Day 16 - Red Canyon, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, UT to Steamboat Springs, CO

Last night and this morning were by far the coldest of the trip. After yesterday's storm and subsequent cool weather, the skies cleared, making way for a cold night. And so it was. The thermometer in my truck this morning showed 38 degrees, and that was inside the cab; the temperature outside is usually a couple of degrees cooler. Adding to it, I camped at the highest elevation of the trip yet, 7400 feet above sea level. Luckily I remembered my old boy scout trick of putting the clothes I wanted to wear the next day at the bottom of my sleeping bag, so I would have warm clothes to put on in the morning.

I woke up early--are we sensing a pattern?--and was on the road by 7:30. I didn't have far to go today, only to Steamboat Springs, CO, which was about 200 miles. I saw on the map that I would be passing near Dinosaur National Monument and was undecided as to whether I should swing through. I'm glad I did. Here was today's route:


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As I said, I'm glad I stopped in Dinosaur. The Monument has two major features, dinosaur fossils, which I didn't see, and remarkable canyon lands, which I did. The canyons below are at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. The canyon is about 2000 feet deep, and the best way I can describe it is as a mini-Grand Canyon, but without the crowds. I was reminded of John Wesley Powell's journey down the Green and Colorado Rivers.










Some day I will have to come back and actually go to the bottom and look up.

I'm in Steamboat Springs, CO now, and I'll be here for two nights, so I'll get some pics of the area tomorrow.