Thursday, September 27, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

I thought I'd peek my head out of the sand with a Thursday Thirteen--thirteen things about my vacation:

1. I didn't get a lot of reading done. I made my way through the first half of the Rebecca West that I'd taken on the plane, but with a retired English teacher beside me on the flight out, and a 19-month opposed to naps but not tears on the way back, reading didn't/couldn't take top priority. Plus, there was that distracting window I was next to. . .

2. After driving down to Torrey from Salt Lake, we decided to make a quick visit to Capitol Reef National Park, where we hiked to the Pioneer Register, and to Fruita, where we saw lots of mule deer.

3. Met the outfitters and the other campers/riders after dinner. Found out the trip to Escalante National Monument was scratched and we'd be going into the Capitol Reef backcountry instead.

4. Next morning, horses and riders were dropped off at the park trailhead and we traveled 12 miles across bighorn country into camp among the Ponderosa pines. We did not see any sheep, only jack rabbits and Lily and Lonnie, the border collie/Australian shepherd pups who accompanied us.

5. Spent the next four days exploring the high plateaus and canyons. I love the smell of sagebrush.

6. Rode a black Quarter horse mare appropriately named Sourpuss. Puss was offended when I offered her an apple. She knocked me off on Sunday when I leaned over her neck to pick up a dropped rein. My nose is still sore.

7. Didn't trust Puss enough to take photos from the saddle, but I saw petrified wood, uranium ore and lots of rock art and Indian artifacts.

8. This was the first trip I had difficulty acclimating to the altitude. Felt nauseated by the end of the ride the first couple of days, panted while walking up the hills at the Pleasant Creek camp for just as long, and kept a headache all week.

9. Spent hours around the campfire listening to horsey talk, guitar picking, and the rushing water from the waterfall nearby.

10. Despite the waxing moon, saw a sky plentiful with stars every night but one. We had a downpour Saturday night.

11. Refused to be frightened by the cowboy from Florida's insistence that there was something big living along the creekbank behind our tents.

12. Took a look inside the kiva (sans camera once again, darn it) that's been under construction next to the restaurant in Torrey for the past several years once we were back to civilization. With shelves built into the rock walls, equipped with a full kitchen and bath, living/sleeping room, it looked more like a vacation nest this year than a room for religious ceremonies.

13. Toured Temple Square back in Salt Lake. Our guides had never heard of Capital Reef or Torrey.

And here's a few pictures:





























14 comments:

  1. your #9, and pictures 1 adn the last are like hevan to me. It sounds like such a wonderful vacation

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  2. Amazing! Looks and sound like a lovely vacation.

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  3. Pretty! It sounds like a fun vacation, altitude sickness aside.

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  4. Anonymous1:34 PM

    I'm not sure I could "do" horse riding, but it sounds like a great trip. Lovely photos!

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  5. Wondeful, wonderful photos. Hopr the altitude sickness didn't spoil things too much. Those stars and the campfire sound divine! Nice to have you back.

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  6. Gorgeous. Who can blame you for not sticking your nose in a book?

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  7. Anonymous10:22 PM

    I enjoyed that TT a lot. I'm envy you your trip.

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  8. Anonymous10:39 AM

    What beautiful country side! Thank you for those pictures. There's so much of this country that I'd love to see that I completely and totally envy you your trip. I wouldn't have done much reading either...unless it was of a map to the next site. : )

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  9. Anonymous6:42 PM

    Welcome back! sounds like a wonderful time. the photos are gorgeous.

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  10. Beautiful photos! They make me homesick (a Utah girl here). That altitude sickness is no joke. Sorry your struggled with it.

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  11. Your pictures are breathtakingly beautiful!
    Happy TT!

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  12. Looks and sounds like you had a great time :-)

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  13. Anonymous9:00 AM

    great photos! thanks for sharing with us certain tidbits about your vacation. :)

    happy thursday!

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  14. Anonymous9:45 AM

    Well, the pictures you did take are beautiful!

    I can definitely relate about the altitude; I made a trip several years back to Colorado and tried to hike on my first day. *wheeze*

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