Capitol Reef, Kodachrome SP, Ghost Towns

Peaks, Plateaus & Canyons -6
… A Southwest US Journey ...
Copyright 2006, Ed Rozylowicz
Tuesday ... got up early, packed the car, checked out and looked for a breakfast place in Moab. The diner next door was not on
my preferred list. The Pancake Haus looked promising ... at least the coffee smelled good. Sadly, the pancakes were awful ...
dry and tasteless ... not as good as at Denny’s ... and $$$. But, the weather improved ... the cold front passed ... day was sunny
and the wind was calm. We’re on our way to Bryce Canyon by way of Capital Reef so our day was full of promise and
adventure. Wanted to drive to Torrey, our next overnight destination, by way of Hanksville ... but the Utah Highway Department
road report said that the Hanksville area was hard hit by a raging flood and the road was single-lane and not passable. We
altered our plans ... decided to skirt this problem area by taking I-70 west to Fremont Junction (60 miles farther west) then
County Road 72 south to Loa and Torrey. This would get us close enough to Capital Reef and not take any more time.
The road from Moab to Crescent Junction (at I-70, 4,900 ft.) was open and
excellent shape (left) ... not a hint of any inclement weather. Traffic was light and the
passing Little Valley and Salt Valley on our right was picturesque.
We picked up I-70 at the junction ... stepped on the accelerator and hit 75 mph in
seconds ... we’re off to seek more adventure. I-70 in this region is wide open and
the major traffic is RVs and 18-wheelers. For the next 20 miles, until the town of
Green River, the land is nothing but washes. Our pace was fast and furious.
Ten miles past Green River the
landscape changed drastically ...
ahead lay the cliffs of San Rafael
Reef ... a geologic formation similar to Capital Reef. Tall, imposing and stretching
from horizon to horizon (south to north). From here to Fremont Junction the region
is known as the San Rafael Swell (right) (http://www.sanrafaelswell.org/) ... a
region so remote and desolate that for over 100 miles there are no services, no
towns ... only canyons, washes and a few ranches. Frankly it is beautiful country ...
the road is smooth and beckoning. But the beauty of this country is betraying ... for
it starts to rain – heavily. The rain continues until we approach Fremont Junction
(below, left, top)... and County Road 72 heading south. The skies brighten up and
we exit the freeway and onto the side road. Signs at the head of the road warn that
the road may be closed in winter and to expect the unexpected ... free ranging cattle
and wildlife. The distance to our next
destination, Torrey, is perhaps 60
miles but the route takes us over a
number of passes and deep valleys.
Oh well ... we wanted adventure and
we’re getting it. No sooner spoken that
we encounter our first test ... at an
area called the Frying Pan we have to
traverse an ice-encrusted pass (right).
The going was slow and tenuous ...
both hands on the steering wheel ...
eyes straight ahead ... heartbeat just a
tad faster. The summit was reached without an incident; the road became wet as the
warm backside melted the ice ... normality returned to our pace. The desert
landscape in front was changing to a pale green as we entered hay production
country ... irrigation in full bloom as the spray from center-point irrigation dotted the
fields. The town of Loa was reached in short order (left, bottom) ... a pretty little
hamlet ... neat homes ... small gardens and plenty of cottonwoods bathed in yellow.
The landscape was flat ... the Ledges and Tidwell Slopes on our right. Passing
through Lohman and Bicknell we reached the outskirts of Torrey by early
afternoon looking for lodging recommended by people we met in Canyonlands. As the day was warm and moderately overcast
we elected to continue our journey, through Torrey and on to Capital Reef, some 10 miles farther ... passing by the lodge we
were looking for ... and entering a stretch of road that announce we are in Capital Reef country.
Capital Reef ... The Waterpocket Fold is a straight, 100 mile long ridge of tilted and layered rock stretching from the Fishlake
Mountains in central Utah to Lake Powell in the south. Most is preserved in Capitol Reef National Park, which contains
multicolored cliffs, narrow canyons, ridges, arches, spires and domes. The monument is so named because of the resemblance
of the many whitish sandstone domes to the US Capitol building; the 'Reef' refers to the high uplifted ridge running north-south
along the fold which presented a considerable barrier to early settlers. The park, the second largest in the state, is much less
visited than others in south Utah, partly due to the rather remote location and perhaps because there is no obvious central
attraction.
