At Capitol Reef National Park, ancient layers of stone became turrets, reefs, and domes by geologic uplift and the slow erosion of water … Read More The post Capitol Reef National Park petroglyphs, orchards, and pie appeared first on Digging. July 06, 2023 At Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah, ancient layers of stone stand exposed in a red-rock desert. Formed into turrets, reefs, and domes by geologic uplift and after that the sluggish disintegration of water over centuries, the park’s layered rock informs the history of the Earth to those who can read it. It has also witnessed the comings and goings of human residents since around 300 CE. Capitol Reef visitor center We went to in early May during our RV trip, and I enjoyed the cultural stories of Capitol Reef as much as its castle-like peaks and hills of folded rock. Capitol Reef is described as a wrinkle in the Earth’s surface. How was the wrinkle formed? First, ancient seas, swamps, rivers, and deserts rose and fell over the eons to create 10,000 feet of sedimentary rock. Between 50 and 70 million years ago, two tectonic plates collided, and the land was pushed up as high as 7,000 feet. The rock didn’t break under the sluggish pressure that lifted it up. Rather it bent and folded over the geological fault. Water did the rest in between 1 and 6 million years back, deteriorating the upper layers of rock to expose the ancient, uplifted sedimentary layers. And voila, a layer cake of stone. A winding stream along the base of a cliff continues the work that produced this uncommon landscape. Forefathers of today’s Hopi, Zuni, and Paiute people, known as the Fremont people after the river that goes through the canyon, made permanent settlements here and farmed the flood plain for a thousand years, from around 300 to 1300 CE. They sculpted pictures of individuals or spirits and animals into the red rock, creating petroglyphs that remain to this day. Whatever they implied to communicate might be shrouded by time, however these lasting impressions of their culture captured my creativity. Around 1300 CE, the Fremont individuals left this area. Nobody understands why. Later, nomadic tribes passed through, however nobody else settled here until the Mormons came in the 1880s. Mormon inhabitants eked out a living by planting orchards of apple, pear, cherry, apricot, peach, and other fruit trees in the fertile flood plain. They called their town Fruita, and a handful of families lived here for decades, until the last household offered their land to the National Park Service in 1969. Watering ditches and heirloom fruit trees stay, kept by NPS. At the Gifford Homestead, a preserved Mormon farm, little fruit pies are sold daily — — and offer out daily! We ‘d heard it was crucial to sample the pie and happily complied. We feasted on a peach pie after a picnic lunch along the river. Yum! The Gifford barn and horses welcome you at the homestead, with those dramatic canyon walls making a sunset-hued background. In early May, most of the fruit trees had currently flowered, however the apples were still keeping cottony blooms. Another tree against those striking cliffs Other structures from the Mormon inhabitants stay. Elijah and Tabitha Jane Behunin settled here in the 1880s but lasted just a year. Their household of 15 called this rock-walled cabin home, if you can think it. “It was not a simple place to homestead. The crops they planted were rinsed by flash floods, and the cabin was just large enough for Elijah, Tabitha Jane, and their youngest kids. The older young boys slept in a sandstone alcove, while the older women oversleeped a covered wagon box.” https://www.nps.gov/places/behunin-cabin.htm Here’s an old image of these durable souls. Capitol Reef is much less industrialized than Zion or Bryce Canyon, and the views are less dramatic. Still fascinating! We took one of the red dirt roads toward the rocky reef. I wish I could reveal you the Capitol Dome that the park is partly named for, however I don’t keep in mind seeing it. But we got an eyeful of the “reef,” the uplifted hills that obstructed travel for early settlers. Some sections of domed rock are smooth and gray, like a humpback whale turning up for a breath of air. Photos don’t adequately communicate the strangeness of the rock formations, like this slope-sided mesa with a narrow fin of rock along the crest. Or these white-rock hills that resemble dollops of whipped cream. At ignores we appreciated the views and the wildflowers that added spots of color in a severe landscape. Diagonal uplift And more Gray and purple rock layers with a worn down fin on the top This view practically reminds me of the Texas Hill Country. We had far to go yet before turning to home. Up next: Beautiful Canyonlands National Park. For a look back at the vast scenery of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, click here. I welcome your comments. Please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re checking out in an email, click on this link to check out Digging and discover the remark box at the end of each post. And hi, did somebody forward this email to you, and you want to subscribe? Click on this link to get Digging provided straight to your inbox! __________________________ Digging Deeper Come learn about garden design from the experts at Garden Spark! 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