Going Down the Stairs

Geologists describe the many rock layers visible in Utah as the Grand Staircase--a place where layers of rock are like the chapters in a huge history book that describe how Earth developed.  It is the world's most complete sequence of sedimentary timespans from sediments built up in lakes, inlands seas, swamps, deserts and forests.  (Thanks to the National Park Service Bryce Canyon brochure.)

When we left Panguitch near Bryce, we were near the top of the staircase.  We drove downhill through the pink, gray, white, chocolate and vermillion cliffs to get to Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park.  From here we will go further down and south to Blanding, Utah, then around the Grand Canyon, to Flagstaff and Gold Canyon.  The multi-layers of rock on the staircase reach the bottom of what is visible at the base of the Grand Canyon.

I could title this blog "Beautiful, Incredible Utah--Part 2."    Below are photos of the many layers from outside Panguitch and heading south.

In places the roadway was very narrow with no shoulder.  Nowhere for the timid flat-lander to drive.  Our lifetime in Colorado made it a fairly easy trip for John.

Sometimes it looked like we were really in a desert.  Other times we were in a pinon-juniper forest.

We may have been going down the staircase but in places we had to go up to get over or around the rocky hills.  The view could be expansive.  We went up to 9600 feet above sea level before heading down to Torrey and Capitol Reef where we are at 6800 feet.  We saw lots of 8% and 10% grades.  No place for RVers who are overloaded.

A blog on the beauty of Capitol Reef is coming by tomorrow.