This is downtown Tropic in the morning light. I love how quaint and quiet it is, but I think I'd go crazy if I had to live there.
We’re barely on the road when we find another crazy caution sign: ATV crossing! 
Kodachrome Basin State Park is known for unique sedimentary pipes found nowhere else on earth. How they were formed remains a mystery, although everyone agrees that the process involves differential erosion.
The park map differentiates between paved and unpaved road using black & dark brown lines that are (virtually) indistinguishable in the morning light so we find ourselves rattling along all the way to giant Chimney Rock.
Cliffs in the distance. I like the little brave tree growing out of the rock. It's amazing these trees can survive in such harsh conditions.
Another sedimentary pipe that’s half red, half white. I wonder if this one is in an earlier stage of erosion than Chimney Rock?
We walk along the short Nature trail, then head across the road for the more rewarding Angel’s Palace trail. View from the highest point on the trail.
It looks completely different when you look the other way. You can't really tell in this picture, but towards the bottom the rocks have eroded in such a way that they look like furry elephants feet.
Petrified tree. It looks much nicer in a natural setting than caged in like at Valley of Fire.
Some of the viewpoints are along narrow ledges like this one … not for the faint of heart!
Cute little lizard. Not the best picture, but it’s the only that shows off his coloring … from a distance they just look green.
Weird pump along the side of the road. I think it might be an old fuel pump
Back of the road it gently curves through the mountains along the Escalante River. It’s just a little stream, but the wash is very, very wide. Flash flooding is quite common in this area and if you look at how wide a path it has carved here it's easy to understand why it's so dangerous to be in a narrow canyon during a flood.
Our ATV guide yesterday alerted us to an ancient rock dwelling along the side of the road. Can you tell where it is?
There’s a small viewing tube mounted on a pole to help you find it. The granary is right underneath the fake arch. It's amazing to me that they must've felt there was no better alternative for housing than to build dwellings high in the cliffs.
Yet another crazy caution sign. We made sure to keep an eye out, but no luck spotting elk.
After we pass Escalante the road really starts to wind through the mountains and there are hardly any guide rails so you can’t drive very fast, but the scenery more than makes up for it. Some people say that this stretch of route 12 is the most scenic drive in the world.
The picture really doesn't do it justice.
Kiva Koffeehouse is right around the corner, but it turns out to be closed on Tuesdays. Arggh, we’re both starving and we’re in the middle of nowhere so lunch turns out to be cheese crackers and hiking bars.
Next we stop at Calf Creek Recreation Area for a hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. It’s a moderate difficulty hike along the river. The trail is mostly flat, except for a few boulder hopping sections, but you spend a lot of time trudging through loose sand. It didn’t help that it was about 70-75 degrees today and we hiked almost in full sun on the way in.
There are a lot of interesting things to see along the trail, including wildlife, cliff dwellings and petroglyphs like this one
We reach the falls in just under 1,5 hours. Wow! Now that is worth the hike!
I’d planned to strip down to my underwear and plunge myself in the ice cold waters, but due to the large amount of teenage boys I decided to keep my clothes on and wade in to my thighs. Brrrrr, probably just as well … that is some COLD water! Here’s me running from the water haha.
The sun is a lot lower on the way back and the left side of the canyon is bathed in warm light. I love the streaking on the rocks.
Large fake arch with interesting stripes.
One of the more difficult sections of the trail. Sandy is using her hiking pole for balance, but you can easily hike this without poles.
We get back to the about 3,5 hours after setting out and we don’t waste any time before getting back on the road. We really want to get out of the mountains and to our next hotel before the sun sets.
The elevation here is still around 9000 feet and in some places it’s like driving in a winter wonderland.
We spotted many (mule) deer today. Here’s a group of around 10 right next to the edge of the road.
The views of the sun setting on the valley below and the mountains in the distance are breathtaking!
Our hotel for tonight, the Rim Rocks Inn in Torrey has fantastic views of the red cliffs near Capitol Reef National Park. We sit down for dinner in the adjoining restaurant and enjoy watching the colors changing through the wall to wall windows.
It sounds like it’s raining outside at the moment, but I’m going to just pretend it isn’t happening and go to bed. Goodnight!
Miles for today: 123
Hotel: Rim Rocks Inn
Restaurant: Rim Rocks Inn
Hotel: Rim Rocks Inn
Restaurant: Rim Rocks Inn
Hai, It gets more and more amazing.That Chimney rock looks like an enormus stinking mushroom. Angel Palace Trail is breathtaking and when you look the other way,the rock formation looks like the destroyed statues at Abu Simbel.
The narrow ledge is frightening. In Holland they would have put railings on either end or a big sign: entering prohibited with a lot of barbwire to prevend daredevils for entering. Is it chalk that makes the Escalante river so white?
The vieuw after Escalante on route 12 looks surreel. At first I thougt there was a big grey arch but it is the road that is blurred at the sides, very strange.
The colouring of Calf Creek Falls is beautiful. There must be a lot of iron in the rocks.
Picture of the day: The streaking of the rocks. They look like very expensive Art Deco curtains. But the last two foto's are magnificent as well.
xxxx Joeve