Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

(See Part One here)

When I ended my last blog entry, Steve and I were driving out of Grand Canyon National Park and on our way to Bryce Canyon Park in southern Utah.

We had two options on our drive to Bryce Canyon. One road would take us on a southern route, passing through Jacob Lake and skirting Kaibab National Forest, while the other road would take us on a northern route, through Page and the Glen Canyon Dam area. We opted to take the northern route, so we could stop and visit Glen Canyon Dam. The terrain looked much more interesting on Google Earth, which was another reason we chose this direction.  The trip was nearly 300 miles and took us about 7 hours to drive, with stops to take photos and sightsee. Here’s a map of the route we drove:

Just outside Grand Canyon NP, in the Cameron area, roadside stands pop up where you can purchase Navajo jewelry, pottery, and other wares. In 2002, when we last visited Grand Canyon, Steve and I stopped at one of these stands with a beautiful view of a canyon from a scenic overlook. In order to get to the scenic overlook, you had to ‘run the gauntlet’ - a path that went between two rows of stands, laden with many beautiful things.  As we walked through, Native American artists and crafters enticed us to stop and look. Now, as in 2002, they didn’t have to put too much effort into luring us in; Steve and I love Native American pottery and jewelry, and we already knew we were going to be taking a piece (or two) home with us.

When visiting for our 10th anniversary, we purchased a beautiful wedding vase (read about wedding vases here) to celebrate the renewal of our vows.  We also brought home another lovely hand-painted vase, signed on the bottom and including a ’story card’ which explained the images painted on it.

This time, Steve and I found the horsehair pottery and sculptures quite intriguing, and knew we weren’t going to go home without a piece.

Horsehair pottery is an ancient practice, and results in beautiful and treasured pieces of art. Often used to commemorate the birth of a foal, or the life of a cherished horse, horsehair pottery is made much as its name implies, though it is a rather complicated and sometimes dangerous process.

Said to have been discovered when a long-haired maiden had some of her hair blown onto her pottery that she pulled fresh from the kiln, horsehair pottery is created when a piece is draped with horsehair when it is still hot. Generally the piece must be laced with the horsehair once it has reached about 1600 degrees, but some artists are able to achieve the fine lines from the horse hair at about 1000 degrees, depending on the particular kind of clay being used. There is a very short window of time that the artist has to place the hair, and for the most part they have little control over the exact patterns that will arise from the technique. The hair is instantly burned off the pottery, which creates a carbon smoke. The hair itself is what creates the dark lines while the smoke burns in the light, cloudy patterns.

Steve and I were immediately drawn to the horsehair painted canoes. The one he chose depicts Monument Valley, livestock, and a man on horseback signifying the “end of the trail”. According to paperwork we were given with our purchase:

Much of the lore of the Indians has come down to us from how the Indians lived years ago. Much has changed for them since European people first came to their homelands. Many of the old ways and traditions have been forgotten. The rich and diverse culture of the Indians may be coming to an end. But many Indians are working today to keep as much of their heritage alive as they can. Indians and many other people now know how important it is to preserve what remains of their wonderful culture and heritage.

We also chose a vase to add to our collection. This is the information, we received with our purchase:

The Navajo “Diné” People learned the vibrant art of etching red clay potteries - a legacy of our people. Grandmothers meticulously schooled the grandchildren in the art in order to pass it down from generation to generation. Our ancestors passed down the belief that clay is the embodiment of Mother Earth. The art of etched pottery making has refined the knowledge and wisdom of the different vegetation and designs to bring the desired color.

The art of red clay pottery is long and tedious process. Clay has to be ground to a smooth powdery finish. Water is then added to the fine powdered clay. The clay is then ready to be formed into many shapes and sizes by the potter and can be fired. After the first firing, the pots are colored and uniquely designed. There are no pots that are exactly the same. Now the final firing is done. The symbols have significant meanings to the Navajo People.

I mentioned in yesterday’s entry about the sand paintings we bought at Grand Canyon. These are the two that we chose to bring home with us. The one on the left is called “Father Sky, Mother Earth”, and the one on the right is called “Forever Home of the Bears”.

