Utah Meanderings

I headed to Zion National Park early hoping to beat the crowds. The highway through the park is brown to match the rock formations. There is one tunnel that is coolishly scary, long, pitch black with occasional windows letting in light. Beautiful roads, beautiful scenery, way too many cars. I was afraid to stop as I didn't think I'd be able to get back on the highway. I had also been hiking way too much in the past week and between Hashimoto's and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, I was exhausted. I had to take time off hiking and every place I wanted to go required walking or hiking to see the sites.

Next I headed to Bryce Canyon National Park. I got there at 10 am which is WAY TOO LATE! Every scenic lookout parking lot was full! They did have a sign suggesting people take the shuttles, but with chemical sensitivity, there is no way I was getting on a bus load of stinky people. I left. Maybe another day.

At Escalante there was a wonderful visitor's center with free maps and advice.

I camped on the Burr Trail, an history trail that goes for miles out of Boulder, Utah. All dirt road, incredibly dusty. I found one spot but the dust/sand was so deep and the wind so violent I didn't think I'd be able to breathe. I worried and wondered if I should keep traveling, but I found a little trailhead that had gravel. There was an RV parked in the other corner. Again, I awoke all night long listening and feeling the wind on my van and unable to breathe. I decided I had to get out of the Utah desert.

Early the next morning I drove through Capital Reef National Park. I came across a natural bridge hike. It was still early in the morning so there were still parking spaces available at the trailhead (damn tourists!). The hike was only 1 mile so I thought since I had yesterday off, I'd give it a go. Straight up stone stairs! Beautiful hike and a real natural bridge formed from rocks that I walked under. Gorgeous!

I continued on Highway 12 through Capital Reef National Park and came across an old schoolhouse. The rock formations behind it were spectacular!

I'd been driving on Highway 12 - beautiful little road with snow on the sides at higher elevations. Out of Boulder it was snowing!! With the wind continuing to blow, the twisty mountain highway was frightening although I still tried to look at the scenery. Lots of BLM campsites all along it (for future reference).

I traveled all the way up Highway 191 toward Wyoming and in Vernal I saw a sign for Browns Park. Is that the same Browns Park I've read about where the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang used to hide? YEP! I continued into Flaming Gorge National Park. At the turn off, the sign said 12 miles and I turned off onto the most horrid washboard dirt road. Poor Big Blue was fishtailing all over! Just when I decided 12 miles of this wasn't going to work, a sign appeared saying "Utah Border"...Wyoming paves their roads! I drove the remaining 11 paved miles and found...nothing. I wasn't sure if I was in the wrong spot but there was no internet. There was a BLM campground that charged $10 to use their air freshened bathrooms. Not going to happen. And I was surrounded by desert dust. It was getting late, but I drove back to Flaming Gorge National Park and found the most beautiful free campsite right on the water!!! I spent the next two days relaxing, well, my kind of relaxing. I washed Big Blue by hauling multiple buckets of water from the lake. It was worth it to get all that dust off her inside and out.