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Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Weekly Post, GETTING LOOPY: Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops by Robert Glenn Ketchum

 GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops 

by Robert Glenn Ketchum

One of the greatest camping and hiking circuits to drive in the entire country, starts from my home in Los Angeles, passes through Nevada, into Utah, and on to Arizona, before heading back to LA. Along the way you can visit 3 state parks, 6 national parks, 1 national monument, and 1 national recreation area. If you wanted to put in some extra miles, you could add another national park, 2 more national monuments, and 2 more national recreation areas. I will call out the latter as we pass them, but my images will introduce you to all of the former. Come take a drive with me!





Wednesday, December 6, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #122
GETTING LOOPY, #122:  
The red bluffs of Capitol Reef National Park framed nicely by this multi-trunked tree.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, October 4, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #121
GETTING LOOPY, #121:  
A backcountry road in Capitol Reef National Park runs beneath gigantic silica domes.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #120
GETTING LOOPY, #120:  
My kids pose in a water hollow in Capitol Reef National Park. During torrential rains the hollow is fed by several waterfalls and the sand they are standing upon becomes a pool.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, August 23, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #119
GETTING LOOPY, #119:  
Travis and Talja pick their way through the off-trail backcountry of Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, August 2, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #118
GETTING LOOPY, #118:  
Layer upon layer of varying rock formations in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, July 26, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #117
GETTING LOOPY, #117:  
Red rock walls under a darkening sky as a storm moves in to Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, July 19, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #116
GETTING LOOPY, #116:  
A light snow overnight decorates a red rock garden in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, July 12, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #115
GETTING LOOPY, #115:  
After an all day rain, the clouds begin to lift revealing the saturated colortones of the numerous rock formations in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, July 5, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #114
GETTING LOOPY, #114:  
A light snowfall overnight decorates a rock garden in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, June 28, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #113
GETTING LOOPY, #113:  
Late evening light casts some dramatic shadows across the various formations in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, June 21, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #112
GETTING LOOPY, #112:  
Amazing color layers in the walls of Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, June 14, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #111
GETTING LOOPY, #111:  
A huge silica dome emerges from a hazy sky in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, June 7, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #110
GETTING LOOPY, #110:  
Driving through the backcountry of Capitol Reef National Park I spent the day encountering some amazing rock formations.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #109
GETTING LOOPY, #109:  
There is only one paved road in Capitol Reef National Parg, and it runs the length of the park paralleling the river. There, however, many dirt roads in the park’s backcountry, and they offer some amazing views.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, May 24, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #108
GETTING LOOPY, #108:  
As the morning fog burns off in Capitol Reef National Park, a huge silica dome emerges from the haze.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, May 17, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #107
GETTING LOOPY, #107:  
A big wall of jumbled colors in Capitol Reef National Park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, May 10, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #106
GETTING LOOPY, #106:  
This is the Fremont River that runs through the middle of Capitol Reef National Park. Generally it is a mild flowing stream, but towards the end of summer the park experiences epic thunderstorms, and on one of those days Travis, Talja, Amy, and I were headed back to the campground from the southern end of the park when such a storm struck. As we drove on we came to a police roadblock and he told us to drive our van up an adjacent sand hill. Not long after, a flash flood swept down the canyon carrying big trees and other debris, and as we watched, it swept away the picnic tables in the neighboring picnic area.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, May 3, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #105
GETTING LOOPY, #105:  
After an all-day hike into the backcountry, I am on my way back to the campground at Capitol Reef National Park as the evening light sets the meadow aglow, and clouds drift over the red sandstone summits in the distance.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #104
GETTING LOOPY, #104:  
After a light snow in Capitol Reef National Park there many interesting contrasts. Here, although the ground is covered, there is virtually no snow on these black rocks. Equally interesting, there are no black rocks anywhere else in the park, and no explanation as to where these have come from.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, April 19, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #103
GETTING LOOPY, #103:  
In Capitol Reef National Park the varied layers of color in the rocks and on the ground become brilliantly saturated after a night of rain and a light snow that followed


