We first visited Best Friends Angel Rest, off of Hwy. 89 north of Kanab, Utah, then we returned to 89N and drove 17.5 miles from Kanab and turned west on a paved road for 10 miles to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. After those two adventures we then headed for Pipe Springs National Monument staying, and continuing on the same paved road heading southwest.
Utah is a beautiful state. I don't know what the state bird is; but I see that I captured a bird in the sky portion of this picture. Can you see it? 
But soon we cross into Arizona. 
At this point our paved road turns to gravel. We can't figure out why this paved road turns to gravel just 8-10 miles before it reaches a major highway?
We liked the window in the cloud in this picture. 
We enjoyed the scenery on this portion of gravel road until we reach Hwy. 389. 
This spot was beautiful. There is a valley surrounded by the mountains. A great place to have some goats. 
Little white flowers along the road side. 
We finally reached Hwy. 389. 
On Hwy 389 we turn east. This is a view to the south toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. 
This is the Hwy. we came in on, when coming from Hurricane, Utah and Zion National Park. We reached Pipe Springs National Monument, which is located right off of Hwy. 389. We saw the signs for this monument when driving to Kanab, Utah. Because we have a annual pass to National Parks and Monuments, we decided to check it out. 
Pipe Springs National Monument, is a fort built by the Mormons. 
The fort was also called Winsor Castle, because Mr. Winsor was the first manager of the ranch, for Brigham Young. 
The fort was built directly over the spring, so the family would not have to leave their home for water. As you can see, they also collected rain water in this high desert land. 
The fort was built for protection from the Navajo and Ute raids. 
The Pipe Springs National Monument is run jointly with the Paiute Indians and the National Park. The Paiute's Reservation surrounds the monument, and have 1/3 use of the water from the spring. Around the fort there is a corral with animals, just like it was in 1870, when the fort was in use. 
A horse is also on the ranch. 
Front of the fort/castle.
In the front of the fort there is a pond that is made from a pipe that drains from the springs coming from the fort. This duck who was at the pond has a funny feathered top hat, and is also a real bully. I'll call him Curtis in remembrance of a bully I knew in grade school. 
Curtis grabbed this duck in front of him, on the head with his bill and dunked this poor duck under the water. 
The duck is completely under the water here with Curtis holding him under. I thought Curtis was drowning the other duck. Later the other duck was running all around the pond quacking wildly like he or she was telling Curtis off. 
The West Cabin was where the hired cowboys slept. We stood on their porch and looked out on the once open grass meadow, where the cattle roamed. It is believed that they over grazed this land and grass has never returned. 
This is a Kahn, which is a replica of the types of shelter the Paiute lived in. The Paiute were a semi- nomadic group who had lived in this area before the Mormon's. There were only about 200 Paiute's left, before the Mormon's arrived, because of disease brought in by Europeans and the Navajo and Ute slave raidings. With the Mormon taking over this area, with cattle, the Paiute began to starve losing their hunting ground. The Mormon took in some of the starving Paiute children and women. 
The monument was a great history lesson. We head east on 389 for home in Kanab where the Nest is. 
Beautiful view on the way home. We drove about 90 miles on our day drive.
No comments:
Post a Comment