Day 4: August 25th, 2011.
 |
| Sipapu Bridge – Natural Bridges National Monument |
I woke up early in the morning, feeling rested and refreshed after finally being able to take a good shower. I packed up all the gear, hopped on the bike and headed out for the Natural Bridges National Monument. Natural Bridges is a somewhat secluded area in the south central part of Utah, directly south of Canyonlands National Park and about 40 miles west of Blanding, UT. The monument contains three naturally formed bridges in which water from the winding streams slowly cut through the canyon walls. The monument includes a 9 mile loop which provides scenic views of each of the three natural bridges, “Kachina,” “Owachomo” and “Sipapu”. The bridges were named in honor of the Native Americans that inhabited the area.
I arrived at the park and made a quick stop at the visitor center to collect my pin and passport stamp to prove that I had been there. I filled as many water bottles as I could find and head out on the loop. There were several scenic pullouts that provided good views of the bridges, but it was clear that if I wanted to get a truly spectacular view, I would have to hike down into the canyons. I was not prepared to do much hiking, even though the weather was a lot cooler than the previous day, so I snapped as many photos as I could and headed back out.
As I was heading down the freshly chip-sealed road back towards Utah Highway 95, my Garmin GPS unit decided that it was going to try to commit suicide. I had been using the suction cup mount attached to my windshield, and although I had been having a few problems with it popping loose, the power cord, which securely fastens to the unit, had always acted as a tether. This time the stars aligned just right and when the bracket hit the frame, it released the GPS unit from the mount, causing it to tumble down onto the road and get run over by my bike. I swung around, rode back and picked up the unit, fearing the worst. Fortunately it still worked, although the case was severely chipped, scuffed and beat up. The two halves of the case were separating, exposing the circuit boards inside. A couple of quick snaps, however, and it was all back together. The power switch did not go together quite right, and it was difficult to turn on, but I was very grateful when it powered back up and began barking directions at me!
 |
| Hite Marina and Lake Powell |
With my GPS in tow, I made it back to Utah 95 and headed towards Hanksville, UT, just over 100 miles away. The weather was perfect at this point with temperatures in the 80′s and perfectly clear skies. This would change as I wound my way towards the Hite Marina in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. Hite is at the northernmost point of Lake Powell and is at a lower elevation than the Natural Bridges. As I made my way down into the canyon, the temperature rose drastically. The comfortable 80 degree temperatures were now replaced with scorching triple digits, but the scenery was absolutely amazing! I pulled off at the Hite Marina to rehydrate and grab a quick snack, and while there I admired the beautiful red cliffs surrounding the lake. It was hard to imaging finding a more beautiful place anywhere!
After drinking a bottle of water and chowing a couple handfuls of trail mix, I hit the road again. I still had quite a ways to go to get to Hanksville. As luck would have it though, I only made it about five more miles before finding a scenic overlook of the Hite area. I stopped and took in the view, which helped reassure my belief that this was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and then started winding my way through the rest of the canyon. While the scenery was breathtaking, the desert heat was starting to get to me, so I was glad when I finally made it to Hanksville where I could get a burger and some ice cold water.
 |
| Overlooking Hite and Lake Powell |
As I started rolling out of Hanksville, I could see some nasty looking weather brewing over the mountains in the distance. It didn’t take too long before the skies above me started to darken and the air got a little bit chillier (well, as chilly as 90 degrees can be). I just entered the boundary for Capitol Reef National Park as the sky started sputtering a few little drops. Fortunately it was not enough to force me to stop and break out the rain gear. I stopped at a few scenic turnouts before I finally made it to the visitor center in Fruita. Just as I pulled into the parking lot, however, Mother Nature decided she had had enough with the little teaser and the sky opened up! I quickly ducked inside to wait the storm out. Fortunately it didn’t take too long, and I got to enjoy a nice little movie about the park.
As I was standing around in the visitor center waiting for the weather to clear, I overheard the rangers telling some other visitors that there was a flash flood heading down the canyon through the stream just west of the visitor center. They assured everyone that it was safe and normal for this to happen and encouraged people to head down to the bridge and watch. I was curious as I have never seen a flash flood before, so I figured I would go and check it out. As soon as I walked out the door, I could hear the really loud rushing of water in the distance. It sounded like there was a waterfall behind the building! I quickly grabbed my camera and camcorder and beat feet to the bridge. Although I missed the initial rush of water, it was absolutely incredible how powerful the river had become in just a matter of a few minutes! I got a couple minutes of good video footage of the powerful, muddy read water roaring past. It’s truly a wonder that the banks of the stream didn’t just give way and collapse right into the water!
| Flash Flood in Fruita – Capitol Reef |
So now that the rain had quit and the river was starting to subside (or at least all the visitors got bored with it and left), it was time to get back on the bike and work my way towards Torrey. I had originally planned on taking the scenic route through Capitol Reef, but it was closed just two miles up from the visitor center, so I had to take my “back up” route, which was to go from Torrey, UT down Utah State Road 12 and into Escalante. Let’s just say that sometimes, road closures and alternate routes can work out for the best!