Another lovely breezy day here in Capitol Reef. 🌞🍃

As we were leaving this morning the Llamas were just setting off on one of their treks accompanied by some of the guests.

With regard to my Covid. I’m pleased to say I’m starting to feel a little better, it’s now turned into a cold. 🤧😷My chest no longer hurts and my throat’s not as sore. The pharmacist certainly knows his stuff. The medicines he provided have worked very quickly. 👏🤒

At least when people ask me how I spent the Platinum Jubilee I’ll have a good story to tell!

We went out this morning to Fruita and managed to buy cinnamon buns at the Gifford House. My goodness, they are delicious, large but very light. I managed half of one while I was waiting for Si to return!

This is a sign we are not likely to see back home!

Si left me sitting in the car, in the shade, with four of the buns plus ice-cream while he attempted the Fremont River Trail. Meanwhile, I saw deer grazing, marmots and beautiful birds but unfortunately they were not close enough to photograph.

Fruita is the most beautiful place to visit and we will certainly come again.

The Fruita Orchards all flower and fruit at different times of the year with flowering starting in March and harvesting finishing in October..

The Fremont River Trail is a short hike, 2.1 miles round trip and is generally considered a moderately challenging one along the Fremont River. Although you don’t actually follow or see the river, apart from the start, you can hear it. It starts as an easy stroll but it then becomes a steep climb to panoramas of the valley. It has a elevation gain of 480 ft (146 m). The trail surface is hard dirt and rock. The rock is hard but crumbles and this makes parts of the trail a rough gravel.

Si managed the trip in about 95 minutes and here are some of his shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ridge-top offers a fine panorama of the park from the north around to the east and south. Elevation is 5429 – 5917 feet.

Most of the trees in Fruita are very old dating back to when the pioneers first settled here. We saw this old gnarled one and it is called the Fremont Cottonwood ‘Fruita Mail Tree’. In 2014 the girth of the tree, measured at a height of 4ft 11ins (1.5m) was 24ft (7.20m) with its full height unknown.

It has had a long life. Planted in the late 1800s, it has lived longer than expected. It is called the “Fruita Mail Tree” because in the 19th century it was used as the mail tree for the Community of Fruita. Mail (letters and packages) had to be hung on the tree branches and were then collected by the postman. This practice of using big notable trees as mail trees was quiet common in the Wild West. Well who knew that?🤷‍♀️

The one thing about visiting Capitol Reef is the red soil. Everything gets covered in it and I dread to think what Avis will say about the state of their car. Therein lies a tale for another day!

Fruita residents needed to be largely self-sufficient, so they had their own Blacksmith Shop. Founded at the very end of the 1870s, the small community of eight to 10 families remained until well into the 20th century one of the smallest, most isolated towns in America. That isolation translated into technological delays; the first tractor was not introduced here until World War II. This late arrival of modern development meant that people had to make their own tools of every kind.

For the foodies among you who like to see pics of what Si’s been eating well, due to the Covid situation we’ve been eating in our cabin so have no interesting pics to post. Fingers crossed once we get to the Tetons, I’ll be feeling much better and we’ll be able to start eating out again at some of the great restaurants Jackson has to offer.

When I posted the photos of our cabin earlier in the week I forgot this one! It’s the cabin ceiling, made of wood with a light fitting made from deer antlers. That’s different!

Well, this will be the last post from Capitol Reef as tomorrow we drive to the Tetons. It’s a long drive, eight hours, so tomorrow’s post will probably be very short.

Hope to see you there for the next stage of our adventures!