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October 1 through October 7, 2004
Friday October 1:
I awoke early from my sleep in the Sam's Club parking lot in Murray UT, an urban suburb south of Salt Lake City. It is a bit cool under the RV, 54 at 4:30 AM, and I again pull out the "snow suit" to type on the computer. We saw a laundromat next to the Walmart, and decided to do ours there. They had free dryers as a special offer this month, and we are there bright and early on the first day of the month.. The owner was curious about how we had heard about the offer. More dumb luck...it was the sign in the window after we got here that did it for us. :-) The owner suggested to Claire that there was a mine tour nearby, and we decided to tour the Kennecott Copper Company's Bingham Canyon Mine. It turned out to be the biggest open pit mine in the world, the world's largest man made excavation, and along with China's Great Wall is one of two man made objects visible from outer space with the naked eye. The huge piles of slightly greenish tinted tailings were visible from miles away as we approached.
This mine started in 1906 and is still active, excavating low grade ore and efficiently processing it to make a profit. We paid our $4 fee at the gate, and proceeded to climb to the visitors center overlooking the mine pit. This ore concentrator facility in nearby Copperton is visible in the distance from the road on the way up.
Giant open pit mine trucks carry ore to conveyors which move it to the concentrator, then a pipeline moves concentrated ore to the smelter on the south shore of Great Salt Lake. We toured only the open pit operation, which is topped by the visitor's center. Here the process is explained well on two plaques.
I'm sure I cannot do better in my own words. :-))
The distances involved between the facilities are many miles, and we get only distant hazy views of the facilities away from the pit. The size of this mine excavation boggles the mind; it really cannot fit in my camera.
The miniature trucks labor up the grade to the crusher. Down in the pit these huge ore trucks look like toys from the visitor's center on top.
These things you see on the roads and ramps above the green pool at the mine bottom sure are not toys! Here is one of their tires.....
These $20,000 tires weigh 8000 pounds, take 105 psi pressure, and last about one year or 50,000 miles in mine service. The empire state building would come only half way to the top of this huge hole in the mountain. In the visitors center we enjoy the displays. We cannot help but notice the Tiffany's baby blue package on display above a commemorative ring, and note the environmental responsibility partnership they started with Kennecott in 2002.
I'm sure Kennecott is doing all they can...but there is still environmental impact from mining. They now replant the disturbed land, but there were times not too long ago when they chased "Johnny Appleseed" off company land when he trespassed to plant trees. Then they decided to hire him. :-) The green pond of water in the bottom of the mine is surely not a swimming pool, and the mild burning in my eyes is annoying. There is no visible smog, but some dust drifts from the open pit operations, and I imagine that is what I notice. All the ore concentration is outside the mine, and the smelting is done miles away along the southern shore of Great Salt Lake. We eat lunch here, and continue a few miles more to the Walmart in Orem. We wanted to delay our entry into the more remote areas in southern Utah until after the weekend Internet time. Past experience has told us there will be spotty cellphone coverage there. I work late on the website this night, but still have work to do before it can be uploaded.
Saturday October 2:
I awoke very early, and worked to complete the Internet business early. I had finished uploading the web page by noon, then we decided to spend an extra day in cellphone contact. We have lots of voice calls to make.. We moved the short distance south to Sam's in Provo UT, and fueled. Fuel is going up steadily as we move away from central Salt Lake City. We will stay full as possible when we see the opportunity. Southern UT gets worse, and Arizona even more so at around $2...then comes the dreaded California with prices $2.13 a gallon at the best places.... :-( Oh well, we cannot go without gas.....and we WILL go! :-)
Sunday October 3:
We complete our phone calls early; it's easier when you have the east coast 2 hours ahead of local time. A quick check of e-mail and weather on the net, and we start our 185 mile drive to Capitol Reef National Park. This drive is interstate for the first 75 miles, then gets much more interesting as we take secondary roads up over 8000 feet. We pull off for another quick check of e-mail before losing cell connections, then proceed. The scenery is wonderful, although we can see the showers drifting over the mountain peaks dropping something...
The white traces on the peaks tell us it is snow up on top. Our road takes us over 8000 feet, but no precipitation falls on us. :-)) We pass through a few small towns. The folks here seem to live pretty close to their natural surroundings. I guess I don't blame them with all this natural beauty surrounding them.
The pretty rock home under construction on the outskirts of one of them did not appear to have a lot of recent activity. It must be hard to make a living with the isolation out here. Capitol Reef National Park is quite beautiful, with red colored rock formations announcing our approach.
