Day R-6, Saturday, July 19, 2025 - Torrey to Blanding

I’m on the road at 0637 local, heading east on UT-24, through Capitol Reef NP and out the other side. I pass a real, live skunk by the roadside near the petroglyph pull-out – good thing took I visited them yesterday. Took a few pictures going through, to show.

 20 miles in, I turn south on Notom Road, down the east side of the waterpocket fold. After about 20 miles of pavement, the road turns to packed dirt, still passable but at a lower speed. I did take a few pictures to document the landscape. After 30 miles, I say “enough” and return to the main highway. 

I finally get to Hanksville at 0915 and have breakfast. The music in the cafe was appropriate – classic Hank Williams songs. I top off the tank and grab a soda at a C-store built into a rock.

 UT-95 runs through a lot of desert. To the right, I see the same sandstone layers I’ve been seeing for two days, but these are topped by the outer flows of a large volcanic mountain. I stop at a recreation spot and take a picture - note the desert varnish.

 

More canyons, all leading down toward the Colorado River. The Hite overlook shows upper reaches of Lake Powell; the remains of the mining town of Hite are not visible.

 

UT-95 takes me to the east side of the Colorado and back up to higher ground. The cap rock in this area is lighter colored and the canyon/slick rock is white; the middle is a thick dark red layer. One point of interest is this formation known as Jacob’s Chair.

I go through a pass (7110’). a bit after noon, I enter Natural Bridges National Monument, last visited in 2009. A short chat with the rangers there, and its off to the scenic loop. I’ll take pictures of the two bridges I can see without extensive walking.

 

                                            Sipapu Bridge

The surrounding land is part of the Bear’s Ears National Monument, named for this formation.

 

I get to Blanding about 2:30 and tour the Edge of the Cedars State Park. Its museum has an art gallery and lots of pottery from the area; everything is well-interpreted. It has the partially excavated ruins of a “Chaco outlier” great house, with a kiva one can visit. I pass.

 

I find my non-chain motel, topped off the tank, and had supper.

For the day: 243.2 miles, for the trip 3680.9

Tomorrow: Hovenweep National Monument, the Four Corners monument, and targets of opportunity. RON in Cortez.