From the Capitol Reef National Park brochure: A giant buckle in Earth's crust stretches across south-central Utah. This vast warping of rock, created 65 million years ago by the same great forces later uplifting the Colorado Plateau, is called the Waterpocket Fold.
Many layers of originallly horizontal sedimentary rock make up Waterpocket Fold. The layers formed from sediments deposited over hundreds of millions of years in seas, tidal flats, deserts, and other ancient environments. Regional mountain-building bent, or flexed, rock layers into a huge fold. Many upper layers of the ancient fold have eroded away, leaving only a hint of the earlier Waterpocket Fold's enormous size. Wind and water still slowly erode the fold and create new features from the rock.
..
Now for some words of my own:
This eroded rock formation is called The Castle. Aptly named if you ask me.
Since it was time for us to do a little hiking, we picked the Grand Wash hike, an easy hike down the wash to the Narrows, where the canyon walls got close together.
...Oh it's a bumpy gravel/dirt road but we didn't need a high-clearance vehicle. That's good since we don't have one.
Close up view of Cassidy Arch. There's a trail up to it but it was described as "Strenuous" so we didn't hike it.
Another view on the way up the wash.
Once we started walking up the creek bed, we enjoyed the view.
Some of the trail cut across the land as the creek curved. Along it we saw this rock that looked like a turtle poking out of its shell.
...But it sure didn't look like a turtle from the opposite side.
..The trail that went across the land was usually fairly smooth but when we had to walk the creek bed, we had to be careful not to trip over the rocks.
Finally we arrived at The Narrows.
Look how the rock is tilted and full of holes.
There was one "T" intersection where a smaller wash joined the bigger one. This is looking up its bed.
...I called this Pimple Rock.
Nolan got this really great shot of one of the lizards that ran across the trail in front of us. It was maybe 4 inches long including its tail. Tiny thing.
This was another strange creature I saw.
....I zoomed in on this tree up against the canyon wall. Too bad it's so fuzzy.
Next we hiked to Hickman Bridge. The trail started off along a stream. Who's that gal in the dorky hat?
This trail was described as "moderate" but the first part was all uphill. We were doing some puffing.
.Our first view of the bridge.
What it looked like a little closer. It was impossible to get a good photo when we got any closer than this but we did walk up under it.
There were lots of lava rocks scattered all over the area.
They were even used as steps along the trail.
Now for some words of my own:This eroded rock formation is called The Castle. Aptly named if you ask me.
Since it was time for us to do a little hiking, we picked the Grand Wash hike, an easy hike down the wash to the Narrows, where the canyon walls got close together.
...Oh it's a bumpy gravel/dirt road but we didn't need a high-clearance vehicle. That's good since we don't have one.
Close up view of Cassidy Arch. There's a trail up to it but it was described as "Strenuous" so we didn't hike it.
Another view on the way up the wash.
Once we started walking up the creek bed, we enjoyed the view.
Some of the trail cut across the land as the creek curved. Along it we saw this rock that looked like a turtle poking out of its shell.
...But it sure didn't look like a turtle from the opposite side.
..The trail that went across the land was usually fairly smooth but when we had to walk the creek bed, we had to be careful not to trip over the rocks.
Finally we arrived at The Narrows.
Look how the rock is tilted and full of holes.
There was one "T" intersection where a smaller wash joined the bigger one. This is looking up its bed.
...I called this Pimple Rock.
Nolan got this really great shot of one of the lizards that ran across the trail in front of us. It was maybe 4 inches long including its tail. Tiny thing.
This was another strange creature I saw.
....I zoomed in on this tree up against the canyon wall. Too bad it's so fuzzy.
Next we hiked to Hickman Bridge. The trail started off along a stream. Who's that gal in the dorky hat?
This trail was described as "moderate" but the first part was all uphill. We were doing some puffing.
.Our first view of the bridge.
What it looked like a little closer. It was impossible to get a good photo when we got any closer than this but we did walk up under it.
There were lots of lava rocks scattered all over the area.
They were even used as steps along the trail.
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