RAWHIDE!
Keep rollin', rollin', rollin',
Though the streams are swollen,
Keep them dogies rollin', rawhide.
Move 'em out, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em on.
Move 'em out, head 'em up:
Rawhide.
May 6: We took our time getting going this morning, since it was so cold outside. We’re camped at 7500’ elevation, so when the weather turns south, it gets really chilly. It is absolutely wonderful having a comfortably heated and self-contained vehicle, where we simply don’t have to go out into the elements if the elements are acting in a hostile fashion.
Today was a dream come true. I was here 34 years ago, when Matt and Becky were only 4 and 2 years old, respectively. I recall looking down on the hoodoos and desperately wanting to hike down among them, but Becky was in a backpack, I had bronchitis and it was too dangerous to take Matt. So no hike. But today - Gale and I descended into the heart of Bryce Canyon’s magical world of color, spires, formations. Walking down steep switchbacks through a narrow red canyon along the Navajo Loop was an insanely amazing experience. Both mysterious and majestic, it never seemed real. We reached the valley floor, wandered through an array of ponderosa and 1000 year old bristlecone pines, watched a family of Clark’s nutcrackers and then began our ascent. (Side story: The only other memory I have of our previous visit was picnicking along the canyon edge. Matt had a hard-boiled egg and had just finished eating the white part when a Clark’s nutcracker swooped down, speared the egg yolk right out of his diminutive hand and flew off, looking like Bozo the Clown, except with a yellow honker!)
The walk up through the formations was equally impressive and we made it more of a stroll though wonderland than a hike, pausing frequently at every astonishing vista. The "Queen's Garden" was a beautiful little side trail that brought us to the foot of "Queen Victoria" dressing her minions. As we exited the trail, snowflakes started to gently fall through the pines.
We spent the rest of the day visiting other viewpoints. The most spectacular was Inspiration Point, with about a 300 foot elevation gain to the topmost platform. Our ancient lungs were gasping for oxygen, but we made it! Bad weather was sliding across the neighboring plateaus, so we hustled back to the RV. Onward to Bryce Point, where we never got out of the vehicle because it was hailing sideways.
The following are some photos from the Vermilion Cliffs Condor Site and Bryce Canyon.
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| CALIFORNIA CONDORS |
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| VERMILION CLIFFS |
BRYCE CANYON
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| BRYCE CANYON |
A couple of notes: When we were at Desert View getting our first looks at the Grand Canyon, a peregrine falcon motored across the canyon like a jet fighter. Our jaws dropped.
Yesterday, at Bryce Canyon NP, we watched a herd of pronghorn near a park road. The alpha male was apparently trying to discourage another younger male from certain activities and had managed to lodge one of his horns right up his rival’s ass. The problem was that he couldn’t seem to get loose. Looked very uncomfortable for both, especially the “catcher”.
At sunset at Sunset Point in Bryce, a very photogenic spot, a group of 12 young colorfully dressed Japanese photographers lined up along the viewpoint, taking up the entire area with their identical tripods and cameras, using identical filters and taking identical photos. Bizarre.
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| JAPANESE TOURISTS |
Around our campsite, we have a group of golden-mantled ground squirrels and Uinta chipmunks. Much fun to watch them chase each other around! Tonight it is supposed to drop below freezing, with snow forecast all morning.
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