Day 9 of the GAWNPT, Flaming Gorge to Moab for Arches National Park
Thursday Flaming Gorge.pdf: Read my daily redord of our vacation adventures
011_IMG_3920.JPG: The Flaming Gorge dam. Built between 1958 and 1964
012_IMG_3921.JPG: The dam backs up the Green River to form a 90 mile long
reservoir on the border between Utah and Wyoming.
013_IMG_3922.JPG: We backtracked about 3 or 4 miles and found a service
station with a convenience store for some breakfast. This is what we saw
on the way to the store.
014_IMG_3924.JPG: The spillway side of the hydroelectric dam.
015_IMG_3925.JPG:
016_IMG_3927.JPG: Unlike some recent changes due to 9-11, the highway
still runs over the top of this dam.
017_IMG_3930.JPG: This "rainbow" bridge is over a narrow branch off the
main reservoir. It is similar but not quite as long and the Pennybaker
bridge over Lake Austin.
018_IMG_3919.JPG: View of the bridge from the west side.
019_IMG_3932.JPG: Driving west toward Red Canyon
020_IMG_4368z.JPG: We arrived at Red Canyon just about at opening time.
It was one of our earlier starts. The ranger was getting ready to raise
the flag.
021_IMG_4372z.JPG:
022_IMG_3933.JPG: This is what they call Red Canyon because the sandstone
contains a lot of red iron oxide.
023_IMG_4374z.JPG: Large blocks of the rock along the ridge look like
they could fall into the canyon any moment.
024_IMG_4379z.JPG:
025_IMG_3936.JPG: It is a long way down there. Just how far down there
is it?
026_IMG_4394z.JPG: I think the Ashley National Forest came first.
027_IMG_3938.JPG:
028_IMG_3939.JPG: Ponderosa pines grow along the top of the cliff. The
ranger explained that these pines naturally regulate their proximity.
That is why it does not resemble a thick pine forest.
029_IMG_3940.JPG: Getting ready to fall off, slowly but surely.
030_IMG_3941.JPG: Utah cactus growing in a crack along the top of the
cliff.
031_IMG_3944.JPG: Looking upriver in Red Canyon
032_IMG_4391z.JPG: Jennifer approves. "What's next?"
033_IMG_4399z.JPG: Downings and kids
034_IMG_3946.JPG:
035_IMG_3947.JPG:
036_IMG_3951.JPG: Leaving Red Canyon on our way to Dinosaur National Monument.
037_IMG_3953.JPG: The topography and rock formations along US 191 got
more interesting the farther we drove.
038_IMG_3954.JPG:
039_IMG_3955.JPG:
040_IMG_3956.JPG: We stopped at JB's Family Restaurant in Vernal, Utah
for lunch. Outside the street was lined with large pots full of petunias.
041_IMG_3957.JPG: And hanging baskets from just about every lamp pole.
042_IMG_3958.JPG: We reached our first totally unscheduled stop, Dinosaur
National Monument east of Vernal on the border between Colorado and Utah.
043_IMG_3959.JPG: When we were walking toward the entrance I told Ann
that looked like Dino used in the old Sinclair advertisements. Wrong kind
of dinosaur.
044_IMG_4428z.JPG: The new visitors center
045_IMG_3961.JPG:
046_IMG_3964.JPG: Those hills are full of dinosaur fossilized bones.
047_IMG_3966.JPG: James and Jennifer outside the new exhibit hall. They
were here and saw the first exhibit hall. James said he couldn't remember
it and Jennifer said she remembered some but not much.
048_IMG_3968.JPG: In 1923, Earl Douglass, the paleontologist who discovered
the dinosaur quarry suggested that a lot of the fossils should be left
partially exposed but protected so the public could see them in their natural
state. The first exhibit hall opened in 1958 with this long natural wall
showing the fossilized bones. After being closed to the public for 5 years,
the new new exhibit hall opened in 2011. There are two levels from which
to study the wall, much more impressive than what I remember from our first
trip here.
049_IMG_3967.JPG: Here you can see the bones up close.
050_IMG_3973.JPG:
051_IMG_3975.JPG:
052_IMG_4459z.JPG:
053_IMG_3969.JPG: The park ranger and the kids played a game that was
designed to help the kids understand how and why the dinosaur fossils are
in that wall.
054_IMG_3970.JPG:
055_IMG_3971.JPG: The building was designed to operate without air conditioning.
It was quite comfortable even though it was getting pretty hot outside.
056_IMG_3972.JPG: Some exhibits to provide relative size comparisons.
057_IMG_3976.JPG: They didn't leave everything as found. Here is a carefully
prepared fossilized dinosaur.
058_IMG_3978.JPG:
059_IMG_3979.JPG:
060_IMG_3980.JPG: Exterior of the new exhibit hall.
061_IMG_3982.JPG: Waiting for the bus to take us back to the main entrance
center.
062_IMG_4486z.JPG:
063_IMG_3983.JPG: This is an area called Douglass Pass on CO 139 that
runs from Rangely CO. south to Loma where we picked up West I70.
064_IMG_3984.JPG: More of Douglass Pass Road
065_IMG_3985.JPG: More of Douglass Pass Road
066_IMG_3987.JPG: After we reached Lima Co., we headed west on I70 and
cut off near a desert town called Cisco and headed south on UT 128 toward
Moab. Along the way we followed the Colorado River and the irrigated green
valley.
067_IMG_3989.JPG: Sandstone rock formations along the highway.
068_IMG_3990.JPG: On UT 128 Colorado River runs right along that large
sandstone cliff. Alfalfa fields grow using irrigation.
069_IMG_3992.JPG: On UT 128 where the highway crosses the Colorado River
070_IMG_3994.JPG: Driving right along the Colorado River
071_IMG_3996.JPG: Time for a Colorado River pit stop.
072_IMG_3997.JPG: Beautiful rock formations all along the highway.
073_IMG_3999.JPG:
074_IMG_4000.JPG: Always more just around the bend.
075_IMG_4002.JPG:
076_IMG_4004.JPG: This was just around the bend,
077_IMG_4005.JPG: We are not in an area called Castle Valley. This big
formation is called the Fisher Towers.
078_IMG_4006x.JPG: The formation at the left is called Castle Tower.
The figure standing on the right side of the tower looks like a mediaeval
king looking down on his kingdom.
079_IMG_4008x.JPG: Very definitive layering in this sandstone. Interesting
erosion patterns also.
080_IMG_4010x.JPG: A close-up view of the mediaeval king.
081_IMG_4013.JPG: We are getting close to Moab, Utah. Rock formations
are still very interesting.
082_IMG_4014.JPG: Our flag waving near the entrance to Arches National
Park
083_20170622_201547.jpg: For dinner we drove up the side of the canyon
to a restaurant built in the old home of Charles Steen, the Uranium King
and the man who put Moab on the map.
084_20170622_153046.jpg: It was hot outside but it is that wonderful "dry
heat". Ha
085_20170622_201807.jpg:
086_20170622_204015.jpg:
087_IMG_4020.JPG: It was dark when we finished dinner and headed to our
hotel. Everyone was ready for a good night's sleep. Did we ever have a
surprise in the making!