Geology ... The Waterpocket Fold is a classic monocline: a regional fold with one very steep side in an area of otherwise nearly
horizontal layers. A monocline is a "step-up" in the rock layers. The rock layers on the west side of the Waterpocket Fold have
been lifted more than 7000 feet higher than the layers on the east. Major folds are almost always associated with underlying
faults. The Waterpocket Fold formed between 50 and 70 million years ago when a major mountain building event in western
North America, the Laramide Orogeny, reactivated an ancient buried fault. When the fault moved, the overlying rock layers were
draped above the fault and formed a monocline. More recent uplift of the entire Colorado Plateau and the resulting erosion has
exposed this fold at the surface only within the last 15 to 20 million years. The name Waterpocket Fold reflects this ongoing
erosion of the rock layers. "Waterpockets" are basins that form in many of the sandstone layers as they are eroded by water.
These basins are common throughout the fold, thus giving it the name "Waterpocket Fold". Erosion of the tilted rock layers
continues today forming colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, stark monoliths, twisting canyons, and graceful arches.
Fruita ... visitors to Capitol Reef National park are often curious about the fruit trees that lie within a mile or two of the Visitor
Center. These trees - apple, pear, peach, cherry, apricot, mulberry, even Potowatomee Plum - are the most obvious reminder of
the pioneer community that once prospered in the narrow valley of the Fremont River.
Settlement came late to south-central Utah; the Capitol Reef area wasn't charted by credible explorers until 1872. In the last half
of that decade, Latter Day Saints (Mormon) settlers moved into the high plateau lands west of Capitol Reef and established
communities based on short-season farming and grazing. They then looked to the east, along the corridor of water snaking
through the soaring cliffs and domes of the Waterpocket Fold - the Fremont River. The origin of the little community at the
junction of the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek is obscure. The first "resident" may have been an 1879 squatter by the name of
Franklin Young, but the first landholder of record was Niels Johnson. Other soon followed, and the community that sprang up
became known as "Junction".The orchards of the residents prospered and before the turn of the century Junction was know as
"the Eden of Wayne County". In 1902, the name of the little settlement was changed to "Fruita". The settlement never
incorporated. The population averaged about 10 families.
The orchards - all owned by the National Park Service - are maintained at a level of about 2,500 trees with 1,800 in production. A
small crew is kept busy year-round with pruning, irrigation, replanting, and spraying. As each fruit crop comes into season, the
fruit is made available to the public on a pick-your-own basis. The park Superintendent sets the per pound or bushel price after
checking local commercial orchard prices. Although he may take the isolation of Fruita into consideration in setting prices, he is
not permitted to undercut private enterprise. Management of the orchards, especially during picking season, presents some
difficult problems to resolve. Because the trees were planted in smallish family orchards originally - each with a wide variety of
fruit - fruit ripens in many "mini-orchards" at varying times. It is very difficult for park rangers to "open" orchards for picking in
small "penny packets" and still exercise the control needed to protect the trees from damage and pickers from unsafe acts.
There is no formal “entry” into the Capital Reef Park ... Hwy. 24 runs through the park and vista points and turn-offs abound for
viewing the landscape. Before we get to the park we pull off at an interesting junction, drive a short distance to a parking lot and
start a short hike to a “gooseneck overview” (first two rows, next page). Finishing our hike we pull into the Visitor Center and ask
for advice and information. Bad news ... Scenic Drive, the most popular and interesting drive, is closed due to heavy road
damage from the recent rains. What is open are some of the secondary short hikes on the north side of Hwy. 24 ... the “old
homestead” is open as are the orchards ... but the fruit season is over. Making the best of the situation we obtain a map, visit the
“homestead” and head east on Hwy. 24 to enjoy a short hike on this good day. The third row of images on next page show the
“homestead” ... somewhat interesting but lacking any allure. Leaving this area, we head out, stopping at a viewpoint to peruse
some ancient petroglyphs ... followed by our hike up Hickman Bridge Trail to see another arch.
Above six images are on the approach to (1st row, left) and short hike at viewpoint before Visitor Center.
