Morning at Capitol Reef
It was late in the day when we passed thru Capitol Reef National Park,so after a short hike we decided to stay the night in the campground there. Next morning,I walked Wes by a farm located nearby.
Capitol Reef orchard
A nice orchard bordered the farm. It was cool in the shade but the sun quickly warmed things up.
Flag at the Capitol Reef ranger station
Evaporation Pond
Miles of trails led to stunning viewpoints as we hiked in Dead Horse Point State Park. Sign in the next photo tells the story behind this man made pond.
Story behind the pond
another view of the evaporation pond
Colorado River
Wes and I stood on the edge and gazed down at the Colorado far below. The Green River joins the Colorado not too far from here. Some river expeditions start on the Green River and then float into the Colorado and then on down thru Grand Canyon. A small island can be seen in the river.
Hiker at Dead Horse Point
Dead Horse Cliff
The entire state park sits on a high mesa towering over the rugged valley floor.
Shafer canyon overlook
rock cairn marks the end of the trail at this overlook of our namesake canyon.
Trailside view
it was a real treat to hike here. the weather was warm and sunny even in early Nov and views abounded!
Another towering cliff!
Pothole
one trail led to an area dotted with deep potholes in the rocks. In rainy weather they would hold water to sustain desert wildlife but they happened to be dry when we were here.
Wes relaxes near a pothole
Colorful strata
Shadow perspective
My shadow on the cliff wall lends a sense of perspective,illustrating the height of the rock walls.
Hiker sitting by the potholes
one really nice thing about Dead Horse Point State Park is that dogs were actually allowed on the trails. Unlike in most National Parks,we didn`t have to stealth hike!