May 16, 2017 Lower Spring Canyon, Capital Reef, Utah

Lower Spring Canyon is supposed to be 9 miles from the top to the bottom, but you have to hike up Chimney rock-600 feet elevation, and then down Chimney Rock Canyon another 2 1/2 miles to get to the top of it.

So we crossed the river and hiked up from the bottom 4.5 miles. This is the rock at the mouth of the canyon. Cottonwoods, reeds and red rocks, yellow flowers and a caterpillar. 

The canyon is very deep and wide for a narrow canyon. Very mellow hike up the creek bed.

Petrified wood, yellow flowers, and moqui balls on the canyon wall. John and some greenery.

Very lush canyon, but only puddles of water now and then. John hiking back close to the mouth.

John under a holey wall and walking past wavy walls.

Here is a clematis vine growing out of a hole in the wall. John crossing the Fremont River on the way back.

Back near camp this is a historic barn with horses under the multi colored cliffs. Petrified wood, yellow flower, deer in the campground and an Australian trailer, looks kind of like a spaceship.

The weather turned cold. Highs in the 50’s,lows in the 30’s and windy with rain/snow predicted. Brrrr. We took a short hike to overlook the valley. Warmed us up. Then saw the deer in this field around the campground.

Sunset last night. Still cold we drove up north to view a petroglyph panel. A storm blowing in from the east.

Saw this tent on a car in the campground. On our drive up north most of the farms had their sprinklers on, guess so they would not freeze. They looked like snow making machines, surrounded by ice and icicles on the fences. I saw this flower that I have never seen before. The two tall photos and the top right, below it is a phacelia.  Lots of flowers. 

This is the Rochester Panel. I have wanted to see it for a long time, but it was never convenient. Today was not convenient either, 75 miles each way, but way too cold to hike. I have used a number of these glyphs in my glass art. Frozen sprinklers, lizard, concretions and claret cup cactus blooms. 

John has this snake petroglyph by the tail.