Roadside geology class

Hurricane, UT – Some driving days get us from point A to point B, but others give us a whole series of amazing experiences. On this trip, we’ve had far more of the latter than the former, but today would be well up the list of the better drives.

Although Ely was very close to the Nevada/Utah state line, we remained in Nevada for much of the distance today, because not long after leaving, we turned south and traveled parallel to the state line.  The Wilson Creek mountain range remained on our left for a good part of the morning, and while we reached altitudes of up to 7000 feet, the highway was flat for long stretches.

We stopped at a small rest area after an hour or so and got out to breathe the clear air.  It was good to be outside and hear the birds and the wind, and to look across the vast land and admire the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

At the end of one valley, as the road began to rise again, we arrived in Pioche, named after Francois Pioche, a San Francisco financier, who bought the town in 1869.  It had a wild west reputation, with gunfights and saloons, and a history of silver and nickel mining. We saw the wooden platform at the edge of town where buckets delivered ore along overhead cables.

We pulled over to take a couple of pictures and just as we stopped, I saw a mule deer walking across the highway and down the embankment about 100 feet ahead of us.  I went to the edge of the highway and looked down, and there he was, looking right back at me with his large ears on high alert!

More wildlife awaited us as we approached Enterprise, just over the Utah state line. This time it was perky little prairie dogs on the grassy shoulder of the highway, popping up on their hind legs to sniff the air and scamper away.  I saw dozens of them, which was fun for me but must have been a pain for the farmers growing their corn and hay in the nearby fields.

A local resident at the Enterprise fueling station told us that these crops were mainly for the dairy industry, which was very strong in the area.  Some 5000 dairy cows are raised there, and milked on an automated carrousel that reads their vital details from computer chips in their ear tags.

Highway 18, along the southwest corner of Utah heading for St. George, has a spectacular geological display of rock formations and grooved canyon walls, with sedimentary bands in a whole range of colours.  As we neared the town, we drove along the Red Hills Parkway, aptly named for the deep, rust red canyon walls on either side.  We were amazed by the beauty and grandeur, and determined to come back later in the car for a better look.

The route from St. George to Hurricane and our RV park took us past Quail Creek State Park, situated next to a reservoir.  The turquoise green water made a spectacular contrast against the red, brown, tan and white stripes of the rock walls next to it.  And tonight, we watched a bright full moon rise above the rocky hill behind our site.