May 29 - The Horizon Is Moving Up


Wake


up


to


360


views


of


Ely


Valley


and


eventually


depart


again


on


50,


southwest over Conners Pass


in


Schell


Creek


Range,


onward


across


Spring


Valley


and


up to Sacramento Pass in view of Wheeler Peak,

 
and


then


over


into


Utah


at


the


Border


Inn,


across


the


Sevier


Desert,


looking


increasingly


Utahn --


the


Confusion


and


House


Ranges,


Skull


Rock


Pass,


the


arid


Salt


Pan


transitioning


into


Delta


for


supplies


and


calls


to


Chris (Happy 31st Birthday!)


and


attempts


elsewhere.


Further,


towards


the


Pavant


Range,


north


on


15,


east


again

through


Scipio


Valley,


heading


down


cliffy


Denmark


Wash,


intent


on


Salina


and


the


junction


with


I-70.


Honing


in


on


the


latter,


we


knife


through


the


Wasatch


Plateau


via


the


Canyon,


pausing


for


a


respite


at


Ivy


Creek.


Back


in


the


boundless


again,


the


space


increasingly


surreal,


time


lost


and


found...


badlands,


cliffs,



mesas,


buttes,


towers...


Salt


Wash,


Bitter


Seep,


Lone


Tree,


Devil's


Canyon


Junction,


domes


and


spires,


Black


Dragon,


culminating


in


the


massive


uplift


of


San


Rafael


Reef.


Out


into


the


open


country


approaching


Book


Cliffs


and


Green


River,


the


way


is


clear


for


the


final


pull


past


La Salle Mountains and


Castle Rocks Ridge to


Colorado.



Rabbit


Valley,



McDonald



Butte,


Fruita,


the


Monument


along


the


River,


another


supply


stop,


vaulting


Grand


Junction


over


to


Mt.


Garfield


and


the


entrance


to


De


Beque


Canyon.


Heading


up


the


declivity,


it's


Cameo,


Bailey


Cliff,


Asbury


Creek,


Plateau


Pillar,


Beavertail


Mountain,


Wagon


Track /


Kimbell


Ridges.


Out


in


front


of


the


Roan


Ciiffs --


Parachute


Valley


and


High


Mesa,


Ruilisen


Cliffs,



Rifle


Valley,


Taughenbaugh


Mesa,


Hogback


Ridge,


narrowing


into


Newcastle


and


Chacra


Canyon


in


sight


of the



old D&RG.


Red


cliffs


towards


Glenwood


Springs,


and


the


heroic


Canyon


beyond:


Dead


Horse


Cliffs


Reverse Curve Tunnel,


Bair Ranch Pinnacle,


Tie Gulch,


and


out


to


Dotsero.


The


transition


from


arid-


to-


montane


continues


to


evolve


slowly


along


the


Eagle


River


past


Avon,

and


eventually


tributarying


up


Gore


Creek


to


Vail,


and


ultimately


mounting


the


Pass.


Downward


briefly,


searching


for


petrol,


finding it



in Frisco,


up again


almost over


the pass


in the


Eisenhower Tunnel


(highest point on I-70),


down,


down


Clear


Creek


Canyon,


darkness,


Denver, high 75 -- Ely, 77 -- missing the 64th day of summer back home, with the first century-mark of the season, at exactly 100...