Sandpaintings, also called dry paintings, are called “places where the gods come and go” in the Navajo language. They are used in curing ceremonies in which the gods’ help is requested for harvests and healing. The figures in sand paintings are symbolic representations of a story in Navajo mythology. They depict objects like the sacred mountains where the gods live, or legendary visions, or they illustrate dances or chants performed in rituals.

(Found online:) Father Sky and Mother Earth – These figures are portrayed in many sandpaintings because of their strength and all pervading importance. Father Sky is generally portrayed in black with the constellations represented on his body. In the body of Mother Earth are often the four sacred plants: corn, beans, squash and tobacco.

Bears - All traditional cultures in the Northern Hemisphere perceive Bear—both embodied Bear and Bear Spirit- as the supreme physician who, as guardian of other animals, knows which beings to call upon to assist in healing. Also, For the Navajo and Crow Indians, the bear is a father or grandfather figure that possesses wisdom and knowledge of the sacred.

After making our purchases, we continued on our journey to Bryce Canyon, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way:

GLEN CANYON DAM

Our next stop was Glen Canyon Dam near Page, AZ. The Glen Canyon Dam is the first dam on the Colorado River and forms Lake Powell. The Colorado continues on until it meets the Hoover Dam and forms Lake Mead.

The Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam was free to explore, and there was no parking fee either.  The Visitor Center was relatively empty at this time of year, which allowed us to take our time reading the informational panels, and viewing the many displays inside. I read that you can tour the dam for much less than the cost of touring Hoover Dam, so if your travels bring you to this part of the country, and you want to see the workings of such a huge structure, you might want to consider Glen Canyon Dam.  The tours fill up fast, so make reservations early.

After leaving Glen Canyon Dam, our drive took us through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. From the guide we picked up at the Visitor Center:

GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT

The Monument is a dramatic multi-hued landscape, rich in natural and human history. Extending across almost two million acres of Utah public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Monument represents a unique combination of archaeological, historical, paleontological, geological, and biological resources.

These strikingly beautiful and scientifically important lands are divided into three distinct regions: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante.

What is the Grand Staircase? This series of great geological steps ascend northward across the southwest corner of the Monument. More than six thousand feet of alternating cliffs, slopes and terraces make up this giant staircase, which extends horizontally about 150 miles from the north rim of the Grand canyon to the top of the Paunsagunt Plateau. The Grand Staircase - the Chocolate, Vermillion, White, Gray, and Pink Cliffs - span five different life zones from high desert to coniferous forests. It is a masterpiece of geological and biological diversity.

The Kaiparowits Plateau: A vast wedge-shaped block of mesas and deeply incised canyons towering above the surrounding desert, this isolated, rugged plateau is refuge for wildlife, rare plants, and adventure-ready individuals equipped to handle profound solitude and uncompromising wild country. Kaiparowits is a Paiute name meaning “Big Mountain’s Little Brother”. Many sites from prehistoric cultures have been recorded on the plateau. Many more are preserved for future study.

The Canyons of the Escalante: The Escalante River cascades off the southern flank of the Aquarius Plateau, winding through an immense maze of interconnected canyons. This magical labyrinth is one of the scenic wonders of the West.

If you’re a fan of Paleontology, the Visitor Center is an awesome place to stop and view real dinousaur bones escavated nearby, as well as see some of these ancient creatures recreated on both wall murals and in sculpture.

From the website: Nearly all geologic formations in the Monument, which range in age from 260 million years ago to modern times, contain fossils. Scientists are especially interested in the sequence of rocks formed between 75 and 94 million years ago, in what is called the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era.

Studying the Dakota, Tropic, Straight Cliffs, Wahweap, and Kaiparowits formations within the Monument has yielded more information about land-based ecosystem change at the end of the dinosaur era than almost any other place in the world. Fossils of many species of dinosaurs, small mammals, birds, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, amphibians, plants, and invertebrates have already been found, helping us paint a relatively complete picture of what it was like in North America not long before the dinosaurs vanished forever.

