Day 41

Day 41: 6/27/15 (Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park)

135 miles

We got to Zion the previous day in the early evening so we didn't get to see and do everything that we wanted to.  We woke up just before 6am to fit in a hike before we left for Bryce Canyon National Park.  We drove over to the visitor center to take a shuttle up to the trailhead and there was already a huge line.  We watched two shuttles go by before we actually got onto one so we started our hike a little later than we wanted.  Despite the lines, we were the only ones on the trail for the first hour which was nice.  We connected a few trails to make it a 2-mile hike where the main feature was the Emerald Pools.  The pools weren’t all that emerald themselves, the green was mostly a reflection of the surrounding trees.  Aside from the water, the canyon walls above made the hike worth it.

Once we made it out the other side, we took the shuttle down one stop to see the major peaks in the park, the Court of the Patriarchs.  They’re named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob after the biblical figures.  We had the tripod set up so we tried catching some handstand pictures together.  We were going up back to back which was a little scary for Jillian since Rico’s a little wild in the air, but he only fell on her once (honestly, she was expecting him to fall more, and sooner).  We stopped trying once people started coming up, but we’re pretty sure we got a few good ones.  From there, we took the shuttle back to the visitor center and posted a few blogs while we had service before making our way to Bryce Canyon.  As we were driving down the exit road, we stopped to take a few photos and good thing because no sooner after we stopped, Rico’s nose started bleeding again (he says he doesn't donate blood because he loses enough every year). 

The drive to Bryce Canyon was a pretty drive with colorful canyon walls and ridges in the distance.  We had no problem finding a campsite which was a relief after the close call we had at Zion, especially since it was the weekend and Zion was super busy when we left.  Bryce was also about 20 degrees cooler which was much needed after a few hot days.  Shortly after setting up our tent, the rain moved in.  We jumped in the car and started driving around to see what the canyon had to offer.  There’s basically one 17-mile road through the park so we made our way to the end of it stopping at all the turnouts and viewpoints.  The road ends at Rainbow Point which is the highest elevation point in the park at 9,115 feet.  We hiked around a small loop and veered a bit away from the trail on the way back.  We ended up walking right along the rim of the canyon over to an established viewpoint.  Rico was getting weak legs being that close to the edge, but we made it!

On the drive back towards camp, we stopped at Bryce Point to see if it would be a good view of the sunset.  We both fell in love with the view and decided that we would be back.  Afterwards, we went to the general store, which is just a short walk from camp, and searched for something quick for dinner.  We ended up leaving with hotdogs and some beers.  During dinner, we called Jillian’s parents because Jillian was already planning out what meal she wanted when she got home – oddly it was potato salad (which evolved into a full BBQ).  Once it was time for sunset, we headed back to Bryce Point to take a few photos.  It had to have been the best view in the park, but that’s not saying much because most viewpoints face east.  Bryce Point is the only one that faces anywhere close to west.  Before bed, we headed to an outdoor seating area to enjoy a lecture on astronomy.  It definitely put things into perspective seeing how our planet is just the tiniest spec in the entire universe.  There was also a telescope viewing available and we kept going back and forth on whether we were going to go or not.  In the end, we decided to just go to bed and try to catch the sunrise.

Day 41 Video

Fact:

Rico’s nose does not agree with the desert

Lesson:

If you go to Zion on the weekend during the summer, get to the bus stops early!

Eat Well; Travel Often

Rico & Jillian