Planning
For all the convenience, luxury and time saving of travel by
air, it just doesn’t generate the same excitement as a road trip. Whether
traveling with family, friends or solo, a road trip could provide you with a way
to connect, destress or meditate.
I have been wanting to take an extended road trip somewhere for
a while, where you don't necessarily have a solid plan but only a loose and
open one. Plan as you go, take it in your stride kind of thing. While I have
had many enjoyable road trips with family and friends over the years, they have
never extended beyond a week at most and had to be planned in terms of
accommodation, activities etc.
In 2021, while coming out of the worst of Covid and its losses
in general and at personal level, I wanted an outlet. Which made me dare take a
short 5-day trip to Virginia and West Virginia. It was an enjoyable and
learning experience for me. I drove through the nights, slept in the car, camped, strolled on the beach, dipped in the ocean, hiked in national parks,
thrilled in white water rafting. And without known company, it was easier to
connect with strangers, however briefly.
After a trip I took in Dec, 2021 with a friend to Grand Canyon National Park and
Zion National Park, I very much wanted to visit Utah again to cover the other
NPs. The hiking I did in Grand Canyon and Zion not only gave me confidence but sparked a
desire in me to do more. And thus formed an epic trip in Spring of 2022.
The duration of trip I planned for was about 10-11 days and
included national parks in Colorado (3) and Utah (4) with a stopover in St.
Louis for 1 more. I knew it would be hard to coordinate such a long trip with
anyone due to conflicts with work and other priorities in life. The timing I
picked was convenient for me but not necessarily for others. Plus, I
specifically wanted it to be a road trip from MI to UT which increased the
duration by almost 3-4 days. The reasons were twofold - monetary and
experience. In the end it was rewarding in both aspects.
I did research and planned for the trip in terms of looking up
information about each NP, the major things to see, hikes to do and tips from
other travelers which was very helpful when I was there. I did distance
calculations and mapped the route and sequence of where and when I will be on
which days. Just a week before I booked a hotel in Durango, CO, a campsite near
Arches NP and a hotel resort near Bryce Canyon. This took care of my
accommodations and kind of locked in my sightseeing itinerary. Considering that
gas prices were high (thanks to general inflation and the war) I even
wrote down average gas prices state wise through which I was traveling. It may
seem farfetched but there were instances when just crossing the state border
could make quite a difference if you are fully filling the gas tank. I was relying on
my 10 yr. old 2013 Ford Explorer for the trip, and it thankfully it supported
me well with no issues.
Day 1 - 3/25 – Gateway Arch NP
I started from home on the evening of Thurs Mar 24. Plan was to
reach St. Louis by morning, a drive of just over 500 miles. I had booked a
trolley tour at the Gateway Arch National Park that morning and riverboat tour for noon. It
was a good, easy drive through the night, listening to songs and an audio
novel. You can only listen to so many songs or so much news and I am not much
into listening to podcasts or inspirational audios. A good fiction audio book
though can keep you engaged for long time.
After taking stop at a rest area for few hours I was in my
pre-booked parking lot in downtown St Louis by 7 am. Even at home I am not a
heavy 8 hr. sleeper and outside the comfort of a home bed I am an even light
sleeper. In my opinion a body knows what it needs and will adjust and demand it,
so I usually am not too worried. Still, I do make sure to do frequent stops for
resting and short naps on long drives. From safety perspective I make sure I am
in a well-lit rest area with decent traffic. You can never be too cautious when
away from the comfort zone of your home base.
Foodwise too, on such trips I am not picky about having regular meals as such. I had snacks and food items from home - parathas and
other food items, energy bars, Indian snack items, nuts etc. Some croissants, a
pack of Good Day biscuits and a bottle of raspberry jam served me well as breakfast
and dessert few times. Searching and stopping for food takes away time plus
what’s the point of eating and spending on same old McDonald’s or Subway. I
rather prefer to experience any special local foods & drinks or eateries.
Since I had couple of hours before my tour I strolled casually
around the Gateway Arch, along the Mississippi riverfront, taking in the scenery
as the sun was rising clicking pictures. Once the park opened, I headed
straight to my trolley tour. A set of walkways and instructions and I was
heading up in the trolley to the top of the arch. From outside it would be hard
to imagine that you can travel all the way up through the narrow arch. The
trolley itself is very constricted like sitting in an airplane bathroom and
takes about 4 min to go up. Once up, there is a narrow platform with windows on
either side to peek through and look at the city and river view below. It is
quite something to marvel at from such a vantage point and totally worth it.
You get about 10 min to stay up before heading down again for a 3 min
journey.
Now I had another couple hours before my river cruise which was
well spent in the Gateway Arch Museum. There are lot of debates on whether the
Gateway Arch should be a national monument instead of a national park.
Whether you agree or disagree the museum gives context and lot of great info on
the significance of St Louis in the expansion of the western frontier. My time
was well spent engrossed in learning a lot on the subject in the museum. The
idea, conceptualization and building of the arch is also quite interesting to see
and read about.
From there I headed to onboard on my riverboat, aptly named Tom
Sawyer. An hour-long cruise on the mighty Mississippi with guided audio from
the boat captain/ guide was quite informative. Those who have read Mark Twain
can't but remember Tom and his friend Huckleberry on this same river. It is a
major industrial waterway and we saw many barges with cargo floating around or
being tugged away. After disembarking from the boat, I walked around for some
time in the downtown and had a quick bite for lunch. I searched online for any
special eateries but didn’t find anything that was unmissable (lot of steak or
barbecue places for those who like it).
After a successful first checkmark on my itinerary (or Shri
Ganesha as we call it) it was time to head to my next stop to CO, a drive of
over 900 miles. It was about 3 pm in afternoon and it would be next morning to
reach where I was headed next. I had to cut across from east to west through
Missouri and Kansas states before entering CO. I drove through the afternoon
and evening before tiredness set in. Then there were multiple rest stops
through the night as I pushed through. By sunrise I was in CO driving through
the San Luis valley in Alamosa County. The weather was crisp and clear with
blue skies and already I could feel the vastness of the western landscape. Soon
I would reach my next destination, Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Day 2 – 3/26
– Great Sand Dunes & Black Canyon of Gunnison
Living in Michigan I am not new to sand dunes. Up near Traverse
City we have Sleeping Bear sand dunes which are impressive. The sand dunes at
Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado however carry the distinction of being the
tallest in North America.
I arrived there in the morning around 8.30-9 am. From the
parking lot you can get right onto the flat sand and a short walk leads to the
dune climb. Walking on sand is not an easy task. Every step is sinking in and
pulling out, lot harder on your knees, feet and can quickly put you out of
breadth. It could be even dangerous in hot weather as sand could heat up well
above 100 degrees.
As I climbed up, I could see people in the far distance all over
the dunes, some at the very top. Looking around, you can see the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains with trees and shrubs and wonder why the massive dunes of
over 30 sq miles sit in the middle of it. Geologically it happened over long time
due to sediments, lakes that receded and dried over time and the unique wind
patterns of the San Luis valley. Pretty impressive indeed!
Apart from walking on the dunes, sandboarding is another
favorite activity to do here. Lot of small kids and youngsters were having fun
with it. Later in spring the melting snow from the mountains fill the Medano
creek at the bottom of dunes and visitors must cross the shallow waters to
reach the dunes from the parking lot. It is another fun activity but there wasn’t
any water when I was there. There are couple of hikes in nearby forest area but
the main activity here is the sand dunes. After giving some thought I decided
to visit another national park instead of spending all day on the dunes. It was
on my list and at distance of 200 miles, but it was just noon, so I had lot of
time on hand.
It may seem like lot of driving from one point of interest to
another, but when you are in a new place everything is a new experience. The
drive wasn’t all major highway, in fact many smaller roads winding through
mountains and open spaces. Taking it all in leisurely I was at
the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park in about 3 hrs. The highlight here is the steep dark gorge
carved by the Gunnison River. I read somewhere that the black signifies parts
of the gorge which never see sunlight. There are roads and trails around the
rim and some hiking into the gorge as well.
I was hoping to drive around the rim, pull into some lookout
points, take pictures. I wasn’t keen on hiking down another canyon (after my
recent Grand Canyon hike). Unfortunately, the roads were closed for some ski or
other sport tryouts. So, all I could do was walk a bit around the rim near the
visitor center and take a few pictures. I was somewhat disappointed but not in
a major way. This Park was a 'maybe' on my list and at least I got to be there.
In some ways it turned out to be a blessing based on what was in store for me
next.
I had put my next stop, which was a hotel in Durango, CO based on
its proximity to my next NP on the itinerary. I put the address on the Google
maps and started driving. Heading out from the town of Montrose I jumped on to
US 550 and had a drive of a lifetime on the Million Dollar Hwy. Of course, I
had no idea it was called that at the time. All I realized was that I was
driving through the scenic San Juan mountains which were mostly snow covered
then, on a narrow two-lane bidirectional road, with lots of switchbacks and turns,
steep drops with no guardrails, lots of avalanche signs and sometimes ice that
had slid down the road from the slopes.
It’s my habit on these trips to take pictures and even videos as
we drive by. However, for the toughest part of the highway I was more tied up
firmly gripping the steering wheel, ensuring I wasn't going down the steeps or
crashing onto oncoming vehicles. However, there were moments to capture and
enjoy, and even sing "Yeh parbaton ke dayre yeh sham ka dhua" as the
setting sun lit up the snow-covered mountain tops in golden colors while partially
hiding the slopes in the long shadows of trees. I couldn't have planned the
season and drivetime better. It’s true that some of the best things in life
just happen by chance.
I reached my hotel in Durango and the first thing I did was to
look up what the heck I drove through and that's when I realized the name and
significance of the highway. All in all, I was in high spirits, having a great
second day of my trip, going better than planned and in good luck weather-wise.
After a drink (or two) of some bourbon and dinner, watching TV, making phone calls,
and browsing through messages etc. it was time to turn in for the day.
Day 3 – 3/27 – Mesa Verde NP
Durango is a small town in Colorado with access to lot of
outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing etc. The next park on my itinerary
was Mesa Verde National Park which is just under an hour drive from Durango. From what I
had read it isn’t a highly visited park and I also wouldn’t need the whole day
for me to see the park. So, I wasn’t in a hurry.
The day earlier I asked at the hotel desk what all is there to
do nearby. I was referred to a river trail just across, so I decided to go
there for a morning stroll. The Animas River trial is a decent walking, mostly
paved, trail alongside the Animas River. I walked leisurely for about an hour
as other people walked or jogged, a father and son fished, an energetic dog
having fun in and out of the water. Then I headed back for some breakfast,
check out and was on my way to Mesa Verde National Park.
Located in southwest Colorado, this park is established
primarily to preserve the archaeological and cultural artifacts of the
ancestral Puebloan people. About 1500 years ago, long before Europeans explored
North America a group of people living in the four corners region chose Mesa
Verde for their home. They began building homes (cliff dwellings are highlights
here) and farming. Corn played a major role in their lives not just for food
but also in their cultural life. After living there for about 750 years they
moved away for various reasons leaving behind their signs and heritage.
A primary stop at the visitor center, provided all this good
info to me on the history of the Pueblo people. I want to mention a couple of
things here about National Park visits. The 'America the Beautiful' NP annual
pass is worth it if you visit even 2-3 parks a year (and even if none just as
support to the amazing natural preserved treasures in our country). Also, I
always visit the visitor center for a souvenir (magnets mostly for me), free
maps and information on display or from rangers which is helpful when you go
through the park.
From the visitor center I started driving to the top of the mesa
where there are few loop roads that take you to different sights and overlooks.
Cliff palace, Spruce tree house, Chapin Mesa, Sun Temple are some of the must-see
sights here. The Cliff palace is the largest cliff dwellings in North America.
There are guided tours which take you in for a closer look, but they hadn’t
started as I was early in the season. You can see them quite clearly though
from certain overlook points and binoculars can help you view lot of details. I
also did the Upper Petroglyph trail which winds through a juniper forest and
has panoramic canyon views plus several rock carvings.
