July 06, 2023
At Capitol Reef Nationwide Park in south-central Utah, historic layers of stone stand uncovered in a red-rock desert. Shaped into turrets, reefs, and domes by geologic uplift after which the gradual erosion of water over millennia, the park’s layered rock tells the historical past of the Earth to those that can learn it. It has additionally witnessed the comings and goings of human residents since round 300 CE.
We visited in early Might throughout our RV highway journey, and I loved the cultural tales of Capitol Reef as a lot as its castle-like pinnacles and hills of folded rock.
Capitol Reef is described as a wrinkle within the Earth’s floor. How was the wrinkle fashioned? First, historic seas, deserts, swamps, and rivers rose and fell over the eons to create 10,000 toes of sedimentary rock.
Between 50 and 70 million years in the past, two tectonic plates collided, and the land was pushed up as excessive as 7,000 toes. The rock didn’t crack underneath the gradual stress that lifted it up. As an alternative it bent and folded over the fault line. Water did the remainder between 1 and 6 million years in the past, eroding the higher layers of rock to reveal the traditional, uplifted sedimentary layers. And voila, a layer cake of stone.
A meandering stream alongside the bottom of a cliff continues the work that created this uncommon panorama.
Ancestors of right this moment’s Hopi, Zuni, and Paiute tribes, often called the Fremont folks after the river that runs by means of the canyon, made everlasting settlements right here and farmed the flood plain for a thousand years, from round 300 to 1300 CE.
They carved photographs of individuals or spirits and animals into the pink rock, creating petroglyphs that stay to this present day.
No matter they meant to convey could also be shrouded by time, however these lasting impressions of their tradition captured my creativeness.
Round 1300 CE, the Fremont folks left this space. Nobody is aware of why. Afterward, nomadic tribes handed by means of, however nobody else settled right here till the Mormons got here within the Eighties.
Mormon settlers eked out a dwelling by planting orchards of apple, pear, cherry, apricot, peach, and different fruit bushes within the fertile flood plain.
They named their city Fruita, and a handful of households lived right here for many years, till the final household bought their land to the Nationwide Park Service in 1969. Irrigation ditches and heirloom fruit bushes stay, maintained by NPS.
On the Gifford Homestead, a preserved Mormon farm, little fruit pies are bought each day — and promote out each day! We’d heard it was crucial to pattern the pie and fortunately complied.
We devoured a peach pie after a picnic lunch alongside the river.
Yum!
The Gifford barn and horses greet you on the homestead, with these dramatic canyon partitions making a sunset-hued backdrop.
In early Might, a lot of the fruit bushes had already flowered, however the apples have been nonetheless holding onto cottony blossoms.
Yet another tree in opposition to these putting cliffs
Different buildings from the Mormon settlers stay. Elijah and Tabitha Jane Behunin settled right here within the Eighties however lasted solely a yr. Their household of 15 known as this rock-walled cabin house, should you can imagine it.
“It was not a straightforward place to homestead. The crops they planted have been washed out by flash floods, and the cabin was solely giant sufficient for Elijah, Tabitha Jane, and their youngest youngsters. The older boys slept in a sandstone alcove, whereas the older women slept in a coated wagon field.”
https://www.nps.gov/locations/behunin-cabin.htm
Right here’s an outdated picture of those hardy souls.
Capitol Reef is way much less developed than Zion or Bryce Canyon, and the views are much less dramatic as nicely. However nonetheless fascinating! We took one of many pink grime roads towards the rocky reef.
I want I may present you the Capitol Dome that the park is partly named for, however I don’t bear in mind seeing it. However we received an eyeful of the “reef,” the uplifted hills that blocked journey for early settlers. Some sections of domed rock are easy and grey, like a humpback whale developing for a breath of air.
Pictures don’t adequately convey the strangeness of the rock formations, like this slope-sided mesa with a slender fin of rock alongside the crest.
Or these white-rock hills that resemble dollops of whipped cream.
At overlooks we admired the views and the wildflowers that added spots of coloration in a harsh panorama.
Diagonal uplift
And extra
Grey and purple rock layers with an eroded fin on high
This view nearly jogs my memory of the Texas Hill Nation. However we had far to go but earlier than turning to house.
Up subsequent: Lovely Canyonlands Nationwide Park. For a glance again on the huge surroundings of Grand Staircase-Escalante Nationwide Monument, click on right here.
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