Goosenecks and Valley of the Gods

We were not quite as successful avoiding the bad weather as we’d hoped on the drive to Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, Utah.  We left Williams, AZ around 8am but the winds kicked up early and the rain started. That much we expected, what we hadn’t anticipated was SNOW (again) as we went over the mountain pass. It never amounted to anything and the roads stayed clear, but going down a mountain on even potentially icy roads is nerve wracking. We’re used to seeing 6% grades, but some of these were 11%! Steep enough for ya? 

We drove through Monument Valley, AZ in a light rain with low clouds. The tops of many of the taller monoliths and mesas were obscured, but the rain really made the colors of the red rocks pop.  Monument Valley is on reservation land so it is not a national park or monument. It was a little weird to see homes and businesses tucked right up to the base of the massive formations. Wow, talk about having a view.

Monument Valley on a cloudy, rainy day.

So impressive!

Folks live and work at the base of these colossal monuments. Wow.

Hwy 163 through the Valley.

We arrived at Goosenecks State Park around 3pm on Monday, 4/3, and snagged a site right on the edge of the canyon. Speaking of an amazing view! We have one! The Goosenecks is the largest entrenched river meander in North America. Huh? In plain English that means the deep San Juan River canyon twists and turns so tightly that the river covers more than 6 miles while only advancing 1½ miles west toward Lake Powell. The 1500 ft. deep canyon showcases eons of geologic activity with repeating layers of sandstone, limestone, and shale in stepped terraces all the way to the river below.

This is the view from our patio. Score!!!!

The Goosenecks - the canyons snake back and forth several times.

A spiral walking meditation garden someone created on the rim.

See us perched on the edge!

Another interesting formation about 6 miles east of the park is the Raplee Anticline, or if you prefer the more technical term, the purple swirly bits.  About 80 million years ago, the earth’s crust began folding in upwarps (anticlines) and downwarps (synclines) then erosion set in and eventually revealed the folds. It looks a little like a mountain range made out of ribbon candy! Sometimes the scenery is so wild I just want to know how and why. Learning a little about the places we visit keeps things interesting, hope you all aren’t bored to death – I do tend to go on a bit where rocks are concerned. Geology lesson over for today. 😊 

Cool color and textures.

It was really pretty at sunset.

On Tuesday, we decided to drive through the Valley of the Gods, which is a lot like Monument Valley but on a smaller scale. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) so you don’t have folks living in the valley, but there is free camping available and we wanted to check that out. You drive through the Valley on a 17-mile gravel road. For the most part it’s in pretty good shape, but you do have to cross a few washes. Definitely accessible only when the roads are dry. There were several spots with fantastic views where we could have gotten the RV, but decided it wasn’t worth moving for just a night or two. We like our spot at Goosenecks and, at only $10 a night, it isn’t breaking the bank. 

Several of the formations in Valley of the Gods are named, sometimes you can see why and other times you wonder what they were smoking. Lol. Most of the big monoliths are volcanic extrusions – volcanic activity pushed a harder type of rock up through the layers of softer rock. As the softer rock erodes, it leaves the giant formations that seem to rise up out of nowhere. (Ok, so the geology lesson wasn’t quite over. Sorry! Class dismissed. 😊)

This formation is called Lady in a Tub.  Yeah, I can see it. Lol

Here we have Rooster Butte (left) and Sitting Hen Butte (right).

And this is Santa Claus and Rudolf. Really! Lol.

Lovely view of the Abajo Mountains.

Cool formations even in town - this is Twin Rocks in Bluff.

Since I went a little crazy with the pictures on our visit to Natural Bridges National Monument, it’s going to get its own post.  Not sure which is easier for you (or me!) one really long post with way too many pictures or two shorter posts with way too many pictures. Lol.