Caineville

March 27, 2021

Today we’re on an out and back on UT 24, starting from a few miles east of the national park visitor center, not far past the trailhead to Hickman Bridge. We drove this stretch two days ago of course on our drive here from Moab; but we first saw it four years ago on our bike ride from Torrey to Hanksville. I’ve wanted to reexperience this remarkable stretch of road ever since - mile for mile, it’s as colorful as any we’ve seen on this whole tour.

Starting this far east of the visitors center, we’re mostly past the stunning cream and red sandstone formations at the heart of Capitol Reef and transitioning into the weird, mesmerizing moonscape of the Blue Hills. I don’t know of any other place at all like this.

Today, it’s an idyllic ride by bicycle - endless stunning scenery, fairly easy riding as we follow the Fremont River downstream to Caineville on a smooth paved road with very little traffic on it once you get past the mild congestion near the heart of the park. It wasn’t like this in the past of course, before the paving of the road but also before the Fremont was tamed and the threat Of flash flooding was brought under control. We were impressed by this quote on an information panel in front of the pioneer Behunin cabin:

“ . . . the flood came so heavy through Fruita that it carried trees, still full of apples, all the way to Caineville [Ed: a distance of about 25 miles!]. The fruit trees were just tumbling over and over in the mud. There were fat pigs still swimming in it when they got to Caineville.” - Mrs. Evangeline Godby, describing a 1909 flash flood on the Fremont River.

Incomprehensible, but it is still pretty unbelievable even today. This may have been my favorite ride of the entire tour. For all that though, the highlight for the ride for Rocky was probably an encounter with four mule deer. One of them ran across the road ahead of her and then alongside her for a ways, looking from time to time in her direction, and then crossing back again to rejoin the others.

Eastbound on UT 24. I haven’t even left the car yet, and she’s gone already.

The Behunin cabin, the pioneer homestead of Elijah Behunin, his wife and their thirteen children, among the earliest LDS settlers in the area. Can you imagine? They survived here for only a year before moving upriver to Fruita.

In the Blue Hills. I think that’s one of the Caineville Buttes rising in the distance.

Lunch spot, sitting below North Caineville Butte. Remarkably, there’s a ‘walking’ route to the top of the butte that follows one of the fins to the left. All first hand descriptions I read of it sounded terrifying.

On the way back to the car. Spellbinding both ways.

Daddy Longlegs: selfie with Raven and bicycle.

Video sound track: Bright Moments, by Grover Washington, Jr.

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Ride stats today: 42 miles, 2,500’; for the tour: 3,732 miles, 162,900’; for the year: 58 riding days, 2,457 miles, 105,900’, and 3 flat tires

Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 3,732 miles (6,006 km)

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Jacquie GaudetWow! Someday I'll get to Utah and Arizona too, maybe. Might even get to San Francisco this summer for our nephew's wedding, if all goes well (border open, no 2-week quarantine required on return, reasonably safe...)

I haven't seen much of the USA.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetIt’s definitely worth the trip down, particularly in the colder, wetter months. If I were only going to visit one region of our country, this would be it. You wouldn’t enjoy it in the summer though.
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3 years ago