Reservation Ridge & Nine Mile Canyon

Somehow we weren't expecting it on our trip down south to Utah, but there we were, a few days into October, driving through snow.

We camped on a side road somewhere along Highway 6 between Provo and Price. It seemed pretty chilly that night, but we really understood just how cold it had been when we woke in the morning — we found ice on the inside of the windshield and our Platypus drinking hoses had frozen in silly positions.

Camping - Cold morning in snow - Sportsmobile (7:28 AM Oct 5, 2005) Camping - Cold morning in snow - Scraping ice off inside of windshield with spatula - Geoff - Sportsmobile (7:55 AM Oct 5, 2005) Camping - Cold morning in snow - Frozen water in Platypus - Geoff (7:49 AM Oct 5, 2005)

Anxious to get going (and get warm), we quickly looked at the map and tried to decide what we were going to do with our morning. We had thought about driving forest road 081 up to Reservation Ridge for the views, but there seemed to be low lying cloud cover. After a little debate, we decided to drive the ridge and we were so glad we did!

Reservation Ridge

We were immediately greeted with snow — lots of whiteness contrasting the yellow leaves on the Aspens and Cottonwoods. And then suddenly, the blue sky appeared to add to the beauty of the day. We found ourselves stopping every few minutes to check out something new — the hoarfrost on the road, the way the ice clung to the branches, soaking in the warm sun, or the low lying cloud bank. The snow may not have been what we were imagining when we planned our trip, but it definitely enhanced the experience! Arriving at the ridge top, we were greeted by amazing views all around us. What a way to begin our trip!

Reservation Ridge - Snow - Aspens Reservation Ridge - Snow (8:45 AM Oct 5, 2005) Reservation Ridge - Snow - Aspens (8:59 AM Oct 5, 2005) Reservation Ridge - Frost Reservation Ridge - Snow (9:09 AM Oct 5, 2005) Reservation Ridge - Snow - Aspens (9:47 AM Oct 5, 2005) Reservation Ridge - Snow - Aspens Reservation Ridge - Snow - Aspens Reservation Ridge - Snow - Sportsmobile (9:32 AM Oct 5, 2005)

Nine Mile Canyon

After Reservation Ridge, we descended into Argyle Canyon which headed east to Nine Mile Canyon.

Argyle Canyon Road - Horses - Sportsmobile

Nine Mile Canyon is known for its petroglyphs, pictographs and ancient granaries. Driving the dirt road, we constantly saw remnants of those who used to live in the area. Petroglyphs are carved all over the place. Small round stone wall granaries were fewer and harder to spot, hidden up high in the cliffs.

Nine Mile Canyon Nine Mile Canyon - Petroglyphs Nine Mile Canyon Road - Balanced Rock - Laura - Sportsmobile (1:37 PM Oct 5, 2005) Nine Mile Canyon Road - Petroglyphs (1:50 PM Oct 5, 2005) Nine Mile Canyon Road - Petroglyphs (3:16 PM Oct 5, 2005) Nine Mile Canyon Road - Granary (2:58 PM Oct 5, 2005)

We were also surprised by the amount of truck traffic! Seemingly around every corner, we encountered tanker-trucks flying towards us along the dirt road, some marked "carbon dioxide". It was quite the contrast — tourists vs. speeding tankers.

Nine Mile Canyon Road - Sign - Attention BBC - Please Drive Safe (1:56 PM Oct 5, 2005) Nine Mile Canyon Road (2:49 PM Oct 5, 2005)