Capitol Reef Utah - TWBV report

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 06/16/2014 at 12:55 • Filed to: TWBV, Truck yeah, Cruisin

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The worlds North American Meetup place.

Seriously, I have never been anywhere in Utah where more international travelers were at any given time. Sure, Zion is teaming with tour groups, mostly from the pacific rim all summer, but I talked to more European travelers on this trip than any other. Take this couple for example, from Germany, they are touring the America's in their retirement in their BOCKLET DAKAR 730 (i think) and I saw a different BOCKLET DAKAR on a trail down the road...not related at all to this couple's travels. So whats going on? Why This place?

Cause its amazing. I call it a 3/5th ZION in that the cliffs are 3/5 the size, the river running through it is 3/5th the size but unlike ZION is about 1/10th as crowded. Also, its sort of the epicenter of the Overlanding scene in Southern Utah. The Notom Bullfrog road runs through the park as is part of the off road highway through this region, connecting highway 24 and Escalante and lake Powell via the waterpocket fold.

or head down highway 12 to escalante, or take the hell's backbone trail, or....and the list goes on and on. Despite this, Capitol Reef is one of Utah's least visited National Parks, in fact there isn't even an entry fee, just camp fees and a fee to use the scenic drive if you choose it ($10 a night, $5 respectively). This gets you a very beautiful campsite next to the slow moving freemont river and between several orchards you are free to pick and eat at.

Not to mention quick access to all the backcountry you can handle. I took the family out on part of the 60 mile long Cathedral valley loop that accesses the north part of the park. You can start at either end of the loop, but its recommended to start at river ford in case the river swells or is higher than you anticipate after you've made the 60 mile 6+ hour loop.

Its low water most of the year but after a storm on during runoff season it can be quite high. I had no problem, but coming back across we did encounter some very nervous looking Europeans in a rented Mazda CX5 that were trying to figure out how to get back to the highway. We led them through and waited to make sure then didn't get stuck, but the idea of doing the loop from the ford first made a lot more sense to them after their crossing. (It was just after this stream crossing we saw more people in a BOCKLET DAKAR)

The road takes you skirting the park into the upper cathedral valley and around into middle desert. We made it only as far as hartnet road due to having 2 small children on board. Before we get to that point though, let me say that this is an excellent way to spend an afternoon in the area. Our first stop on the harnet was here, at an old spring that is still pulling water from the ground.

Built for an unknown (to me) purpose but probably for cattle grazing it tasted like Surfer, but was very likely completely safe and drinkable. No worse tasting that 100% of the water in Orlando. Also there was a truck, that may have been there a while

I asked my 3 year old if she wanted to hear an interesting story to which she replied "um, no." so I'm not asking you, I'm just telling you that I found it interesting that the truck in the foreground and the one in the background share a common link in that the Chevy 235 I6 in the dead truck was the basis for the first land cruiser engine called the Toyota F and it build under license. My engine is the 1FZ, a modern replacement for the LONG lived F engine that was designed to fit where the F went (which was available in the 80 series) and be as durable and reliable. So my cruiser is, in a way, just visiting the grave of a distant relative. A little automotive genealogy for you.

Before this spring however you drive over the amazing bentonite hills.

Formed by volcanic ash, these hills (which I didn't get GREAT pictures of) are a layer cake of white, blue, red and purple and just stunning even before the fact that you drive up and over them like a off world sand dune.

At 15 miles we pulled out on the 1 mile spur road to the lower south desert overlook with stunning views of jailhouse rock.

In the lower left hand part of the picture you can see an old road that used to lead down the valley floor. Sadly this old road is no longer accessible.

We stopped here at had lunch of open faced summer sausage sandwiches on french bread and fresh fruit. My 3 year old pretty much expects all picnic lunches to be served via tailgate these days. She loves it, btw. We also tried to fly a kite in the breeze until we realized it was broken. About the time we were packing up, we got our first view of any other vehicle so far.

I heard the distinctive clatter of a small diesel but saw a Toyota...hmmm.

Ah, that explains it. Its a Toyota Hilux D-4D and a Gprofessional Chassis cab. Upon their arrival I greeted them only to have returned "only a little English" Then "Ah, she speaks more English" gesturing back to the second women exiting the Gwagon. She explained, in what can generously be called "more English" that they were French and here on retirement on a one year long trip. The fellow in driving the Hilux emphasizing the point by taking off his watch and throwing it to the ground. I like these people already, then we got to talking about Toyota's (he retired from Toyota France) and he asked my how many kilometers on my cruiser, I told him 245,000 miles and the translator relayed the message at which point he looked at his wife with that all too familiar "see I told you about this thing, remember how I told you about this thing?" look was was greeted by the familiar "yes dear, lovely" return look. He then told me he wanted an 80 and thought my was beautiful. I really like these guys, why's everyone bagging on the French?

They didn't tell me this, as they were headed off to look at the view, but I gathered from their vehicles that this was about midpoint in a very long, very badass journey.

I wished we'd had more time and better communications, I'm sure they had some great stories.

back on the road, headed back to make dutch oven stew

and have a nap

All this reminds me that I can't spend enough time is these amazing places, and how lucky I am to live so close.

This is The World By Vehicle or , in summary , my rambling stories about seeing neat things by car

Bird > HammerheadFistpunch 06/16/2014 at 14:16

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Love it! Please keep sharing...I really hope to get into overlanding some day, and it's amazing how popular it's becoming in the US.

orangeryder > HammerheadFistpunch 06/16/2014 at 14:29

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How did they get the Hilux and the MAN into the States? did they ship them here just to overland?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > HammerheadFistpunch 06/16/2014 at 14:51

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Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea the park existed. Next time I'm down that way on a trip, I might have to check it out.

HammerheadFistpunch > orangeryder 06/16/2014 at 14:51

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yup, the smaller trucks are fairly cheap to ship...than MAN though...must have cost a fortune

orangeryder > HammerheadFistpunch 06/16/2014 at 15:14

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And then they ship them back from whence they came? Because if one of them just happened to leave one here.........

HammerheadFistpunch > orangeryder 06/16/2014 at 15:15

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haha! yeah, they will be shipping them back. Though the French couple I talked seemed keen on the idea of trading for my cruiser. He wants an 80's series and I want a hilux.

vicariousILive > HammerheadFistpunch 06/16/2014 at 15:42

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you stole my trip! How did the trailer handle the drive? Or should I say how did the cruiser handle the trailer?

HammerheadFistpunch > vicariousILive 06/16/2014 at 15:51

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we definitely need to do the whole loop. A quick over-nighter at cathedral valley campsite would be great in the late fall. The cruiser did better than I thought. It could keep 65-70 in OD on the freeway without trouble and only over the really tall mountain passes did I have to drop to 2nd and down to 50. For the most part, I could maintain 60 or so even up some pretty intense hills. We need to do this more. I would almost say to take the trailer out on hartnet road, but that's abuse the trailer doesn't need. it was easier on the way back because I wasn't fighting a 30 mph headwind. 9.7 mpg down, 12.7 coming home.