Some arches in the making are apparent in the red cliffs, but we will not see them completed in our lifetimes. :-) This park is very isolated in central Utah. We had found it out of our way last trip, so decided to make the effort to see it this trip on the way to Bryce Canyon, and skip Arches NP further east, where we had spent 4 days two years ago. The park visitors center is crowded with visitors, but I manage to find out that the campground sign up is IN the campground a mile away; we proceed, passing what appears to be well kept orchards lining the road. There are herds of very tame deer along the road too, such that I think they are fenced in. We find the campground and select a site, then sign up. We had to approach a flock of quail like birds in the road slowly, almost hitting them to get them to move off the campground road...they were not apparently concerned about the RV running over them, but there was no road kill on our trail afterwards either.... :-) The campground host said they were chukar. I wondered if they were named for their soft contented chucka chucka call I heard while they were feeding. :-)) They might not have been concerned about the RV, but they sure stayed away from me trying for a close up photo..... until there was FOOD involved.
The bird book confirmed they were not a native species, but were imported from Europe in earlier years. A form of partridge, they did look like they would be tasty, but might require two birds per person for a generous meal. I doubt we can seduce 4 birds to climb into our oven..... :-) This campground is not characteristic of the west; it is grassy with tall trees, yet has tall red rock canyon walls on both sides. There is some irrigation water taken from the Fremont river passing on the edge of the campground. The park is beautiful, but as expected, NO cellphone reception. I tried the amplifier; it did not help. We shut the phone off. The mule deer here are absurdly tame.
While following these "elusive" photo opportunities I met Mike & Mary from Rochester NY who had just arrived from Bryce Canyon today. Mike is a recently retired optical designer from Kodak, and Mary is still working part time at her college teaching job. This is their first long (2 month) trip in their travel trailer. They were tired from the drive, and had decided their dinner would be soup and crackers. Claire joined us chatting, and invited them to join us for dinner of pasta brassoule she had just made with the last of the left over beans. We had more than needed to feed four, so it worked out well. We chatted comfortably until well after dark, when Mike and Mary invited us to join them for dinner tomorrow night, which we were pleased to accept.
Monday October 4:
I slept uncharacteristically late this morning. It was 8:30 before I awoke…WOW! Blame it on the QUIET campground and the lost sleep on the weekend! :-) We planned to bike the scenic drive today. While I am taking the bikes off the rack, Mike approached and asked if we would like to accompany them for a drive down the scenic road in their SUV tow vehicle., then a hike on an easy trail there. Claire was quite agreeable, and we quickly joined them. Claire packed water and a trail mix bag....good thinking, as I had grabbed only a quick banana for breakfast before leaving! There are certainly no shortage of breathtaking photo ops in this park. I relearn how to use the camera's self timer with Mike's help.
His tripod makes this shot of the four of us easy. Along an unpaved road leading off the main scenic road we found this old uranium mine dating from long before the atomic bomb fueled a boom in uranium prospecting in the 1950's.
We are warned against trying to enter the mine now, as dangerous radioactivity may still remain. In the 1920's this uranium ore was ground up and used for quack cures. The trail was interesting, going along a dry wash into an ever narrowing canyon.
Here Mike and Mary try our hiking poles. This chipmunk does not seem colored quite like his eastern cousins.
He's only a bit timid, but I play hide 'N seek with him until I catch him uncovered.... :-) We returned about 2PM after a delightful walk. The trail had been characterized as relatively "easy" but we were both tuckered out after the hike. .... and a nap seemed like the right way to pass the remainder of the afternoon! :-)) Mike & Mary had gone to town to buy groceries, and returned later than expected, so we agreed dinner would be at 6. That gave me time to put our Capitol Reef pictures on a CD for them. Their digital camera had broken. Mike was still using his 35mm film camera, but processing was always delayed and he enjoyed sending photos to friends and family by e-mail. They used Verizon's National Access cellphone plan (the fast digital service) but were disappointed they were not getting the free nights and weekends they had been promised when they signed up. Hopefully they can get it worked out with Verizon...the Verizon service is the best available for folks traveling around the USA, but their billing practices always require careful watching. They seem to fix misunderstandings if the customer is firmly insistent, but it does require the effort of timely calls to customer service, and maybe a call to ANOTHER service representative if satisfaction is not received the first time. That can be a pain. Mike's home brew stout beer was superb, with nuts and popcorn. The grilled chicken marinated in Good Seasons Italian salad dressing was tender and succulent and very tasty, and Mary's salad combined with Claire's steamed butternut squash made for a GREAT meal. We ate outdoors on the picnic table with a Coleman lantern for light. The conversation was stimulating and enjoyable, but the day's hiking had taken it's toll...it was too soon time for bed for us, and Mike and Mary are leaving early tomorrow to stay on their itinerary. We say our good byes and trade e-mail addresses. It's sure nice not to have dishes to do after a nice meal! :-)
Tuesday October 5:
I awoke shortly after 3AM, and soon it was raining moderately. Caught up on the RV log, then went back to bed around 5:30. The rain was kinda sleep inducing! :-) Mike & Mary pulled out in the morning for Arches NP. They suggested we might get together for RVing in New England or upstate New York next summer; sounds good to us! :-) In the morning we took a short walk into the orchard looking for the apples we had seen folks lugging home last evening. There were interesting displays around the orchards, which had been planted by early farmers in the area. This mule powered sorghum crusher in the sorghum syrup mill appears to still be workable.
