Leisurely Drive Through the Indian Creek Valley.

Scenic Highway 211 is the access road to Canyonlands National Park - The Needles District.  Those in a rush to see the park, and only that, miss out on the breathtaking landscape along the roadway.  I wonder sometimes, do they purposely put on blinders; is the idea of not sticking to a strict travel schedule that frightening???

To those of you who wander the roads looking for everything and anything; you'll appreciate the photos I'll share in this posting.  To those who raced to the National Park, now you can see some sites you missed out on; and have a great excuse to come back.

Driving forward on a roadway, don't you ever wonder what it looks like behind you?  We often like to stop, get out, turn around and see; depending on the lighting, it won't be the same in the morning as it is in the evening.

Those are the La Sal Mountains north of Monticello, Utah with Lisbon Valley in the foreground.  Can you really say this sight doesn't take your breathe away?  Imagine if you were personally standing there and taking it all in!?!


The sun was beginning to travel westward by the time we drove past Newspaper Rock and stopped at the trailhead for Shay Canyon (1.8 miles west of Newspaper Rock).  Definitely on our to-do list to take that hike, even if just to the opening of the canyon, and getting up close and personal to that jug handle arch.  Warm weather had come, snow melting, and water flowing through the Indian Creek (see video).

Trail downward.

Pretty soon the narrow walls of the Newspaper Rock area open up into a grand vista of the #1 crack climbing walls in the world; beyond you can begin to see Bridger Jack Mesa and the North and South Six Shooters.

The Dugout Ranch (owned by the Redd Family) is along Highway 211; if you drive the road to Beef Basin/Elk Mountain, you can truly see the vastness of this ranch.  There are petroglyphs and ruins located on the ranch, and I hope to get an invite to visit out there one of these days...yes Redd family, that is a huge hint!!!


Now did we go into the park, why yes we did!  We spent three hours hiking around and enjoying the solitude; the Needles District is never as packed as the parks located up in the Moab area.  This, of course, will be a separate write up on this travel blog, so hope you have patience.  We left the park as sunset was approaching, so now you get to see many of the same places I've just shown you, but in that different lighting I mentioned.

Now a real treat, a herd of horses heading on home for the evening; definitely one of those sights that promotes the spirit of the Old West.

Well I've either brought back some fond memories for you; or you're kicking yourselves in the butt for not taking the time to slow down and look around.  Remember, life is short, so don't go through it with your senses closed down and in a rush to get nowhere.

Mary Cokenour

A Few San Juan County Good Things.

There are so many places in San Juan County that I love...love going to.  Then there are the moments, the precious moments when I come upon a sight so wondrous; I'm stopped in my tracks.  Now I write about all Four Corners of the area; Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.  I've been accused of NOT putting the area in a "positive perspective".  Really now?

Well then, let my accusers look at these new photos, and explain to me....what negativity do you see?

Let's start with where I live, Monticello, Utah; one of the selling spots, for golfers, is the Hideout Golf Course which is rated one of the best courses in Utah.  I don't golf; I don't see the sense of chasing a little ball around a park...my dogs on the other hand love this type of activity.  That's not a negative statement, that's a statement of fact that everyone is entitled to enjoy an activity, or not.  Anyway, there is a walking path around the area, and sometimes they do a "find the hidden pottery" treasure hunt during the warmer months.  In the winter, they allow folks to snowshoe and cross country ski over the course.



Hideout Golf Course

Then there is Horsehead Peak; during the warmer months it might be hard to see the outline of the horse head; glare from the sun is mostly the cause.  At one time the National Forest Service allowed people to go up and trim the tree line to help keep the shape from diminishing; it's natural by the way, but that's been stopped.  When snow comes down though, you can't help but see it.  In the warmer months, take Johnson Creek Road (FR 079) from North Creek Road (Monticello), all the way through to Blanding; you'll pass right underneath the horse head itself.






Desert Horned Lizard

This year, I was lucky enough to finally see and hold a Desert Horned Lizard, aka Horny Toad.  With the encroachment of development in the area, they are becoming scarce, and that is a true shame on humanity.  Nature is still being taken for granted, but hopefully, with my writings and photos, folks can understand the value.



Horses; intelligent, majestic, a true friend when treated well; San Juan County has some of the most beautiful examples of this great creature.  I get a kick watching them play, especially when the foals are bouncing around.

 

 

North of Blanding, Utah is Recapture Reservoir; manmade and used for boating, camping, hiking; and fishing, but with all the pollution from dumping...I wouldn't eat those fish.  There you go, a negative comment...you've caught me stating a fact that some people do not value this resource.  However, it is a beautiful area; the Abajo Mountains covered with snow, the sky a crystal, clear blue.  Even in the summer, there is a soft breeze that comes through to help cool visitors down.

 

 

Now I adore these little guys, the Praying Mantis; I often find them in my yard.  I pick them up when I can and deposit them into my herbal garden.  I've created little hidey holes where they can stay safe from cats wandering around.  I really hope the females will lay their eggs, and I'll have loads of new buddies to keep my gardens free of nasty pests.

