Today we woke up with zero ideas about what to do or see other than knowing that we would like to end up near Hite near Lake Powell to camp on the lake like we did during the Kaiparowits trip. We head towards natural bridges to see what the fee might be to check that place out, but at $20 a car we were really interesting. Still my track record of never having to squat in the woods this trip remains in tact with this brief layover in “civilization”. We did notice however, on our way down down from bears ears 2 days ago that there were 2 roads that start in the same basic area but go to very different places.
The road on the left is our road, the one on the right is the new one. This takes you up high on the ridge and back into the Abajo mountains. its called deer flats and its popular with hunters and sportsman. The road up to deer flats takes you along the ridge until you cut straight up another dugway. its steep, exposed and narrow, but still better than the old routes that looked like something I wouldn’t enjoy doing in anything with wheels. doable probably but thankfully unnecessary.
I would have taken more pictures but I was double gripping the steering wheel pretty good. Thankfully Mike did better than I did. Thanks mike.
Up on top the recently bloomed flowers were just starting to wilt but still pretty
Again we were in the softer dirt, and greener plains of the higher elevation, but we were still climbing, up to 9200 feet at the peak. The little bit of rain we didn’t get made its way into the mountains and there was a defined snow line at 9000 feet which was starting to melt and turn the road to mud. Thankfully...again...the road was excellent.
This road was a total unknown - it started as a “High clearance road” and then as the elevation gained it went to a single dotted line on my newly acquired nat geo map (the best) indicating 4wd only. with the recent weather and insanely wet winter and spring it could be bad. It wasn’t. It was actually amazing, being up high on the ridges overlooking canyons to the right and alpine to the left.
one of those places that feels prettier than it looks in pictures. Unless you’ve experienced that its hard to describe. I wish I had taken more pictures but this was a LONG road (50 miles or so) and we hadn’t reached the single dotted line yet so we pressed on so that if we had to retreat we’d have enough time to make alternative planes. Turns out it was unnecessary, the route was in great shape minus a little mud and snow that slipped and slid us around only a little, though caution was used liberally.
Around the bend from the part of the road that was supposed to be difficult gave us great views of the Henry mountains.
The road was rutted and a little rougher but clearly still in use from what I can assume would be ranchers who use this are for grazing. heck of a pretty place though it became less so the more we descended into the wash. There are some world class hikes on this road it turns out though, like the sundance trail.
We keep looking for a place to eat but spurred on by good sites that are “just around the corner” we ended up near the end of the road.
I’ve eaten in uglier places. The wet spring has made desert “blossom like a rose” and I was glad to see it.
From here we head into Hite, Ut to refuel before heading out to our campsite for the night.
Hite is a tinny little outpost on the far north of Lake Powell and inside the Glen Canyon recreation area and features a marine, fuel and a visitors center...and it was one of the most depressing places I’ve ever been to
This is the boat launch ramp...whats missing? The white line on the adjacent canyon wall tells the tale. At this point the lake was at about 40% capacity, not down 40% but down TO 40%. Its up to 48% now and still filling but they are expecting it to be no more than 50% full this season. Wet winter or not there is just more demand for water than supply at the end of the line (California).
click on this mega pano, its made of something like 14 pictures. its a little sad and they know the score too as the visitors center is permanently shuttered and they’ve put campsites with tables and everything WELL below the waterline at full pool as is evidenced by being underwater on our maps when we drive around. Like I said...depressing. It’s pretty clear there isn’t much point in pursuing a campsite along the lake that wont actually start for miles and miles down canyon. Pretty though.
It’s here we say goodbye to Nate and Mike as they are going to push onto home tonight instead of spending a night wherever we end up. We head up the beautiful highway towards ugly Hanksville and decide, once again, to try out the capitol reef area for a night, enticed by promises of a refreshing bath in the full Freemont river.
When we get to the “secret” little campsite I’ve used many times in the past we find that, like Capitol Reef itself, the secret is out. Disheartened but tired and ready to camp we settle on a horrible little site in a wash, next the ant piles, under spider trees. Not the best. Still, the river is just a little walk down the road and a bath sounds great so we head in and start walking around. This is when the heavens open and fate smiles on our little band.
Heading upriver we have a brief chat with the man in this spot above, he says he leaving right now and asked if we wanted it. Um...yes. What an idillic spot. Deep, fine beach quality sand right up to the swollen Freemont river means we spend the entire evening in beach mode - barefoot or in flip flops - as we enjoy street tacos that wade and tom whipped up.
It was paradise as we bath and relax in the 50 degree water as the birds chirp and the river burbles on past.
suns out guns out
What a night!
In the morning we cross the Freemont right from our site and head home, taking the scenic way. It’s not much to write about though it’s included in the video.
All in all I think what I was worried would be too many days in an area that at first blush looked empty it turned out to be FAR too few. Its a killer place - plenty of scenery, plenty of variety, plenty of camping opportunities and miles and miles of roads and possibilities to explore. we didn’t even knock off the tip of the burg. I’ll be back for sure.