The Gifford Homestead and Orchards (above) ... Hickman Bridge Trail hike (below)
Reflecting on our day ... it was an interesting drive from Moab to Capital Reef ... the park visit was a little disappointing but worth
the effort. Now it was time to secure our lodging ... find a place to eat ... and rest up for tomorrow. The Wonderland Inn ($$) was
as touted ... clean, no smoking, breakfast not included, and no internet access. Perched on a slight rise, it offered a commanding
view of the entire valley and Torrey below. It was 4PM by now ... we wanted to see what else Torrey offered. We drove the short
distance to town and in less than 2 minutes drove the entire length of town. Virtually everything was closed ... stopped by an
open store ... purchased some apples (Washington State), beer (3.2%), and
cinnamon bread ... and drove to the northern outskirts of town ... nothing there.
Back in town we stopped by a promising restaurant, Diablo Café, and learned from
the chef (wearing orange shoes) that it will open at 5PM. We returned to our room,
lingered a while and returned to Diablo Café. No sooner did I open the car door
when the strong whiff of GARLIC hit me and knocked me down. Garlic is the least
favorite of my food groups and, after picking myself off the gravel driveway, jumped
back in the car and headed back to the lodge. Tonight we dine at the lodge ... in
retrospect a good choice – the cowboy plate was excellent, the beer cold, the wine
cheap and the service fast. After watching the setting sun (right) we settled in for a
little TV and a lot of sleep.
Wednesday ... today started as cold and windy. Breakfast was tasty and cheap ($). Today we will take Hwy. 12, just by the
lodge front door, south to Bryce Canyon. Highway 12 ... also known as the Scenic Byway 12.
Utah's Scenic Byway 12 ... been designated a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road by the Federal Highway
Administration. All-American Roads have one-of-a-kind features so exceptional that they qualify as a destination "unto
themselves." Only a few byways achieve the status of an All-American Road, making Scenic Byway 12 one of the most unique
roads in the United States.
Spanning a route of more than 124 miles, Scenic Byway 12 travels through some of the most diverse and ruggedly beautiful
landscapes in the country. It winds past slick rock canyons, red rock cliffs, pine and aspen forests, alpine mountains, national
parks, state parks, a national monument, and quaint rural towns. Numerous pullouts located along the route provide
opportunities to photograph, watch wildlife, or relax and enjoy the scenery. Spectacular views along Scenic Byway 12 include
Powell Point and geologic formations like The Blues. Prehistoric stone storage structures called granaries can also be seen
along the route. Travelers pass through Bryce Canyon National Park (a short drive of Hwy. 12), the communities of Tropic,
Cannonville, Henrieville and Escalante. Kodachrome Basin State Park and Grosvenor Arch in Grand Staircase-Escalante-National Monument are short drives from Scenic Byway 12. The designated road ends at Torrey.
There are so many fascinating waypoints on this scenic byway that space does not allow for the many images that adequately
describe it (first two images below). Our first rest stop was in Boulder, stopping for a short visit to the Anasazi State Park (below).
Hwy. 12 skirts the edge of the Grand Staircase – Escalante so it was only natural that
we would stop every few miles to admire the changing geologic landscape (right). To
our delight the road was in excellent condition ... traffic was light to non-existent in
many stretches ... and our pace was exceptionally fast. We passed the small towns of
Escalante and Henrieville and wound up in Cannonville ... one of our intended
stops on the road south. Here we wanted to visit Georgetown ghost town. Stopping
at the Escalante Visitor Center we learned of a nearby attraction that was highly
recommended – Kodachrome State Park.
Georgetown ... a small village of about 100 people; it, like nearby Cannonville, was named for a locally prominent LDS (Mormon
– Latter Day Saints) official. It had a store, school, and a post office; it became a ghost town in the late 1940s. There is a small
(abandoned) cabin nearby, the last building of Georgetown.
A few miles south of Cannonville we found the dirt farm road leading to the ghost town. The road was graded but rough in spots
... the surrounding land was hardscrabble and devoid of human life. With a ken eye we located our first glimpse of Georgetown ...
the cemetery (first row). We lingered here perhaps 30 minutes ... reading the tombstones ... the dates and names. Then we were
off to locate the actual Georgetown town site ... and almost missed it. The two lone structures (second row) are the lone
remnants of this tiny hamlet ... nothing else. We move on to Kodachrome.
