Arches

Today we explored park number five, the last of the Utah National parks affectionately known as The Mighty Five. We slept in, cooked breakfast, and made our way to the entrance for our timed entry. I was excited to have mild weather and no wind! 

We made it to our first stop, Balanced Rock, where we learned the top piece weighs more than 3,500 tons. 

We had a couple of great hikes, saw our first arch, and were super happy to not be freezing. 

A passer-by mentioned that his trip had to be modified due to white out conditions at Bryce. We were so relieved we didn’t have to skip a park and wondered how we always tend to avoid, knock on wood, extreme weather conditions with our planned itineraries. We trekked on to see The Windows. 

Then out of no where big, wet snowflakes started falling! We couldn’t get wet and cold, so we tried waiting it out in the car while eating lunch. However, the snowfall picked up and started coming down even harder. We decided to drive to the bottom of the mountain and check in with a park ranger. Snow was not in the forecast; but white out conditions weren’t in Bryce’s forecast either. We got to the bottom of the mountain and the sun was shining! So we turned around and headed back up to catch a few more arches. 

We were able to see about a dozen of the 2000 catalogued in the park. We were at the back of the park on a hike to see the most fragile of arches when ice pellets started falling. These things stung hitting my face! We got the obligatory pic and raced the mile back to the car. 

Sure enough! The sun came out just as we reached the car! 

We hiked about 11 miles today. We had pizza for dinner; I did girl math and calculated the calories I didn’t burn hiking, I burned shivering the last half hour of the hike.

Canyonlands

We woke up to snow flurries. I have no idea what happened to those predicted temps in the 60s. Wes even asked me before we left how many pairs of shorts he should pack. 

We bought breakfast at a gas station because low season means nothing is opened in the backcountry. But lucky for me, any gas station near a national park caters to the granolas who eat trail mix, yogurt, and protein. I found my Chobani and Muenster cheese with no problem. 

Before we left the hotel in Torrey this morning, I had to stop back by the park at The Gifford house for their famous pie. They were sold out yesterday, and after missing the lemon cookies I wanted to buy at the monestary in Madrid, I told Wes I had to have the pie. It was good but not great. I’m not sure it was worth the hype. But I ate it and pretended it was a lemon cookie made with love by nuns in Madrid.

We drove a couple of hours east and made it to park #4, the Canyonlands. The pictures don’t do the vastness of the canyons justice.

We drove the scenic drive stopping when our online commentator suggested we take a look. One of the first stops was to The Arch. This had nothing on the arch we hiked, scrambled in Sedona, but we took the obligatory picture just the same.

We also hiked three smaller hikes for a total of six miles. I could have done another hike or two if it wasn’t snowing again in late afternoon. 

One more park to go. Two days to explore it. We are sleeping in tomorrow, making breakfast in the condo, and then hoping the moisture doesn’t switch over to snow.

Capitol Reef

Waking up in my yurt to fresh snow was not on my spring break bingo card. I wish it were an April Fool’s joke. 

Our park of the day was Capitol Reef; we took highway 12, one of the most scenic drives in America, through Escalante National Monument. We had breakfast in Escalante in an organic restaurant where every item was made by hand and/or without preservatives. I was not able to purchase my morning diet Dr Pepper. They also had free roaming dogs walking admist the tables looking for hand-outs. If my flaky, buttery biscuit hasn’t been so damn good, I might have left. 

We reached Capitol Reef and drove through Fruita, the Mormon settlement, and down the scenic highway. We stopped midway to hike the four mile trail through The Gorge. The wind was so strong it was blowing me off of the path. It was miserably cold standing still, so I had to walk quickly to warm up. 

I care to hear no more about rock layers, rock formations, or rock colors. I’m over the rocks and geology lessons. I’m over the intense 49 mph winds, too. 

We hit one last short trail upon exiting the park to get a panoramic view of the gorge. I climbed to the viewpoint and then turned around for the car. The wind was vicious standing so high up. 

Would you believe the snow has followed us? Another “dusting”, which is an inch or two in Utah, is forecasted this evening. My friends’ spring break pics of the beach are looking mighty nice right now. 

Zion Day #3 to Bryce

We woke up to good news! Evan came out of surgery with no problems. We ended the day learning the school trainer is sending Keagan to the doctor for imaging for a suspected torn patella. Both boys are on crutches and Bella is caring for them both. She’s an angel! 

We hit the road and true to our adventurous travel style, we went off roading on a gravel road to the La Verkin look out point. This was more of a pot hole ridden, dust flying, rocky path than a road.

We took the interstate to the northwest corner of Zion to Kolob Canyons, a much quieter area of the park. We hiked a short, easy one mile in and out to Timber Creek Overlook. It was a little chilly until you started moving. The wind was whipping. 

We ate lunch at a gas station and then finished the drive to Bryce Canyon.

I was hoping it would warm up and we would make it to the top of the plateau before the strong winds arrived. No such luck! It was cold -  real cold with 40 mph winds. I got out of the car just long enough to take pics of the various hoodoos on the 18 mile scenic drive. 

When we reached the amphitheater, the star of Bryce, the wind died down enough and the sun was strong enough for us to hike down into the basin. This was a strenuous, but rewarding. three mile hike due to elevation changes. Although Wes was completely taken by the hoodoos, I’m already rocked out. Just let me hike up the plateau in record time and I’m happy. 

I’ve learned that the Utah accommodations leave a lot to be desired. You either spend lots of money or go in scared to pull back the sheets. For tonight I had two choices: The Ponderosa Inn with the attached general store and covered wagon in the parking lot or the pricey star gazing glass domes. Guess what I went for?

The clouds better break because I can’t pay this much money and not see stars. And I might be wishing I had access to the clothing section of the general store when I wake up tomorrow to temps in the teens. I will have no shame wearing cheap convenience store clothing items when I’m shivering. 

Zion Day #2

We were up before the sun to catch the shuttle into the park before the crowds arrived. We were so early no one was even manning the entry gate, but we secured parking and got on the shuttle with no wait. After a mile hike along the river, we reached the entry to the water. We rented all of the cold weather gear, but it wasn’t enough. The water was so cold; the views were spectacular! This was a bucket list adventure, but I had no idea it would be this hard to hike against the current and across slippery rocks. I wished I had packed a beanie hat and gloves.

By the time we returned to the point of entry, the crowds were building. I’m so glad we were there early. I’ve been out of the water for hours, and I’m still shivering. After the six mile hike, we grabbed lunch and headed back to the room to watch the game. 

Our afternoon hike, Canyon Overlook Trail, was just two miles but had a little bit of everything. Rocky trail, paved trail, sandy trail, steep stairs. We took a drive through the park, between the hairpin switchbacks, and into a tunnel to find the trailhead. 

The famous Arch - We took the trail and walked across the top of The Arch in this hike.

From here we headed back to the visitor’s center to park and hit one more trail before dinner. Watchman’s Trail was a moderate three mile hike with lots of incline. The weather warmed up and was beautiful; the view at the top was spectacular. 

After eleven miles, my feet hurt. I’m ready to sit.