Kolob and Zion National Park part 2!

THE ROAD THROUGH ZION TO  KOLOB PART 2

Last blog I told you how the second part of this trip to Kolob Reservoir scared me to death! It was 24 miles from Virgin, Utah to the reservoir and we went from about 3,300 feet in elevation to over 8,000 feet in elevation! But it took 24 miles to go up some 5,000 feet! Coming down is a totally different experience!  I couldn't find any information on how many miles it is from the reservoir to I-15.... but I am sure it's a whole lot less than 24 miles down! Like maybe 12 miles???? Felt like 12 miles anyways!

Here is a link with some useful information about the trip UP!

http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/zion/kolob_canyons.html

At the reservoir, there are several really nice places, summer homes. Some are like small mansions actually! But Chuck and I really liked the small cabin that had an outstanding view of the lake!

The road continued around the lake. It was NOT well marked. We used our GPS to get us to the interstate!
If you look directly across the lake, you will see the road continue on. Just past what you can see, the road was still pretty muddy and rutted due to snow melt!

There was still quite a few pockets of snow tucked in here and there!

This road is maintained by Chuck Hajek! There was a bright blue beer can on the side of the road that just didn't help the view at all, so Chuck got out and picked up that can and another can and a plastic bottle that was carelessly tossed to the side of the road! YaY Chuck!

When you get up to the top, by the reservoir, everything flattens out to prairie grasslands.

Did I mention that it was dirt roads all the way down to the interstate???  But seeing these quirky quaky Aspen trees brought smiles....

Then we saw where an Aspen had fallen across the road, fortunately we arrived after  some nice someone had sawed through and left room to pass.  Here is where I gave up the steering wheel to Chuck, I just had one of those feelings!

Uh Huh!  Okay! This is where DOWN starts!

An interesting lava rock takes my attention from the road that is headed DOWN!

AND more down!  See that itty bitty road under the arrow?  It's DOWN! See the outer edge of the dirt road? Straight down from there! See the sharp right hand turn? Much sharper than it looks when you are headed DOWN!

 A fairly level stretch on the downhill ride! There were very few places where I actually felt secure enough to take a deep breath and take a photograph!

Like here, a nice pretty little waterfall on my side of the road. Then we turned the corner....

Oh yeah! This is what I have been talking about! A dirt road barely wide enough for one vehicle and a steep drop off at a very sharp switchback curve!

In the second turn of that switchback....

in the third sharp turn and drop off of the switchback....

Ok, so it's just another switchback!  This whole road is nothing but slippery gravel and sharp curves with steep drop-off edges!

 However, on my side of the road, I get to see some neat rocks.....

 And an old mining shaft.....

OMG! Then I look straight ahead!!!!

I take my eyes off the steep drop-off ahead and see another old mine shaft out my window! Chuck pointed both mine shafts out to me. Now keep in mind that my sweet husband was supposed to be driving with his eyes on the road! Yet he manages to see old mining equipment off to the side!

Ok, this is where I stopped taking pictures and started screaming! That bright pink arrow is pointing to the interstate.  Straight down from here! Ok.  I survived. We all survived!

 But  when Chuck got me down to the interstate and safely back home, he mixed me a very strong drink! Hurmph! He shoulda made me a drink or two before starting down this road!  Not one of my favorite roads! It's not even nearly as pretty as the road up and I must have at least 20 or more new grey hairs!

Let this be a warning to you! LOL!

Hope you enjoyed the downhill trip as much as I didn't! :-)  Reporting from The MotherShip and her crew: Chuck, Geri, Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!

Now I am going to do something I don't usually do...
show you another blog! From travellinglongdogs! She visited a bunch of ladies in Texas who got together with their vintage, restored, redecorated travel trailers and held an open house to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project, a very worth cause! After taking my scary ride, you will peobably love the fun in this link!


http://travelinglongdogs.blogspot.com/2012/04/getaway-gals-trailer-tour.html?showComment=1337356480634#c7498632724427725067

Grand Staircase_Escalante Monument Utah

September 27, 2010

Touring Escalante

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument extends over 1.9 million acres of sandstone canyons, plateaus, coloful cliffs, and unique rock formations.

It is named for the Escalante River Canyons and

for the Grand Staircase - a series of colorful cliffs

that extends north from the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon to Bryce Canyon.

The Monument protects world's treasures including artifacts of the Anasazi, as well as fossils, minerals, petrified wood and dinosaur bones! Escalante was once home to the 30 foot long duckbill hadrosaur!

The one found here , most of the skeleton was still intact and included the rare find of the fossilized skin. 

If time is limited,the best way to see all of this is to drive along Scenic Byway 12.

Personally, I would NEVER drive a big

motorhome or 5th wheel

or a pull behind travel trailer on this road!

Highway 12 is not only steep with 10% downhill grades,(and uphill too!) it is very narrow, extremely full of S curves and switchbacks.

Leave your RV in a campground!

We met a lot of people driving their RV's but we

were glad we didn't have The MotherShip

attached!

The road is treacherous but beautiful and should be enjoyed from your car! Also be aware there are cattle everywhere it is all open range, so drive slow and stay alert!

The road out of Torrey is beautiful!

Beautiful horse ranches along the way

                Huh?  Snowplow signs ???

Overlooks are beautiful! Today is

hazy due to control burn fires in the area.

Everytime Chuck and I get out of the truck,

Doogie Bowser and Scotty start barking

up a storm!  Chuck is trying to quiet them down.

You can tell from looking at Doogie...

it ain't workin' to good!

Aspens wearing autumn and canyon reservoir

Highway 12 meets autumn

We are very high up!

VERY high up! Steep drop off!

Easy to see the ancient sea beds...

Fossilized sand dunes

more beautiful horse farms...

more fossilized sand dunes

steep hills with rock walls

beautiful vistas...

Sometimes DoogieBowser acts as co-pilot

Sheer rock walls !

sharp curves...

eeeeeeeeekkkkkkk!

sometimes you meet rock trucks!

eeeeeekkkkkk!

This is just one of the rock overhang areas

we drove through.

Watch this road! You can see it wind around 2 "S" curves, but see that dark streak going diagonally UP the hill? Yep, that is the road!

Look to the far right and you will see a truck camper coming down this road! This is driving up a huge fossilized sand dune!

Beautiful!

curvy roads!

Beautiful red and white banded sandstone!

That red rock formation is Capitol Reef

On the way home, we ran into a cattle drive complete with cowboy and dog!  

 He was doing a great job too had the cattle
 headed towards the gate...


          
when these 2 idiots on a motorcycle (look under red arrow) decided they were in a hurry and plowed through all the cattle scaring the wits out of them!
They almost ran us over trying to get out of the way of the noisy motorcycle! They ran past the gate and we left that poor cowboy trying to round them all up again!
 
 

More cattle crossing the road!

You really need to be aware when driving on

open range roads that cattle have the right of way!

If you don't believe me, just ask this guy!

We hope you get to take this trip one day! Southern Utah is worth the time! Sadly we are leaving Torrey and the Thousand Lakes Campground! We could easily spend another week here! However we head out for Blanding Utah in a few hours! Journey on!

Ya'll keep in touch!

Happy Trails from Geri, Chuck, Scotty and

Doogie Bowser!