DAY 11 – Bryce Canyon (0 miles driven, 7.89 miles walked)
We left our replacement hotel early and caught the shuttle bus from the stop right outside. Like Zion the shuttles run regularly and from outside the gates taking tourists in to the heart of the park.
The driver had clearly had his early morning fix of coffee as he was very pumped up. On arriving at one stop he positively shouted “BRRRRRYCE POINT!”.
He gave us lots of really interesting information on the park. For example he has known it to snow in July there and one year the snow was 18 feet deep (not in July though obviously). He also told us that the trees here are Ponderosa pines and can withstand the fires that are deliberately started to burn off the brush to stop major fires.
So impressed with him were we that we tried to tip him only to be politely told that he wasn’t allowed to accept a tip. I guess that this is becuase he is a public employee. It was somewhat ironic then that the first time I am willingly wanting to give a tip I get turned down!
The plan today was to walk down the Navajo trail and back up the Quuens Garden trail to get a good look at the Hoodoos (Fun fact! Hoodoos are found on every continent except Antarctica but the highest concentration in the world are found here in Bryce Canyon). For this we started at Sunset Point as we had been told that the gradient on the way back up the amphitheatre to Sunrise Point wasn’t as steep and our knees would thank us for it.
I don’t think that anything I can write here can possibly do justice to the stunning beauty of the hoodoos which stand like red pillars towering from the the canyon floor. The Navajo trail was particularly special as this held the greatest concentration before we reached the bottom and a pleasant walk through a wooded glade. Then it was a steep assent back up to the rim.
We then walked part of the way around the rim of the canyon looking down on to the hoodoos. It was while we were doing this walk that this voice chimed up “We’re you in Zion yesterday? I recognise your hat!” Turns out I have a very distinctive hat.
Helen says that Bryce is now her favourite park but like children I don’t think you can have favourite. Well obviously you can but you shouldn’t say!