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, April 12, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #102
GETTING LOOPY, #102:  
The trail out of the Fruita campground leads to a beautiful backcountry filled with colored rock layers and some ancient snag trees. There are also some small slot canyons that host waterfalls when it rains, and the trail is relatively flat and an easy walk. If you stay on it, it will eventually take you back down into another canyon from which you can walk back to the highway and return to Fruita on the road.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, April 5, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #101
GETTING LOOPY, #101:  
Numerous trails run throughout Capitol Reef National Park, and an especially nice on is across the road from the Fruita campground, It climbs several hundred feet up using mellow switchbacks, and at the top offers a great overview of that immediate area of the park before turning into the backcountry. Travis and Talja are taking it all in. In this image you can also see the unique geology of the park created by the waterpocket fold (read about in the link above) showing the white silica domes layered on top of the red sandstone.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, March 29, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #100
GETTING LOOPY, #100:  
To continue this loop journey it is a relatively short drive to Capitol Reef National Park. From Boulder lodge you motor over a divide and follow the highway into Torrey and Lyman two nice small towns with some good restaurants. There is also an excellent campground in the park which I have stayed in, but I also have a favorite place to stay in Torrey called the Chuck Wagon Lodge. It has hotel rooms, but also several nice cabins which were perfect when I did this loop with my kids. It is also conveniently close to my favorite restaurant as well, The Rim Rock Inn, which not only has a great menu of food, but also a spectacular view of the park.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, March 22, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #99
GETTING LOOPY, #99:  
After our 10-day adventure exploring the interior of Escalante there were cars and trucks waiting for us at the highway, and our group returned to Boulder Mountain Lodge home of the most excellent Hell’s Backbone Grill. The two 5-star female chefs who created the grill formerly cooked at one of the finest restaurants in Berkley, CA, but they grew tired of the city and wanted live out of the mainstream, Boulder is a tiny Utah town and establishing the lodge and the grill gave them a very different lifestyle while still enjoying what they do so well, awesome cooking. If you are curious about the name of the restaurant, to get to Boulder from the south you must drive over a narrow, perilous road called Hell’s Backbone.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, March 15, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #98
GETTING LOOPY, #98:  
Next morning we broke camp and planned to walk out. By now, Travis and Bryce had completely taken over leading the llamas, and here Bryce is just waiting for our group to gather up and begin the journey back to the highway.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, March 8, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #97
GETTING LOOPY, #97:  
The several hundred yards we had to swim to get back to our camp was in fast moving, shockingly cold water, and everyone had a touch of hypothermia when we climbed out of the river. Fortunately, the red sandstone shelf below our campsite was in full sunlight and the rocks were well heated, so our crew spread themselves out across the terrace and let the sun, and radiant rock heat drive out the chill.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, March 1, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #96
GETTING LOOPY, #96:  
There were numerous places along the creek where we could get out of the freezing water and walk on the sandstone, but when we neared the end of the hike, the river canyon narrowed and steepened. We were several hundred yards from our camp terrace and left with little choice but to swim for it. In water this cold it is usually a dive in and race to get out, but here we had to swim a good distance in the frigid current. It impacted everyone with various stages of hypothermia.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, February 22, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #95
GETTING LOOPY, #95:  
The next day we were going to do another long hike that would loop back to our camp. It started by walking off across domes to where the guides expected to find a dry creek bed in which we would walk. When we arrived, however, the creek bed was not dry, but rather flowing with ice cold water. It was the beginning of a long day.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, February 15, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #94
GETTING LOOPY, #94:  
After an hour or so of “bowling”(last post), it was time to return to camp and start dinner. To entertain the boys while the meal was being prepared, one of the guides showed them how to start a fire using sticks and dry twigs.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, February 8, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #93
GETTING LOOPY, #93:  
Some of the potholes like the one in which Talja is soaking (last post) have water in them, but others are dry. Bits of broken sandstone fall into them and then the wind blows them around and around inside the pothole, eventually shaping them into perfectly round sandstone balls. One night after dinner, one of the guides asked if we would like to go bowling, which everyone thought very curious, but we all followed him on a short climb to the top of our terrace to see what was going to happen. On a bench of rock at the top of our terrace he had collected hundreds of the sandstone balls, and for the next hour we took turns trying to roll our balls downhill and strike others below us. The kids loved it!


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, February 1, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #92
GETTING LOOPY, #92:  
The sandstone terrace where we established our second camp in the Escalante wilderness has a nice shallow pond (last post) with relatively warm water in which we can swim, but the terrace is also pockmarked with some sizable potholes, many of which have partially filled with water, and the hot sun has truly heated them up. To Talja’s delight she found one that she could fit into and so for her, it was like taking a good hot bath.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, January 25, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #91
GETTING LOOPY, #91:  
On the sandstone terrace where we made our second camp, we were perched above a freezing cold river, but we had our own pond that was actually shallow and quite warm, so after a hot day of hiking we could take an afternoon swim to cool down.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, January 18, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #90
GETTING LOOPY, #90:  
Moving day. We are now headed for camp #2. This will prove to be a very different setting. It will be situated in a sandstone bowl with a meadow and a pond, and the downslope delivers you to a large river of ice cold water.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, January 11, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #89
GETTING LOOPY, #89:  
Another nice aspect of having knowledgable guides is that they how to navigate the terrain, and they also know of neat things to see. Just before arriving back in camp they diverted us into a deep overhang that featured an amazing wall of Indian pictographs. Bryce is taking it all in.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, January 4, 2023

