April 30 - May 2, 2023
Torrey, Utah
One comes to Torrey to enjoy the red rock beauty. So Sunday's drive into nearby Fishlake National Forest is a lovely visual surprise!
What starts out as a quick trip to the little towns of Bicknell and Loa to the west takes us into the mountains of the national forest. Snow in the distance becomes snow along the road at about 8500 feet. The lake at 9600 feet is a big surprise. Completely frozen! At the end of April. Several cabins are still snowed in and the trails all remain closed. The trees are naked.
It's a very different world from the one of red rock we left this morning.
But it's those naked trees that are the really big surprise. All Aspen groves grow from one tree, and I've heard of this largest single organism in the world, but didn't remember the Pando tree was in Utah! And here we are driving through the 106 acres of 40,000 trees that all sprouted from a single seed beginning at the end of the last ice age. It is surreal to see the size of this incredible clone forest - to understand what it is. Like Moki Dugway in Bluff, it's amazing that we've just come across this destination on a random day trip!
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| No clue what these three circles in the snow are - but they're interesting! |
Off the mountain we make a stop at the east end of the national forest, back in the red rocks. Sunglow Campground is a small area of maybe half a dozen dry camping spots. It's quiet and lovely.
For a few months I've been eating healthy, finally being able to stick with it. Even while we're traveling. I'm down 30# and feeling really good. Before we started this route I "planned" three meals that I wasn't going to pass up - a Navajo Taco at Cameron Trading Post (which I had and enjoyed every bite), Chipotle Meat Loaf at Hell's Backbone Grill, and a Dutch pancake at Original Pancake House in Redmond, Oregon. The meat loaf is here in Buffalo, Utah, on beautiful Hwy 12.
Monday is the day!! Not that Hwy 12 isn't enough to look forward to on its own :-))) Afterall, it is #2 on Fox's list of top ten most beautiful drives in the world!
It's colder and the wind blows hard all day. The long views are hazy from the dust, but still incredible. Bare Aspens cover the mountains and snow remains in patches. At the 9600' summit snow drifts over 6' high line the highway.
Down the other side is a small valley, home to the little burg of Boulder, Utah. A climb up Navajo sandstone cliffs takes us into Grand Staircase Escalante National Park and more stunning red rock canyons. Utah really did get a LOT of natural beauty!
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| Circle Cliffs in Boulder |
A turn-around in Escalante takes us back to the small state park in Boulder - Anasazi Village State Park. The museum, 25 minute video, and in situ ruins make up the smallest state park we've ever visited. Definitely worth a stop, and it gets us to our reservation time for dinner!
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| One exhibit shows how pottery is reconstructed from the potsherds found in the ruins. |
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The largest collection of points I've seen - beautiful!
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| Exposed ruins are covered by permanent structures - the workmanship is beautiful. |
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| Pit House |
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| Behind the museum is a replica of the pueblo structure. |
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| Lots of information about the ruins and the area. |
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| Hell's Backbone Grill is an exceptional eatery in a town of less than 240 people. I love that the sconces are all vintage colanders! |
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| The chipotle meat loaf is even better than I anticipated! |
With 8, 10 and 14% grades on two-lane, switchback highway, and a stretch along Hog Ridge with 100-foot drop-offs on both sides, means that short of escaping the Zombie Apocolypse I would never drive the motorhome on this route. Even in the Jeep, the Ridge is one of those triple-P roads for me (makes my private parts pucker!). Still, it's a drive that everyone should do at least once.
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| The colors in Capitol Reef below are more vivid on the early evening return home. |
We get a late start out the door on Tuesday so we spend our time catching up on a few places we missed. In the week we've been here Spring has been busy. Trees are green, fruit orchards are in full bloom, and much of the snow on the distant mountains has melted. The weather remains perfect at 70 degrees and a light breeze.
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| One of a handful of named formations along the highway, this is Fluted Wall. |
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| The Fruita School held classes from 1896 to 1941 without electricity or indoor plumbing. |
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| The interior still holds original desks with ink wells, slates and readers. A beautiful pot belly stove kept the students warm in the brutal winters, and four large windows provided their light. |
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| Just down Hwy 24 is a parking area and nice boardwalk for observing several Fremont petroglyphs. |
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| Not as easy to see as others we've visited, but they are lovely. |
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| We've not seen a necklace like this anywhere. |
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| The new cottonwood leaves glow neon against the dark red cliffs across the highway. |
In addition to the national park and small towns, the area is home to several large ranches. Three of them are along Notom Road which is also a scenic backway. It's too late to travel the whole road, but we enjoy the views for about 15 miles before turning back home. Hard to believe we're still saying Wow! after a week :-)
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| These bluffs look like muffin baking gone wrong. |
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| The layers surrounding the Water Pocket Fold are all unique. |
It's always great to be sorry we're leaving a place, and at the same time looking forward to the next stop down the road!