Returning to the main road and continuing on Farm Road 400 we encounter the turn off to Kodachrome State Park ... FR 400 is
closed ahead ... storm damage. The park is only 3 miles ahead ... pay our $7 entry fee ... find an empty parking lot and scratch
our head of what to do.
Kodachrome Basin ... a spectacle of towering sandstone chimneys, changing in color and shadow with the day's mood - from
red-tinged spires against a blue sky, to soft evening light settling over the desert. This color and contrast prompted the National
Geographic Society in 1949, with consent from Kodak Film Corp., to name the park Kodachrome.
Nearly 70 monolithic spires, sedimentary sand pipes ranging from six to 170 feet in height, jut up from the valley floor or protrude
from the sandstone. These natural rock towers stand as sentries of the park and campground and inspire an infinite array of
subject only limited to one's imagination. The slick rock and semi-desert climate make this state park attractive to visitors all year.
As the name implies this is a basin ... and a dead-end. One could stay in the car and just drive down the lone road that winds
through the park and ends in a return loop. But ... being a great sunny day, the temperature in the 60s and no wind ... we decide
to try our luck at a short hike. Surveying the trail map we opted to take the short (1 mile) Angels Palace Trail with a moderate
100-foot elevation gain. Finding the trailhead we’re off into the pinion forested wash, follow a dry stream and the many cairns that
signify the trail. These cairns are nothing more than small rocks on top of bigger rocks that denote the path ... spaced where they
may be seen from a distance. Without these cairns one could get lost in a hurry. We follow these trail ‘signs’ all the way to the top
of the sand pipes and sandstone, admiring the lush growth below us. We loop-de-loop among spires, washes, chimneys, and
enjoy the day’s warmth and grandeur of the place. The nearby high cliffs of the Middle Bench Mountains are breathtaking for
we are but small and insignificant below their lofty heights. We knew the hike would consume no less than 45 minutes, and we
figured that from the top there would be another trail to lead us down ... but it was not the case. Finding no other trail down, and
not paying attention to the just-passed cairns ...we were lost. We were walking in circles. But ... Ed to the rescue ... a familiar
cairn was found, the up-trail re-located, we ambled our way back to the car. Who knows ... if the trail would not have been
located our bleached bones may have added to the colorful spectacle of Kodachrome Basin.
The views of Kodachrome Basin ...
Our visitation was short and pleasant but Bryce Canyon beckoned us ... another 15 miles and 20 minutes and we’re there.
Bryce Canyon National Park is just a short drive from Hwy. 12 ... you know you’re here by the sheer size of the commercial
developments just outside the park’s boundary. We were here 20+ years ago and this place was but tiny ... Ruby’s Inn and a
heli-pad were the only commercial enterprise here. Today this place is abuzz ... Ruby’s Inn is a mega-plex ... over 400+ rooms.
It also has a nearby lodge complex of four buildings and an equal number of rooms. There is a strip mall, gas station, riding
stables, and small restaurants. We could not recognize this place. Cars everywhere ... tour buses lined up to disgorge their
passengers ... a virtual beehive of activity. It’s crazy. You guessed it ... no room at Ruby’s Inn. Seems all the Mormon’s from
Utah converged on Bryce this weekend for a last chance at leisure before school and winter starts. We took a chance at the
nearby adjoining complex and were lucky enough to find a room for tonight ($$$) but not for tomorrow night. We took it. The
room was at best unpretentious, cold, dank, but clean. Coffee maker but no internet access (too far in the mountains). While
unpacking, we decided to try the Bryce Canyon Lodge (the in-park hotel) to see if they had a room for tomorrow night ... they
did. We wanted to stay 2 nights here and do some hiking below the canyon rim. We reserved the room but at a high price. $$$$$
was the going rate for a cabin, not a room, at the lodge. Take it or leave it. We took it. Our luxurious extravaganza for a night.
