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://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/TT...0/IMG_1082.JPG
Eastern park boundary on UT-24
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1090.JPG
Notom with Capitol Reef rising up behind it
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1102.JPG
Mt. Ellen viewed between some Entrada Sandstone formations
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1122.JPG
End of the pavement at the Wayne-Garfield county line
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1124.JPG
Park boundary
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1139.JPG
Mud on the Notom-Bullfrog Road
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1147.JPG
A little mud on the tires
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1150.JPG
Valley east of Capitol Reef
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1157.JPG
Mt. Pennell
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1191.JPG
Notom-Bullfrog Road
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1192.JPG
Capitol Reef pano
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...202_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/TT...0/IMG_1212.JPG
Looking down from near the top of the switchbacks
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1231.JPG
Peek-a-boo Rock
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1243.JPG
The Burr Trail west of Upper Muley Twist Canyon
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/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/TT...0/IMG_1252.JPG
View from the Long Canyon overlook
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1269.JPG
Formations in Long Canyon
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1272.JPG
Natural arch in Long Canyon
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1287.JPG
Frozen spring near the Gulch
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1300.JPG
Deer near Boulder
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1340.JPG
Sugarloaf near Boulder
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/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/TT...0/IMG_1344.JPG
View from UT-12
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1345.JPG
The summit on UT-12 between Boulder and Torrey
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1349.JPG
Lower Bown's Reservoir
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1352.JPG
Capitol Reef
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1353.JPG
The Henrys
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1354.JPG
Cap Reef and the Henrys
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1358.JPG
Torrey and Torrey
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1371.JPG
UT-24 between Torrey and Capitol Reef
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1374.JPG
Entering Capitol Reef again
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1379.JPG
Henry Mountains
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1381.JPG
The Castle
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1386.JPG
Factory Butte
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JpEWXOITrzw/TT...0/IMG_1401.JPG
http://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis.U...pitolReefArea#
My blog entry (lotsa words 'n stuff):
http://udink.org/2011/01/23/capitol-reef-area/