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #88
GETTING LOOPY, #88:  
Our hiking party is in the last mile of our long day and we have come out of the slot canyons and are walking up a wide, dry riverbed approaching our camp when we come upon a substantial obstacle. A HUGE section of the steep walls surrounding us have collapsed into the river bed, and unscalable boulders are now blocking us. Our guides survey the situation and conclude that we can thread our way up the opposite wall, cross above the rockslide, and then descend back into the wash. We did about 1,300ft. vertical to accomplish this, and we are now headed back down.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2023,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, December 28, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #87
GETTING LOOPY, #87:  
It was blazingly hot on our 10-mile hike through Escalante. Fortunately the slot canyons offered us some reprieve in the shade, but even so, we all occasionally took dips in the various pools, as Amy is doing here.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, December 21, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #86
GETTING LOOPY, #86:  
My wife, Amy, and her friend, Laura, wade through a pool and ascend into an Escalante slot canyon.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, December 14, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #85
GETTING LOOPY, #85:  
My daughter and I scramble down a red rock staircase in Escalante.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, December 7, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #84
GETTING LOOPY, #84:  
We are surrounded by some huge walls and rocks. For scale, look at the lower middle part of this picture,..that is an adult about to round that corner.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, November 30, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #83
GETTING LOOPY, #83:  
Scrambling down into a dry creek bed, the walls loom hundreds of feet above us.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, November 23, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #82
GETTING LOOPY, #82:  
Herewith are my slot canyon love weasels, having no problem with the 10-mile dayhike.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, November 16, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #81
GETTING LOOPY, #81:  
After our overland scramble, we drop down into a canyon that is not a slot as yet, but it traverses some interesting arches and boulders. At this moment, he is explaining to us that part of the time we will be walking in a river, and swimming across some small pools. It seems it is going to be a curious day.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, November 9, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #80
GETTING LOOPY, #80:  
After breakfast, we begin our all-day hiking loop that will involve some slot canyons, To get to them, we wander across an open sandstone terrain with no trail or markers of any kind. The advantage of being guided is that our leader has done this route many times before, and he knows exactly where we are going, even if we do not.


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, November 2, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #79
GETTING LOOPY, #79:  
On our first day at our first campsite, our guides told us we were going to take a long hiking loop that would involve passing through some slot canyons. The pleasure of having the guides, and the llamas, were multiple. For one, having the llamas allowed us to pack in equipment like this 3-burner Coleman stove, which is much easier to work on than a small campstove. Having several guides also means that they do all the work, and we, the guests, can just sit back and enjoy the surroundings. This first morning we are having pancakes. Yum!


photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2022,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Wednesday, October 26, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #78
GETTING LOOPY, #78:  
Our first camp was in a large meadow, at the foot of a sheer sandstone wall. There was plenty of room to let the llamas graze, so we have taken off their packs, and broken out all the camp toys. Seated comfortably in sling chairs, the boys, and I, are enjoying the first course of the meal, a hearty soup.


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Wednesday, October 19, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #77
GETTING LOOPY, #77:  
The llamas were also very user-friendly, and simply happy to follow the leader, so the kids took great pleasure in leading them about. My son, Travis, stands in front here. That is Amy, his mother, behind him, and to the right is Bryce, who, with his family joined us in this adventure.


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Wednesday, October 12, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #76
GETTING LOOPY, #76:  
With our large party, and our numerous llamas, our merry band headed into the Escalante canyonlands. Because there was water everywhere, and sometimes we would, literally, walk in a river, the footwear of this expedition was Keen watershoes. The three guides that led us brought a wealth of luxury camp goods, such as chairs, and big, multi-burner stoves, so the llamas carried some very hefty packs.

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Wednesday, October 5, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #75
GETTING LOOPY, #75:  
Random hikes, and the numerous trails, offer many interesting aspects of Escalante, but if you really want to experience these canyonlands, a 10-day trip into the canyons by llama is the way to do it. All the arrangements can be made for you through the Boulder Mountain Lodge, and so we had them do that for us. We had friends join with us on this trip, so we were a large party of 11, and to carry our gear, and 10-days worth of food and water, it took quite a string of llamas.

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Wednesday, September 28, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #74
GETTING LOOPY, #74:  
In many places in Escalante, even the steep terrain can be navigated because the rock structure has become a kind of staircase.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #73
GETTING LOOPY, #73:  
There are many established trails in Escalante that take you to specific places like the waterfall and pool in the previous post, but the terrain is such that can also do a lot of interesting wandering around. Here, Travis and I find ourselves on a white dome scattered with black rocks that came from where?

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #72
GETTING LOOPY, #72:  
In the vast sandstone landscape of Escalante, Travis is barely visible near the center of this image. Because the rock is coarse, it affords excellent traction, and as you can see, there is a lot of terrain on which you can walk around quite easily

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Wednesday, September 7, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #71
GETTING LOOPY, #71:  
One of the many day hikes that can be staged from the Boulder Lodge in Escalante is to here, Lower Calf Creek Falls. It is a relatively short hike, that is not difficult, and the small lake fed by the falls is a nice place to go swimming.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #70
GETTING LOOPY, #70:  
Escalante is an expansive landscape of canyons, rivers, and pools but very few accommodations. Fortunately the one that exists is a great place. Located centrally to many good hikes, the Boulder Mountain Lodge offers large, comfortable rooms, and a fabulous restaurant called Hell’s Backbone Grill, the name derived from the spooky road you drive in on to get to the lodge. The menu is different every day, with a good deal of the food raised, or grown, on the premises.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #69
GETTING LOOPY, #69:  
Once again, my walk-about on the rim overlook path of Bryce Canyon National Park finds me a good distance from the heart of the park, and the distinct orange tones that color most of the “hoodoos” in the central area, have become a palette of pastels at this vantage point.

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Wednesday, August 17, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #68
GETTING LOOPY, #68:  
Walking around on the rim overlook path at Bryce Canyon National Park provides some interesting views of the parks expanse. At this point I am well away from the center of the park where there are numerous hiking trails winding through the “hoodoo” amphitheaters, but from this vantage point I can more clearly see the river that marks the park’s eastern boundary.

