May
19
2012 Trip: Colorado Plateau National Parks, Yosemite, Santa Cruz
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PhilipR
A work-related Oracle conference in Las Vegas was a good starting point for seeing national parks in late April and early May, a total of 3150 miles. The hot spot was 104 degrees in the Mojave Desert east of Boron, CA. Close to 11,000 feet in western Colorado, it was 50, and Bryce was down to 41.
---------------------------------------- Coming into Nevada and Arizona , billboards offered a chance to fire a real machine gun, no waiting. The conference organizers got a good rate at the Luxor in Las Vegas, and I was surprised to find that my hotel room was as large as my house. The chair on the left points to the bar area. At the bed in the back, the pedestal has a remote control to raise the TV with a motor. The bathroom area alone is about 500 square feet.
---------------------------------------- To get up the stairs or the escalator, we first need to go down a half dozen steps, even though there is nothing in between for any other purpose. The design here reminds me of Apple and many architects, where the visual aspect is more important than functionality.
---------------------------------------- After the conference, I extended my loop with a visit to Phoenix. April is when illegally loud two motorcycles come out of hibernation, and they were congregating in parts of AZ.
Ed and I worked together in Minnesota, and he moved to Phoenix last year.
---------------------------------------- My cousins made the move away from Seattle several years ago. Ed and Beth have their house next to the golf course, with plenty of time for practice. Timing for a visit with cousin John in northern Phoenix was changed from our original plan. I forgot to get a picture there, needing to zoom away and get to Gallup, NM that evening.
---------------------------------------- Northeastern AZ is in the mountains, so it was a scenic drive.
---------------------------------------- I had hoped to include Petrified Forest on my national park tour, but the timing wasn't right. The town near the park has plenty of opportunities to buy rocks.
---------------------------------------- North of Gallup, NM, there is a 12 mile safety corridor with signs about DWI and extra enforcement. At the time, I was listening to a Corky Siegel tune: "one eye closed, I'm half asleep at the wheel." Before arriving at Mesa Verde, I passed through Cortez, CO. Kokopelli is a well known figure in the region, as a legend going back several thousand years, and adapted here for a bike shop. ---------------------------------------- East of Cortez is Mesa Verde, known for the cliff dwellings.
---------------------------------------- Mesa farming was done for centuries. Cliff housing started in 1100, and the area was deserted by 1300. With clear air here, the view can be 150 miles.
---------------------------------------- Cliff Palace is the largest in the park.
---------------------------------------- Construction goes all the way to the top, presumably for grain storage.
---------------------------------------- We climb several ladders to get back to the top.
---------------------------------------- Spruce Tree House is relatively nearby.
---------------------------------------- The kiva, a ceremonial place below ground, was reconstructed by the Park Service. With just a 2X2 opening for the ladder entrance, it is surprisingly easy to see in this area with just the light from that opening.
---------------------------------------- This might be difficult to understand from pictures, so I feel compelled to put the situation of the 1100s into a modern context. This was what the economy looked like from 1100 to 1300: Housing developers advertised the well protected area with a great view across the canyon, a good solution to higher density population. Mortgage rates were good, with no blue corn down payment, and no need to prove income to get the mortgage approved. Eventually a long term drought caused the economy to fail, but the 1% (those living closest to the kivas) insisted that the only way out was to cut taxes, and denied that there was a problem with the drought. As conditions got worse, the 1% kept most of the blue corn, but had to cut back on their bonuses. Even that wasn't enough, and everyone had to leave. When no one stepped in to buy Mesa Verde, the feds took it over, to keep it from deteriorating. Advocates of small government lobbied to have the entire area sold off on the open market at fire sale prices. In primary debates, candidates said the Cliffhouse Preservation Department would be one of 20 Cabinet posts to be eliminated. With ongoing gridlock, nothing changed. Park rangers were very good in explaining it all without any reference to the modern context.
---------------------------------------- At the top (mesa) level, we see remains of a kiva.
---------------------------------------- Heading north from Durango, we get into the beautiful Rocky Mountain areas, with this pass at 11,000 feet.
---------------------------------------- Near Silverton, the mine in this area was rich in minerals in the 1800s. The Durango/Silverton narrow gauge railway carries tourists now in the summer season, but was originally built for silver mines.
---------------------------------------- The waterfall is between Silverton and Ouray, with the road hugging the mountain side.
---------------------------------------- Black Canyon is just east of Montrose.
---------------------------------------- The Gunnison River joins the Colorado further downstream.
---------------------------------------- The "Black" reference is because the canyon walls are unusally steep, with vertical drops as much as 2700 feet.
---------------------------------------- North of Montrose is Grand Junction, and the southeast entrance to Colorado National Monument is nearby.
---------------------------------------- We're getting into red rock country now, looking back toward Grand Junction.
