No Way To Start The Day

The day began with a camper waiting outside our RV at 7am wanting to tell us about a deer that had its leg caught in a tree. We immediately headed over to assess the situation and saw the poor thing thrashing around on the ground with one of its forelegs caught in the V of one of the orchard trees. We had no idea how long she had been there and assume she had stood on her hind legs to get at some of the leaves on the lower branches and slipped. I called the staff biologist who lives down the road, and when she arrived, Russ tried to help her free the leg but to no avail. She left to find more help and soon a couple of guys arrived. In a flash they had the deer free as they seemed to know the perfect strategy, but it appeared the leg was broken as she limped a couple of feet and collapsed, completely exhausted. Within a couple of minutes she seemed to have gotten a second wind, stood up, and limped off down the trail, that leg buckling beneath her with each step. We finished our rounds, returned to the RV, and about half an hour later heard a gun shot. Russ got in the cart and headed to where she had last fallen. There she was in the same spot, and the ranger had needed to put her out of her misery, a task no one would relish. This was definitely no way to start the day.

Later that day a young couple came to let us know they had just seen a mountain lion resting near one of the trails by the campground. They were adamant about what they had seen so once again we needed to radio the ranger. He said they seemed pretty knowledgeable in their description and contacted the Resource Manager. Seems it’s not really uncommon to find mountain lions near the campground or even in it! They decided it was too late in the day to head up the trail looking for it so would wait until the next morning. They never did find it.

The rest of the work week was busy with the campground filling every night but no more excitement like that one day. We did have a group of 25 show up unexpectedly one night after the campground was filled but with the help of the Chief Ranger, we were able to accommodate them. Our front TV stopped working on another day, but fortunately we had the extra one outside that we set up on the dashboard until we can get the other one fixed.

The work week did end on a good note though. The Employee Association held their annual Welcome Back Barbecue at the town pavilion in Torrey. Nancy had offered to watch the campground for us if we wanted to go since she and John weren’t, and though the weather had turned cloudy, cold, and rainy, we decided we’d attend for a little while. The Association provided the meat and lemonade while everyone brought a side dish to share. The rain stopped before we arrived, the pavilion was indoors, and it was nice to just mingle with some of the staff on an informal basis. Sorry no photos...I forgot the camera.

Hiking, Walking, Climbing

The weather finally turned warm on one of our days off so at last we could plan on taking a hike. We parked in the Grand Wash parking lot and began the 300 yards to the trailhead of Cassidy Arch. The entire trail is 3-1/2 miles roundtrip with an elevation change of 670 feet and is listed on the park’s brochure as a strenuous hike. We haven’t hiked in almost a year so why in the world would we start with an easy or even moderate one! LOL Most of the elevation change occurs in about the first half mile, and Russ said that was quite enough change in such a short distance for him! The arch was named after the outlaw, Butch Cassidy, who is thought to have occasionally used Grand Wash as a hideout. The picture of me at the beginning of this paragraph is actually near the start of the trailhead and is not of the arch. The views along the way were spectacular, and we made frequent stops to rest and enjoy the landscape laid out before us.

At one point we even had an impressive view of Navajo Dome in the distance (though I zoomed in a bit for the photo at right of Russ seeming to appear right in front of it). Eventually we had our first look at Cassidy Arch, and from this point it was another ½ mile hike along some smooth slickrock formations….careful where you step! Finally we reached our destination, and I’d like to say we were awestruck by what we saw, but I guess we’ve seen too many arches in the past few years. After having been to Arches National Park and also seeing arches at a couple other national parks that didn’t require as strenuous a hike, we’re just not sure it was worth the hike for us though it is amazing to see what nature has done. The hike back down seemed to go faster (why is that?), and we passed desert flowers in bloom plus we “discovered” another arch (below right) which Russ dubbed “The Farmer’s Arch”.

Not far down the Grand Wash from the Scenic Drive are a couple entrances to the Oyler Mine. The first claim to this uranium mine was staked in 1904, and in the 1920s pieces of uranium ore from this mine were ground up and mixed in drinking water, or worn in packets on waistbands, as a “cure” for rheumatism. Not sure that worked out real well as the cure was possibly worse than the disease! The openings are now closed off with grates which allow the bats to access the interior to roost and to keep people out.

Sat., May 14, was National Migratory Bird Day, and each year Ranger Dave hosts a bird walk along the Fremont River. Barbara, Nancy, and I walked over to the picnic area where it was to start at 7:30 a.m. Unlike the beautiful day before, it was now overcast, cool, and a little windy, and we weren’t seeing many birds initially but maybe that had something to with the two little dogs that were brought along who clearly did not like each other. Why would you bring dogs on a bird walk? The owners kept trying to separate them, then finally left, and it seems the number of birds increased…imagine that! There are lots of well-fed American Robins in the area and just as I decided to snap a picture of one perched in a tree, two Orioles began fluttering around in the branches above. If you look closely at the photo (double-click to enlarge), you can see their bright yellow bodies. Barbara was getting too chilly and decided to head back for some coffee, and Nancy felt she really should get back to the campground to help John since she was technically on duty. I continued on with the group.