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Wednesday, August 10, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #67
GETTING LOOPY, #67:  
The extreme cold snap broke during the night, and even in the dark of our van, you could feel the changing temperature. By the time the sun rose, and we finished breakfast, it was 28˙. We visited Rainbow Point, then returned to the van to begin our way towards Escalante. On another visit to Bryce in the late spring, I took this shot from the overlook, and it offers a visible sense of the scale of the “hoodoo” amphitheaters, and the trails that wind through them. This is a very fun hike if you pick a day that is not too hot.

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Wednesday, August 3, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #66
GETTING LOOPY, #66:  
The next morning we plan to move on to Escalante, and enjoy those canyons, but after breakfast, we both wanted one last gaze from the Rainbow Point overlook. As yesterday, this day dawned clear, sunny, and warming quickly, and when we arrived at the overlook, the morning light on the walls and pinnacles of Bryce Canyon gave them a fiery glow. Our visit has been brief, but very rewarding, especially the full moonrise last night.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #65
GETTING LOOPY, #65:  
By the time we finish dinner it is -20, but we have layered up, and have grown used to the cold, so we thought we would walk around a bit and generate some body heat as our meal digests. Eventually we arrive back at Rainbow Point overlook, and find ourselves graced by a full moonrise which brightly illuminates Bryce Canyon. Quite a nice evening, and we are still the only ones here.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #64
GETTING LOOPY, #64:  
As the shadows lengthen at the end of the day, the temperature begins to drop once again. When we finally ascended to Rainbow Point, we lingered at the overlook for awhile, pondering how we had spent the in the valley below us. The contrast of the snow and reddish-orange of the “hoodoos” made for a striking landscape in which to ski around, but now it is time to prep some dinner, so we head for the van.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #63
GETTING LOOPY, #63:  
The trail down into Bryce Canyon is way too narrow and steep to attempt to ski, but once down on the valley floor, there are numerous trail loops that cover relatively flat terrain, and offer dramatic views of the “hoodoos”, and surrounding amphitheaters. We spent a good part of the day touring around, and then climbed back up to Rainbow Point where the van was parked.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #62
GETTING LOOPY, #62:  
On this particular trip to Bryce Canyon National Park, we experienced quite a range of temperature. My partner, Vicki Golden, and I, arrived in the early evening to discover the bottom was falling out of the thermometer. We were camping in my van, and the campground was closed, but there was no one else in the park, so we just parked on the road leading to Rainbow Overlook, and prepped dinner. By the time we settled into our sleeping bags it was -21˙ The next morning we planned to cross-country ski around a bit, and it dawned very sunny. By the time we finished breakfast, and got our skis out, it had warmed to nearly 20˙, and the rest of the day was quite pleasant.

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Wednesday, June 29, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #61
GETTING LOOPY, #61:  
I have driven the loop road I am describing in this blog many times, and this is a winter stop at Bryce Canyon National Park, which is spectacular when there is a light snow coating the red and orange pinnacles of the canyon.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #60
GETTING LOOPY, #60:  
We planned to drive to Capitol Reef National Park today, a fair distance away, so my time shooting was limited, but considering we had only been in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park less than 24hrs., it was a great way to start the day. The continuation of the loop drive would backtrack slightly from here, and then branch off on Hwy #12. Since we wanted to see Bryce Canyon National Park along the way, we would turn to Hwy #63, then backtrack once again to Hwy #12, continuing on to Escalante National Monument, stopping to have lunch at the excellent Boulder Lodge in Boulder. Because it would be a long day, we did not have the time, but it is worth mentioning that we could have done another sidetrack, and visited Kodachrome Basin State Park. After our lunch, we headed for Torrey, the gateway community of Capitol Reef National Park, and then we set up camp in the park at the Fruita campground, where once again we were the only ones there.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #59
GETTING LOOPY, #59:  
As the coral pink sand emerged from beneath the light covering of snow, the landscape of this state park grew increasingly ethereal. Sun would shine briefly, causing things to melt, then clouds would move back in flattening the light, and really causing the colors to pop. In the beginning of my morning shoot, I was paying attention to the delicate details, like the colors of the grasses, and shrub branches, but now it was the larger view of the park’s expanse that captured my attention.

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Wednesday, June 8, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #58
GETTING LOOPY, #58:  
The morning in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, was changing quickly as the day warmed slightly. Soon the delicate crystalline ice coating on the grasses began to melt off, and intermittent spots of direct sunlight were also melting off spots of snow covering the dunes. Things were happening at such a pace that I was in a frenzy of running around, trying to establish differing viewpoints and add variety to the images I was making this day. Meanwhile, Amy, and 1yr. old Travis, were snuggly in the RV, and having breakfast.

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Wednesday, June 1, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #57
GETTING LOOPY, #57:  
Choosing to go camping with an RV late in the fall season, had numerous benefits, most notably there very few others camping. The weather, however, was the star of the show, as we had rain, and snow, in Zion, and now a frozen, crystallized late snow in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

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Wednesday, May 25, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #56
GETTING LOOPY, #56:  
The graceful delineations of a wet snowfall in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #55
GETTING LOOPY, #55:  
The wet, overnight snowfall in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, decorated every branch, leaf, and blade of grass with a crystal powder.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #54
GETTING LOOPY, #54:  
On our camping trip around the loop tour I am describing in this blog, we stopped at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park which I had not previously visited. It was late fall, we were the only ones in the campground, and our RV was snuggly and warm, but outside it was quite cold, and during the night it snowed. In the morning, as the sky cleared and the clouds dissipated, the cold air crystalized the light snow on all the varied growth among the dunes. These grasses seemed particularly delicate and graceful. These conditions would not last long, however, and things began to change as soon as the sun shone.

