp6GI/AAAAAAAARkQ/DlI5X_v5K7w/s640/IMG_1358.JPG

Torrey and Torrey
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxthYvpvoI/AAAAAAAARkg/LhfxLD9Xkyw/s640/IMG_1371.JPG

UT-24 between Torrey and Capitol Reef
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxti8-9wmI/AAAAAAAARko/oVCnJHfWvp4/s640/IMG_1374.JPG

Entering Capitol Reef again
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtjVDlMJI/AAAAAAAARks/eBFTTpmIZHU/s640/IMG_1379.JPG

Henry Mountains
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtj0kYGiI/AAAAAAAARkw/r6anLBfPyus/s640/IMG_1381.JPG

The Castle
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtknEww2I/AAAAAAAARk0/GpiXyO5DXAY/s640/IMG_1386.JPG

Factory Butte
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TTxtn6ryFmI/AAAAAAAARlE/Ucims1QHDcQ/s640/IMG_1401.JPG


CapitolReefArea
http://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis.Udink/CapitolReefArea#

My blog entry (lotsa words 'n stuff):
http://udink.org/2011/01/23/capitol-reef-area/

[IntrepidXJ]

Looks like a fun day :)

[oldno7]

Nice TR Dennis, some of my old stomping grounds. Was there any activity at the Sandy Ranch?
I used to have a connection there and spent a few winter nights in their bunkhouse.

[Udink]

Was there any activity at the Sandy Ranch? I used to have a connection there and spent a few winter nights in their bunkhouse.
I didn't see anyone out there, but the roads through the ranch looked well-traveled and they had a huge stock of covered hay bales in one of their fields. As I drove through I just kept thinking, "What a beautiful place to run an operation like this."

[offpiste]

:2thumbs: thanks for sharing

[ibenick]

Sweet pics man. That road looks nasty!

[accadacca]

Nice peektures man. :popcorn:

[dioscuriII]

Nice trip.

[ststephen]

Brings back some memories. I need to get back out that way. Thanks for sharing!