Coral Climbs: Grand Staircase-Escalante and Cedar Breaks

Utah is a vast, exciting playground, full of rocks to climb, sun-baked sand, and rich, tangible evidence of past inhabitants.

My mom and I made our return to Utah two years after our spectacular journey through Bryce and Zion in the summer of 2014.

This post is a continuation of our summer 2016 road trip through the Southwest.

In mid-July, we found ourselves on the border of northeastern Arizona and Utah.  Having already spent glorious days on the road exploring the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest National Park, and the river-flooded Antelope and Navajo Canyons, we opted for a new mode of transportation beside car and boat to experience Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

And so we mounted our kind equine guides for the day.  Many thanks to my horse, Peppy, and my mom's horse, Dash, for your gentle spirit and willingness to show us what we otherwise could not have seen.

Only my second time on a horse after getting over a longtime fear of horseback riding, and my love for these animals only keeps increasing.

A blurry photo capturing one of my happiest moments and favorite experiences of the trip, and of my life.  Climbing the path up Grand Staircase-Escalante.

I was so impressed at the ease with which our horses climbed this steep, textured slope.  The coral sand was both beautiful and slippery in the hot, dry climate.

We love Peppy and Dash!  Note our covered skin and multiple-hat strategy for limiting our exposure to the sun.  Our cooling towel ascots were a very helpful touch.

Our human guide, JR, with our horses while taking a mid-ride rest.  These horses were clearly so loved and well cared for.  The sweet, mild-tempered demeanor of the family that owned the horses was directly reflected in their equine family members.

Back on Peppy and Dash, we began the descent.

My horseback photography skills do not do the incredible landscape justice.  Stratified, colorful hills and mountains surrounded us, layers of beauty in every direction.



Rusty iron pigments the sediment with shades of orange, red, pink, and tan.

Honing my previously nonexistent horseback riding skills.

What a special way to experience such a spectacular place.

The next morning, we rose early to see the famous Horseshoe Bend before the onset of the harsh daytime heat.

Horseshoe Bend, a striking, picturesque, and dramatic turn in the Colorado River by Page, Arizona.

This direct look down still makes my heart race, even in photos.  (I am very afraid of heights, a fear I continue to work on overcoming.)  A boat pulled to the side of the river marks a place where adventurers have set up a campsite on the shore, and provides an indication of how far below us they were.

Double-visored and proud.

Enjoying the bonding time with the glorious red rocks and green river below.

My mom's snap of her perspective from our sediment seats above the bend.

Of course enjoying our shady respite from the sun.

Colors as vivid as they get.

Partners under the northern Arizona sun.

Swirling sandstone enriches the landscape with nature's fascinating artwork.

Cracked, arid, and sun-baked.

We crossed the border into Utah for the next leg of our road trip.

These bulbous rock formations on the side of the road beckoned to us for a closer examination.

 

Unique features of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

With a Rox, for scale.

Always fascinating what remains after millennia of erosion.

How I wonder what ecological processes sculpted this captivating formation.

Another shade of packed mud, dried and crusted into the ground, patterned by a network of sun-given cracks.

All arrows point to Utah.

And so we crossed the border and bid farewell to Arizona.

Just north of the Utah/Arizona border, we stumbled upon Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.  We parked on the side of a sandy road and headed in to explore.

The park was created to protect the sand dunes of this desert, dyed coral by the same minerals that color the rocks of this region.

The sandstone from which the sand derived.

Enthralled by the myriad textures and designs sculpted by wind, water, and time.

Bristlecone pines add to the coral and blue-dominated color palette.

Examining from the other side.

It is so important to stay connected with nature, both in bodily form and in spirit.

We moved on into central Utah, stopping for a rock shop (of course!) in Springfield on the way.

Are these flexicalymine trilobite fossils not superbly awesome?

Watching the moon rise from Cedar City.

A snap from the same spot one hour later.

The next day, we set out to explore Cedar Breaks National Monument.

The natural amphitheater of Cedar Breaks is a half-mile deep canyon lined with gorgeous hoodoos, limestone cliffs, and deep green flora.

These hoodoos reminded us why we felt so compelled to return to Utah after our visit to Bryce Canyon two years earlier.  The striated pinks, tans, and creams linearly laced throughout the rocky spires of the monument felt familiar, like home.

The rim of Cedar Breaks is inhabited by spruce, fir, and pine trees.  Gentle giants connected to the earth by their roots.

This spectacular place measures in at about 10,000 feet elevation, so the temperatures in the summer are much cooler and milder than the lower surrounding areas.  We drove from triple-digit heat in Cedar City to 70 degrees up at the monument.

Floral life thrives at this temperate elevation.

Stunning expanses of hoodoo spires, coexisting with life that has taken hold within.

A landscape full of contrast.

A view of the path leading down to the view point, lined much of the way with trees and forest.

This bristlecone pine tree, Pinus longaeva, can live to be thousands of years old.  The oldest living specimen of this incredibly resilient species is over 5,000 years of age.

Down at the view point, among a wonderland of geologic history.

Pinnacles behind trees, young and old.

We come upon a meadow abounding with life.

Wildflowers bloom in Cedar Breaks in the summer, bringing colorful joy to the thriving landscape.

We look on as a deer enjoys the beautiful day far across the meadow.

A thrill to see a faunal inhabitant of the fertile land.

Yellow wildflowers enliven the spirit of the forest.  The radiance of the sun shines through each bloom, bringing warmth and joy to the earth.

Purples offset the yellows, and further on the color spectrum continues.  Wildflowers guide us down the road out.

A few thousand feet elevation lower, we stopped by the side of the road to look for rocks and fossils in the creek bed.  We would look for fossils all day if we let ourselves.

The next day, we took a morning trek out to Parowan Gap Petroglyphs site.

Added bonus: fossilized dinosaur track!

Examining the geological wonders.

The petroglyphs at Parowan Gap are thought to be from a range of cultural groups, containing carvings that are likely upwards of one thousand years old.

Designs represent animals, humans, and elements of cosmology.

This gap preserves a rich archaeological history, which we are incredibly fortunate to be able to see.

The exact meaning of these symbols is unknown.  A picture is worth a thousand words, however, so look on and write your own story using the characters before you.

So much to look at on one face.

Many glorious depictions of suns, with hatched designs perhaps to indicate soil, earth, or agriculture.  A glimpse into the means of life for those who lived here long ago.

Sun, rain, and healthy crops are crucial to survival, then and now.

Is there more to see across the road?

Always.

Stay tuned for the third and final installment of our mid-summer road trip.