My Charley Brown moment...

After a couple of attempts to solve the Yampa Bench Road, today was to be the day. I drove to the eastern end (50 miles) then followed Yampa Bench into the country.

I have to admit, it was lovely country for cattle and horses:

My favorite guide book had said that there was a side road that led to a spectacular view of the Green River, which runs between the red sandstone cliffs and that white formation in this shot:

Charley Brown raced down the hill and headed for the football. Ah, but Lucy yanked it away! A chain was rigged across the crucial side road with a big sign that said, "Road Closed."

Score: Yampa Bench Road 53, aging moron still 0...

Still.I couldn't waste that sunny sky!  I raced to the Blue Mountain overlook, where signs complain bitterly about California's air pollution drifting here and reducing the visibility.

This was also a day to revisit Harper's Corner. I felt like sir Edmund Hillary!

Split Rocks was also bathed in warm colors, so I did a panorama to capture it.

Winding down today before the long drive to Vegas tomorrow. The sky is clear! Woo-woo!

The best-laid plans...

The day started well, as the skies seemed to be clearing due to tornado-force winds. Even the locals were impresses. Oh, good.

So I drove down here from Flaming gorge and went directly to the cliffs above the Yampa Bench/Echo Park Road: I wanted to drive the lengh of the Yampa Bench, a series of high cliffs above the Green River.

The wind was howling, but the Sun was breaking between the clouds! What a beautiful-looking day! What could possibly go wrong?

This was getting good! The sky was clearing! Only 42 more miles to go!

I was on a roll now! I--wait! What's that?

I skidded to a stop just before Ii slid into a deep gully full of water and mud that looked like quicksand. I got and looked at the gully. Then I looked at the Toyota, which exhibited no boat-like qualities.

Sigh.  I turned around, not wanting to be rescued--if anyone were working on the holiday weekend to do rescues.

Score: Yampa Bench Road 1, Ageing moron 0..

Since I was on the road that also goes to beautiful Echo Park (by the way,'park' is the teerm used here for a boat landing), I went there..

With sun still around, I tried to get a better sky for portraying massive Steamboat Rock:

As I left Echo Park, I passed near Whispering Cave,where there was this artistic rock formation;

Realing that the cloud cover was increasing,  I headed for the Iron Springs overlook. I had been there on two days earlier, but the clouds had taken the color out of a grand view::

The wind is blowing like a hurricane outside my snug bed-and-breakfast room Heaven knows what the morning will bring. I'll deal with it when I see it. I have this mad scheme to go to the far end of the Yampa Bench Road and see how far this way I can come..