Capitol Reef

As Rex walked back from his usual sunrise painting session, I noticed he picked up a hitchhiker along the way.

Hitchhikers

A common sagebrush lizard hitched a ride on Rex’s plein air backpack and then climbed upon his back. “Lizzie” got off at the end stop and onto to a nearby plant, with help from Rex.

After packing up, we made our way up Notom Road. If you’re in the Capitol Reef area and want to do some dispersed camping, Notom Road is the place.

RTV family

We found our next camp and plein air spot early in the day. We settled upon the Sandy Creek Benches. At the end of one dirt road, we came into a circle of campsites, all empty and waiting for us. We spotted several tracks in the large, open area. Tracks of four-wheelers. The previous camping guests were obviously of the RTV family, and judging by the trash they left, also not very public lands friendly.

“I kinda feel like we’re camping back at Upper Onion Creek in Moab,” I remarked of the empty campsites.

I feel like the demolition derby just ended and everybody went home.

Rex

Always leave a place cleaner than you found it

The views were, once again, incredible. But the experience was soiled by the negligence of the previous campers. Although our clean-up walk wasn’t scheduled for another week or so, I knew what we would be doing the following morning. Like Rex’s Dad used to say, “always leave a place cleaner than what you found it.”

Wildlife sightings

Despite the trash, the views were incredible and the wildlife plenty. A white-tailed antelope squirrel perched on a rock, overlooking his valley of stone. A pair of Western Scrub-Jays, chatty and active, jumping from one Pinion pine branch to the next, looking for grub. Catching thermals right above, three vultures glided, the sun’s light filtering through their wingtips.

It was an active day for wildlife sightings, one of my favorites. Later as the sun began to take its leave, and the critters left for food and rest, we found animal shapes in the evening clouds.