 

I've already figured this out, but my friends in the area tell it to me also; those that bad mouth me and my writings; they're jealous, plain and simple.  They read about the adventures I have with my husband, Roy; they look at the photos and proclaim, "It's not fair!!!  I should be doing all this, and enjoying it all; why her!?!"

 

...and I can explain that too, cause these people never leave the bubbles they've surrounded themselves with.  Again, plain and simple.

 

Have a great adventure whenever you can; don't let time and the world slip past you.

 

Mary Cokenour

 

 



Road G - Cortez to Bluff.

So, after making that short visit along the Sand Canyon Trailhead; along Road G we continued towards Utah. If you have the time, sometimes you need to travel a road both ways to see what you missed the first time around.  You'll understand what I mean with this next set of photos.  Oh, by the way, across from the Sand Canyon Trailhead is a winery which does have a tasting room, and sells by the bottle.  Just in case you need some after that long hike, or want to take a bottle along with your picnic; just remember to take your garbage out of the canyon area with you.


The last time we traveled Road G, we took Route 262 which is between White Mesa and Bluff, off of Route 191 in Utah towards Cortez.  Along the way, we saw this huge boulder almost sitting on the left side of the roadway.  Big deal, seen one boulder, seen them all, right?  Wrong!  Coming from the Colorado way, as we got to the boulder I shouted out, "Stop!  Ruins!"  Poor Roy almost choked as he was drinking from his bottle of Mountain Dew, but he did stop the SUV.  I jumped out and began walking towards the boulder, camera in hand; there indeed were the small remains of Native American ruins, and petroglyphs.  Unfortunately, there was a lot of modern day graffiti which almost obscured some of the rock art.

Climbing up and around the boulders



Signature from 1940

After climbing up from the boulders a little, the landscape opens up across and behind the area.

Ridge behind the boulders

4/10s of a mile from the boulders, there is a sign indicating the way to Yellow Jacket; we figure it will come out eventually onto Route 491, but plan on exploring it in the future. The Ismay Trading Post is also here, not open when we were there, but it does look interesting.  If you're looking for Hovenweep National Monument, there are signs here and there to keep you on track.

Different View of the Ridge

Ismay Trading Post

Along the way we met up with a family of horses, at first the colt was lying on the ground; but we watched as it struggled to get up on all fours; the other horses nuzzling or pressing their bodies against it.  We never left the vehicle, only took photos from the window; but the adults were ever watchful over the youngster.  The huge male got up himself and did a bit of posing for the camera...what a ham!

...and out of the desert soil, some of the most lovely flowers grow

Hairy Goldenaster (Sunflower family)

This was a relaxing adventure with some of the prettiest sights to see; still not hungry, we continued back home.

Mary Cokenour

Perkins Road to Canyons and Ruins.

In my write up about Browns Canyon Ruins, I mentioned that Perkins Road (CR 206) is also the way to Three Kiva Pueblo; well coming from Blanding that is. There is another route, but that's going to be in the series of write ups I'll be doing on the various canyons between Monticello and Blanding.  By the way, this isn't going to be about Three Kiva Pueblo; sorry, but I'm not done with Perkins Road just yet.





This graded gravel road has some of the most amazing scenery along both sides; dips, curves, steep inclines and declines giving a full vision vantage view.  There is also a full view of the Abajo Mountains; a covering of snow giving them a more defined, dramatic aura.





Monument Valley is in the far distance.

One detail I should warn you about Perkins Road, it likes to change names; in the city of Blanding you start on Main Street and 500 South, then it turns to 1100 East/Dairy Lane. You'll get to a cattle guard with two signs - CR 206 and CR 2416 and wonder; now when did it change to CR 2416? Don't panic, just cross over the cattle guard and stay the course; that's CR 206 just playing its name game with you.



Get ready to get a bit frustrated, I'm going to tease you to no end now.  Twenty miles along the road, you'll come to the junction for Montezuma Canyon Road (CR 146); there is some sort of substation there.  The left turn will bring you to Three Kiva Pueblo in another seven miles; however, this entire road is full of cliffside and cave ruins; rock art; wineries, and modern homes built into the sandstone walls.   CR 146 comes out on Route 191, just five miles from the Monticello Welcome Center.  Sorry, but that's all I'm going to say about it in this post; you'll just have to wait for my canyon series.

There are two options now; make the left turn onto CR 146, or keep going straight; oh and I mean that.  There will be forks in the road; stay straight, or if unsure, lean towards the right hand path.  The scenery gets pretty drab, the desert and stone taking on a grayish hue; horses roaming the land freely don't seem to mind posing for photos.

This horse was a true sweetheart.



Just as you think you're about to fall asleep, a homestead comes into view; around the corner, Hurrah, signs!  Now all you have to do is pick a direction; return the way you came,  CR 262 to Blanding or Bluff, Hovenweep National Monument, or to Cortez, Colorado.  Cortez is where we were headed, to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Tequila's.   Oh my, the stomach is growling, and I'm drooling just thinking about eating one of their most awesomely delicious meals.



Route to Cortez, Colorado



There you go, Perkins Road (CR 206), and the point of all this is that you shouldn't just go to a certain point on a roadway just to see one thing...keep going and find those other wonderful sites.

Mary Cokenour