This is why I didn’t stop for pictures yesterday……….can’t stop once I start.  Every thing you see along these roads is different, sorta, and the same, sorta.  Drive thru it and take pictures.  Come back an hour later, the light’s a little different and start all over.  Highway 95, from Blanding, UT across past Natural Bridges and Lake Powell, thru Capitol Reef to Torrey, UT is something like 250 miles, I think, and I’ll match that scenery against anything on earth.   This is just west of Blanding, approaching Comb Ridge……………

There are canyons…………

and mesas.  (this one looks like a cardboard prop, doesn’t it ??)……………..

Past Hite to the top (north) end of Lake Powell.  Notice the cliffs at center right……………

……and a wee problem with the boat trailer.  Good thing I have a spare.  The tire had plenty of tread, but de-laminated.  I don’t owe those tires anything - they’ve gone a long, hard road in the last few years.  (I bought - got ripped off for - 2 new tires in Bullfrog)……………

The Dirty Devil River, just above its’ meeting with the Lake.  Taken from the Hwy 95 bridge………….

Past the Dirty Devil River, the highway climbs steeply to the top of the cliffs and there’s a magnificent overlook up there.  Dirty Devil River empties into Lake Powell’s extreme top end at upper right…………

From Hwy 95, it’s about 40 miles south on Hwy 276 to Bullfrog.  You’ll be forced to endure scenery like this……………..

………..and this, thru the Henry Mountains.  I could easily spend a month on this trip……………

Until you reach the recreation area at Bullfrog Bay - the black arrow on the GPS………………

To the right of the arrow you’ll see Aztec Rapids, and to the right of that the number of Hwy 276.  It was just to the left of the 2 in that number where I took this picture of a boat in the canyon last July……………..

This is the big attraction for me, along with spectacular scenery and just loving being on the boat.  I want to do that with my boat very badly and will start tomorrow, wind permitting.  North of Aztec Rapids you can see several narrow canyons, and to the south, off the map, are many more, and those are the ones I’ll start with tomorrow.  The huge Escalante Canyon and the San Juan River will be the focus points and many in between.  Day after, I’ll head north.

It’s cooled now from the mid-90’s to high 80’s, the wind is blowing thru the open windows of the camper and it sure feels nice.  Ahhhhh…………                     Lar.

–
Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com
www.gogittum.com/blog

Posted: May 17th, 2009 under 09 Santa Fe, 09-5-7 To Lake Powell.
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