May 31: Doing the Tourist Thing

It was very cold last night – went down to 21 degrees. Our electric heater ran constantly, so we stayed comfortable. Luckily, I brought in the trailer's water supply hose before we went to bed so there was no freezing problem.

We did the tourist thing today and visited several Bryce Canyon overlooks by car. The views are spectacular, but nothing approaching those we experienced while hiking in the canyon itself.

We hiked on a short one mile trail at about 9,100 feet to a stand of ancient bristlecone pine trees. Some of these are estimated to be around 14,000 years old – the oldest living organisms on this planet. Many of the specimens we viewed are masses of twisted branches, some new and many dead. The needles are soft, resembling a fox's tail. Its cones are very small.

After our driving tour, we stopped in at Ruby's Inn for gas and some groceries. There must have been 20 tour buses parked in their lot, along with scores of cars. The place is crazy busy now. We can only imagine what things must be like in high season. The family that owns the complex, which consists of a motel, several restaurants, stores, and a campground, must be doing very well, indeed.

Tomorrow, we head for Zion Canyon National Park, which is a short drive of about 100 miles or so. It will be much warmer there due to its lower elevation. We will spend three nights there, and then head for fabulous Las Vegas.

May 30: The Day Hike of a Lifetime

Today was one we will always remember. With some trepidation, we decided to go on what amounted to a nearly 9 mile loop trail, with a 2,300 foot descent, and an equal amount of climbing. This is the Fairyland Loop Trail which travels through rock formations that truly defy description. Some are named, and include the Sinking Ship, Tower Bridge, and the Wall of Windows. Some formations bring to mind ancient European villages, complete with cathedral and castle. This is, by far, the most scenic and awe-inspiring hike we have experienced on this trip. It would not be exaggerating to say that this was the day hike of a lifetime. We took about 80 photos. It was very difficult to decide which ones to include in this blog. If any of you ever get to Bryce Canyon National Park, this hike should not be missed!

The hike started out at a very cool 39 degrees with a bit of wind. Snow was predicted for this morning, but luckily did not materialize. The day turned out to be beautiful, with puffy cumulus clouds and intermittent winds. We have been at high altitude for about three weeks, and are well acclimated, so this made the climbing relatively easy.

Tomorrow, we will drive to the more remote viewpoints that are reachable by car. We may catch a cowboy themed live music dinner show at nearby Ebenezer's Barn and Grill tomorrow evening as well.

This trip is rapidly drawing to a close as we will be home in 10 days. We are looking forward to being home and spending time with friends. Also, we will be coming home to a completely remodeled bathroom that we have not yet seen in its final state. (For several weeks, we lived with construction debris and workers coming in and out of the house, to say nothing of the dust and dirt.)

May 29th: In-spiring Bryce

No pun intended, but the spires of Bryce Canyon are something to behold! Erosion has formed thousands of fantastic shapes called hoodoos. Again, the vastness of the landscape is nearly impossible to photograph in a way that does does justice to its sheer magnificence.

Today, we were able to hike down into the canyon on a three mile trail that weaves through narrow, deep slot canyons, through small tunnels, and up well-engineered switchbacks. The trail, called Queen's Garden, is quite dramatic. The place is well visited by foreign tourists, mostly Japanese, European, and Indian. In fact, they seemed to outnumber us Americans by a goodly margin. This is certainly great for the tourism industry here.

There is a great shuttle bus system in the park that makes getting around very easy and convenient. Parking is a nightmare, but there was never any difficulty getting on the buses.

The lodge here is a 1920s original, developed by the Union Pacific Railroad to bring tourists to the area. It is built of rustic wood and stone, and has many outlying cabins that reflect the same architecture. We would love to stay in one of those cabins!

We are staying just outside the park in part of a very large resort complex known as Ruby's Inn, which dates to 1916. It includes a hotel, several restaurants, stores, and a very large campground.

The high temperature here was 50 degrees with wind gusts to 40 mph. Snow is expected tonight, but hopefully, it won't stick. We are well equipped, and were able to stay warm and comfortable. It is amazing to see how many tourists are running around in shorts, flip-flops, and light cotton jackets. They were freezing!

Tomorrow, we are tackling an ambitious 8 mile hike into the canyon on the Fairyland Trail. This is a less-visited area of the park that is reputed to be one of the most scenic. We will let you know what happens.

To all of you who are following this blog in Singapore, Russia, Australia, Malaysia, India, and Denmark, we want to say welcome, and thanks for viewing our adventures. We had no idea that this simple blog would attract a truly international audience.