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Wednesday, May 4, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #53
GETTING LOOPY, #53:  
When we camped at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, a storm in the middle of the night brought snow, and the next morning it cleared, but it remained VERY cold and windless. As a result, the light dusting of snow crystallized on all the branches, bushes, and grasses, and I realized that this was a summer park, and few people ever saw it like this. Our late fall trip was perfect timing.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #52
GETTING LOOPY, #52:  
I have been to Zion, and Bryce Canyon many times, but when Travis was just 1yr. old, Amy and I rented an RV and drove the loop being described in this blog. As we had no specific timeframe for our road trip, after we left Zion, I thought we should take a small detour on the way to Bryce and see the lesser visited Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. We were staging our trip in the late fall, specifically to enjoy the parks we would visit at a time when they would have less traffic, and at this park, that was especially true, because we were the only ones in the campground. We arrived as it was getting dark, and it was very cold, so instead of exploring, we set about making dinner. During the night it stormed, and delivered snow, so when we woke in the morning, the storm broke off and revealed quite a spectacle.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #51
GETTING LOOPY, #51:  
Now you see it, now you don’t. Strange beautiful,..and WET!

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Wednesday, April 13, 2022


GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #50
GETTING LOOPY, #50:  
As Yes sings in their song “Roundabout,” mountains come out of the sky.

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Wednesday, April 6, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #49
GETTING LOOPY, #49:  
Because of hard rain, snow, and wind, I have retreated from the high mesas to the valley floor, and the Virgin River gorge, to watch the show from down below.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #48
GETTING LOOPY, #48:  
Now you see it. Now you don’t. Playing Peekaboo in Zion.

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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #47
GETTING LOOPY, #47:  
And, the Commodores were right as well, it is Slippery When Wet.

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Wednesday, March 16, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #46
GETTING LOOPY, #46:  
Led Zeppelin was right, there is a Stairway To Heaven.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #45
GETTING LOOPY, #45:  
I can’t get any further up this wall, but the perspective of it is certainly amazing.

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Wednesday, March 2, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #44
GETTING LOOPY, #44:  
I am working my way up the low dome to the right, toward the sculpted feature on the steep wall, facing right. Next week you will see the view from the bottom of that wall.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #43
GETTING LOOPY, #43:  
Up, up, and away,..layer by layer. We even have sfumato!

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Wednesday, February 16, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #42
GETTING LOOPY, #42:  
Here is a whole lot more vegetation, all of it thriving, and all of it growing out of the sandstone, with no soil to be found anywhere. Amazing!

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Wednesday, February 9, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #41
GETTING LOOPY, #41:  
This is a big tree, and a lot of other vegetation as well, all growing right out of the sandstone. There is no soil to be seen.

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Wednesday, February 2, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #40
GETTING LOOPY, #40:  
Close-up, or at a distance, Zion is world of visual discoveries. As if the sandstone terraces are not already interesting enough, just add a little water.

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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #39
GETTING LOOPY, #39:  
In Zion National Park, most visitors are focused on the domes and big walls, but as I have been advising, wandering off-trail in the upper mesas opens up a very different world of discovery. Some of that is unexpected gardens of vegetation set against sculpted rock walls, or entire valleys hidden behind a roadside terrace, but sometimes, it is little, strange things that just appear at your feet. When I found this, I had the weird feeling that I was viewing the aftermath of a pinball game. How DID all of these perfectly rounded pebbles find their way here?

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Wednesday, January 19, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #38
GETTING LOOPY, #38:  
Wandering off trail in the backcountry of Zion National Park, also provides things to see other than just the big picture. The sandstone terraces of the mesas offer some very intimate gardens, where wind sculpted rock and wood seem like designed artistic displays. The striations and patterns of the terraces often are like ripples running across the landscape, which you might follow over a slope to find a small forest of trees growing in a bowl. Taking these hikes offers constant new discoveries, and if you visit this park, be sure to explore this part of the landscape, which few others do.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #37
GETTING LOOPY, #37:  
The dramatic domes and backcountry of Zion National Park are obvious to all visitors. The exotic trail system is also a very public pleasing aspect of a park visit. But aside from driving around it, and walking the established trails, I like to go up into the second tier of the park, the high mesas, and wander completely off trail, wherever the terrain allows. It is not all vertical, and the sandstone shelves make getting around “a walk in the park."

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Wednesday, December 29, 2022

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #35
GETTING LOOPY, #35:  
Back down in the red sandstone along the Virgin River Valley part of Zion National Park, my daughter, Talja, does a little crack crawling for amusement. The sheer walls of the valley are scaled by many trails, but there is not much free-to-wander territory, like there is above the valley in higher mesa section of the park.

