During construction of Boulder Dan (now Hoover Dan), there were various construction staging areas along the Colorado River where supplies and equipment were stored until they were need for the project. Some of the staging areas still exist, so we decided to hike to one of the sites that is located below the dam on the Arizona side of the River. There are still some foundations, anchor points, broken timbers, steel structures, and other miscellaneous items on the site. On one wall of the site there is a volcanic vent that was exposed during site grading.
It is possible to hike directly to the site by following a dry wash from the highway, but there are several Class 3 drops in the wash that are dangerous to negotiate; so we followed a longer, safer route. (On the way out we followed the shorter route up the wash with the Class 3 drops, but I would not do that again.) From one point on the trail, Liberty Bell Arch was visible in the distance.
There is what appears to be another construction staging area on the Nevada Side of the River, but the site is not accessible without permission from the Bureau of Reclamation.
GUNLOCK STATE PARK
For the first time in 15 years, there is water running over the falls at Gunlock State Park in southern Utah. Since this has not happened for such a long time, we made a day trip to see the falls.
The falls are the result of the Gunlock reservoir being filled to capacity and the excess water is flowing over the spillway. After going over the spillway, there is not a single path for the water to follow; so numerous falls are created as the water spreads out over several paths and cascades down the cliffs.
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| Brent and Heather are taking a selfie in right corner of picture. |
On the way home we followed the Old Dixie Highway, which was the road from Las Vegas to St. George before the Interstate was constructed through the Gorge in Arizona. The road passes through Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area, which contains the lowest elevation in Utah (2,178 feet above sea level). Along the way I photographed wildflowers in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Different flowers were blooming at different elevations.