It at least it moves a bit when Claire pushes on it, but she makes it clear that a mule's life is not for her.... :-) The orchards are now maintained and preserved by a two person park service staff as Rural Historic Landscape. Visitors are permitted to eat any fruit they wish inside the orchards, but fruit they pick to take out is weighed and paid for by the pound. The microclimate here in the canyon is much warmer than the surrounding area, and apricots start blooming in February. Some years fruit crops are lost to late freezes, but often the apricot crop here exceeds picker demand. Apples are the only fruit remaining now, but many trees are hanging heavy.
The fruit we sample is delicious, but flavors vary from tree to tree. I mark my favorite tree (shown center above) that tasted like a crisp but very sweet red delicious to revisit with a bag later.... :-) Fifty cents a pound is the price, and payment is by the honor system. Even though we had eaten a goodly sample of apples, we had lunch before setting out to bike the scenic road we had traveled by car yesterday. This road had been the only road through the reef prior to 1962. The area was settled late and is still a bit isolated, as evidenced by lack of cellphone service. We got to the top of the second hill, but the rain clouds looked like they were closing in and the RV was open. We decided that was a good enough excuse to wimp out on descending (and having to climb) that long second hill. :-) The way back was mostly down...and I peaked out at 33.8 mph according to the GPS, but then I was trying to make sure I beat the rain back, as it looked serious.
I did beat it, as the shower never hit the campground We decided to risk a wet ride to the visitors center a short distance away. On the way we passed the farmhouse which is closed for the season now, but had equipment such as this Ford flatbed truck on display.
I was surprised to find bigger (20 inch) tires on it than on the RV. This horse drawn farm wagon may have been used in the same time period as the truck.
The cargo may have had a rough ride, but the driver's seat has springs. Behind the bushes Claire spotted yet another life form....
In this park, what else??? Wild life? Maybe not..... :-) We moved along to the visitors center, but on the return trip stopped at the blacksmith's shop. A curious item on display there is this 1940 vintage Power Horse tractor made in Salt Lake City.
This tractor was designed to be controlled and steered by REINS like a horse..... Yes, I initially laughed too, but if a farmer had only horse drawn implements designed to be ridden on and operated by the rider, he would need two people (tractor driver and implement operator) to use that implement with a standard tractor. It is interesting that the horse to tractor transition is occurring in the 1940's here, but this area is quite isolated now and was much more so in 1940. We returned to dinner, and later in the evening a shower DID hit, with wind, lightning and hail as I did the dishes. It came right during the vice presidential debate.... I do wonder a bit what message was hidden in that storm ...? :-))
Wednesday October 6:
Today we hiked the Cohab Canyon trail to Rt 24, then saw we were only a mile from Hickman Bridge….and decided to do that one too…. :-) This trail starts with a strenuous climb to a hidden canyon, but it allows a nice overlook of the Fruita area at the canyon entrance.
The canyon is scenic as we hike through it. We stop in the shade of a rock for a drink and snack. This image is scratched in the rock...
Is this a genuine 1200 AD petroglyph or modern day rock scratching graffiti? Claire thinks modern, I just do not know. There are signs setting a substantial fine for writing on rocks....but these areas are VERY isolated. Some of the rocks remind us of other things. This open mouthed figure is quite suggestive of....???
I see a toothless old shark.... :-) Whatever you see out here, YOU are right. :-) Below I see something else. What do YOU see?
My imagination saw a skull.... We reach Rt 24 and start the hike to Hickman Natural Bridge. The wildlife here seems SOOO tame.
