Kolob and Zion National Park

THE ROAD THROUGH ZION TO KOLOB

Yesterday was a fun day!  Well, the first half was fun, the second half was terrifying for this woman from the flatlands of Florida!  We took the drive up to Kolob Reservoir.  I took so many photos, the ride up and the scary ride down! We did the full experience!  Took the road all the way from Virgin UT to the Reservoir, all paved... and then the road from the Reservoir to I-15, all dirt!  Don't even try that back half without 4X4! I even might suggest you leave your screaming. height challenged woman at home! Jeeze Louise what a ride!

This blog is about the first half....   not even ready to edit the photos from the 2nd half yet!

As Chuck and I returned from breakfast this morning,

I couldn't help but remark about the beauty of Utah! More beauty than the eyes or the heart can hold!

There is a technical name for layered color of rocks like these, but I call them Mother Nature's petticoats!

Every corner offers beauty!

Looking down into the canyon below... the rock on the left is lava rock.

The road up to Kolob Reservoir goes in and out of Zion National Park. In my opinion, this ride shows more beauty than in the actual park!

Need I say more ???

The beauty just overwhelms me! Chuck took most of the photographs up to the reservoir because I was driving.  I am so proud of him, he really takes a great portrait of the amazing landscape in front of us!

The further up you go, the landscape changes, flatter land with the rocks thrusting up out of the earth.

 Then around the next curve, the scenery changes once again!

Textures of the Earth left open bare and beautiful!

Chuck and I spot a shady pine grove and decide to walk the hound herd. Chuck offers to walk the dogs while I go explore the path below.

The path led through the brush and opened up to this amazing view!

 This was another view at the end of the path...

And then we wandered onto a field full of black-eyed susan flowers!

The next curve broght Quaking Aspen trees, just beginning their spring bloom at about 8,000 feet!

And finally the reservoir

Finally, 24 miles later we arrive at the Kolob Reservoir!

To copy some information from a brochure, "This area is the little known jewel if Zion. Located along the western edge of Zion National Park it offers spectacular views of red rock mountains, Eagle or Condor sightings, hiking trails, pictographs in Cave Valley and fishing in the reservoir. The temperature is usually 10 - 15 degrees cooler because of the higher elevation. In it's lower regions, the Kolob is a lush world of red cliffs.... "

We hope you enjoyed this 24 mile journey with us!

Happy Trails from the Crew of the MotherShip: Geri, Chuck and our hound herd Scotty, DoogieBowser and Radar!

On the Road to Lee's Ferry and Utah

THURSDAY APRIL 5 2012
DAY ONE

We are not real proud of this, but somehow we got our starting dates mixed up! We were thinking we were to begin at Zion River RV Resort on May 1st. Not so! Tuesday, our new boss, Mason, called wanting to know where we were! We were due there April 1st NOT May 1st.  Well, as things worked out, we would not have been able to make it April 1st even if we had the date right in our minds, the MotherShip was still waiting on the factory to send one last piece so the repairs could be completed on her grey tanks!  First the factory sent the wrong tanks, those had to be returned and wait for tne new ones to arrive! Finally when the new ones arrived, they were also the wrong ones but they could be adapted to fit, but it meant 2 more weeks before the factory sent the right valves. So we decided while we were waiting for parts, to get a box welded on the back of the MotherShip to carry our generator and LP gas tanks. Chuck had the generator converted to LP several years ago because we don't want to carry around gasoline!

We left T or C on Thursday, after 2 mad days of packing like crazy! We had just gotten the MotherShip back on Monday... Tuesday we got the call from Mason that we were long over due... so yesterday we left about 11am with the bed just loaded down with everything that would pile on the bed! We drove I-25N to Socorro and turned West on Highway 60... a beautiful drive through hills and mountains and small towns like Magdalina and Pie Town and slipped into Arizona about 3pm and are now camped in Springerville. Tonight we plan to be in Flagstaff, tomorrow night at Lee's Ferry and into Zion on Easter Sunday!