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| M&M enjoying Nintendo Land - lucky boys! |
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| Reese and Penelope may be Virginia girls now, but they had lots of fun on their SoCal visit. |
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| Henry the helper - he's getting so big!! |
Stunning pics & the terrain is just awesome.Thank you for sharing with us .All the best.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you're coming along with us.
DeleteUtah did get more than its share of gorgeous scenery! We live in a grove of aspen trees, the old die off and the new spring up. Hell's Backbone Grill is still on my to do list! Tell me how you lost your weight--that's amazing Jodee--congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteYou must make the sojourn to Boulder - everything on their menu looks incredible. I'm doing Optavia with a coach. My BFF lost 90# last year and inspired me to get serious.
DeleteFirst of all, congrats on sticking to it and losing what you wanted to....not an easy chore. That being said, that meatloaf (and it's presentation) was wonderful wasn't it! We ate outside so I never saw the colanders on the walls! I loved seeing the ancient grove of aspen, (and thinking about it) something we missed it when we were there. Thanks for showing the reconstruction of a pot, I never really thought about what it would take and the display was perfect! PPP !!!!
ReplyDeleteEverything about our meal there was top shelf - already can't wait to go back :-) I'm glad we didn't miss the Pando this time, it must be incredible in the Fall too. I'm surprised more museums don't show the reconstructions like that - it was really eye-opening! I often think of you on "those" roads :-)))
DeleteWe talked about how we all love the area so much so how come none of us ended up there? And yes the reasons you list were what we came up with too. It's a long ways to get to anywhere with anything! Good thing Henry's helpful with a new sister arriving in August :-))
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to keep saying "WOW" when there's so much beauty around every bend! :-)) I agree, Utah definitely won a giant share of beautiful scenery in this country. That Pando aspen is just incredible! We missed that in our travels.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on losing 30 pounds and on making the journey sustainable by allowing yourself some planned treats. A meal at Hell's Backbone is worth the splurge...and still on our list!
You've led us to some amazing places around the country, I hope you can get back to this area and see the Pando!
DeleteCongrats on being able to lose that weight! But, it's not lost ... I think I've found it! 1want it back?
ReplyDeleteWe've only driven through the area quite awhile ago. You've given us so many reasons to return and spend some time.
The grands are having Grand time.
LOL, I find others' pounds waaaay too often! You really need to come and spend some time - spring and fall are both incredible.
DeleteCongratulations on the weight loss Jodee and a healthier way of eating. We too will splurge from time to time with a nice or fun meal out…I think that’s healthy too! I love the clapping Aspen trees. They don’t have a bad season do they? Beautiful all year long! I’m with Sue…thanks for posting how pottery is reconstructed…amazing! The necklace is way cool. We haven’t seen that either. And I totally agree, Utah rocks!
ReplyDeleteI agree those splurges are good for us in the long run! Wish it didn't have to get so cold to be where the Aspens grow - I'd love to be among them year 'round. I keep thinking we should spend three months in Utah and see every inch of the pretty!!
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ReplyDeleteAmazing what you two find just driving around. Can’t believe the snow and can’t stand the curiosity about those circles. That one can go from red rock to 6’ of snow along the highway always amazes me. One of the real wonders of the west to an easterner. Would love to know what you are eating that you have lost 30#. That is incredible. Never heard of Fox’s list. Thanks for the tip. There was so much wonderful hiking and things to see in Capitol Reef that in two weeks we never left the park.
I can imagine hiking every trail in the park and seeing so much more than we did - even though in that park we get to see a whole lot! The "color scheme" changes so much around each corner and over each ridge, it makes for wonderful exploring. I don't refer to Fox for anything, but the list came up on a search and it had some amazing drives all around the world.
DeleteSuch beautiful country! Love that drive and the food at Hell's Backbone can't be beat. Maybe I should go to Utah next.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should go! There are several boondocking locations just outside Torrey with easy access off Hwy 93. We love that Torrey area but Vernal is also a favorite with both Dinosaur NM locations close by.
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