Bryce Canyon…Better the Second Time Around!!

 

Apr 5th, 2014

I usually don’t like to say “better second time around”. In other words, I don’t feel like you can repeat an experience, especially when visiting an area. We had been to Bryce Canyon many years ago, in the middle of the winter. We had literally been here late on one afternoon and with a snow storm predicted for the next day. The next morning, we headed 650 miles south, to near the Mexican border. We had driven into the NP just a short ways, viewed the Canyon and spent the night at Ruby’s Inn. Two, of only a hand full of guests in this luxury establishment. The main park road was open to the first view point. The rest of the road wasn’t even plowed.

Lets jump to today. Our night at Ruby’s Inn was excellent as it was on our first stay. The heated pool and Jacuzzi hit my body like a Swedish message!

Off we went down to the Visitor Center for my hiking stick pin, our passport cancelation stamp and a few post cards. Oh, let’s backup for a second. When leaving Ruby’s Inn and Resort, I noticed a couple of cowboys shoeing a horse. I had to stop and get a few pictures of this (not a tourist thing) taking place. I also couldn’t stop thinking of a bed time story I use to tell my granddaughter about two horses name Apache and White Face. Ironically, these two horses were separated from the others and were getting new shoes. They both looked like the horses in the bedtime story.

Leaving the Visitor Center, our first stop was the same spot that we originally stopped at. Wow, with better weather conditions that was the beginning of a day of photos, hiking the Rim Trail from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point. Every three feet, I would set up the tripod and get a different angle on a different view. The trail wasn’t that long, but between the photo stops and us hiking at 8,300 foot elevation, we spent a good part of the day at the top and bottom of Bryce Canyon. The weather was cool and some times cold. We were dressed! In the distant valley, we could see rain showers…up in the amphitheater of Bryce Canyon. We got a couple of snow showers. Great!…it made for more dramatic photos with sun and clouds scattered in all directions. In the afternoon, we started to descend the “Queens Garden Trail” which leads to the valley floor. Now remembering that no elevator was at the bottom, we elected to only descend a quarter mile. It was easy going down with a completely different perspective of the “Hoodoos” (that’s what they call those tall pillar rocks). We headed back up at a slow, but steady pace. I was expecting my legs to be like rubber, but fortunately, I wasn’t bothered at all. (I must’ve gained some strength from watching Jerry do that marathon back in New Mexico)!

It was a very rewarding day for us! Tonight, we are in Escalante Petrified Forest State Park about 80 miles from Bryce. We will be hiking tomorrow to visit some Petrified Wood! I wonder if I can find a small sample?

That is what we did and saw!

Move cursor over pictures for captions!