The Hogsback


The ‘Rainmakers’ are at it again!  Yesterday as we were returning from our amazing experience at Canyonlands National Park, we ran into a severe thunderstorm with heavy rains.  Last evening, off and on during the night, and while we were packing up this morning, it rained.  For the first hour of our drive it rained.  Most people are probably saying “what’s the big deal”, you have a tent trailer.  This is a desert.  What few plants grow here are so brown that they look dead.  The average annual rainfall is only 10 inches.  We suspect that the Green River area received upwards of a quarter of that while we were there.  Two Wheels in Transit without bicycles… is at it again!

Today was another driving experience.  We had a choice of expressway for most of the day or a 2 lane slightly longer route.  Of course, we chose the ‘2 laner’ which as it turned out, is classified in the top 3 roads to drive in all of the United States.  As an added bonus, it took us through one of the ‘Big 5’ National Parks located in Utah…well maybe it was a bonus.  Capital Reef National Park could only be described as a ‘zoo’.  There were too many cars and too many people.  Finding a parking space was a challenge.  In fact, we managed to parallel park with the tent trailer…never tried that before.  After seeing a couple of historical things, we chose to move on.

Then the fun began.  The next 120 miles was an amazing experience…at least for me.  We climbed and descended, climbed and descended reaching over 9000 feet on a couple of occasions.  But the best was yet to come.  ‘The Hogsback’ is an area of highway where the asphalt literally clings to a thin ridge of rock.  The terrain spills steeply off to each side to the canyons below.  I will also add, that there was no guardrail.  What a blast…however…Sue was nervous…no she was ‘scared shitless’.  I look sideways at her and she is leaning towards me as if she can keep the truck from tipping…quite funny from my perspective…not so much from hers.

We are in Cannonville/Bryce Valley KOA.  We are on a secluded site with a tremendous view, rather unusual for a KOA.  We will be here for 3 nights.

Distance Traveled = 342 km.  Wildlife Sightings = Deer, Turkey Vulture, Robin, Western Kingbird, Spotted Towhee, Cowboy herding cattle, More than one group of ‘Crazy’ Tour Cyclists up in the mountain passes.


The Blue Valley


Petroglyphs at Capital Reef National Park


130 year old Mormon Settlement Orchard... the cherries are still good!


The 'Hogsback'


Campsite View - from a lawn chair!

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