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Wednesday, December 29, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #34
GETTING LOOPY, #34:  
Looking up at one of the temple walls in Zion National Park, you can see the clear division between the red sandstone of the “lower” canyon in the park, and the much lighter colored Navajo sandstone of the upper mesas. The upper mesas are reached by leaving the Virgin River Valley in the lower section of the park, and driving up through the tunneled Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. The continuation of this road ultimately leads you out the east entrance to the park, but along the way there is much to stop and explore, including Checkerboard Mesa, Crazy Quilt Mesa, and numerous canyons, many if which host sandstone “tanks”, where rainwater pools. If you are REALLY lucky, you may see a resident bighorn sheep, as they use the tanks for their water resource.

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #33
GETTING LOOPY, #33:  
Once again, after a day of rain in the lower canyons of Zion National Park, snow can be seen on the walls of the upper Checkerboard Mesa. Freshly washed, and now set aglow by the light of late afternoon, the Navajo Sandstone of the lower canyon radiates its red hue.

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Wednesday, December 15, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #32
GETTING LOOPY, #32:  
As weather moves through “lower” Zion canyon, the pinnacles and spires play peek-a-boo with the view. Even through the clouds, however, the red Navajo Sandstone, the signature of the lower canyon, is clearly visible.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #31
GETTING LOOPY, #31:  
As weather moves through Zion National Park, it amplifies my previous description of Zion having an “upper”, and “lower” park. The lower park starts at the Virgin River, and rises 2-3000ft. up. From there, the upper Zion park, which is called the Checkerboard Mesa, extends from the floor of the mesa, up another 2,000ft. into massive walled domes. The lower Zion consists of Navajo Sandstone which is distinctly colored red, while the domes rising above the mesa are whitish, and only occasionally streaked with red. Many times, as seen in this image, it will be raining in lower Zion canyon, and it will be snowing up on the mesa.

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Wednesday, December 1, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #30
GETTING LOOPY, #30:  
The towering walls above the valley floor of Zion National Park, include many named walls, and summits. The first you encounter are East Temple, and West Temple, but as you drive further in, past the Zion National Park lodge, and village, you reach, Scout Lookout, the Temple of Sinawava, Zion Stadium, Mystery Canyon & the Mountain of Mystery, and ultimately the entrance to The Narrows, nearby to Orderville Gulch. This park has an amazing terrain, so be sure to use the first link that I have provided, to see the dynamics of this landscape. The link is already in 3-D mode, and by scrolling you can zoom WAY in, and out, BUT if you hold down your control button and scroll, you can rotate the valley in any direction, and follow the river into the narrows from directly overhead, almost as though you were flying on a drone platform. Above, after a very rainy day, the walls of one of the temples glows from the sheen of water flowing down it.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #29
GETTING LOOPY, #29:  
The off-season weather that rolls through Zion National Park, not only delivers an occasional layer of snow on the spires and faces, but in the passing weather there are some very dramatic light shows that fleet across the canyon walls. There are two Zions as far as I am concerned, an upper, and a lower. Out of Springdale, Hwy. #9, literally runs through the park, paralleling the Virgin River on the valley floor, and the rising into upper Zion though the Zion Mount-Carmel Tunnel(s). Spurring off of Hwy. #9, Floor of the Valley Road, carries you deeply into Zion canyon, and to Zion National Park Lodge. The lodge is quite nice, and there is a small village around it that offers shops and restaurants. This road also goes past the lodge, taking you to many of the famous locations in the park, such as Angel’s Landing, Refrigerator Canyon, Weeping Rock Trail, and the park’s best known attraction, The Narrows, a stunning hike, done partially IN the shallow waters of the Virgin River.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #28
GETTING LOOPY, #28:  
Leaving Valley Of Fire State Park, the loop drive returns to highway #15, and heads north for Utah. In the banner of this blog, I said I would call out additional areas of interest you might visit, if you really indulged every site on this route, so Hwy. #15 takes you to St. George, Utah, and although they will not be covered here, two nearby landscapes are worth a visit, Snow Canyon State Park, and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. Continuing north on Hwy. #15, you do not drive much farther until you reach State Route 9, taking you east to Springdale, that serves as the “gateway” community to Zion National Park. In the summer, Zion is crowded with tourists and traffic on the roads, so I prefer it in the off season, when the campgrounds have closed. If you are self-contained, you can still camp in the campgrounds, there is just no running water, or bathroom access. The off-season also comes with weather, which makes the 3,000-4,000ft walls very dramatic as the weather pours through. In this image you can see that fall has not yet turned the trees, but a cold fall storm has left snow on the tops of the spires.

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Wednesday, November 10, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #27
GETTING LOOPY, #27:  
One last view of this loopy desert in Nevada. Now we are going to move on up the road to Utah, and one of my favorite national parks, Zion. Stay tuned!

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Wednesday, November 3, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #26
GETTING LOOPY, #26:  
Last week the big rocks were looking loopy, this week it is the little ones.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #25
GETTING LOOPY, #25:  
On the first stop of the Great Loop drive, the desert is quite loopy. Here, the big rocks are showing off their loopyness. Next week, it will be the little ones.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #24
GETTING LOOPY, #24:  
Within the striped wall, stones and sand defy gravity (or is that just me?).

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Wednesday, October 13, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #23
GETTING LOOPY, #23:  
Stripes appear everywhere. Were these layers of a seabed?

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Wednesday, October 6, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #22
GETTING LOOPY, #22:  
Massive red-striped dome, pocked with blue and purple caves and alcoves.

