Cottonwood Canyon Road, Utah’s Geologic Rainbow

Posted on by Joy

About 20 miles southeast of Bryce Canyon National Park is a 40-mile road that will take your breath away: Cottonwood Canyon Road. It is in the southwest part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a rugged, remote 1.87 million acre wilderness and a Utah jewel. The landscape has unique geologic formations of red, white, pink, blue, green, yellow, and more. Coming up out of the sagebrush valley, we are south of Kodachrome Basin State Park. Our “kodachrome” colors will only get better! The first six miles of Cottonwood Canyon Road is paved, but then we adventure on a graded dirt and clay surface with warnings to never travel when raining. Well, it is a beautiful day with no rain forecast so off we go!

Look, the colors are changing . . .

SNAP*Shot: Atlatl Rock

Posted on by Joy

Near the western entrance of Valley of Fire State Park we find dark red Aztec sandstone. In the red rock nooks and crannies campsites are available and at this outcropping’s northern end is Atlatl Rock. Home to petroglyphs about 4,000 years old carved by unknown ancient tribes. Yes, these peoples lived sometime around 2,000 B.C. and we can only imagine their thoughts through their art. Let’s go!

Come on, this is amazing.

SNAP*Shot: Mountain Bluebirds

Posted on by Joy

Hello friend! It was a wonderful trip spending time with Sandhill Cranes this March. However, there was another site I know you’ll enjoy as much as I did. What a surprise to spend time with a flock of Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides). You cannot miss them hunting in the grasses. They clearly do not blend in.

Look over there!

Sandhill Crane March Migration!

Posted on by Joy

Welcome back to Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge for the spring Sandhill Crane migration! Between late February and early April up to 27,000 Sandhill Cranes spend time preparing for the next, perhaps last, leg of their trip to breeding grounds primarily in the Yellowstone Eco-system. Although not near as many as travel through Nebraska heading to northern Canada, what a spectacular sight!

Thanks to Susan Alexander for the video. A good friend who loves birds as much as I do.

LET’S GO!