---------------------------------------- The tree found a niche and is barely hanging on.
---------------------------------------- It is hard to imagine the years of erosive conditions that make these holes possible.
---------------------------------------- Looking toward the town of Fruita, we see that it drops to a very flat area.
---------------------------------------- People are allowed to climb Independence Rock each July 4.
---------------------------------------- We get a hint of arch formation that is coming in the next park.
---------------------------------------- Someone made their own balanced rock, and the next picture shows the real thing.
---------------------------------------- Before leaving Colorado, I stayed in Fruita, near Dinosaur Hill. The hotel is at the intersection of Jurassic Avenue and Cretaceous Street. Heading into Utah, we get a stretch of Colorado River canyon that goes for dozens of miles.
---------------------------------------- Just north of Moab, we have our chance to see many amazing arches.
---------------------------------------- The unusual formations start as we climb into the park.
---------------------------------------- At the far end of the park, Devil's Garden has the fin formations that are the basis for arches.
---------------------------------------- Landscape Arch is 306 feet long, and the narrow point is 1.5 X 6 feet. It is amazingly flat for an arch, and I was privileged to see it while it is still there. In 1991, someone from Switzerland got a few seconds on video tape of a section falling out of the middle.
---------------------------------------- Partition Arch is next, with two openings. You can see a dot of a human on the left, to get a sense of size.
---------------------------------------- Holes formed near the arch over zillions of years.
---------------------------------------- Navajo Arch is nearby.
---------------------------------------- Now we see Partition Arch from the other side, with a grand view from there.
---------------------------------------- Coming back on the trail again, we get a different view of Landscape, with a better sense of how much rock has dropped over time.
---------------------------------------- The Park Service fashioned the fence around the gnarly tree.
---------------------------------------- Look on the left to see why this is Tunnel Arch.
---------------------------------------- At Fiery Furnace, we see the fins that will become arches in zillions of years.
---------------------------------------- The amazing Balancing Rock looks like it will slip off at any moment.
---------------------------------------- This area is called Park Avenue because some think the tall structures look like high rise buildings.
---------------------------------------- The 3 Gossips have a chat.
---------------------------------------- Look closely and you'll there is a surfer getting ready to cross the road.
---------------------------------------- Wolfe Ranch is left from a settler, and is the starting point of the 3 mile round trip to Delicate Arch.
---------------------------------------- Rock cairns mark the path, and someone made a tribute to Delicate Arch.
---------------------------------------- My main surprise is that there is such a drop off on both sides of the arch, and that it is at an angle more than most pictures would indicate.
---------------------------------------- This is taken from the far side, as far as I could go without slipping off the edge.
---------------------------------------- You can see how small I am, to get a sense of the size.
---------------------------------------- The jet trail seems like there should be a spritual element, like a lightning bolt imparting wisdom to this ancient edifice.
---------------------------------------- I scrambled up to an arch not mentioned on the map, which allowed me to frame the picture nicely.
---------------------------------------- A high school group from Salt Lake City came up the path when I did.
---------------------------------------- Back from the hike and into the Windows section, the hole on the right looks like a cave, but it is not. This was featured in the Indiana Jones movie.
---------------------------------------- The Double Arch is 144 feet on the longer section.
---------------------------------------- Looking back from Double Arch, the view is grand.
---------------------------------------- I thought this would be called Keyhole Arch, but noticed the tower and then the Sentinel Arch name made sense.
---------------------------------------- South Window, as indicated by the small sign.
---------------------------------------- South and North Window from the other side, very large structures.
---------------------------------------- Interesting formations on the way back from the Windows section.
---------------------------------------- Close to Moab, there is a Poison Spider area, and the bike shop took on the name, with a wonderful mural. Notice who (or what) is chasing the riders.
---------------------------------------- The next day was for Canyonlands, relatively close to Moab. I was told to ask about the False Kiva hike, which is not official, and requires directions from the ranger. I didn't find my way well enough, so I ended up at the cliff with this view.
---------------------------------------- After that hike, I rode to other viewpoints in the Islands In The Sky area of Canyonlands.
---------------------------------------- Mesa Arch is grand, dropping off a couple thousand feet on the other side, with quite the view.
---------------------------------------- This young woman seemed calm standing at the top of Mesa Arch, just a few steps away from a potential long distance fall.
---------------------------------------- It was time to move on from Moab the next day. California seems to be known for high gas prices, but I got gas at the freeway north of Moab at $4.80 a gallon. Next, we have Goblin Valley State Park, with whimsical shapes that made me chuckle.
---------------------------------------- For those who have seen the movie Galaxy Quest, this park is where they filmed the Berillium Sphere scene.
---------------------------------------- We have Woody Woodpecker here, on the right.
---------------------------------------- And finally, a duck in flight.