From the picnic area, we strolled across the street towards the Gifford House where we found a Yellow-Rumped Warbler sitting atop a bush just outside and a Say’s Phoebe in another bush nearby (okay so I didn’t know the names of the pretty birdies until Dave told us). As we continued along the Fremont River, birds were spotted here and there but not always by me. However, perched at the very top of a bare branch (not much higher off the ground than the top of my head) was a Black-chinned Hummingbird that just sat there for the longest time (posing for pictures evidently!) We also spotted an Indigo Bunting and a Lazuli Bunting searching for food in the grass, but the photo below right does not do justice to their bright blue coloring. We saw several more birds along the way, but I didn’t get good pictures of them or they flew off too quickly to catch on film.

However, one of the last things we saw on our walk was a Golden Eagle flying near the rock face across from the campground. As we all trained our binoculars in that direction, it landed in a crevice near the top and someone spotted its nest. Dave said that there had been reports of an eagle’s nest in the area but they hadn’t seen it yet. I couldn’t see the it with my binoculars, but one gentleman with higher powered ones than me said he could see a couple eaglets in the nest! The next afternoon Russ and I got out our telescope and aimed it in the direction of the nest. Being at a different angle than I had been the day before, it was not as easy to see into the crevice but we could see one of the eagles perched at the right-hand edge. And there it sat for the next hour and a half. As you can imagine, people were curious as to what we were looking at, and we offered a look to anyone who asked. I zoomed in my camera as far as I could to try and get a shot of the eagle, and though a little blurred from enlarging, hopefully you can see it especially if you double-click on the photo (look for the white arrow pointing to it). Around 4:30 it flew off, and we didn’t see it again the rest of the evening.

Besides hiking, rock climbing is a favorite pastime of many who visit Capitol Reef, and one day we spotted a couple guys attempting to do so in an area directly across from the campground. As we chatted with one of the rangers while watching them, he told us that it probably took the guys a couple of hours just to get to that point and figured they would only climb to the top of the overhang. Only one of the guys actually climbed and shortly after the picture above left was taken, he repelled down to where his buddy was. Obviously I had zoomed in for that photo, so at right is a photo of the rockface with an arrow pointing to the area where they were. Some folks just love a challenge!

Habanero Gold!

We finally visited the Gifford Farmhouse (GiffordFarmhouse) with its crabapple tree in full bloom out front. As you know we can see it from our campsite but had not yet ventured inside. It’s part museum and part country store, and we were a little afraid to go over because they sell homemade pies, breads, scones, jams, and more! The pies and breads are made by the chefs at Café Diablo (http://www.cafediablo.net/) in nearby Torrey (you may remember we’ve raved about their food in the past), and the scones are made by a local Scottish man. All are delivered fresh daily, and we had tasted the blackberry pie when our neighbor, Nancy, shared some with us a couple of weeks ago. These pies are generally considered individual-sized ($5 each) and you’ll see many people with fork in hand eating directly from the little tin all by themselves, but they are definitely big enough for two. When we walked in, we introduced ourselves to Monica behind the counter, and she informed us that as campground hosts we could take our pick of a pie or a loaf of bread as a welcome gift! We chose an apple pie and bought a loaf of sourdough bread for $3.95. There were free samples of some yummy salsa, and we learned that they also sell little individualized cups of Café Diablo’s homemade ice cream….this could definitely be a dangerous place!

The original home was built in 1908 by Calvin Pendleton, who lived there with his family for 8 years. It was then occupied by the Jorgen Jorgenson family from 1916-1928 and was sold to son-in-law Dewey Gifford in 1928. The Gifford family lived in the home for the next 41 years until he sold it and the land to the National Park Service in 1969. The former kitchen was converted into the store run by the Capitol Reef National History Association. Besides all the yummy food items, there are also handmade items by local artisans and craftsmen for sale. The rest of the house displays many of the items that would have been in the home when lived in as well as serving as a backdrop for the sale of some of the craft items. It also serves as a demonstration site for interpretative programs of the early Mormon settlers. Following the link above will give you even more information on the history and everyday life of the Gifford homestead.

Each year a group from the Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org/) spends a week volunteering their time to help with projects around Capitol Reef NP and stay in the group campsite area of the campground. This year projects included but were not limited to building fences in the backcountry, digging ditches for a sprinkler system at the Gifford Farmhouse, and picking up trash along the highway. During this week the Capitol Reef Employee Association holds a silent auction in which the Sierra Club members enjoy participating. On that Fri. a special goodbye reception/ice cream social was held for the 15 members where they received certificates from the Park Superintendent. We had arrived half an hour early to check out the auction items though we didn’t really need anything (and have nowhere to put much of anything!) Most of the items were handmade, and we put bids on two items…a jar of peach butter and an origami turkey. Now I know we didn’t need an origami turkey, but these items made by Ranger Ray (pictured below right) are fascinating and incredibly intricate plus we wanted to do our part to help out the Association. We won both items for a total of $6…woohoo!

