Hoodoos, Condors and Angels are landing

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HOODOOS ,CONDORS AND ANGELS ARE LANDING

As we travelled out of Capitol Reef area we needed to resupply the food and wine cupboard - food was easily found, but being in Mormon Utah country meant wine was a bit harder to find - eventually, in the back section of a mountain outfitters clothing and gun shop we surprisingly found the State liquor store - no taxes and Australian/New Zealand wine, yeeha !!!
The scenic road ahead climbed and climbed and eventually at 9000 feet what we thought was snow revealed itself as fields of trees without leaves having completed their fall shedding ready for the winter snow - spectacular show in a white/greyish color. Arriving in Bryce canyon is the start of the end of summer season with less people and less campgrounds open but this brings the opportunity to enjoy the solitude of nature’s special places together. Bryce canyon rim sits at between 8000 feet and 9155 feet with amazing views over the Giant Staircase that starts up high with Bryce Canyon and drops several geological eras to Zion Canyon and then drops more eras to the Grand Canyon.
The woollies were definitely out at night with 0 degrees overnight and some electricity to light and drive the heater fan, but beautiful sunny days for a wonderful hike into the bosom of Bryce canyon.
We chose the Queen’s loop, linked to the Peek-a-boo loop and up out of the canyon via the Navajo loop - and on these we wandered between earth’s architectural creation of the salmon pink ‘Hoodoos’ towering overhead with somehow softish arches and spires balancing sometimes on only the thinnest of rock and soil layers that remain after the millions of years of weathering - we marvelled, sat, snacked and lunched in the canyon as we were entertained by the trackside Blue Jay and Squirrels each suggesting some crumbs but it is definitely not allowed to ensure they stay wild and survive when humans are not here in the winter snows.
A quick oil change for Elvis and we headed down the giant staircase road through Escalante and gaping cream coloured canyons on either side of a narrow twisting road for the 44 foot rig - don’t look now!!- Roller coaster time - twists, turns, hairpins, steep gradients and NO loops - sometimes 20 mph is the best speed we could achieve, anyway, it gives a greater chance to absorb the often breathtaking grandeur.
Zion canyon is soon achieved and it is a valley canyon that is reached by tracking a river through small towns starting to ready themselves for Halloween - pumpkins, lights, skeletons, witches on brooms, blow up plastic everything - very commercialised and is in the shops for 8 weeks prior to the day - shall we buy a pumpkin?? (Wendy’s email gave us a jog.)
A great little RV park beside the fast flowing sand laden canyon river reveals a well organised National Park, with a free LP gas powered town shuttle to Park entrance and transfer to Park shuttles with commentary, running at 8 minute intervals until 10pm at night, no private vehicles allowed - all included on our National Parks annual entry ticket for 2 for US$80 which we purchased back at Mesa Verde,(our 6th best purchase this trip)
Zion was an incredible contrast to Bryce - here we have these strong statements of enormous towering red rocks eroded by millions of years of water flow undercutting and allowing the rock to exfoliate and slip into the valley. The largest sandstone monolith in the world by height stands in the Canyon (Ayres Rock is the largest by volume we were told) and all the rock formations have names that reflect the biblical/Mormon early discovery and settlement of the canyon.
Our first foray into the canyon on the shuttle orientates us and gives us the opportunity to do some 2 hour walks along the canyon floor and by the river and under the weeping wall where the water has travelled through the rock from the plateaus above for 1400 years (known by carbon dating). We marvel at the climbers dangling off 1400 foot vertical rock faces as they crawl, over 3 days, steadily to the top, sleeping overnight in portable hammocks they carry up with them and seemingly flying with the resident Condors from rock ledge to high perch - definitely for the young - this is the second most sought after climbing face in the USA.
After a great day it was home to Revvy and a visit to the town of Ridgewater that reveals a great little eatery - where we find a Sparrow Hawk at the entrance eating its kill of a sparrow - and lots of good shops for wandering and buying for those special events.
Having viewed the excellent film at the park visitors centre it is time to take the challenge and try for ‘Angel’s Landing’ - a 6 mile trail rising from 458feet to 1488 feet via a trail only 1 metre wide for the last half mile and you balance and begin using the intermittent chain handrail, the only thing between the ridge trail and the 1000 feet drops off both sides - exhilarating, exhilarating, exhilarating ( and a little bit of oh s—t ) - on the way at about 800 feet through the ascent we are greeted by a giant Condor (tagged #7 as part of the re-introduction to the wild of these endangered species, only 300 in the world) sitting on the cliff edge and posing for photos as it waits for the air temperature to increase enough to support its flight on the rising cliff face thermals. Eventually we attain the summit and sit in awe on a small plateau where we and the other trekkers all make jokes about the imaginary frozen Margaritas being served by the heavenly barman - altitude does funny things to the brain!! Spread below on every side is valley beauty and extending above are even greater heights and as you look down and along the cliff wall you can see the rock wall climbers now below our position still inching their way to the top. Time to lunch on our amazing sandwiches that always, taste so good on these hikes and the Margaritas turn out to be rejuvenating spring water.
Next day we take a drive along the alternative way back towards Bryce just to experience the tunnel we would have needed to pay an escort for to come through with Revvy and were rewarded with a dance of changing rock colours and rainbow Autumn colours from the vegetation that scrounges out survival in the water that flows and crevices around every road bend, Ian blended in well that day in his new Autumm shades, quite a change from blue.
Time to say goodbye to Utah and nature for a little while with a lunch stop of sandwiches in Fire Valley on the way to Las Vegas Nevada - and a first hint of the “un-natural” as we see super-stretch limousines disgorging brides and grooms to get married or photographed among the rocks of red and cream and overhear one of the “marriage chapel” organisers say he has 6 couples and their entourages due through today.

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