The last time I passed this way was in May 2014 but I was going the opposite direction, from Capitol Reef NP to Bryce Canyon NP. The places I stopped at both times hadn't changed very much, but the rest was only vaguely familiar. It's why, if I stop to shoot something I spotted from the highway, I always try to look around before getting back in the car to see if I've missed something of interest. It's a good habit and I have never regretted it. It still surprises me how much different things look when you're headed the other way.
After leaving Bryce Canyon I headed east on Utah Hwy 12 towards the town and the river named Escalante. Before I got there, however, I encountered this pair of grand monoliths - A fine library or courthouse on the left and and a terrific amphitheater on the right. Never mind that you can't go inside either of them; the very small town of Henrieville (pop. about 230), about half a mile down the road to my right doesn't really need either just now - they have plenty of time to grow into them.
This overlook is called Head of the Rocks and it's about 40 mi ENE of Bryce Canyon's entrance (as the crow flies) and 2-3 mi south of UT-12's bridge over the Escalante River. But what surprised me about the view is that it captures the three highest peaks of the Henry Mountains: Mt Ellen, Mt Pennell, and Mt Hillers. And you should know than the Henry Mountains were the last mountain range added to the map of the 48 contiguous United States (1872). Prior to that they were referred to as the Unknown Mountains and the Navajo still refer to the range as
Dził Bizhiʼ Ádiní ("the mountain whose name is missing").
This frame is nearly adjacent to the preceding one - I was panning too quickly, I guess. UT-12 heads off to the right, then swings around into the frame about 3/4 of the way up the right edge, curves towards the camera, and dives behind the foreground and goes north near the bottom left corner of the frame. Got that? Now try to pick up the highway in the preceding frame and follow it's path towards Mt Ellen in the upper left corner. Isn't this fun?
The Head of the Rocks area looks pretty dry when you're standing there looking down at the gyrations UT-12 makes heading north. But very quickly you come to this pull-off that seems a little less hostile.
This bit of red rock is just across the road from where you parked. You notice the wind has picked up here so you might leave your hat in the car as you stretch your legs. But the wind is keeping things cool and you know the river crossing is just up ahead.
That was some kind of pass or something whether it was named or not, because the road just kinda drops you down into this narrow canyon that seems really happy with the amount of water it has. If you were just out for the day, you'd want to explore this place.
The river's just up ahead, I think. There are a few places you can pull off the road and walk down to the river, but this day there was no room for another car. I guess I'll have to content myself with the pictures I took there last time. There's a picture from that visit
here (the last photo).
After about three or four miles you climb out of the small canyon, but there's still lots of green till then. The highway tags along with Calf Creek, that drains into the Escalante.
A few more miles along you come to Calf Creek Overlook and can look down on it from above. Somewhere down there is a waterfall and a road follows the creek most of the way to the falls. But this view isn't of someplace you'd want to be lost.
I turned around to walk back to the car and the view across the highway wasn't half bad. Boulder Creek waters this valley and apparently does a nice job of it. The road comes down off the mountain and turns due east into the town of Boulder at the head of the valley.
I wasn't alone all the time. As I approached a curve I saw three deer waiting to cross the highway and I turned onto a dirt track and stopped, thinking I might get a picture or two before the critters disappeared into the woods. One bold one crossed without giving me a thought, and I clicked off a few shots. Another was eying me suspiciously from across the road, and the third was grazing and couldn't have cared less about the guy in the car. Eventually, number two decided to give it a go and started across, eyeing me all the way. The Ford pickup managed to miss this untrusting soul - barely - and went on its way. The hungry one looked up at the screech of tires, found itself alone and crossed very nonchalantly. Number Two, above, still thought I had something to do with it.
Here are Mount Ellen and the rest of the Henry Mountains from the Larb Hollow Overlook. I had intended to provide a link to the same view from my 2014 visit. But, for some incomprehensible reason the picture I had in mind wasn't included in that old post. The reason I wanted to show them both was to compare the views with and without snow on the ground. It really makes a difference.
Oh, all right. Here it is - even though thirteen pictures is too many for one post. You're welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment