Bryce Canyon - Day 2 Hoodoo, you do

Bryce Canyon – Day 2

Hoodoo?

You Do! Remind me of man..

What Man?

The man with the power

                                              

What Power?

The power of Hoodoo

Hoodoo?

You do! Remind me of a man…

Cary Grant and “Judge” Treadwell in “The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer”

Today I was awake at 6 am, dressed, had my coffee and oatmeal bar, read my daily devotional and checked on the weather for the day. The rain last night had not materialized, but there were still showers forecast for the morning at Bryce Canyon. I checked on the weather for Zion National Park, Salt Lake City, Jackson/Grand Teton and Yellowstone for the next 10 days where I am headed next. The forecast is not favorable. Looks like a slow moving low pressure area is going to cause there to be cool temps and thunderstorms for the next ten days. Bummer!

I have a room in Salt Lake City for tomorrow night on my way to Jackson. I also have a hotel for Jackson/Grand Teton since I couldn’t get into the KOA there. I have a tent site in West Yellowstone at the KOA, but booked at hotel near there in case the weather doesn’t improve in the next several days. If the front moves east it will probably affect my stays at Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands National Park later next week and into that following week. I may have to abandon my camping altogether if this keeps up.

I got in the car a few minutes after 8 am for the trip back to Bryce Canyon. The car engine turned over rather slowly and then started. It seemed like the battery was weak. It is 3-4 years old, so the colder temps may have done it in. I drove to Bryce Canyon City just outside the park to call AAA and see about getting battery service. As I approached the Ruby Inn, where I figured would be a good spot to call from, cell phone service went away. I had to drive back up the road a quarter mile to reestablish service and call AAA. After 30 minutes or more on the phone with them they finally located where I was going to be (Ruby Inn) and dispatched a service truck. It came from about 200 yards down the road from a service station that was also an auto repair shop. I couldn’t tell that it was more than a gas station from where I was parked. I drove the car up there and they checked the battery (It turned over weakly when I started it to drive to the shop and for the mechanic who started it to pull it in to the service bay). After 5 minutes or more of charging it tested OK, but I was wary, since it had probably warmed up from the engine compartment, so I had them put in a new battery and by 10:30 am I was back on the road again.

I drove into Bryce Canyon National Park and followed the road the 22 miles or so to the south end of the park at Rainbow and Yovimpa Points. It was 40 degrees at the Visitor Center and by the time I got to Rainbow Point it was 34 with snow flurries and very windy. I got out and put on my heavy jacket and gloves and walked over to Yovimpa Point and then to Rainbow Point. I stopped and took pictures at the scenic overlooks and started the return trip, stopping at the scenic overlooks on the way back at Black Birch Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Agua Canyon, Natural Bridge, Fairview Point, Swamp Canyon and Paria View. All the overlooks were on the right on the return trip and that was the suggested way to go.

Yovimpa Point

Rainbow Point

Black Burch Canyon

Ponderosa Canyon (Yes, that's snow!)

Agua Canyon

Natural Bridge

Fairview Point

Swamp Canyon

Paria View

I returned to the Ruby Inn about 12:45 pm and had lunch in the restaurant consisting of the BBQ pork sandwich and fries. After lunch I went into the general store and bought a stocking cap then I walked across the street to the “Old Bryce Canyon City” and took some pictures of the mock up buildings. I returned to my car and drove to the Mossy Cave trail head which is on the way back to my campground. After a pleasant hike to Mossy Cave and the waterfall on the Tropic Ditch, I returned to the campground and got some information on Kodachrome Basin State Park. It was just 10 miles from the campground and it was about 2:30 pm, so I drove over there. I hiked up the Angel’s Palace Trail and the Nature Trail which covered about 2 miles total. It was then after 4 pm so I returned to camp to start packing for my drive tomorrow.

Bryce Canyon was simply amazing because of the majestic nature of the Hoodoo formations, yet they seem so fragile as well.

Old Bryce Canyon City

Mossy Cave and waterfall

Kodachrome Basin State Park

 Okay, so in some of these pictures it's not that I can't smile, but holding the camera at arms length and upward, plus trying to keep my teeth from chattering, this is the best I can do so far.

Tomorrow I plan to drive to Zion Canyon National Park and just take a drive through tour, if possible and then on up to Salt Lake City which should take me 6-8 hours depending on stops, etc. Rain is expected here tomorrow with snow above 7000 ft. Rain is also expected for the Salt Lake area so tomorrow may be a damp drive.

See you down the road!