Canyons, Canyons, and more Canyons

So I feel it is important to note that for this particular week of the trip I had done very little planning.  I knew I would have a week and I wanted to see Zion and Bryce but that is like 3 days maybe 4 at most.  What was I to do with the rest of the week.  I could really go anywhere but I didn’t just want to waste my time driving somewhere to just turn around and drive back to SLC.  So while I was still in Zion trying to plan out the next week of my trip feeling overwhelmed with how much time I had and what to cover, I turned to my go-to wilderness and adventure guide, KFisch (also one of my oldest and closest friends, bonus).  He did not disappoint.  I received a string of suggestion texts including, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, The Vermillion Cliffs, Hole-In-The-Rock Road, Capital Reef National Park, Buckskin Gulch etc.  Well I think I have enough to fill my week.

I drove out the East side of Zion on their winding, weaving tunnel through the face of the canyon on state highway 9 on my way to higher elevation and Bryce.  While the town of Springdale, closest city to the entrance of Zion, sits in the valley of the canyon, the town of Bryce sits atop the plateau and on top of the canyon therefore much more pleasant to sleep in.  Sleeping back in my car after over a week of sleeping in my tent and several beds, I finally had a good night’s sleep, AHHH Home. 

The next morning I drove into Bryce National Park, stopped by the Visitor Center to plan my day of hiking then drove to the Amphitheater of the park.  The Amphitheater is a natural bowl surrounded on three sides by the giant canyon walls while the inside of the bowl is full of tiny canyons line by hoodoos (unique rock structures worn by wind and water to form smooth beautiful pillars).  The view was unlike anything I had ever seen before.  One singular view that captured nature, geology, the horizon and a paintbrush of colors.  Truly a postcard view.  It was amazing. 

I hiked the Figure 8 Combination trail which combines several loops in the park.  It leads you down into canyon and winds you through pathways cut by giant hoodoos.  The trail gives you a unique perspective of the canyon and the hoodoos as opposed to just standing on the ledge looking down.  The following morning I got up early to catch the sun cresting the horizon and splashing the hoodoos with sunlight.  The hoodoos are beautiful on their own by sunrise is on another level.

After sunrise I drove out of Bryce to see what the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument had to offer.  I stopped at the Cannonville Ranger Station which wasn’t too far from Bryce to discuss what I should see.  The Ranger there was incredibly nice and helpful (unlike what I had experienced in Yosemite) and told me her favorite hikes and showed me which dirt roads to drive down.  As I’m looking at the map I see at the Southern edge of the park, Buckskin Gulch, one of the longest slot canyons in the USA.  Both KFisch and my brother had suggested it.  Ok new plan, get me there.  Turns out I can drive the original route she planned for me stopping at her favorite hikes on my way to Buckskin Gulch.  I’m all set to leave when they mention that I should be off the road by 1 or 2PM.  Excuse me?  It is 11AM at this point and I have a two hour drive if I drove straight to Buckskin Gulch not including any hiking.  Why?  Monsoons, another regional difficulty I had not experienced on my travels yet.

The National Monument is lined with dirt roads and when it rains the dirt turns into clay and you can’t drive on it and could damage your tires.  Not only that but because the ground doesn’t absorb water it could rain miles away and the water will flow to the lowest point which is where I was driving.  After all the help with where to hike they were not very helpful on this issue with possible rain.  The conversation continued something like this:

Me:  “Should I not go?”

Ranger:  “No, you can go just watch out for rain.”

Me:  “What does look out for rain mean?”

Ranger:  “Just watch for the sky getting dark from behind you.”

Me:  “Well is it supposed to rain?”

Ranger:  “Well you never know here”

Me:  “Ahhh, ok?  But other people are driving on that road right now, right?”

Ranger:  “Yeah”

Me:  “So, what do I if it starts raining?”

Ranger:  “Stop and wait it out”

Me:  “How long does that normally take?”

