Elevation Gain: Approximately 2000 ft.
Time: 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Weather: Cool, mostly cloudy, light snow early, sunshine late, and very windy.
I'm in Utah again this February with 12 students and the same 2 other adults from my school as last year (one of which is Creighton). We are doing the same 7 day 6 night backpacking trip into Dark Canyon, but that didn't start until Tuesday the 21st. We flew into Salt Lake City on Saturday, bought all of our groceries, and drove south to Torrey, UT. We spent the night in a hotel, and the plan was to day hike in Capitol Reef on Sunday.
We were up and on the road by 8:15 am and in the Visitor's Center of Capitol Reef by 8:30 am. After watching a short video which detailed some of the history and unique geological features of the park and a stroll through the gift shop, we were back on the road to go see some roadside petroglyphs. These were amazing. After that, we jumped back in the vans, and were at the trailhead for Navajo Knobs and Hickman's Bridge by 9:20 am. The kids and Creighton took off for Hickman's Bridge while my other co-;leader and I were still fiddling with our gear. We got moving around 9:30 am.
The trail starts right next to the Fremont River. We walk along the river for about 60 yards, then we turn to the left and start a small climb into the park. The trail climbs slowly, then it reaches a junction: left to Hickman's Bridge right to Navajo Knobs. Creighton was waiting here for us, when he saw we were on the right track, he ran ahead to the kids. My other co-leader and I took off to the bridge, and the overcast skies started dropping a light snow. We had a nice mile walk to the natural bridge, as the little snow flurries were dancing all around us. As we came around a bend, the bridge came into view, a beautiful, natural arch the stretched across the small canyon we had hiked into. We walked up to, underneath, and past the beautiful bridge. Amazed, moved, and excited, we took off back to the junction to head up to Navajo Knobs.
Our hike up to the knobs began with a crazy flurry of big snowflakes. As one of my hiking buddies likes to say, "it is like we are walking in a snow globe." Luckily the snow was short lived, but it did remain overcast, windy, and chilly. The hike was a steady up hill that curved and bent around the rim of a plateau. The hike was fun and beautiful, but as I write these words, it is a few days after the hike, and the memories have begun to fade.
Orchid: Rim overlook on the way up to Navajo Knobs.
Onion: My feet were sore at the end of the hike.
Picture:
Google Map
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