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Wednesday, September 29, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #21
GETTING LOOPY, #21:  
On top of a red dome, Travis, Talja, and I, enjoy lunch while enjoying the view of the golden dome, and valley, before us. Pretty great lunch spot!

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Wednesday, September 22, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #20
GETTING LOOPY, #20:  
Go ahead, try and figure out this perspective. I will give you a clue, it involves being high.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #19
GETTING LOOPY, #19:  
Getting wild and wiggly inside a cave.

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Wednesday, September 8, 2020

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #18
GETTING LOOPY, #18:  
My son, Travis, enjoying a perch in front of a HUGE marbled dome.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2021
GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #17
GETTING LOOPY, #17:  
A clear case of geological graffiti.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #16
GETTING LOOPY, #16:  
The mysteries of the colorful washes - from where did these red rocks come?

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #15
GETTING LOOPY, #15:  
It is probably NOT a good idea to do drugs in the backcountry. It is unbelievable enough as it is, and if it got any weirder, you could loose your mind. I mean, what is happening here?

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Wednesday, August 11, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #14
GETTING LOOPY, #14:  
Inside one of the many large caves and overhangs. When it is bright outside, you need to come in and let your eyes adjust, then things like this appear out of the glare.

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Wednesday, August 4, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #13
GETTING LOOPY, #13:  
A huge sandstone backcountry basin swimming in pastel colors.

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Wednesday, July 28, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #12
GETTING LOOPY, #12:  
In the last post I mentioned “climbing around,” and in Valley of Fire State Park it is well worth doing. The sandstone has a coarse tooth to it which provides great traction for tennis shoes and hiking boots. As a result, you can ascend some surprisingly steep surfaces, many of which lead up to interesting terraces and rock gardens. Travis and Talja are downclimbing from one of our favorite spots to eat lunch. Farther up this dome, behind Travis, a narrow ledge about 70ft. off the valley floor, leads to a flat dome top with killer views in every direction, and plenty of room to walk about, snack, and sun. Talja is perched on a pretty steep slope with no effort, and plenty of grip, no fear of sliding whatsoever.

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #11
GETTING LOOPY, #11:  
I have taken my kids to Valley of Fire State Park many times to camp. The campground is excellent, and interesting, but they have also come to love the backcountry wandering as I have. Here Travis and I have just left the car and we are posing for Talja on a safe-to-walk-on, striped sandstone dome that descends into a sandy wash, up which we will begin our daytrip. We have food and water in our daypacks, and we will spend the entire day exploring and climbing around.

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Wednesday, July 14, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #10
GETTING LOOPY, #10:  
Big boulders gouge broad streams and deep pools, and smaller streams are created by smaller boulders and stones. These are the highways of the backcountry at Valley of Fire State Park, and around every corner, and meander, is another opening to a world of color. Look at the hues in the rock striation of this narrow slot. The variation through the park is astounding once you depart the red rock section. In a flash flood moment, you can hear and feel these stones being sweep along by the raging torrent of water, the surrounding rock actually vibrates.

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Wednesday, July 7, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #9
GETTING LOOPY, #9:  
The delicate, wind-carved fins of Valley of Fire State Park, are an essential part of the spectacle of the park. Some are so thin, they are nearly transparent, and in the low angle of late evening light, they literally glow. That same light sets the colored rocks aglow as well. Above is a “last shot of the day” POV, on a luminous fin formation. Besides staying above the creek beds during flooding events, recognize too that these fins were cared by wind force. Several times I have gone out on days when a wind was rising, only to be blown out hours later in a torrent of stinging sand. Not good for your skin, your eyes, and especially any cameras!

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Wednesday, June 30, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #8
GETTING LOOPY, #8:  
In the backcountry of Valley of Fire State Park, there are plenty of creeks, and sandstone domes, that can be navigated without doing any damage to the cryptogamic soil, or the delicate, wind-carved fins. Here is an excellent example of a formation NOT to be climbed upon. These dramatic fins are beautiful to observe, but look, don’t touch. Some are SO thin, and brittle, you can break them by just poking them with your finger. Remember, this is sandstone, not granite.

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Wednesday, June 23, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #7
GETTING LOOPY, #7:  
I love Valley of Fire State Park, so I do not want to see it damaged by careless foot traffic in the backcountry, thus I have been offering suggestions to navigate there with minimal impact. As you see in the last post, my “crew” has numerous members, but we are careful to stay in the sandy creek beds, where we don’t step on fragile things. In this image is another creek bed, but with a VERY different look. In the foreground is a deep “swimming hole” carved into the sandstone, then there is a steep sand berm, followed by a broad creek bed strewn with sizable boulders. This backcountry is prone to furious thunderstorms and flash-flooding, and it is fun to sit through them, and watch the action, but you want to be in a sheltering cove (lightning), WELL ABOVE any creek. Imagine the force of water that delivered these boulders and carved out this pool.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #6
GETTING LOOPY, #6:  
There is Mötley Crüe, and there is the motley crew who I hung with during many sojournes into the domeland backcountry of Valley of Fire State Park. I spent 20yrs. of visits wandering through this maze with my Pentax 6x7 camera, creating images that can be found in this blog. To get to some of our preferred inbound creek beds meant that we needed to be several miles out along the road to the White Domes. Often times that road is closed due to damage from flash floods, so we would have to walk those miles, instead of driving. As the all-day explore required camera, tripod, lots of film, many lenses, food, and a LOT of water, it was more than I wanted to carry by myself, so I was fortunate that I had numerous friends who loved this day-tripping, and they were always happy to join me for a camp and hike wander, willing to help carrying the weight. We also learned that it was safe to stash the camera, film, and tripod, in the back of some of the caves, so we did not have to keep hauling it back-and-forth. In this picture, at the end of a long day, the sunburned crew is, right to left, Mark Spyder Thompson, cosmically navigating a star chart in the sky; my partner, Carey Peterson, gazing; on his back, a sous-chef friend to our head campground chef, John Ravize, next left; and, also lying on his back navigating the stars, Marlon, Mark’s, at the time, 10yr. old son. John was an amazing cook, and we ate meals in the campground that could have been served in the finest restaurants. Hey, after a hard day’s work in the desert, there is more to life than mac & cheese!

