I went down to Capitol Reef yesterday just by myself to do a hike. Last Fall in 2013 I went there with my parents while stopping there on the way to San Rafael Swell for a family hike. My mom and I did a short hike and after that, I wanted to come back and do a longer [alone] hike.
So, my plan was to hike on the Frying Pan Trail and hike to Cassidy Arch then hike back. Then after that, to do Hickman Bridge Trail.
Frying Pan is one the longer hikes in the area and I wanted to do a 10 mile or so hike so I planned the whole day. It was a great trail and there was hardly anybody on it. Only one or two people and a group of boy scouts. Capitol Reef that day was a little crowded as usual but not as bad as the other national parks. I went on the harder trails and most people there were doing all the easy trails so that's where the crowds were.
It started out climbing up to the top then back down into a wash then crossing the wash and do a very long climb up to another point up to another top. After that was hiking down to Cassidy Arch. There were a quite of bit people at Cassidy Arch, they took the easier Cassidy Arch Trail. My hike was more pretty and had panoramic views of most of the Water Pocket Fold at Capitol Reef. It was awesome.
Cassidy Arch
After I was done seeing Cassidy Arch I hiked on the Frying Pan backwards to the trail head. There was more downhill this way. Then back to the trail head, I decided to cross Highway 24 and hike to Hickman Bridge. I've been to Hickman Bridge before but that was a long time ago. It was during a 5th grade field trip and I remember only parts of it.
As I was hiking on the 1 mile long Hickman Bridge trail, I started to remember better on it. I was thinking about my fifth grade teacher Miss Erickson who died young. I really liked her as a teacher and she was a lot of fun. She also talked a lot about Capitol Reef because she used to like to visit Capitol Reef.
I was done with this hike for the day and I was pretty sore. It was tiresome. Today, the bones and muscles in my feet are sore that I am having a hard time walking around. Must of been a good hike. I got a lot of elevation gain too(2,800 feet). Before I left at the park, I stopped at the Gifford House and got some pie to take home. They were enough to feed myself and my parents. They were so good. An apple and mixed berry pie. I love pie!