Well, it’s all settled so what do we do for the rest of the afternoon. We knew of a ghost town near Widtsoe Junction, some 18
miles north of Bryce so we decided to visit it. The road to the Junction was dirt but graded. We found the junction but not the
town ... what happened? We drove in circles, up and down some logging roads and still no sign of a town. Disappointed we
pointed the car back to Bryce when on the horizon we saw an old building that looked promising. Detouring off the main logging
road we drove uphill, past a small rise and there it was. We parked ... and walked among the few standing buildings to get a
sense of the place.
A passing ATV stopped by us and we asked the man if this was the town ... he was not sure and ambled on. We continued our
walk. Not 30 seconds later he returned and stopped by us ... seems he saw our New Mexico car plates and was curious of our
visit. We learned he is originally from Texas ... father moved to southern New Mexico in the ‘20s ... lived in Las Cruces, Truth &
Consequences, and Deming ... and eventually settled in Utah in the ‘50s. He retired some seven years ago, lives about 50 miles
away ... bought an acre of land from the Government ... placed a small camper in the middle of the acre ... hunts, fishes and just
delights in the solitude of this land. Right now he is after grouse ... used to hunt elk but the hunters decimated the local
population and elk are rarely seen around here. Son hunts mostly mule deer. We spent about 10 minutes chatting before he had
to run and shoot some more grouse. We ... continued our walk, saw what we wanted to see and returned to our room after 30
minutes. One meets the most intriguing people in the most unexpected places. The ‘ghost town’ images and full story are on the
next page.
Widtsoe Junction ... settled by Mormons in the late 19th century; first had the name Adair after the most prominent family; as
the settlement grew, the name was changed to Houston, and then in 1910, it was changed again to Winder--all of these were the
names of prominent Mormons. In 1915, another settlement grew up about four miles north of Winder, by the name of Henderson
(another prominent Mormon of the area); it got a post office, and grew for short period of time. However, by 1924, the post office
in Henderson closed and most of the population moved to Winder. Then, in 1917, post office decided on its own for another
name change (because there were too many 'Winder's: the new name was Widstoe, yet another prominent local LDS official.
Population in 1920 census was 365. But the climatic and water problems of the valley were too much for that many people, and
they began to move away. By 1935 the population was around 20; in 1936, the federal government bought the town -- land,
buildings, etc. At that point many of the buildings were torn down, but as of 1998, there were still around 3-5 houses.
The history ... the town reached it's heyday in the early 1920's. By 1934, only 40 families remained in Widtsoe. By that spring,
the residents' plight was critical. Two residents wrote a petition, which over 40 residents signed, requesting federal aid. Officials
from the federal Resettlement Administration (RA) determined that the people should be moved out of the sub-marginal area
since the land could no longer support them. The residents held a town meeting and, on February 8, 1935, voted, with no
coercion by the officials, to accept the government's offer of resettlement. The government purchased 30,000 acres from the
residents and resettled 29 families to other tracts throughout the state. They spent a total of $81,300 (not including "operating
costs") on the Widtsoe Project, which was used as a model of resettlement for the Western States. The project received national
recognition. The final families to leave Widtsoe with federal assistance left in March 1938. The name of Widtsoe was taken off
highway signs and maps. The Widtsoe Cemetery is still in use with the most recent additions being infant twins buried in 1999.
One third of the town site is privately owned another third is owned by the State of Utah, School and Institutional Trust Lands
Administration, the final third (including all streets and the city park) is owned by the federal government.
It was late afternoon; the sun was low in the horizon, ready to set in one hour, so
we just settled for some ‘fast-food’ at a local eatery and set off for a long drive into
Bryce Canyon ... sort of an introduction. Our Golden Age pass assured no fee
again ... for the admission to Bryce Canyon is now a steep $20 a car. We drive the
rim trail road all the way to the end and measured the viewpoints that we would revisit tomorrow. On some viewpoints we stopped and admired the views but for the
most part just wanted to get a sense of Bryce Canyon. The long shadows (canyon
is east facing) made for poor photographic opportunities (right). The number of
people on this rim drive was unusually high ... viewpoint parking spaces were hard
to locate. We achieved our goal ... saw what we wanted to see and tomorrow we
will begin our true adventure ... seeing a sunrise at Bryce, hiking below the rim and
casually exploring the hidden spots.