Day 3 of our trip took us to the Pleasant Creek trail, which runs between Capitol Reef National Park and Boulder Mountain. Previous times we have ran this trail we have started in Capitol Reef and ended at 9000 +feet elevation on Boulder Mountain. This year we decided to go the other direction. So after another quick breakfast we topped off the tanks at the gas station and headed down Highway 12 towards Boulder Mountain.

Arriving at the Trailhead, we air down among the Pine trees. Knowing this was going to be a very bumpy, rocky portion of the trail in the beginning, we wanted as much of a squishy ride as possible. As we Headed off down the Graded gravel road among the sunlight beams peering though the Pine Tree we passed a few trucks filled with hunters looking for an unsuspecting deer to wonder by. As we dropped in elevation the trees changed from Pine to Juniper, the road also changed from graded gravel to rocky dirt that would be more at home being called a rock garden than a road. We paused a few times to take pictures as the view in front of us as it started to be less blocked by the tree’s and we could see the red and white cliffs of Capitol Reef National Park in the distance.

As we descended the short switchback into the valley below to a short water crossing over the Pleasant creek, we started to realize the good time we were making with starting with the rocky road instead of ending with it. After the creek we entered the pinstripe valley. I call it this due to the narrow, sandy, single-track road overgrown with sagebrush on both sides. If it were not for the occasional adventurer like us, willing to get a little pin striping, this road would probably succumb to the encroaching sagebrush and disappear forever.

Making our way across the valley on the sandy winding road we approach the final climb out of the valley, National Park Border and the most technical portion of the trail.   This sandstone and dirt trail has received a beating from the many monsoon rainstorms and flash flooding this area gets. Leaving large washouts that test a vehicles suspension and articulation and the drivers skill. The Environmentalist would lead you to believe that it is man in their off-road vehicles that cause the destruction of this amazing landscape, but anyone who has driven this and countless of other trails in Southern Utah knows the weather is much more destructive.

As we drop down from the ridge the road enters the wash, and we make our way though the old creek bed, bypassing the large boulders and debris left over from the countless flash floods that plague the area in the wet season. We are making great time at this point as previous trips on this road has taken into the later afternoon and we have yet to reach noon. We pause for a couple of posing sessions on rocks to take pictures, and underneath a tree that arches over the road that in the fall has bright Yellow leaves. I am amazed that this tree is even alive, as each year fewer and fewer leaves are on the tree and it looks more and more dead than alive.

Making our way though the last portions of the wash, and our final creek crossing over pleasant creek we make a quick pit stop then head up the graded dirt road that connects to the national parks paved scenic drive. After a drive down Capitol Gorge to find a place to eat lunch we turn around at the overfilled parking area at the end, and head back to the entrance parking lot. After lunch we head up the scenic road though Fruita and to the Visitor center to pick up some souvenirs for the kids.

Since it was still early afternoon, we traveled back to Torrey, Utah and headed up a dirt road on the western side of town that travels along a portion of the Great Western trail, and offers views of the face of Thousand Lakes Mountain to the North and Torrey and Capitol Reef to the south East. 45 min of this bumpy very rocky road and we were done, so we turned around to grab a nap at the hotel and download images from the gopro before dinner.

 

The day ended with Dinner at the Saddlery Cowboy bar and steakhouse in Torrey. Friday and Saturday nights they have live country music and a dance floor. This particular night featured a Country rock group from Nashville, TN. If you are of the drinking persuasion you can literally saddle up to the bar on one of their bar stools made from a saddle.

Saturday Morning brought us to the last day of our trip and the required drive back home. We arose after a sleeping in, packed our stuff and loaded up the Xterra. We had a quick breakfast at the hotel. Then the wife and I headed into Capitol Reef for an early morning hike, before heading home. We chose the moderately difficult Chimney rock hike. This 3.6 Mile Loop gains 590 Feet of elevation in under a mile at the beginning of the hike, the rest of the hike is a leisurely mostly downhill loop that follows the main ridgeline as you enter the park on the highway from Torrey. It offers amazing views and gets you up close with the massive sandstone cliffs. Our hike completed we jump back in the car and head for home wishing we didn’t have to leave.

 

Video of Pleasant Creek coming soon!