South West Trip Planning

[cbr046]

21 hours ago, jacwjames said:

Before I got too far down on I70 I saw a sign for Bryce Canyon so I pulled over and looked at the rou. . . .

I loved hiking between the hoodoos in Bryce.  Just a short walk, really.  Very unique experience. 

I hope you survive the eclipse 😉

- bob

[Greg Coffey]

JD Crow, I see you eliminated your BIG Boy,,, what did you replace it with? I removed mine and cleaned all the terminals inside and out. I am still not sure if it has helped as I haven't gone anywhere yet. Will be headed south in a week or so. 

[jacwjames]

11 hours ago, cbr046 said:

I loved hiking between the hoodoos in Bryce.  Just a short walk, really.  Very unique experience. 

I hope you survive the eclipse 😉

- bob

Today with all the traffic in Bryce (news said the expected 11K people for the Eclipse) I decided to drive to Capitol Reefs NP.  I drove the scenic route hwy12.  It was scenic, not too crowded with lots of ups/downs and grades. 

Got to the visitor center and it was crowded but got to talk to a ranger and asked what I could see that afternoon, she suggested the scenic drive, which was scenic and at some point turned into a dirt road going up a box canyon.  The dirt road started out in pretty good shape and wide, but it started to get narrower and narrower.  I kept thinking that it wasn't that crowded, and the road narrowed more.  Then all of a sudden there were cars parked on both sides and eventually cars couldn't pass and had to take turns with openings. 

Then the road was essentially single lane.  And as I rounded a bend I saw a large parking area with cars parked everywhere and a single lane to get out while people were still trying to get it. 

I saw an opportunity and took it, there was enough room form me to do about a 10 point U turn and started heading out, which was taking time with the traffic jam.  At some point I was going past a truck and commented on my nice 6 point turn and as I was leaving I was warning people. 

And the kicker was as I was getting out a ~25' Class C was trying to get in, there were spots that were not wide enough to go in and no way to turn around.   I also tried to warn a larger Class B and the woman just shrugged it off. 

This was not my idea of a fun time, glad I got out when I did.

I took a different route back to the motor home, some more nice scenery. 

Tomorrow I intend to get up early to go to the sunrise point at Bryce Canyon, hopefully a good photo opportunity. 

[jacwjames]

So I went to Bryce Canyon on Sunday, I did not get up early, decided to stay under the covers a little longer.  I don't leave my furnace set to run overnight and rely on a small cube heater so when I got up it was ~55F up front and colder in the bedroom, great sleeping weather.  There were still a lot of people when I got to the visitor center but not bad.  Got a parking spot right in front of visitor center, it was crowded so just stopped to get a map.  Then decided to go ahead and ride the shuttle, which I'm glad I did.  All the close overlooks with parking were packed and there were rangers turning personal auto's away but the shuttles buses right in and we were dropped off close to the overlooks and trails. 

I will say that the first time you see Bryce Canyon is breath taking.  Had to stop several times just to take it all in.  Don't know how many pictures I took but quite a few.  I saw several couples trying to take an awkward selfie and I'd ask if they wanted me to snap one.  Probably did it 4-5 times that day.   I did do a short hike along the rim, very nice.

Then went back to visitor center and got my jeep and drove out to the end ~18 miles but surprisingly not many cars until I got to the end and had to make a couple rounds to get a parking spot.  But again it was worth it. 

 

Today I went to Zion, left the RV pretty early but it was about a 55 mile drive to the gate.  Not much traffic going it but when I got to the visitor center the parking lots were full so I went to the museum and got lucky as there was an open one. 

Hopped the shuttle back to the visitor center, jumped in and got a map and then onto the shuttle.  I rode it all the way to the end of the route and disembarked.  Walked up the trail along the river and got to the Narrows trail which is basically walking up the river.  Most people (85%) going on that trail had the waterproof waders, I asked a couple getting to walk and they spent ~$100 for the outfit.  I just wore my old wore out work boots and jeans and walked up the trail a sort distance just to see what all the hoopla was about.  Yup been there done that, turned around and headed back out.  More picture along the way.   Stopped at the Lodge and walked through, very crowded.  Headed back to visitor center and getting off at the museum and took the time to walk through and sat through the ~20 minute movie. 

Then headed out and almost immediately got in a long line cars as I neared the tunnel.  There was a large bus at the front of the line and the rangers were controlling traffic on either side, took quite a while to get out and then there was lots of traffic. 

Decided I saw enough and definitely had enough of the crowds. 

 

I will probably go back to Bryce tomorrow, may try and do the sunrise view again, but may sleep in. 

BTW, weather is great, it got down to 24F here last night but then up to 80F in the afternoon.  Suppose to be warm for the next week.  Hoping the cold weather holds off long enough for me to route back through SW Colorado to go to the 3 national parks there and then down to NM. 

[Ivan K]

The crowds take fun out of the experience but there are still places less visited. If you go south from where you are, through Monument Valley, you could stay at Goosenecks SP, cheap dry park where you can stay right at the edge of canyon, hundreds of feet above the river. Better than the paid Horseshoe view point by Page, IMO, and across the road from pretty awesome Valley Of The Gods. Or, if you go back north around Bryce and Capital Reef again, stop to check out Goblin Valley, there is a BLM to stay at right there too.