This dove walks ahead of me feeding like I am not here. Finally it moves a bit off the trail so we could pass without kicking it. It was still in the same place when we came back over an hour later. Some formations look unusual just because they are NOT red.
We soon spot Hickman Bridge, and it IS worth the climb and hike.
Technically a bridge is supposed to be formed by water running in a stream underneath, as contrasted with arches formed by wind, rock failure and other erosion forces... it was dry here now, and this looked like a very sturdy arch that the trail passed under, but there is a canyon and a wash in the area, so perhaps this formation WAS made by water long ago. We started back here, retracing our many steps and not quite so fresh as the first time we set foot here. This rock with red hand prints seems certain graffiti...
It seems so unnecessary to defile a place such as this......WHY? We returned to Rt 24 and the Fremont river. It looked pretty refreshing at a time we needed refreshment.
We did not dawdle, but used the toilets here and moved on. We had a good view of one of the formations that might give the park the "Capitol" part of its name.
I'm happy Claire is still able to show a smile...it is getting late in the day and long on the trail for that. :-) Still, we do decide to add one more climb to the trip when we come to the Fruita overlook fork.
The look down on the Fremont river valley and Rt 24 is awesome, especially with trees starting to put on their fall colors. There are some summer flowers still blooming in warm protected spots.
These Indian Paintbrushes are still encouraging us along our trail, and we needed some encouragement by now. We were 6.3 miles on the trail by the time we got back after 4PM, and were plum tuckered out. It was another tuna salad night, and it tasted delicious. The pork chops can wait in the fridge! Bed came before 8PM for both of us this night.
Thursday October 7:
Woke at 4AM. It was cool in the RV, but I needed to save some pictures off to CD to get more room for new ones. There was plenty of electricity, as we had not watched any TV last night. Today we drive the road to Bryce, and Mike and Mary reported it slow, hilly and winding. Claire was up before dawn, a very unusual occurrence for her. I guess her screaming muscles from yesterday's exercise kept her from sleeping too... :-)) We got an early start, showering, dumping and taking on water and ready to leave before 10. A few minutes spent at the visitors center to get Bryce Canyon weather seemed wise. Snow is possible at the higher elevations any time. The forecast was free of snow until Sunday night. We drove scenic Utah Rt 12. It was reported by Mike and Mary to be slow...and it was. It took us 6 hours to drive 125 miles. The ups were steep enough to slow us to 25 or 30 at times, and the winding 14% grade down hill runs kept us in first gear at 35 or under much of the way. Thus a reported 3.5 hour drive in a car took us 6 hours in the motorhome. We did stop a lot. The scenery was GORGEOUS on this brilliantly sunny day, with splotches of BRILLIANT yellow aspen leaves popping up frequently on the mountainsides.
On a high overlook we tried the cellphone. It had analog service, and in a bit there was voice-mail for us. We had been out of touch for 4 days now, and it was GREAT to receive some very good news from home!! :-) One part of the drive took us over a narrow razorback with steep drops on both sides.
The road was safe, but this is NOT the place to fall asleep behind the wheel. Claire was more than up to the task. :-)) We found Bryce Canyon still busy and charging $20 for regular admission; I was offered a new Golden Age card with magnetic stripe at no cost when I presented mine for free admission. It seemed like a good deal, as my old one had recently been through the wash.... :-) The north campground was closing loops B and C in the morning; we looked for our site in loop A, and found a good one that only required two blocks under the three passenger side wheels to perfectly level it. I can recall the trouble here two years ago getting the front of the RV up on three blocks, and still being quite front low in front on another site in this loop. We had only stayed one night, mostly because of that. I walk to the entrance to deposit our envelope, and ask the ranger picking up the money how much the Golden Access rate is in the campground. She cheerfully told me $5, then asked to see my golden access card. I showed her, then she asked me to move away while she removed the money. I guess I didn't look too trustworthy to her.... :-) Dinner is pork chops, bulgar with red peppers, and cucumber/avocado salad. It must have been good...it all got eaten! :-) Bed came VERY early for both of us as we had only ONE TV station. I did not sleep well, so was up before midnight to work on the web page. We have digital cell coverage here, so should be able to get on the net Saturday.
PLANS: We will leave Bryce Canyon Saturday for Zion, avoiding the possibility of snow here Sunday night. Zion is lower and warmer. After Zion, we will go to Page AZ for resupply and to see the dam there before going to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. After that, it depends on weather and time. We MUST be ready to meet that plane in Yuma on November 16. :-)
Until next time... ENJOY ... We are!