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Wednesday, June 9, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #5
GETTING LOOPY, #5:  
It is important to walk “wisely” in the backcountry and respect the fragility of the park terrain, or you will destroy critical habitat and delicate features. The sandy creek beds, and the solid sandstone domes will get you anywhere you want to go without doing damage. Be cautious around wind-sculptured fins, and frail ledges. Stay on the solid parts of any domes, and when walking in the gardens, do NOT step on cryptogamic soil, in the desert it takes hundreds of years to build up, and you can wipe it out with a false step. If you heed my warnings, and traverse the backcountry safely, you will discover that the colors you see from the dramatic Rainbow Vista, pale in comparison to what you will see in the slots of the backcountry, like this overlook. What a GREAT place to stop for a snack, and just let your eyes take in the spectacle of this color-trippy landscape. Talk about out-of-this-world!

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Wednesday, June 2, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #4
GETTING LOOPY, #4:  
Adjacent the Rainbow Vista overlook, is a road to the left that will take you to a picnic area at the White Domes Trailhead. It is worth driving out to the road end, and the White Domes Trailhead is a good way to introduce yourself to the backcountry maze of gardens and domes. The trailhead will allow you to feel “safe,” but you should soon discover, you really can’t get lost wandering off-trail because the park is just a narrow band of eccentric domes and canyons, one side of which opens to where the campground is located, the other side connects back to the road. After walking around in the White Domes section, you should be ready to start your REAL exploration of the park, completely off-trail. To do that, go back on the road, and head towards Rainbow Vista. You are not allowed to park off-road just anywhere, but there are permitted parking locations along the road. Pick anyone and stop. Get water, snacks, and your camera, pick a dry, sandy streambed (many choices) and walk in following the bed. You are launching!

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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #3
GETTING LOOPY, #3:  
If you leave the campground and continue on the Valley of Fire Highway through the park, you will see numerous rock formations that have been given names. You will also come upon a junction with Mouse’s Tank Road. A left turn here will take you to the visitor’s center, and on past that, the road will climb up into the upper portion of the parkland. There are several trails here worth hiking, one of which leads to Mouse’s Tank, so called because it is a sandstone hollow that holds water. Mouse was a Native American raider that often hid-out in the park, using this “tank” as his source of water. Past the tank trail however is the spectacular overlook, Rainbow Vista, where you will have your first overview of the remarkable backcountry (post #1). At Rainbow Vista, the road divides. To the right will eventually take you out of the park, to the left will deliver you to the White Domes Trailhead at the end of the road. You WANT to drive out along this road!

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Wednesday, May 19, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #2
GETTING LOOPY, #2:  
Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada’s oldest state park. This 3-D Google, satellite map link will also show you that it is an amazing rift of of Aztec Sandstone. This red sandstone dominates the park landscape, and gives the park its name because in the setting sun, on a clear day, sets the red rock formations ablaze with a glowing red color. The campground in the park is quite unique, as carved into some significant red sandstone formations, as can see here (above). Each site is relatively private, and usually tucked into a cove or canyon slot between formations. Most sites have picnic tables, fire pits, and running water. Many of them also have sun shades over the picnic table. You could stay in camp all day to hike and climb around, but you shouldn’t because you would be missing the best part of the park.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2021

GETTING LOOPY:  Cruising One of North America’s Greatest Driving Loops, #1
GETTING LOOPY, #1:  
I have done a lot of car / van camping in my life, and have visited almost every state. I have taken in a great number of parks as well. In all that travel, however, one particular drive stands out, so this blog is going to take you on it. I will start, and end, in Los Angeles, because that is where I live, but along the way of this loop you will see 3 state parks, 6 national parks, 1 national monument, and 1 national recreation area, so let’s get loopy. Lots of people take Hwy #15 and head for Las Vegas, so that is where we start. I don’t gamble, and I have zero interest in “professional” women, so I only stop in Vegas if there is a great live act playing somewhere that I want to see. Otherwise, I just stay on #15 and keep driving north. It is worth noting that if you do stay in Vegas for awhile, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is quite close by, and a great place to visit, but my attention is held by a state park. About an hour out of Vegas, #15 approaches the Moapa Paiute Travel Junction, where you leave #15 and turn east on the Valley of Fire Highway. This will take you into Valley of Fire State Park, which as you can see (above) is quite a spectacle.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2021,
@RbtGlennKetchum @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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