What is the "Flaming Gorge"?

As we were plotting our route south this year, Denisa saw "Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area" on the map. We weren't sure what we could see and do there, but isn't that a fun name? Who wouldn't want to see a flaming gorge? We found out that this area was given that name in 1869 by Major Powell, who used those words to first describe this 1700-foot canyon with its red rock walls. Either Denisa or Mark is in each of the canyon pictures in this blog. But they are so small and the canyon is so big, so they may be hard to find.

We pulled into the visitor center in a torrential down pour, only to see that they were already closed because of shorter hours after Labor Day. So we were on our own to find a place to camp. Mark had planned on a free disbursed camping spot, but we were afraid to park our heavy motor home in the mud. So we opted for a flat gravel spot in one of the forest service campgrounds. We pulled into our no-hook-up site at Firefighters Memorial Campground, named after the three firefighters killed in this area in the wildfire of 1977.

The next morning we headed out to see the flaming gorge. We didn't get the royal blue skies that we have grown accustomed to. It seems that forest fires in central Utah are settling into our flaming gorge here in the north.

It's hard to get a picture that really shows the size and grandeur of the scene that we were enjoying. Can you see the tiny speck in the water of the Green River far below us? That is the wave caused from a full-sized boat giving its passengers a tour of those red cliffs from the water view.

It's also hard to get a picture that really shows how sheer the 1700-foot drop off is from the canyon rim trail. You can barely see the blue spot on the top of the cliff, but that is Denisa feeling mighty small from her perch at the top.

After walking a couple miles down the Canyon Rim Trail, the smoke and haze had lifted for some clearer canyon ledge pictures on our return hike.

We spent the rest of the day driving some of the roads along The Flaming Gorge. Highways run on both sides of the canyon, and now we are on the west side at Sheep Creek Bay.

We also drove on the east side of the gorge because someone had recommended that we see Antelope Flats. We were greeted here by one antelope. We guess that if we had seen more than one, it would have been named Antelopes Flats.

Next to the water, an osprey nest is perched high over head. We didn't see any babies, but a pair of birds was at home this evening.

If it seems that this osprey has a particularly perturbed look on his face . . .

it might be because the mate was enjoying a fine fish meal, and didn't seem interested in sharing.

We finished our drive around the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area with a stop to see the Green River lit up in the evening sun. We watched as kayakers were docking here, and contemplated a way that we could take this float down another nice river. A hiking path runs beside the river, so could we use our legs to transport us back to the car after we floated down the river?

We'll have to remember that option for another time, as we will only be here long enough for one kayak trip, and we already have that one planned. We'll be back with pictures of it tomorrow, as we continue to wander God's wonders at this place that we have discovered called Flaming Gorge!