Of Bridges and Goblins

Of Bridges and Goblins.

A change of plan...with several 'spare' days to fill in, we decide to head south rather than west and visit the Natural Bridges National Monument before our planned visit to Goblin Valley, and what an inspired change it turned out to be!!!

The leisurely drive is largely on roads designated as 'scenic', and deservedly so, and we are able to arrive early enough at the small, peaceful, 'no hook-ups' campsite in time to secure a prime site close to the bathroom’ facilities.’  From the campsite, a fourteen kilometre circuit road provides a great overview of the deep recesses of White and Armstrong canyons wherein are found three massive natural stone bridges which can be viewed from strategic lookout points along the way. We are sufficiently impressed by what we can see to commit to walking through the combined fourteen kilometres or so of the canyons the following day to gain close-up encounters.

Natural bridges differ from arches in that they are created by moving water, in this case the intermittent streams which at times of summer thunderstorms bring huge torrents of water raging down the gorge to erode the narrow sandstone walls separating the river's meanders. Eventually a hole is breached which is further enlarged over time by both the stream and other erosive forces.

Until you stand beneath one of these bridges you cannot comprehend just how massive they are.

Sipapu (a Hopi mythological gateway through which soul s may pass to the spirit world) is at the foot of a rather steep, narrow, challenging descent involving a couple of rickety wooden ladders. Our feeling of unease is heightened by the presence of six turkey vultures waiting in anticipation in small tree only metres above the trail.With a height of 73 metres and a span of 89 metres, Sipapu is both the highest and greatest in span.  However, being ‘middle aged,’ it has been subjected to many more centuries of erosion than its younger partner further downstream which has reduced the width of the span to only 10 metres and the thickness to 17 metres.

The youngest of the bridges, Kachina (dancers who play a central role in Hopi religious traditions) stands big and bulky astride White Canyon,  some six or so kilometres further on along an, at times, rather tenuous, unmaintained trail. Being so young, Kachina has by far the smallest opening measuring only 35 metres in height and 60 metres in width, but its span is 14 metres wide and 31 metres thick.

The canyon floor supports a wide variety of plant life, including some quite large trees among which are Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs, which in turn support a range of animals including mule deer, big horned sheep, mountain lions, bears and coyotes but, apart from chipmunks, lizards, butterflies and a lone frog, the only evidence of their presence are the occasional tracks in the patches of still wet mud. Early human occupation of these gorges dates back some 9,000 years, with people coming to hunt and gather wild plants then leaving again as climatic conditions changed. Evidence of their nomadic existence can be found in rock art, tools and structures such as the Horse Collar Ruins.

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Finally, a similar distance further along Armstrong Canyon and now standing some way above the canyon floor is old Owachomo (Hopi word for 'rock mound'), no longer eroded by stream action but frost and seeping water continue to take a toll. At 70 metres in height and 68 metres wide it still is an imposing sight but the constant flaking away of large chunks of rock has left it only 9 metres wide have and 3 metres thick and possibly with a fatal crack. It could collapse tomorrow or survive for another couple of centuries. We are rather pleased that it remained standing while we were underneath. If you search for the figures under Kachina and Owachomo bridges it brings their size into perspective and you can understand how small and insignificant one feels when standing below.

This trail is classified as ‘primitive’…that is, not marked except for the occasional stone cairn, which can be in the correct place, or maybe moved a bit by passing water, animals or pesky people.  Obviously, any trail markings that were put in place would almost certainly be washed away or relocated by the flash flooding that shapes and reshapes the landscape.  It  is hot, and shade is hard to find as the day wears on, but with well-timed snack and hydration breaks, we reach Owachomo in good spirits…hot, tired, very grubby, and looking forward to a good strong cup of tea and a hot shower!!

After this slight rejig of the itinerary, we take the scenic Route 95 which  follows White Canyon to where  it meets the Colorado River at Cataract Canyon. Every turn in the road sees something different in the desert landscape – mesas, spires, ‘birthday cakes’, canyon offshoots and, from above Dirty Devil River, a great overview of the Colorado River snaking its way to Lake Powell. From the number of boat trailers on the road we assume the lake must be a popular destination for boating enthusiasts.

No cell phone or internet access for a few days and we need to book a couple of campsites ‘up the road’ so decide to have lunch at ‘Stan’s Burger Shak’ (sic) in Hanksville…this being the only place in ‘town’ with WiFi…other establishments being ‘World Famous Burgers,’ ‘Blondie’s,’ a market and 2 gas stations.  We have our first all-American lunch – burger, fries and a soda! – with the truckies, a group of Asian cyclists on a supported tour of Utah, a few touring bikers (mostly on Harley’s of course!) and other itinerant travellers.

Goblin Valley State Park campsite nestles in late afternoon shade at the foot of a huge mesa in the middle of nowhere and we wonder where the goblins can be. Following dinner we walk to an overview of the goblins which, in Elaine’s words, are “fascinating little ‘creatures’ all tucked up in their valley, hiding in small canyons, some peeping over the top.”

Once again we are in sandstone country and the goblins, which stand only a few metres high, are formed as wind and water erode away softer layers more quickly, leaving harder caps the futile task of trying to forever resist the forces of nature. Eventually the battle is lost and they slump to the valley floor. It is quite fascinating to wander among them and see these processes in action from the creation of new goblins to the fall and decay of others.

The day ends with a cloudless sunset to the west, but in the east, the ‘back-lighting’ on a bank of white, fluffy clouds is quite lovely.