Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey UT

Dawn on the Ridge, Looking West, Escalante UT, April 14, 2011

Making a supply run

After spending a few days on the ridge east of Escalante UT I needed some supplies. Groceries mostly. And the cell phone and internet service I assumed I'd find in town. And a laundromat. So off I went, first to Torrey and when that didn't pan out I continued west to Loa where I found groceries. Sort of - the selection is rather limited in this rural area. Then back to Bicknell, between Loa and Torrey, for a serviceable laundromat at a motel, and great 3G Verizon broadband service. A successful day overall - now it's back into the canyon at Fruita for a few days.

Night camp

Site 7 - Fruita Campground, Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey UT

No Verizon cell phone service is available here - and no broadband.
Locate on my Night Camps map
Check the weather here

Absolute Silence

I remembered hearing of a backcountry Park Service ranger who was cleaning up after dinner one evening when he heard a chilling scream. He ran out of his cabin in time to see a mountain lion standing with a dead deer next to her. The lion saw the ranger and bounded off. The ranger realized this might be a rare opportunity to closely observe a mountain lion, so he stationed himself a short distance away from the deer carcase. He sat in absolute silence, and listened closely as night deepened. After sitting in darkness for well over an hour, he gave up hope of the lion's returning and stood up. In the powerful beam of his flashlight, he could clearly see that the dead deer was no longer there. ...

Caught in Fading Light: Mountain Lions, Zen Masters, and Wild Nature by Gary Thorp

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