Travelogues
2016 New Mexico & Utah Trip

Tuesday, October 11

Fruita CampgroundClouds filled the sky this morning, so we decided to enjoy a leisurely morning, watch the deer moving through the campground, and then drive to the Visitor Center. We watched the latest Park Service movie, bought souvenirs, and checked on road conditions. Weather conditions didn't improve, so we drove to Torrey to get the supplies we forgot or couldn't get in Blanding. We checked at the general store in Torrey, but they were no help at all. Bicknell was no better. We finally had to drive to Loa to get our groceries. Fifty miles round trip to get groceries could be a real pain if you had to do it on a regular basis.

We returned to camp, but kept an eye on the sky to see if it would clear up like yesterday. About 5:00, it did just that. We grabbed our camera gear and photographed the old barn just outside the campground. The contrast between the old barn, the red canyon walls, and the golden cottonwoods made the shot. As we were finishing, the lighting continued to improve, so we drove up the Scenic Drive to shoot along the western side of the Waterpocket Fold. We only made it to the Slick Rock Divide before the sun dropped below a ridge that shaded everything but the canyon walls. One of my favorite images from the trip was looking down the Scenic Drive from the Slick Rock Divide.

Capitol Reef Barn Capitol Reef Barn
Capitol Reef Barn Barn Sunburst
Slick Rock Divide Scenic Drive
Slick Rock Divide Scenic Drive

We returned to camp, enjoyed our taco dinner, and developed today's images.