Saturday, June 19, 2010
Canyonlands National Park
This was our kind of day. We slept in until 9:30 without meaning to, went to breakfast in Moab, then made our way out to Canyonlands National Park. After stopping at the visitor's center (very small), we began our drive out, deciding to stop and see Mesa Arch.
I know that in looking at our pictures you might begin to think, "Oh, no, another rock picture!!!" Believe me, our photography skills really don't do it justice. Seeing it in person is such a rich experience. The sheer size of these sculptures is humbling - they are majestic.
And then as you get out in this landscape and walk along, you find that there is much more to see than you realized from a distance. Maybe that's why I take so many flower pictures, and why it sometimes takes us a very long time to walk a mile. Wildflowers bloom and grow on sand or rock, cacti surprise you with brilliant blooms, and juniper wood logs become artistic sculptures.
Prickly Pear Cactus
Every photo has more desert life hiding in it than we realize!
Caught in the act
From our perch on the edge of the mesa, we were able to see out into the canyons. Looking down into the canyons reminded me of standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon. In the far distance you can glimpse the Colorado River, and twisting through canyon to the right was the Green River. We liked the Canyonlands Park, in that it was much less crowded than Arches or Mesa Verde, and the amenities, while somewhat primitive, were nicely done (Actual shades over the picnic tables! What a concept!). The only crowds we saw came in comfortable shoes and greyhound buses - but they came and went harmlessly enough.
The Green River is . . . green.
After driving and walking around Canyonlands for most of the day, we decided to see if we could find a few petroglyphs. The only one we had really seen so far was at Flaming House. We followed directions out along the Colorado River, where sheer rock soared hundreds of feet to our right, and the fast flowing Colorado was to our left. There wasn't much clearance between the cliff and the road, but rock climbers dotted the roadside, leaving chalky handprints on the walls. I have to say that I used to think rock climbing was fun (and yes I have pictures to prove I used to be able to) but now I would much rather hunt petroglyphs! In our search we pulled in temporarily to a little campground and saw . . . snow?
Nope, this is not snow. These are mutant cottonwood seeds. I assume they somehow have been exposed to radiation and become frightening monstrous versions of the Indiana Cottonwoods. EW! No wonder we're all taking allergy medication on this trip!
We easily found the petroglyphs, and they were amazingly clear after so many years. There were a few instances of graffiti or gunshot damage, but the artwork was amazingly untouched considering how accessible it really is, and how unguarded. It's only protection is that it is about 20 feet up on the cliffside.
Triangle man, horn head man, and . . . what is that little thing?
Ok, so is this a bear? That's what the book said it was. But the mountain sheep
are normal size - why is the bear so BIG?
After trying to tear out our car's suspension one more time on a dirt road, we decided we were too hungry to hunt inedible petroglyphs, and turned for Moab. We'd forgotten our directions to the Milt's Stop and Eat that Rick recommended, but figured it was a small town. A few trips down side streets and there it was. Unfortunately, a huge group of very fit bikers (the pedaling type) were there filling every seat out front. Fortunately, they have a teeny dining room inside and we ate there. It was WONDERFUL! Milts hasn't changed since it was built in the 50's, and it has so much more charm than the popular tourist restaurants on the main drag. We had Buffalo Burgers and Banana Malts. Yum. Truly, I thought of the scary Buffalo who gave me the hairy eyeball in Yellowstone last year with every bite. Take that.
Tomorrow we have a few last things we want to do here in the Moab area, and then we'll drive up to Rifle, Colorado. Isn't that a great name for a town? It is really just a stop that takes us toward our rendezvous with our Indianapolis friends, the Beckers, who are also out west on vacation. Also looking forward to stopping at the rock store on the edge of town. I love rock stores (because I haven't been walking on, looking at, climbing, and taking pictures of rocks enough)!
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