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



Abundant Campsites in the Abajo Mountains.

Four years ago hubby and I noticed a couple of signs indicating the locations of Indian ruins.  However, the roads leading to them were very unsuitable for a car; so we kept saying that we would make more of an effort once we got a Jeep or SUV.  Two years later we finally purchased a used SUV and made the trip back up North Creek Road (aka Abajo Mountain Loop Drive, Abajo Drive) to visit those elusive ruins.  The signs were no longer on the roadway; there are so many dirt roads leading to who knows where and we couldn't remember. 



Jenna
 

Mule Deer
 

Yesterday I decided to take the ride back up the mountain road, and took my dog Jenna with me.  She had a great time running through grassy fields, and surprisingly didn't bark at, or chase, any of the mule deer in the area.  We investigated a few of the dirt roads by parking my car safely off the main road, and walking through to see what we could see.  I did see a male wild turkey, but they can walk faster than I thought; by the time I had the camera ready, it was already into the brush.

I didn't find any ruins, just too many dirt roads to investigate; however, there are so many places to go camping up there!  Many sites are visible from the roadway, many you have to drive a little way to.  There are two campgrounds up in the Abajos that are run by the Forestry service, Dalton Springs and Buckboard.  They can accommodate RVs, but have no hookups; there are toilets of a sort, and no electricity to charge your cellphones, Ipads or laptops.  The camp sites around the three lakes can accommodate small camping trailers, but no mansions on wheels.

Guess I better tell you how to get to a few places; at the corner of 200 South and Main Street in Monticello, Utah is the Welcome Center.  Take 200 South west and follow the street as it curves to the left; keep following this curvy street and you'll finally see the beginning of the road up into the mountains.  As you travel the road, be careful of the deer, they're out any time they want to be; you're the visitor, not them.  The first place I investigated was at the 4.5 mile mark, a dirt road off to the right side of the road; there are camp sites and the most beautiful view of the valley, Monticello and the road (Route 491) going off towards Colorado.  Small trailers can get through, huge motor homes...not; continue up the mountain road and you'll see the signs for Dalton Springs and Buckboard to accommodate those.

View of valley and the La Sal Mountains
 

You'll have to travel about 10 miles before you get to a fork in the road; to the left leads to Foy Lake, to the right leads to Harts Draw Road and finally to Route 211.  All along the way you'll see breath taking scenery of the mountains.








Now if you only travel about 9 miles, you're going to see a graded road on the right which leads to a 3-way crossroads after curving up the hill.  If you take the road going straight, that is Spring Creek Road; it is bumpy here and there, but a car can traverse the entire road until it comes out on Route 191 (8.5 mile drive).  All along the road are dirt roads where many camp sites are visible via the road, and some you have to drive a little way to.  The speed limit is marked as 35, but I did 20 with my car; many a squirrel and chipmunk crossing the road were thankful for that.



If you want to go directly onto Spring Creek Road from Route 191, there are no signs indicating it by name, no mile markers nearby, just a simple white marker with the number 103 on it.  I can tell you though that it is 4 miles north from the town of Monticello; and the photo gives you a hint of what the entrance looks like currently.  There are many ranches along Spring Creek Road, so if you see "Private Property" and/or "No Trespassing" signs, YES!  they are meant for you.


Basically, if you are looking to camp outdoors and leave all the modern conveniences of the world; the Abajo Mountains is your mecca.  It is peaceful, quiet, serene; you can commune with nature and forget about stresses in your life.  Just enjoy.

Mary Cokenour