---------------------------------------- The Capitol Reef name is because of two separate elements. Some thought the white top areas reminded them of a capitol dome. Early prospectors who had a sea-going background thought that a reef was an area that impeded progress. This rugged country would be difficult to get through, so they thought of it as a reef.
---------------------------------------- The Fremont River flows through the park.
---------------------------------------- We see Capitol Dome on the way to a natural bridge.
---------------------------------------- We have a smaller version of a natural bridge on the way back.
---------------------------------------- Looking back to the Fremont River.
---------------------------------------- Near the end of the day, I went on part of the Scenic Drive.
---------------------------------------- After staying overnight in Torrey, I headed toward Bryce. a 6 or 8% grade is steep enough, so I was surprised to see 14%.
---------------------------------------- Looking down and back from where the sign was:
---------------------------------------- Bryce is known for the shapes called hoodoos. With lighting at some times of day, the rocks seem to glow.
---------------------------------------- Some areas have grottos, and some have eroded further to make windows.
---------------------------------------- After hiking on the rim for a couple hours, I started down into the Queen's Garden Trail.
---------------------------------------- Every turn gives a new view, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the whimsy of people putting in their own version of hoodoos, even moving into trees.
---------------------------------------- Near the bottom of the trail, the next few photos give a hint of the vertical climb back to the top.
---------------------------------------- Thor's Hammer is near the top.
---------------------------------------- Bryce and Arches are my favorites, and now it's time to move on to Zion. At a small town to the east of Zion, there is a nice mural at the Subway shop.
---------------------------------------- Park info on AM radio warns that most RVs are too large to fit through the 1.1 mile tunnel, so they would need to approach the park from the west.
---------------------------------------- The east side of Zion has Checkerboard Mesa.
---------------------------------------- This is a baby tunnel, but soon after this is the 1.1 mile tunnel, the longest in the country when it was built in the 30s.
---------------------------------------- Rugged country coming toward the valley:
---------------------------------------- We're through the tunnel, and into the canyon that Zion is known for. A bridge over the Virgin River starts me on a hike to pools in a side canyon.
---------------------------------------- The hike goes to Emerald Pools -- lower and upper:
---------------------------------------- Trees manage to cling to the edge of the canyon wall.
---------------------------------------- At the Upper Pool on a beautiful day. ---------------------------------------- Further up the river, away from the Pools area, the paved walking path ends. People rent dry suits so they can hike in the river. This couple had just returned from their hike in The Narrows.
---------------------------------------- Apparently the measure of a fancy room is how many pillows are there. This one had eight more than I needed, and it was hard to find a place to park them.
---------------------------------------- Heading out from Zion, I passed through Las Vegas again. The billboards were mostly for lawyers, surgery, and animal rescue. A sign near NV/CA border: $1000 fine for abandoning animals(!)
---------------------------------------- This sign proves I made it back home. It is deceptive because that makes it look like River Street is downtown, which is not the case. With all the beautiful areas on the trip, Santa Cruz is still a nice place to call home.
I was fortunate to have more tourism in the summer and fall. In mid-August, I joined in the annual Rice Bowl family outing on Anderson Island near Tacoma. I was not good in taking photos there. I was also negligent regarding photos in September/October visits. Marilee and Bob came from Minneapolis, followed by former next door neighbors Susan and Jim. Charlotte from Redding was in town in early October. Early August was more of a photo bonanza, when Lee and MJ visited from Minneapolis, with non-stop tourism for a week. After their arrival on the first day, we walked to Union Square, followed by a night Giants game.
The following morning, we stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge. True to tradition and micro-climates, we were in thick fog, enough so the bridge would disappear. The first picture is a cross section of zillions of wires in the massive cable.
Just a couple miles away from the bridge, we were out of the soup, and had a gloriously clear day after that. At Coit Tower, I grabbed a parking spot while Lee and MJ headed to the top for the grand view. In this artsy shot, you'll see my red car on the left, carrying us to Yosemite later in the day.
------------ Lee points to our 0.8 mile vigorously vertical hiking destination, and MJ points to the 211 mile hike to Mount Whitney, on the John Muir Trail.
The Ahwanee Hotel Dining area is one of the grand National Park Lodge destinations. Near the end of the day, we got the grand Valley view.
---------- With the setting sun, we had a spectacular view at Glacier Point, overlooking the Valley. -------------- We saw the Sequoias and other areas in Yosemite, and returned to Santa Cruz. The next day, we were up early for whale watching at Moss Landing. At the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, we rode the 100+ year old carousel, with mechanized circus organs playing during the ride. Local tourism wouldn't be complete without a beautiful day on the Central Coast by Big Sur. Wrapping up the visit for Lee and MJ, a ride to the airport took us through Half Moon Bay. Someone has created a number of steel sculptures, including dinosaurs and this wooly mammoth.
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