Double Junior Ranger Day
Trip Start
Nov 29, 2007
1
19
43
Trip End
Jan 30, 2008
Kayenta, Arizona
Monday, December 17, 2007
Turns out the decision to press on last night was a very good idea and we are only a few miles from the visitors centre of Capital Reef National Park - would you believe, nearly the only one we have missed in previous trips. Lots of towering cliffs in brilliant reds and whites as well as fantastic gorges and an extensive pioneer history.
Its just after 8.30am, its minus 10 degrees and we are rugged up for a hike into Capital Gorge (which is largely a dry creek bed for our adventure).
And despite the big day yesterday, the cold and the early start this morning, Zac is on fire. the hike is a 2.5mile round trip through the gorge including a side excursion. He has a great time, racing through the gorge jumping over rocks, climbing boulder and exploring the gorge. Might be 2.5 miles if you walk straight in and out, but who knows how much ground you cover racing from side to side. The little legs don't miss a beat (although they stumble and fall a few times, which you would expect).
The side excursion was a highlight - a 350 metre trek up out of the gorge on a trail marked solely by cairns in search of some freshwater pools that never dry up - called the tanks. Zac asked to lead and he did it well. scrambling over rocks, climbing up rock walls, locating the cairns and calling out to mummy to make sure everyone on his tour was ok. He takes it very seriously. And it is a pretty big climb. Much more than I expected. The tanks are frozen at this time of the year and the ice is pretty thick (we try to crack it with a few well timed rocks, which just bounce off).
Then its back to the car. Like I said, a long trip, a cold trip and a huge accomplishment when we reach the car.
Time to complete a few junior ranger assignments and then we are off again. Pity. This was a pretty impressive place and some of the larger hikes would be brilliant. Zac says maybe next time. When he is ten.
Lunch in Hanksville. Fortunately, they serve lunch on Mondays (see yesterday's entry about the motel). The lunchtime traffic consists of three stingy Australians (that us) and a few quad bike enthusiasts. Not exactly bustling. But, it is low season.
Today is the only day google.com/maps have let us down. It said 3 hours to Natural Bridges National Monument from Torrey. We did it in under 3, including the lunch stop (the lead foot was restrained today).
We only tried for this one because it meant another junior ranger badge and we had missed out on some earlier in the trip. Oh, and Zac was really keen about trying to do two in a day.
Not a big place, but interesting all the same. Still not sure what the difference between an arch and a natural bridge is. Maybe we will find out before the end of the trip.
Zac asked for another hike and we went down to one of the bridges (1km round trip, graded moderate). He says the best part of this hike was the mud. Typical. There was a lot more to see and the bridge is pretty impressive - this one had a span of almost 200 feet).
Made it back to the rangers station at 4.20pm. They closed at 4.30pm. So, Zac achieved his goal of two junior ranger badges in a day. He had hiked well over three miles with a pretty serious change in elevation over those hikes, he added two badges to his collection and he squeezed in a two hour nap in the car. A big day.
We ventured on for another 90 minutes (google said it would take two hours) and end up at Kayenta, gate way to Monument Valley, the site of nearly every decent John Wayne/John Ford movie. That is what awaits us tomorrow.
Drive - 250 miles
