SPAS, TRAINS, HIKING AND ANCIENT SITES IN CO, NM, UT 2014 day 9

---

---

September 30, 2014


Again because there is little choice for rooms or food we ended up having dinner and breakfast at the San Juan Trading Post Restaurant adjacent to the inn where we stayed. The people were very nice but the food was either bland or over salted. I had a tasteless veggie burger with iceberg lettuce and tiny sprinkles of carrot shreds and cheese with a bad dressing. I also had a cup of beef and vegetable soup that at least was homemade but it was way too salty. My husband had beef stew with Indian fry bread that was not remarkable in any way.

I know there are very few options in this area and we only tried this one place but if anyone had a restaurant with good food in this region they could make a killing!

We decided to make one more stop before leaving the Valley of the Gods and the breathtaking beauty of Southern Utah. Driving east from Monument Valley towards Colorado, we drove a little ways back into the Valley of the Gods then turned onto a 17 mile dirt road to visit Goosenecks State Park, a mini Grand Canyon formed by the tight loops or “goosenecks” of the San Juan River as it meanders towards the Colorado River. This vista is viewable at the end of the road where there is a viewing platform and limited facilities. You are greeted with an expansive view of the tops of the surrounding mesas but once you look down into the canyon 1,000 feet below you will be able to see the results of a river’s power that is capable of carving amazingly tight u-turns out of sandstone rock over 300 million years.

Two days earlier, on our way into Valley of the Gods from Bluff, UT on route 163, it was getting dark and I had wanted to see Mexican Hat, a unique rock formation near the town so named, but not at the expense of getting to the Valley of the Gods, so as we were leaving we came back to spend some time here on the back end of this route. This very distinguishable rock consists of a large flat rock about 60 feet in diameter that perches precariously atop a few smaller rocks on top of a small hill. It is hard to believe that this rock formation still stands through strong winds and storms (which of course is what formed it in the first place), but that it still stands is quite amazing. We first saw this formation in 2008 on a trip through Southern Utah but it was quite dark then so I didn’t really get a good look. This time I was determined to get up close to this “geological hat” that very definitely resembles a Mexican sombrero. Although not a destination, this site, located in Utah’s Canyon Country, is near enough to Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods and other spectacular destinations that it is worth a quick stop rather than a drive-by.

Before we left this area for good we needed to take an hour to drive the entire Valley of the Gods in good afternoon light. I could easily have spent more time stopping to walk around, photograph, and just be in the moment of this amazing place but we had places to go (and Dave was not keen on my taking all day) so I did the best I could under the circumstances.

The roughly graded 17 mile dirt road is mostly good to travel on with non-four wheel drive vehicles but there are parts of the road that were quite questionable with deep gullies from arroyo washouts to terrible washboard conditions. I would not travel this road if there was a rainstorm! But the weather was now dry after last night’s rain and we went slow and were able to make it without breaking an axel! We were almost entirely alone for the whole drive because few people even know it exists. This is BLM land but there are no tribal restrictions here for hiking and exploration. But there are no services of any kind either. No gas, no water, no cell coverage, bottom line: you are on your own so bring water, food and any other necessities you think you might need. On the western end of Valley of the Gods near the Valley of the Gods B&B (the only reference to civilization you will find) you can join UT 261 for the incredible 1,200 foot switchback ascent up Moki Dugway to Cedar Mesa. We drove the dugway a couple of days ago and although it was incredible and afforded amazing views down the Valley of the Gods, I think once was enough.

Like Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods has wide open spaces with red rock buttes and towering pinnacles but for me Valley of the Gods is a much more relaxing experience than Monument Valley because it is so isolated and far from the madding crowd. You are really communing with nature here! This place has a majesty of its own because it is so desolate and offers an escape like no other,.


We were looking at a 4 hour drive from Mexican Hat to Telluride, CO driving through Bluff, UT, and on to Cortez and Dolores, CO and finally driving 25 miles over Lizard Head Pass in the San Juan Mountains at 10,222 feet on our way to Telluride. Lizard Head spire with it’s snow capped peak soars 13,113 feet and is located on the divide between the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers’ watersheds. The steep grades on this road (State Highway 145) combined with frequent winter storms, that can start as early as September, have caused many a closure due to impassable roads. This pass, included in the Colorado National Forrest Scenic Byway, by some reports has been called “the most beautiful drive in America.” I agree. I have driven over this pass in all seasons and all weather and despite the challenges of the drive (not for those who are afraid of heights) it is one of my favorite roads in the US.

We arrived at my daughter’s on Sawpit Mesa just in time for dinner and in time to celebrate my grandson’s first birthday the next morning!

---

Photos

Lizard Head Pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
Lizard Head is covered in snow in the distance.