Another set of volunteers arrived May 1 and are parked in the site next to us for the month of May. Martin and Barbara Burkhead have been spending a month at Capitol Reef for the past 13 years sharing their expertise and knowledge. Martin is Emeritus Professor of Astronomy from Indiana University and presents night sky programs at the amphitheater several times a week (weather permitting). On other nights Barbara shares Native American stories at their campsite. These stories, such as why the turtle’s back appears cracked, are enjoyed by young and old alike. In fact each night there have been more adults in attendance than kids!

One of the nice things about having a resident astronomer living next door is that he can key you in on happening events. A few nights ago he told us that he would be pointing out the International Space Station flying over during his constellation talk. We didn’t attend that night, but while walking the dogs we saw what we believed to be the Space Station as it moved across the night sky. Martin confirmed it the next day, and we learned that it would be flying over again about 20 min. earlier that night. It was at a lower elevation, but we did see it and I was able to get a photo of it! If you enlarge the photo at left (double click to do so) and look closely, you’ll see a white dot…that’s the International Space Station! Yes, you’ll just have to take our word for it plus there are plenty of other witnesses who can vouch that it is.

The weather has been unseasonably cold and windy since we arrived with only a couple of really nice days but that is expected to change soon. However, it could be worse; we could be at Bryce Canyon National Park. While we got some pea-sized hail here the other day (as seen in the photo) and it snowed a little in nearby Torrey, Bryce has been getting a lot of snow. In fact the other day we had campers arrive who had just come from there and woke to 4 inches of snow! Bryce had been our first choice for campground hosting, but thank goodness Capitol Reef contacted us first. While pretty to look at, we’d hate to be out working in it!

We’ve met so many great people on our travels, as you well know, and being campground hosts has made that even easier. Another such couple are Jinx and Jim from the Benson, AZ area. Though not her given name, she’s been called Jinx since the day she was born even by her parents as she was born on Friday the 13th. Neat lady who can’t stand to be idle, and though she still works fulltime, finds plenty of time to knit, make jewelry, can veggies, and make some incredibly delicious jam! She not only makes the usual varieties but also creates many of her own. She gave us a jar of something she calls Habanero Gold…apricot jam with pieces of habanero pepper mixed in…spicy and oh so yummy!! She says it is great on grilled chicken, cream cheese on a bagel, or even just by itself on a piece of toast…and boy was she right! She had brought several different varieties with her for a friend, but the friend had to cancel at the last minute, and Jinx shared a couple jars with us plus I offered to buy a couple more including another Habanero Gold since that’s something you can’t buy just anywhere. Oh, and Jim's a fun guy, too!

The blooms are nearly gone from the fruit trees, but I was able to get one last shot of the pear trees in the orchard near Loop B. Absolutely beautiful!

Rangers to the Rescue

Yesterday there was some major excitement at Capitol Reef National Park. Around noon a report came over the radio that an emergency signal had been received from a GPS locator device. (Though it had nothing to do with us, we were able to monitor the day’s events with each transmission.) Rangers were dispatched to locate the hiker who had sent it, and he was eventually found in a crevice at Upper Spring Canyon. He had separated from his fellow hikers (who had actually sent the signal), and in trying to climb straight up a little bit higher, his foot slipped on some rocks and he fell about 20 feet in the crevice. His fellow hikers didn’t see him fall but heard the rock slide. To get to his exact location, the rangers had to hike 4 miles from where their car was parked and then climb down to him. Though unconscious when they initially reached him, he became alert and responsive. Once they determined his injuries, they needed to stabilize him and figure how to best get him out. Since there are no major medical facilities in the area, a search and rescue helicopter was considered necessary. The nearest available one was at the Grand Canyon and would take at least 2 hours to get to their location. The rangers needed that time anyway to not only stabilize him onto a litter, but also to move him about 100 yards over rough terrain to a better location for the helicopter to hover while they dropped a cable. Once the helicopter arrived, he was carried to a waiting ambulance near the Chimney Rock trailhead and transported to the hospital in Richfield (about 75 miles away). It was too late for the helicopter to return to the Grand Canyon, so it was parked near the campground on the other side of the horse pasture till the next morning. You should have seen the deer scatter as they landed! The entire operation lasted about 9 hours and took the efforts of about 13 rangers. Later we learned that the man had several skull fractures, a broken nose, a dislocated hip, and 10 broken ribs. We find it amazing he survived. All the rangers involved deserve major kudos for a job well done!

On a less dramatic note the day before, the golf cart died on the other side of the middle loop while we were making our rounds. Russ managed to push it off the road, and we walked back to our campsite to radio the ranger on duty who came to our rescue and towed it back over here. See, rangers make rescues of all kinds!