Ranger:  “Anywhere from 2 to 48 hours”

Me:  “48 hours? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm…  Ok well I’m going to give it a shot”

Ranger:  “Yeah sure.  Just watch out for the rain”

Me:  (aggressive eye roll)

So after being properly freaked out about possibly being stranded in my car in the Utah desert for 2 days I decided to forgo the hikes and just book it to the next ranger station (about 2 hours away) on the way to Buckskin Gulch.  The Grand Staircase is exactly as described.  It is a series of plateaus, Bryce being near the top and the monument highlights the dramatic drop in altitude down the plateaus.  This makes getting stranded more dangerous for two reasons.  First, it is incredibly hot the lower you go and second, water funnels to where I am going.  As annoying as the conversation was it probably prevented me from running into any danger.  I made it to the Paria Ranger Station and discussed the route to Buckskin Gulch with the lady there.  About another hour down another dirt road would get me there.  Ok so the next question is where would be cool to sleep.  She advises me that just South of Buckskin Gulch there is free camping and it should be pretty cool there at night but if I drive another hour South from Buckskin into Kaibab National Forest, there will be no issues with the heat.  As I’m looking at Kaibab National Forest on the map I notice a little known feature just South of it (some of you know where I’m going with this), the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  “The North Rim is right there?  How far is that from here?”  About 2 hours. 

After avoiding the Grand Canyon because I thought it was out of the way.  I now had inadvertently driven two hours from it.  And only an extra hour from my original destination.  First Buckskin Gulch then the Grand Canyon.  I leave the ranger station and head to the dirt road to Buckskin Gulch.  It is about 2PM and remembering my warning from earlier I look up and see rain clouds in the direction I’m going.  I quickly change my mind for probably the 4th time that day and stay on the paved road and set my course for the Grand Canyon.

Early on in my trip I went to Canyonlands and thought it was amazing and I remember thinking to myself, “Hey, this is kind of like the Grand Canyon”.  Nope. WRONG.  There is nothing like the Grand Canyon.  It is my most favorite place I have ever been to.  Nothing compares to it, its vastness, its colors, its rugged yet tranquil feeling, your feeling of insignificance standing on the rim.  I hung out at the North Rim Lodge drank a beer on the ledge of the canyon and thought about what a crazy day of driving got me to the most beautiful happy hour spot on Earth.

I drove down to Cape Royal in the Grand Canyon.  It is a great spot for sunsets and sunrises as the river curves around it  you can look east and west with great views.  I got there just in time to make myself some dinner and run out to the tip to witness sunset through some rain and lightning in the distance.  I still will defend my claim that Washington has the most beautiful sunsets but this one was on fire.

The following morning I got to see sunrise.

Then drove out stopping at Jacob Lake Inn for a great breakfast then onto Buckskin Gulch.  Unfortunately due to recent rain there were impassable parts of the canyon but I still got to see several miles of it.  I also met Randolph and Courtney, a couple from NY on a road trip through the West.  It was nice to walk and talk with people for a change. 

On my way back North I stopped at the Paria Ranger Station again to confirm I could drive back on the same dirt road I came down on the day before.  I was told that a car got stuck because of the rain last night but I could try it if I wanted to.  NO.  What is with this travel advice?  Just say “No.  Don’t drive on that road.”  So I had to reroute to stay on paved roads and ended up back in Bryce for the night.

 

The following day I drove to Escalante to talk to the rangers about Hole-In-The-Rock Road.  I was there around 10AM where I got a similar warning about driving in the afternoons.  Hole-in-the-Rock Road has historical significance which I frankly don’t quite understand but it had to do with drilling a hole through one of the many mountains/plateaus to access Lake Powell to feed water back to the city of Escalante (I might have that wrong but the drilling through the rock face is where it gets its name.)

I explored Spooky Canyon and the Devil’s Garden which are just off the historic road.  Spooky Canyon was so narrow I couldn’t get through it with a backpack on.  Devil’s Garden is a secluded plot of land with more hoodoos.

Continuing on the road I followed route 12 to Torrey, Utah on my way to Capital Reef National Park.  This was one of the most surprisingly beautiful drives of my trip.  As you drive up and down the plateaus of central Utah you experience unbelievable landscape views stretching out over the rugged wilderness.  After several successful but long days of driving and hiking I made it to Capital Reef National Park where I was able to settle for a few days.  Phew!