The road south and west from Capitol Reef climbs up through the Dixie National Forest and runs along the top of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, twisting and winding along the top of this uplifted part of the Kaiparits Plateau with some pretty steep dropoffs. Between the curves and the open ranging cattle, it was a bit of a white-knuckle drive.
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| It was a pleasant surprise to see the mountainsides covered with aspens in their fall colors. |
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| Grazing cattle - guess they're used to the amazing views |
Overnight stop at the Petrified Forest State Park, where I took a short hike to the top of the hills to see some of the most colorful examples of petrified wood I've ever seen. Different minerals present during fossilization have created a rainbow of colors: green & blue - copper and cobalt; pink - manganese; red, brown & yellow - iron. There was even one with crystals such as you find inside geodes.
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