Capitol Reef National Park (Monday, November 7)

I just spent the last few days in the Land of the Sleeping Rainbow…Capitol Reef National Park. One of Southern Utah’s many treasures, Capitol Reef is slightly off the beaten path and often overshadowed by the infamous Bryce, Zion, and Arches. But come on…with a tagline about “sleeping rainbows,” I had to be there. And oh my goodness, what a beautiful treasure it is.

This was my first exposure to the intense red rock for which Southern Utah is known. 800 ft. of sheer cliffs. Huge hidden arches. Canyons and mountains and gorges with snowcapped mountains in the background. The landscape was truly remarkable.

The benefits of visiting National Parks compared to National Forest and BLM land is that the history is preserved as well. Of course, their modest—but thorough—visitor center provided plenty of information on the geological prehistory and the waves of Native American occupation. But for me, the best part was learning about the frontiersman and homesteaders that occupied the space well until the 1950s. While the majority of the country was celebrating the post WWII boom, these families—occupying a small ‘town’ called Fruta—were living without running water and electricity, were working the land with horse drawn plows and man power to produce orchards and gardens, and were occupying their time with reading and quilting. We’re not talking hundreds of years ago. Mere decades, no more. And the evidence is still there—blacksmith shops displaying the range of skills a person must master, the one room school house that doubled as a church, and the rows and rows of heirloom fruit trees that the NPS still maintains and that guests can come and harvest during the season. Yes—participatory farming on the NPS level. Beautiful.

So if you’re ever in the area, I suggest you come. It really is in the middle of ‘nowhere.’ I drove over 100 miles from the east and passed through three towns, two of which had gas stations and none of which seemed to feature any people. The bordering town of Torrey all but closes up in the winter months. But even here, treasures are to be found. A small apple tree outside a school yard with plenty of fallen fruit to pick, an unopened traveler information building with an electric plug outside, and a small pizza bar open from 5 to 10 every day that will play the Sunday Night Football Games. Perfect.

So now, my days of endless hiking and exploring are going to be put on the back burner. It is time to begin my other intention for the trip: farming. Cainville to Boulder to Moab. Let’s see just how much I can learn and experience from a mere few days at each farm. And just in time, too, because there were 4 in. of snow on the ground when I woke up this morning. Oh, how confusing this desert it.