(8) Thursday, June 3rd: On our previous visit to Capitol Reef National Park (in 1997), we utilised our limited time by walking to Hickman Bridge, exploring the Fruita area, and driving the two scenic roads that provide easy access to the park's main sites: US-24 which runs westwards through the park, and Scenic Drive that branches south off it. However, a major feature of Capitol Reef are the narrow canyons, or washes. On this visit, we intend to explore these.

Fruita, a former settlement in Capitol Reef - now a ghost town

On US-24, near the entrance to the park, the Fluted Wall

After a brief stop at Fruita, we drive to our first wash: Capitol Gorge. Much of the access road is just dirt, but it leads to a trailhead with sheltered seating. The very narrow gorge provides some shade to a point known as The Tanks, but it is extremely hot. A good walking surface leads to a steep ascent to The Tanks: two pools, one small and shallow, the second larger and deeper.

As we take a rest by the pools, another walker joins us and we take each others photos. He is from Chicago on a 12-month retirement trip. Later, on driving from the area, we find this man and his wife trudging along in the hot sunshine, and we give them a lift back to their vehicle.

A feature of the wash are a number of petroglyphs, including the names of some 1911 surveyors.

When we return to the car park, we sit in the shaded area to eat muffins, then trek back into the gorge to revisit the petroglyphs before driving to the Grand Wash, passing the Egyptian Temple (left) on the way.

We commence our exploration of the Grand Wash as the weather becomes very cloudy. There is one ominous dark cloud which is worrying because these narrow washes are prone to flash floods. But it also becomes very windy resulting in dust and sand making it unpleasant, so after about ½-mile we turn back to find six or seven deer in the car park area.