Tuesday May 18,2010

We were awakened by heavy rain about 5 AM. The bad thing is that it woke us up; the good thing is that it might be over by the time we get to Bryce and want to take pictures. We ended up staying in the little town of Hatch Utah, population under 100. There was a general store, two restaurants, one gas station and a mighty fine campground. It was the first time we had grass on our campsite since Springfield Illinois. Leaving town we snapped a shot of a collector’s store, called “Mugwumps”. This looks like a hoarder who turned an illness into a business.

We drove about 25 miles to Bryce Canyon National Park. Along the way we drove on Scenic Byway 12 through the Dixie National Forest and what is referred to as the Red Canyon. This was an appetizer for what we would see today. Reddish yellow spires rise up and beg to have their picture taken. We oblige. A guy from Berrien Springs Michigan strikes up a conversation with us after noting our license plate. Funny; in Michigan we wouldn’t even give each other a second glance but in the wide-open spaces of Utah we are friends.

It is cold, windy and threatening to rain again. Not good.

Along Scenic Byway 12, which is recognized as an All American Road, we encounter two short “tunnels”. On the edge of a mountain, a passageway large enough to handle two vehicles was constructed. Not more than 30 feet from end to end, the tunnels add character to the roadway. This road has only been paved since 1985. Dennis and I know several photographers over the years that photographed this area in the 60’s and 70’s and now we have greater respect for their passion to get the ultimate picture.

We stopped again and ate breakfast in the motor home before entering the Park. The staff at the Visitors’ Center is very helpful and explains the spots in the Park that are part of the Amphitheater Region. This is the section that is best known and most accessible. It is our intention to drive the 18-mile drive through the park and stop at all 12 stopping points. There is an iconic shot that Dennis wants to capture. We ask the ranger to tell us on which trail it can be found. It is located on the Navajo Trail BUT that section of the trail is closed due to falling rock. Bummer.

When you enter the Park and pick up one of the newspapers that details the park experience, you read about what to see, what to do and a map is always provided to help locate places and services. Bryce Canyon is no exception. This booklet included an article entitled, “Death at Bryce Canyon”. Gulp. It read more like a “Letterman Top 10 Reasons” routine. In case you are “dying” to know, the top ten reasons are:

#10 Unsafe Driving
# 9 Climbing/Skiing off the rim
# 8 Feeding animals
# 7 Ignoring extreme weather
# 6 Dehydration
# 5 Leaving the trail
# 4 Over-exertion
# 3 Bad choice of footwear
# 2 Bad choice of footwear
# 1 Bad choice of footwear

No, that is not a typo. Wearing sandals, and street shoes don’t cut it on the narrow and sometimes icy trails.

Bryce Canyon technically is not a canyon. It takes water erosion from flowing water to be a canyon. The spires and pinnacles were formed from water in the form of rain and snow. The naturally acidic water melts the limestone, forming the unusual shapes.

Our first stop is Sunset Point. Magnificent. Off of this trail is the Navajo Loop that we wanted to hike. I walked as far as I could before barriers stopped me. It was a severe decline with lots of switchbacks. I knew it would be tough to come back up. All around me were the infamous spires, but in Bryce Canyon they are called “Hoodoos”. The definition of a hoodoo is a natural column of rock in Western North America often in fantastic form. That describes this scene and most the scenes today. The climb back up was tough, I will admit. We are already at 8,100 ft and that makes the breathing tougher.

We photograph places called Fairy Land, Agua Canyon, Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Rainbow Point, Farview Point and six other spots. We spent about five hours, enjoying every stop, despite the cold temperature and wind. We would get occasional blasts of sunshine and we would be ready with the cameras. Had we not had these windows, we would stay the night and hope for better weather tomorrow. We ascended to 9,100 feet.

At Bryce Point, two Japanese travelers who were with an American guide started squealing when it began to snow! Here they had stupendous vistas before them and they were like kids when the white stuff started falling. The snow didn’t stick (although there is still snow in the park). At one point, Dennis had a chance to play with snow. Okay, we went to Florida to avoid this white stuff. Is this a bad joke? It is May 18th!

We saw mule deer and pronghorns on our trip today. Although a pronghorn looks like an antelope, they technically aren’t even related. They can run up to 58 miles per hour, second only to the Cheetah. Their eyes are like 8X binoculars and their field of vision is 320 degrees! Talk about eyes behind your head! The Park also has its own version of Mearcat Manor with a large prairie dog population.

Upon leaving the park, we traveled over 100 miles on the Scenic Byway 12. It was a breathtaking ride. We had ups and downs, winding and twisting and significant temperature changes. We had grades as severe as 10%. That’s steep. At the peaks we had 36 degrees. At the lower elevations, we had 49.

Our next destination is Capitol Reef National Park. It is on the Waterpocket Fold of the Earth, a 100-mile long “wrinkle” in the Earth’s crust. Should be interesting.