Trip to Bullfrog: October 2019

For several years now, I've been wanting to ride the Charles Hall Ferry, the only operational ferry in the Four Corners Region. Last year I received a jolt, however, when the unusually dry winter caused Lake Powell to drop from a five-year high to a five-year low, putting the ferry out of operation. Then, an El Niño wet winter restored the lake to a four-year high, only to see the ferry shut down for repairs (not an unusual occurrence), which hiatus was prolonged for lack of parts. This combination of events made me all the more determined to make the ride ASAP, and then—finally!—the ferry was restored to service, and I found myself bound and determined to make the trip.

On Tuesday, October 1, I drive from Flagstaff to Blanding, UT via Kayenta.

Wednesday, October 2

From the south, you cannot travel the Bullfrog / Hall Crossing loop without first passing Natural Bridges, Utah's first National Monument. Although I've been there on a previous trip, I decided that this would be an excellent opportunity to do an additional bit of hiking and photography.

Today, I hike to Kachina bridge:

The canyon bottom is bone dry this trip. Compare the following picture with the one taken in October 2010:

Next, I hike to Owachomo bridge:

The drive to Bullfrog (UT) via Hite is spectacular, and Defiance House Lodge is very nice: nicer than the lodge at Mesa Verde. Here's the view from my room:

Thursday, October 3

Looking towards Navajo Mountain from the lodge:

Waiting for the ferry:

Back at Natural Bridges, I hike to Sipapu bridge:

And then continue on to Horse Collar ruin. Along the way, I encounter this mural:

It turns out that not much of Horse Collar is visible from the canyon floor. I can only see two structures. This first one corresponds to the structure in the middle of this picture taken from the overlook in 2010:

These two walls are barely visible at the far left of this picture.

By the time I get to the overlook this day, everything is in shadow, but I try to get zoom shots of the two structures in the previous pictures:

And that's it. From here it's back to Blanding, returning to Flagstaff on Friday.