Today’s adventure was one that we had to really plan for. White Pocket, at this point, is not a permitted area so anyone can go. With that said, you have to have the right vehicle to get to it which we didn’t. Jess has followed Dreamland Safari Tours for a while and so we went with them for our guided tour.
We had to be there by 7:45 am so we got up early, got all our stuff around, and headed out.
We arrived at Dreamland Safari in Kanab with a little time to spare. We loaded up and headed for our destination. There was our guide, us and a mother/son group. Our first stop was LeFevre Overlook so Katherine (our guide) could show us the view of The Grand Staircase.
Being so far away and also being hazy, we couldn’t get a good picture. The video, though far away, shows the areas mentioned in the sign above. We didn’t stay long since it was just an overlook and not much else to see. We continued on making one final stop before we headed to White Pocket. The California Condor release site in the Vermillion Cliffs National Park.
We saw some flying in the distance via binoculars and they were huge! They hadn’t released any this year so it was pretty quiet in general. The sign shows how big the birds are compared some other commonly known birds. The second picture is of the release site which is the white spot (that is all poop) in the middle top of the picture. Katherine told us some pretty interesting facts about the bird and how it has grown in numbers since they started this release program. The program is not just at this spot but in various spots all over.
From this point, we made the 6 mile trek through loose sand, ruts, and huge potholes. Thank goodness we didn’t drive ourselves. It is highly encouraged that your vehicle should be 4×4 which Jess’ was not. The drive jostled us like were in a washing machine which didn’t do wonders for my car sickness. The distance from the parking lot to our destination was about 50 ft and what a sight it was. It was like being on Mars. Think about the movie Total Recall.
The site was so freaking cool and we could have easily spent the entire day. There was a whole section that we could have explored if we came on our own. Tour guides aren’t allowed to take guests that far. Not sure if that is a Dreamland thing or for all tour guides. The big Pondarosa tree picture apparently is featured in Apple’s screen shots. I’m sure there was more to that picture than mine but for reference.
Around 2:30 pm, we loaded up and headed back to Kanab. This time I sat in the back where as I sat in the front coming and let me tell you, it was an even rougher ride. We got back to our place around 5:30 pm. I popped the salmon in the oven and we ate salmon salad with some lemon blue berry sourdough as a desert. After dinner, we both showered and got ready for bed. Before bed, we did a 30 minute stretching routine. It was very much needed and I’m happy we did it. After 4 days of hiking, my body was tight!
It was a long but amazing day. I can’t say enough how freaking beautiful Utah is and the people are sooooo nice.
katie palmer moore 