Tue, Oct 2nd – Backcounty Travels to Northern part of Capitol Reef Naional Park

Six couples in three vehicles drove miles and miles of backcountry unpaved roads to Cathedral Valley. This is in the northern part of the Capitol Reef Park and only accessible by this road. We rode with Junior and Betty Mertz in their jeep. Again the terrain was so diverse--beautiful aspen trees high up in the mountains in the Fishlake National Forest and then down into the Park valley of rock formations. We all had packed picnic lunches and we stopped and ate among the aspen trees. This trek was about 100 miles long--but we did make it back to the campground for happy hour--just a few minutes late!

There was one porta-potty up in the Fishlake National Forest that we stopped at and the Aspen trees there were beautiful in the COOL morning air.

Here we all (Wagners, Jim Madole, Wittenbergs, me, Mertz and new Discovery members, Linda & Bill Johnson) are looking down at the Cathedral Valley from up in the forest.

Here we are having lunch in a beautiful setting in the forest among the Aspen trees.

Driving down out of the forest area, we found this beautiful pond.

Here's the view we had of Cathedral Valley below.

And this is why they call it "Cathedral Valley!"

Here's Betty Mertz standing in front of the "Cathederals" next to their jeep.

Here we are taking a short trek in to see the Gypsum Sinkhole. Pictures just didn't show the depth of the sinkhole.

Grandkids and Nephew Mason:

Who is Kokopeli?





According to Hopi Indian legend, Kokopeli (the flute player and traveling prankster) was the symbol of happiness, joy, and fertility. He would visit villages playing his flute, carrying seeds in his backpack (the "hump" he is pictured as having). Everyone would sing and dance through the night. Then, while the people slept, Kokopeli would roam the corn fields, playing his flute. The next morning the people would awake to find the corn almost full grown and Kokopeli gone, and many of the young women of the village pregnant. One legend has it that he is responsible for the end of winter and the coming of spring. When, the story goes, Kokopeli comes playing his flute, the sun comes out, the snow melts, the green grass grows, the birds begin to sing, and all the animals gather around to hear his songs.

This design is on alot of shirts and jewelry here in Utah. And now you know what he looks like!

www.students.sbc.edu/hoover07/kokopellipictures.htm