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Ivan K

[jacwjames]

1 hour ago, Ivan K said:

The crowds take fun out of the experience but there are still places less visited. If you go south from where you are, through Monument Valley, you could stay at Goosenecks SP, cheap dry park where you can stay right at the edge of canyon, hundreds of feet above the river. Better than the paid Horseshoe view point by Page, IMO, and across the road from pretty awesome Valley Of The Gods. Or, if you go back north around Bryce and Capital Reef again, stop to check out Goblin Valley, there is a BLM to stay at right there too.

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions.  Probably headed south, I'll take a look at the locations. 

I want to try and go to SW Colorado to the 3 NP's there, not sure which route would be better but if I go south I'd get a glimpse of Lake Powell. 

I see there is a road right of Page that cuts across to 160, this this something I can do in my coach??

Edited October 17, 2023 by jacwjames

[Ivan K]

9 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

Thanks for the suggestions.  Probably headed south, I'll take a look at the locations. 

I want to try and go to SW Colorado to the 3 NP's there, not sure which route would be better but if I go south I'd get a glimpse of Lake Powell. 

I see there is a road right of Page that cuts across to 160, this this something I can do in my coach??

Yes, 98 is what we take, no memories of any troubles there.

[Robert92867]

Zion is a magical place. I like the less traveled canyons.

[jacwjames]

20 minutes ago, Robert92867 said:

Zion is a magical place. I like the less traveled canyons.

Definitely less traveled there

But I'm too old and out of shape to tackle something like that.  In my younger days not a problem.  I did mine shaft repair back in ~1983-5, ~1600 ft deep.  Height doesn't bother me. 

[jacwjames]

I've been in Hatch UT for a week, it is centrally located between Capitol Reefs, Bryce Canyon, and Zion.   Yesterday I drove over the Cider City UT just for a look see, I did stop and walk through a Pioneer Museum which was interesting if you like that kind of thing.  

I've to all three and have seen what I needed to see and am moving on.  Tomorrow I will drive toward Page AZ to see Lake Powell and then heading toward Montrose CO to prep for trips to the 3 national parks in SW Colorado provided the weather holds. 

Any sites worth seeing on that route would be appreciated. 

[Ivan K]

You will go by the Cave on the way to Kanab, there are the Coral Pink Dunes with places to stay but out of your way if you want to get to Page tomorrow. You will pass the exit to North Rim. If you are adventures,  you could stay at the Lone Rock beach where you would have to go through sand and just not stop until you make it to hard ground. I just floor it and go but theres always someone needing a shovel. Just past the dam, past Page, Antelope Canyon is cool but it is a guided tour. After that not very much until Monument Valley. You can stop and take a pic at the famous Forrest Gump spot. After that , you pass Mexican Hut, Goosenecks and Valley Of The Gods on the way to Bluff.

[jacwjames]

6 hours ago, Ivan K said:

You will go by the Cave on the way to Kanab, there are the Coral Pink Dunes with places to stay but out of your way if you want to get to Page tomorrow. You will pass the exit to North Rim. If you are adventures,  you could stay at the Lone Rock beach where you would have to go through sand and just not stop until you make it to hard ground. I just floor it and go but theres always someone needing a shovel. Just past the dam, past Page, Antelope Canyon is cool but it is a guided tour. After that not very much until Monument Valley. You can stop and take a pic at the famous Forrest Gump spot. After that , you pass Mexican Hut, Goosenecks and Valley Of The Gods on the way to Bluff.

Thanks Ivan, I'll look into these.  Seems you are a walking library on out of the way places. 

Keeping my eye on the weather, don't know how much different it will in Colorado. 

My based on the locations of the NP's I think Mesa Verda NP will be the first I visit.  Just input the locations in my GPS and it does not want me to take Hwy 98.  I tried to trick it by putting in Kaibito as a stop, it took me there and then back to Page.  But I looked at the route on Google earth and I don't see any obstacles.  I guess I'll just have to force it once I get on the route. 

The Cave Looks interesting but over the years I've been  underground in ~+20 mines on 3 different continents.  I did take the time to go through Mammoth Cave NP and Wind Cave NP in SD, it still is interesting though. 

With my luck this trip don't think I'd risk the Lone Rock Beach stop, but I could always park and drop my Jeep which could poop out on me at any time. 

 

 

 

[jacwjames]

I made it to Cortez which is ~10 miles from the Mesa Verde NP, stopped at the Walmart which allows overnight parking.

The drive was pretty easy actually, really not much traffic.  For some reason my GPS didn't want me to take the shortcut from Page.  Only after I drove over half way did it revert to the route.   Then when I was trying to get directions to the Walmart it didn't have it in it's database.  I did update the GPS before I left along with the one in the Jeep, neither are working at 100%

Only places I stopped was the Glen Canyon Dam and the 4 Corners Monument. 

Still closely watching weather but it looks promising.  There is a front coming this way but I should be done with the CO NP's by the mid next week.   Current temp in Cortez is 79F and it's not suppose to get below freezing for the next week.  Perfect weather. 

So on to Mesa Verda NP tomorrow and may see if there are camping opportunities there.