Day 3 - Goosenecks Overlook and Capitol Reef National Park

 

Google Maps satellite view

We left Hanksville at 6 AM and headed west on route 24 for a 7:33 AM sunrise atop the Overlook in Goosenecks State Park. After a climb, we found ourselves with a clear view of the eastern horizon, and on the brink of an awesome canyon. There in semidarkness, we set up our tripods and adjusted our cameras to take triplets of frames at different ƒ stops to best capture the sunrise. We were not disappointed.

7:25:53 AM

7:31:23 AM

7:33:35 AM

These are some of the finest photographs I have ever taken. And yet, they cannot begin to rival seeing the beauty of actually watching the sky changing by the second during the transition from dark to light.

As it got lighter, we focused our attention on the canyon which was carved by the San Juan River.

Here is a satellite image of the San Juan River as it snakes through the park.

After lunch, the group split into two. The youngsters headed for a steep hike to Hickman's Bridge. The senior members explored other wonders of the Capitol Reef National Park. Then the rain came. They got soaked. We stayed pretty dry.

The Capitol Reef National Park is also known for petroglyphs. These are engraved etchings into rock walls created by the Fremont and Puebloan people who considered what we now call Utah their home, well before our immigrant ancestors showed up. The petroglyphs  were created between 600-1300 A.D. They are reasonably well preserved, despite the efforts of descendants of immigrants to deface them a thousand years later.

     Here are a few:

The Park is also known for the preserved school house serving the children of the town of Fruita.

Also preserved in the town of Fruita are a barn and a home which now houses a bakery. We had to get to the bakery early in order to get our fruit pies for lunch. There were also unusual food items to be had.

Enjoy!

Parting shot (iPhone 15)