Friday, 8/31
Woke up at 7, made a strong pot of coffee while we broke camp. We left our lightweight double sleeping bag available to cover the two coolers to help preserve the ice in the hot car. We used the sleeping bag this way for the whole trip and it really helped…especially when we’d leave the car locked up in the sun while we hiked.
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We went east on Rt. 24 through the high red cliffs of the east side of Capitol Reef with the river gurgling beside the road in places. The lushness dissipated as the river turns away from the road and we entered the strange bentonite hills. Not much grows on the purple and brown mounds that make up this otherworldly landscape. Grey and brown cliffs line the way to Hanksville with a ranch every once in a while where the river was in the distance.