Advertisement
Published: September 12th 2010
Edit Blog Post
Inspiration Point View
Hoodoos in afternoon sun As promised, the trip to Bryce was different. We started out by taking I-15 north to Cedar City, a city I would like to live at least part of the year. Our visit was short - fill-up of gasoline, coffee, and ice followed by a trip to Lins Market for supplies. The route I selected took us up the mountains east of Cedar City to a National Monument named Cedar Breaks. This is also a favorite spots and Emily agreed, after a short walk to the view point. This could add another facet to our Sept 2011 trip as the fall colors at this altitude (10K) come early.
We then headed to a place called Panguitch and a lake by the same name. The lake is not very picturesque and did not even generate a paddle interest. Finally we turned up Red Canyon and headed to Bryce a short 12 miles away.
After finding a camp site, we headed to the visitor center to board a shuttle and begin our adventure. For those who have not been here, Bryce is not a large park and is comprised of a canyon of Hoodoos. Yes that is the what the Bryce
Down the Rim
Sunset Point View with afternoon shadows creeping in newspaper calls them. They are stalagmite like structures built on the floor of the canyon from the effects of erosion. There are various shapes and sizes mostly in shades of red.
We started at Bryce point which was a bit of a climb, but the view into the canyon unmatched. There is also a rim trail that runs from the visitor center to Bryce point. Emily was ready to tackle the portion from Bryce point to Inspiration Point (1.5 miles away). I was adamant and said NO. Instead we took the shuttle to Inspiration Point and walked the Rim Trail to Sunset Point (.5 miles). This proved to be a more difficult test than first thought and the knee reacted poorly especially to the steep downhill sections of dirt and gravel.
Emily so wanted to go into the canyon, but all trails started and ended with steep switchbacks that were never meant for crutches. She made me promise that I would go into the canyon the next day. The night was cold (30's) and a heavy bed spread was broken out. Eventually the trailer heater came on to save the morning.
The sky was overcast and rain
Sunrise Point View
Late afternoon shadows highlight the canyon was visible to the north as I started my hike into the canyon. I made several mistakes that impacted my effort. First I carried to much stuff - camera backpack (20+ lbs) when a camera would do, fruit and energy food rather than a bar, a tripod which proved unneeded as there was plenty of light, and finally a wind breaker in case of rain. Next I left the map in the trailer and went the wrong way to the trail-head which was about a quarter of a mile uphill in the opposite direction. Last but not least, I started hiking before resting my legs after a bike ride this morning. My legs were stiff and my knees crying for rest, but I pushed on. I did however make one great decision. After a half mile or so of switchbacks, I stopped and had a great conversation with my knees. The result was a retreat up the trail. Both my knees and myself felt better when we found our trusty Tundra in the parking lot.
Emily and I decide because of the potential for rain, little left to explore for a person on crutches, and aching knees we would
In the Canyon
From one of the many switchbacks pack-up and head for Harmony Hill and Rancho Murieta. Our trip was ending, but the experiences and memories will last forever. Ahead is possible knee surgery for Emily, but on a more positive note there is the likelihood of more travel adventures for Den_N_Em (think September in Utah).
Thank you for joining us and if you would like to comment or E-mail, please do as we would like to hear from you. BTW - Emily did not get a chance to proof read and correct most of the entries, so the results - the good, the bad and the ugly are mine.
After a few days back in the real world or maybe we left the real world, a joint epilogue will be added.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.099s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 10; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0677s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb