The Subway, Zion National Park

The Subway, Zion National Park

The Subway, Zion National Park
The Subway, Zion National Park

The moment we decided we were driving to Denver for this year’s GABF, I decided that I would determine our route home through Southern Utah based on one factor: where can I get a permit? There are two places on my desert bucket list that have access restricted by permits, so I applied for them both. If I got one, that would determine our route. If I got none, well, we’d figure something else out. If I got both? I would be very fortunate and would make it work somehow.
The first permit lottery to be drawn was for the Wave, something I have tried for (and not gotten) in the past. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected. The second was the Subway in Zion National Park, and I got my second date choice. Woo hoo! Once that was on the calendar I was able to plan out the rest of the week that you’ve been reading about up until now.
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Hole-In-The-Rock-Road: Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Canyon

Hole-In-The-Rock-Road: Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Canyon

Morning view from camp
Morning view from camp

Our dispersed campsite down Hole-In-The-Rock road was no less beautiful in the morning when the sun hit the cliffs that parallel the road. We had driven to the furthest point out the road that we intended on going the previous day, so today’s agenda had us heading out, stopping at several places along the way.
The first stop of the drive out was the side trip to the Dry Fork Trail. This trail leads to several slot canyons and we planned on spending a few hours exploring them. Accessing the trailhead from Hole-In-The-Rock road involves a short ~1.5 mile drive down a dirt road that had a big rut running through it from the recent storms. I don’t think the truck has ever been that off-canter but we made it just fine.
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Capitol Reef’s Cassidy Arch and Grand Staircase’s Hole-In-The-Rock Road

Capitol Reef’s Cassidy Arch and Grand Staircase’s Hole-In-The-Rock Road

Capitol Reef
Capitol Reef

After our fantastic visit to the Great Gallery, we drove over to Capitol Reef and snagged a campsite in their campground. Considering that October is the busy season for the Southern Utah parks, I was pleasantly surprised by the peaceful and quiet nature of the half-occupied campground. Everyone wants to hit the ‘big boys’ like Zion and Bryce, and Capitol Reef is often overlooked.
The campground is in an area known as “Fruita”, an old mormon settlement that still has old buildings standing between the red rock walls, including the school and the blacksmith shop. There is even an old home where they bake and sell pies. Several orchards still grow among the buildings. A large herd of deer wandered through camp and we watched some males fight at sunset. Hello ladies.
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The Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival

We finally got to Denver for GABF! But before heading to town we did a morning hike in the Flatirons of Boulder. We figured it would be good to get in some exercise before the days of indulgence at GABF. As much fun as this festival is, I’m glad it’s only once a year!
Morning hike with coffee to the first Flatiron:

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Horsetooth Reservoir Bouldering and New Belgium Tour

Horsetooth Reservoir Bouldering and New Belgium Tour

The reason for our road trip to Colorado is the Great American Beer Festival, so once we reached Fort Collins beer took a priority on our itinerary. But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t also have some outdoors fun!
We set our alarms early (we’re not THAT dedicated beer drinkers…there is far too much to do in the morning!) and headed out to Horsetooth Reservoir for some bouldering among the rocks that helped kick start the sport years ago.
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Speed Goats and other Wildlife in Grand Teton

Speed Goats and other Wildlife in Grand Teton

We left West Yellowstone Monday morning at sunrise, heading south to Jackson. It was a beautiful sunrise, but it was so cold outside!

We took the short scenic drive to Mesa Falls and found the place deserted. The 28 degrees and misting fall water kept us from enjoying the place too long. Brr!

Upper Mesa Falls:

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Elf Country, i.e. Yellowstone and Big Sky, MT

Elf Country, i.e. Yellowstone and Big Sky, MT

We woke up on Sunday morning and did a double check: nope, not dreaming, parks still closed, Congress still run by selfish asses. Grr. So instead, we decided to head out on a recommended wildlife-spotting loop for spring when the snow has not yet melted, followed by a visit to Big Sky. We drove around Hebgen Lake and did not see any wildlife, but we did see the fascinating remnants of an earthquake that decimated a local recreation area and essentially created a new lake. It was windy and 25 degrees, though, so we didn’t linger.
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