There won't be too many photos, I am also driving my TrailBlazer up... It costs a lot less to run around for 6 months in my TB than 6 months in Chuck's "Beastie" V-10 Ford dually! Besides...  we have sold both saddles to a place in Utah and needed the room in my SUV to carry them! The price of the saddles will more than cover the cost of extra gas used. BUT there will be photos a few sentences down taken at the beautiful Lee's Ferry on 89A in AZ,

FRIDAY APRIL 6 2012

DAY 2

We spent Thursday night in Flagstaff. Nothing exciting to report there! We stayed at the Greer RV Park on highway 89 heading out of town. We drove 3 hours north on 89, a lot of holiday traffic on that 2 lane road, but they have passing lanes every few miles so the traffic doesn't get backed up too bad!

SATURDAY APRIL 6 2012

DAY 3

After leaving Flagstaff, we followed highway 89 North until we came to the Page/Lake Powell turn-off. We took the left hand turn Highway 89A and the scenery just exploded! It was amazing! We turned right at Marble Canyon and headed down to Lee's Ferry. The campground is boondocking only and with a senior pass $6 a night! You are camped up on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River in the most amazing Canyon!

 This was at the entrance to Lee's Ferry. A lot of rafting tours take off from here headed for the Grand Canyon!

 The color of the rocks is amazing! Layers of colors!

 Chuck walking the hound Herd before we head into the park!

 There will be interesting balancing rocks along the way. Last year Chuck and I posed under this very rock with plenty of headroom to spare!

 Our campsite overlooks the Colorado River... to the right of that tree! Not bad for $6 a night! We intend to stop here on the way back when we have time to spend several days! It was a bit crowded, but not full. You must remember, this was Easter weekend!

 Sitting from the campground picnic table, we had a great unobstructed view of the canyon and the river!
Great sunset colors reflecting on the canyon walls!

 Campground at sunrise.....

 The hiking trail from the campground down to the river! To see more about Lee's Ferry... here is a link to the blog from our 2010 visit!http://www.phunnyfarm.blogspot.com/2010/10/lees-ferry-az.html

One last photo on our way out of Lee's Ferry this morning! 3 hours later we arrived in Virgin Utah at our workamping job with Zion River RV Resort.

www.ZionRiverResort.com   We will be working here for 6 months, until October!  I will get busy and take some photos of the park, but that link above will show you much of the park! 

We did notice as we passed the Grand Canyon North Rim on Highway 89A, that it is still closed for the winter. That is one steep ride up to Jacob's Lake where you turn to go into the park! But it was a beautiful ride!!! 

Well, that's it for now, just wanted you to know we arrived in Zion safe and sound!

Happy Trails!

Geri, Chuck and the Hound Herd! 

Potash Road, Moab UT

Paul and Diane had told us about Potash Road, just a bit north of Moab and the Colorado River a left turn off of Highway 191. Potash Road follows along the Colorado River and offers some fine examples of Rock Art, or Petroglyphs so I thought I would share some of these with you. Please feel free to click on to any image to enlarge it to full size so you can see the petroglyphs better!

The road was well marked with plenty of room to pull over. At first Chuck and I saw only the rock art that was above our heads in this photograph.. 

within minutes, we realized that the art extended down about 25 yards or more along the wall. 

 The rock drawings show up much better when drawn on "varnished" areas of rock. 

Varnish is a natural stain caused from rain washing the rocks and thin layers of minerals washing down and building up a natural stain, or varnish.

Here it is easier to see the varnished and unvarnished part of the rock wall. Over the years, much of the rock has fallen away and taking many petroglyphs down with it.

Again, as a reminder, if you want to click on the photo, you can see it full size. Some of the art is so old and very faint.

I thought the long line of people joining hands was pretty cool. I have never seen one similar.

I really need to get a book on the meanings of petroglyphs! I find this so interesting!

 We just bought a wonderful book all about Rock Art.
"Petroglyphs and Pictrographs of Utah" written and put together by Dr. Kenneth B. Castleton, M.D. The photographs are excellent and even shows photos taken of petroglyphs taken in the 1940's that are now underwater in Glen Canyon Dam area! Excellent book also on that is: "The Monkey Wrench Gang" by Edward Abbey.  
We hope you enjoyed the tour through the ages of rock art we found on Potash Road! We left the day after taking this road trip for Torrey Utah.

Happy Trails from The MotherShip Gang, Geri, Chuck and our hound herd Scottie, DoogieBowser and Radar!