Hoodoos and more hoodoos

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Yesterday, we drove to Bryce Canyon. We thought it was going to be 4.5 hours, but it was 5.5 hours. We are staying at Ruby’s Inn just outside of Bryce. I was expecting a smaller resort, but this place has everything…pool, store, post office, shopping, internet. We went to the pool and hot tub with the kids and decided we liked Bryce Canyon immediately. These types of resort places seem to work best with young children.

Today, we went into Bryce Canyon National Park. The kids are less enthusiastic now, in fact, they are downright whiney about hiking. I know if we can get them engaged in something, it won’t be this painful. We stopped at the Visitor Center again, to sign up for the Junior Ranger Program. The kids are in the swing of earning their badges, and are psyched that they will be Junior Rangers of 7 parks by the time we get home. Only 51 left to go…..

We attended the movie at the Visitor Center. I always learn something at the movies. The movie today explained the complex process of erosion that created the Hoodoos that Bryce is famous for. The Native Americans believe that the Hoodoos are people who are turned into rock by the clever Coyote. The kids were finally interested in that. We decided that we would stop at the rim overlooks, and does one hike today. We decided to hike part of the Fairyland loop. We hiked about a half an hour when some huge black clouds and thunder started to come in so we cut our hike short. I cannot imagine being caught in the canyon with three small children in a lightning storm. Hiking in Bryce is interesting, but it is also steep and you are hiking on pebbles that slide pretty easily. And once again, there are no guardrails on the trails so you could very easily fall over the edge. As Joe said, “Hiking in Bryce looks easier than it is”.

I know I’ve written this before, but Bryce is absolutely beautiful. I am so glad we came here. The canyon is mostly red, but the most remarkable part is the Hoodoos that look like sentinels standing side by side in the canyon. I also find the layers of color (red, yellows, whites and browns) extremely interesting. I could sit on the rim and look at these all day.

We spent the rest of the day going to rim overlooks, and fooling around on the rim. We saw some prong horned antelope and mule deer on the side of the road. After about 4 hours, the kids staged a mutiny, and refused to get out of the car. They decided that they don’t want to hike anymore today. This was fine, as it was raining and cold. Most afternoons in August, a lightning storm rolls in.

Tonight, Joe and Ethan went fishing at Pine Lake. It was remote, gorgeous and about 15 miles away, half of which was on a dirt road. Joe and Ethan were the only people who caught anything. In fact, Ethan pulled in a 2+ pound 22-inch rainbow trout right in front of fly fisherman in waders. Joe and Ethan talked to 2 14-year old boys who told them about a lake nearby called Posie Lake. Supposedly, these boys just touched their hooks to the water and they caught a fish. Tomorrow, we will try for Posie Lake. Ethan was grinning from ear to ear when he got home.

The girls and I biked into the store area, and got ice cream and shopped. This place is a mega-camping complex, and has a camping store, a grocery store and lots and lots of souvenirs. Seems Ruby has a corner on the market here.

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