The Alive State of Utah.

A strange conversation I had during the past summer prompted me to gather up photos of animal and plant life that I have encountered living in Utah.  The conversation went as follows:

Female Visitor: "What are those yellow flowers along Route 491 from Cortez to Monticello?"
Me: "Sunflowers, Yellow Daisy? We have a large variety of plant life around here."
Female Visitor: "No, no, no, I know what those are and the yellow flowers I saw aren't either of them."
Me: "Did you take a photo I could look at?  If I don't know it offhand, I could look in one of the nature books we have for sale."
Female Visitor: "What is the matter with people around here; why are you so ignorant that you don't even know what flowers grow on the roadside???"
Me: "Ummm...what?"

Now I have to tell you that as insulted as I was by what she stated, I still smiled and wished her a good day and a safe journey.  Inside though, I plotted her demise in many ways.  Now I own "National Audubon's Field Guide to the Southwestern States" and "Canyon Country Wildflowers" which are packed with hundreds and hundreds of photos linked to species of flowers, bushes, wildlife, birds, insects, etc.  I have the books to help me out with "what is that....?" questions; common sense, and assuming that anyone knows every item in these books makes one, well, an ass.

So I am going to share with you some photos of many of the creatures and plant life that I have seen; there are so many more I have heard about, or missed photographing as it ran off into the forest or underbrush.  Doesn't mean I won't keep trying to capture their images.

Plant Life

Claret Cup Cactus

Columbine, The State Flower of Colorado

Datura aka Moonflower

Moonflower Canyon is named after the Dakura; this plant is very poisonous and should NOT be ingested.


Desert Globemallow

Desert Paintbrush

Desert Paintbrush is a more compact form of Indian Paintbrush; growing in desert sand, this plant grows in a bush formation with shorter stems.


Indian Paintbrush

Foxtails aka Prince's Plume

Lupine

Prickly Pear Cactus

San Rafael Cactus

The San Rafael Cactus can be found, where else...the San Rafael Swell.


Utah Yellow Daisy

Yucca

The Yucca plant was a very important staple for the Native American; the roots and flowers are edible; the seed pods can be boiled down to make a sweet paste, or hardened into a candy; the fibers from the stems were used to make footwear and rope.











Wildlife, Birds and Insects




Antelope aka Pronghorn Deer

When I first saw Pronghorn Deer, they reminded me very much of photos of African antelope. So far I have seen them in Thompson Springs, on the road going to the Needles and Anticline Overlooks, and the San Rafael Swell.















Mule Deer

Mule Deer are the prominent species of deer in the area; although they reside mostly in the forests of the Abajo and La Sal Mountains, they do not hesitate to come into town looking for food.

Mule Deer

Prairie Dog



Raven in Flight

While Ravens are a dime a dozen in this area, I was lucky to capture a photo of a Wren sitting on a sandstone formation at Arches National Park.




Wren Sunning on the Red Rocks



 

Sphinx Moth

This Sphinx Moth I found sitting on the front steps on a cool morning; after bringing it inside and letting it warm up, it began to move its wings and fly to the nearest houseplant.  I brought it outside, placed it on a plant sitting in the sunlight; eventually it flew away.  I bet it was a little happy camper after being cared about.












Skeletal Remains

Death is a common occurrence out in the wild and the environments in this area should NOT be taken for granted. If you must bring your pets, make sure they are leashed, kept in pet carriers, or housed somewhere that they are well cared for.










Desert Landscapes

 

In essence, when you take a vacation and go someplace you have never been before; please do not assume that any locals you speak with know everything about everything, have gone everywhere, have done everything.  Living out here in the Four Corners area, anyone is lucky to do about 25 percent in a lifetime; yes, there is just that much to see, do and experience!

Mary Cokenour



Doing Hard Climb at Jail (House) Rock.

Rockland Ranch
 

Two different legends about this sandstone pillar I'll be telling you about, Jail Rock aka Jail House Rock; located on CR 137 (south side) in Canyon Rims Recreation Area. Now CR 137, about one mile from the entrance to the Rims, off Route 191, is one of those, "I wonder where this goes?", type of roads. Looking northward, there is a square, blue background sign which states San Juan County 137, and so we followed it to a locked gate, but we could see Looking Glass Road and the Rockland Ranch beyond.




OK, back to where we started; looking southward there are several dirt trails and a teeny tiny sign that has "137" printed on it; but which trail to follow is the question?  The first trail goes straight and leads to a large dome-like sandstone formation; however, the gates on either side of it are locked.  Back track to the other trail that veers to the right...



Talk about third time being the charm!  Basically this is BLM land, but you can go traveling onto it as long as you pay attention to the signs:  Please Close Gate - there is most likely cattle gazing on the land, and you don't want them getting loose and wandering onto the highway;  Private Property or No Trespassing - it is what it is; keep out!




Following this dirt trail, you'll eventually either have to turn right or turn left; a flip of a coin had us traveling to the right where we passed sandstone wall after sandstone wall full of, what I like to call, amphitheatres; some barely formed, some fairly deep.  The trail finally ended in a "boxed" canyon and hidden among the trees was a cattle corral.  The scenery surrounding us was outstanding!

 A little more back tracking and we were at another gate, cattle corral next to it, but beyond was our ultimate goal - Jail Rock aka Jail House Rock.

Those legends I mentioned earlier?  One is that in the early 1900s, rancher John Jackson would put his wife down into the 15 foot deep pothole, at the top of Jail Rock, to "keep her safe" while he was  at one of the saloons in either Monticello or Moab.  The other legend is that the local sheriff and his posse used Jail Rock to hold outlaws they caught before they could be hauled off to the local jail itself.



Jail (House) Rock
 

The climb up to the pothole is about a 45 degree angle along smooth sandstone.  The view from up top is amazing, but the one below is just as awesome.  You won't need climbing gear to get up to the top, but you will need it if you want to get to the bottom of the pothole, and back up again.

15 Foot Deep Pothole
 

Next to Jail Rock is a formation I like to refer to as a "gated" amphitheatre; looking at it straight on it appears as if two pillars of a gate surround a sloped opening. However, if you look at it from the side, it has the appearance of a skull face.

This is where fans of the cartoon series, "He Man", should now be shouting, "By the Power of Grey Skull !!!"











Now you have to be aware that the local residents of this area are, shall we say, a bit on the loupy side of life.  They run around willey-nilley not heeding any moving vehicles; their homes are everywhere, including on the dirt trails themselves.  Drive slowly as you never know when a head will suddenly pop up out of the ground; a fisted, furry paw shaking at you; as this little resident jabbers obscenities at having his privacy invaded.  I'm speaking about, of course, the local prairie dog populace.

Prairie Dog
 

Remember, all the trails I have been writing about are dirt and a 4 wheel drive vehicle is your best bet for traveling over them.  Pay attention to posted signs; have an overall great time exploring.

Mary Cokenour