In 2002, the remains of a fossilized skull from a new species of ceratopsian dinosaur, were found in Grand Staircase. Lead researcher on the project named the find “Diabloceratops eatoni”. Diablo, Spanish for devil in reference to the pair of long weeping spines on the back of the frill; ceratops, meaning horned-face, and eatoni as patronym in honor of Jeffery G Eaton, in recognition of his extensive work on the Cretacious vertebrate faunas of southern Utah, and his role in the establishment of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). They had a full size replica of the dinosaur’s skull (with horns) on display, and the head alone was almost 5′ in length from *snout* to horns. They said the dinosaur was the size of a mini-van.

Here’s an example of the many layered hills we drove by. The colors were gorgeous in the sunlight. The many ranches and horses we passed were an added treat. I especially loved the leafless cottonwood trees of winter:

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Bryce Canyon is a small national park in southwestern Utah, named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce.

Bryce is famous for its unique geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. The erosional force of frost-wedging and the dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone rock into bizarre shapes including slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called “hoodoos.”

Here are some more photos I took as we approached Bryce.

Driving through the rocks:

Steve and I had a reservation at the Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. The hotel is brand new, and was very nice, with a comfortable bed with down filled comforter, plenty of fluffy pillows, free WiFi, and a hot breakfast (buffet) served every day.  The lobby was decorated for the holidays with a tall Christmas tree and twinkle lights throughout. It felt very holiday-ish, which we liked.

Because it was already mid-afternoon, and we didn’t want to waste the daylight, we dropped our luggage in our room and drove the short distance to the park entrance ($25/car for 7-day pass).

Bryce has one road which travels 18 miles into the park. Along the way are various overlooks and scenic viewpoints.  Some of the trails to the overlooks (paved for the most part) are fairly short and level, while others climb in elevation and require a longer walk. A few don’t require any walking at all, as the beauty can be seen directly from the parking area. There are many hiking trails throughout the park, but because our time was limited (and the trails were icy in many places), we didn’t do any hiking. If it were warmer, and we had more time, I would definitely take advantage of the hiking trails to get a view of the hoodoos and slot canyons from the base.

The road branches a few miles in, with one fork going up to three additional viewing points, while the main road continues.  Because the light was fading fast, and we were hoping to get all the way to the end by sunset, we opted to skip the fork leading to the other points.

By the time we reached the furthest viewing point (Yovimpa Point), the sky was turning a pale pink and the sun was close to the horizon. The wind was really blowing out there and even with our long underwear on, we were both freezing.  My face was already chapped from the cold air at Grand Canyon, and it stung as the wind hit it. My light fleece gloves didn’t do much to keep my fingers warm, and they soon burned with cold.  If not for the gorgeous view, I’d have been one miserable person.

We didn’t stay until the sun was totally gone, as we wanted to get back to the entrance before it was pitch black.  We just about made it.

Our stomachs were growling audibly by then, so we decided to have dinner at Ruby’s Inn: Cowboy’s Buffet and Steak Room. Steve got the pot roast, which he seemed to enjoy. I had a Caesar Salad. The prices were typical for a tourist destination. We each had a local brew with dinner: Squatters Beer - Provo Girl Pilsner which was very refreshing. The meal was OK; nothing to rave about, but not bad.

We went back to the hotel, where we watched some TV and relaxed after our long day of driving and walking. The weather channel was predicting a huge winter storm, and we were very worried about the possibility of driving on slick roads without proper tires.

The next morning, we woke to sunshine and about a 1/2 inch of snow on the ground. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet offered by the hotel, packed our bags and loaded the car, and checked out. Since Zion National Park is less than 100 miles down the road, we decided to drive back into Bryce and check out the viewpoints up on the road that forked.  While the roads were in decent condition, the walking paths to the overlooks were very icy in places. We kept our distance from the edges of the cliffs (no railings).

We were on our way to Zion by 11am.

Photos from Bryce Canyon:

And here’s a photo of us at a Bryce Canyon Overlook (thank goodness for a wide angle lens and Steve’s long arms!)

These were taken just before leaving Bryce Canyon for Zion:

Next: Zion National Park

Until next time…

Read PART THREE here.