We pull in knowing nothing about this park. Up the canyon a ways we can see some strange looking landscapes, but first we’re interested in the shower. We had to use our on-board shower in Saint George. It’s functional, but a full size shower and water heater feel luxurious now. We sleep soundly under our Russian olive shade tree.
In the morning we take off on a trail we see going up the canyon from behind the bathrooms. We soon get to examine the strange formations we saw before. A natural dam once filled this canyon with sediment, and now the water is eroding back through it, creating wild siltstone formations. They look like mud, but they’re hard like sun-baked clay. Many stand alone like stalagmites under an open sky. Around one bend Ann stops me to point out a canine form – we can’t decide what it is. Too big for a fox, I say, but colored like one with a red coat and white-tipped tail. A coyote maybe, it looks juvenile somehow, with big paws. It darts around in a full circle before speeding up into the siltstone maze.
Climbing to the overlook
After our run we again drive north, not sure of a destination. We consider Great Basin National Park, but the snow cover even on the south side of 13,000-foot Mount Wheeler combined with the long drive around to the entrance on the east side discourages us. Instead find a spot with a nice view outside Cave Lake State Park near Ely, Nevada. We can see impressive looking limestone formations thrust up into the sky – seems like there must be climbing around here.