After spending about 5-6 hours in the park I headed out to my
next destination in Utah near Moab, Arches National Park. It was about 2.5 hrs.
easy drive and coming closer I could already see some of the red rock
formations. I had booked a tent campsite at Sun Outdoors campground, and it was
a decent site surrounded by the red mountains. It was just about 3 miles from
Arches NP and around 5.30 pm when I arrived.
I was too eager to visit Arches and the fact that one of the
most famous arches, Delicate Arch, is recommended to be viewed at sunset seemed
like a chance I should take. So, there I was driving into the park, taking the
customary pic at the entrance, then driving up the steep hill and entering a
different world. For anyone coming first time to Arches it feels outwardly. I
already had my phone out, taking pictures and recording though I
wanted to reach the parking lot soon. From the parking lot its about 1.5-2
miles hike to the arch itself but it is highly deceiving. The climb is steep and,
in a rush, to be there before sunset it was a hefty, strenuous hike for
me.
I did make it though and it was totally worth it. There were lot
of people there already and the setting was gorgeous. The evening sky was in
various hues of blue, orange, red, gold, purple forming a fitting backdrop to
the unique arch. Writing and describing it is one thing but I am glad I have it
visually captured on camera as well. Unfortunately, I could not stay longer as
the sun had already set and it was getting dark fast. The trail wasn’t very
well marked, and I didn’t want to be walking alone in dark and get lost or
break an ankle. Luckily, I was able to do the opening of my Christmas gift from
my daughter, a great headlamp and put it to good use. Since everyone was also
heading back to the parking I was in good company.
Back to the campsite, after setting up the tent, taking a long
shower, having dinner, and then sitting relaxed on my camp chair somewhat late
into night I looked forward to spending the full next day exploring
Arches.
Day 4 - 3/28 -Arches NP
I woke up early that day as I did not
want to take any chances of delays entering the Arches National Park or finding parking. I
was at the park entrance before 7.30 am and while it wasn’t hard to get in, I
could see many cars rolling in around that time.
Per their website description Arches National Park has “over 2000 natural stone arches, hundreds of
soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock
wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and
inspire you with its sunsets”
I drove on towards the end of the park
scenic drive to the Devil's Garden trailhead. From here you can hike on a trail
to see multiple arches. I parked, got ready with my backpack, and started
walking. Just a short distance from the trailhead there are two arches, the
Tunnel arch and Pine tree arch. Less than a mile ahead you come to the
Landscape arch which is the longest arches anywhere on earth. Part of it
collapsed few years back so you cannot go close to or under the arch (there
used to be trail from under). A viewing platform gives a great view of this
wonderful arch.
From thereon forwards the trail gets
harder with a steep rock scramble and then some hiking through the rocks at the
top with amazing surrounding views of the red rocks formations. There are multiple
short mini hikes on the side to different arches (Partition Arch, Navajo Arch,
Wall arch). About a mile and half from Landscape arch you come to the Double O
Arch. It is what the name suggests and worth more than a wonderful picture.
Though a picture is a good keepsake for memories. In all these places someone
is always willing to take your photo and the unwritten rule is that you should
do the same in a pay it forward fashion.
I proceeded ahead to Dark Angel pinnacle
which essentially is a tall dark rock and the name reminded me of Dexter.
Coming back, somehow instead of following the regular trail that I took while
coming, I went on sideways on the primitive loop trail. This trail is
difficult with steep slopes, narrow drop-offs, and rock scrambling. I was
thankful for wearing decent hiking shoes on these rock scrambles and having
enough water with me. There are just a couple of arches on this trail such as
the Private arch. The hike was strenuous and by the time I reached back to my
car I had covered more than 7 miles in just over 5 hrs.
After some lunch I started driving on
the scenic drive, coming backwards towards the park entrance while stopping on
multiple other points of interest such as Skyline Arch, Sand Dune Arch, Fiery
Furnace, Balanced Rock and Windows trail with the Parade of Elephants. Each of
these are unique and worth a look. Overall, I had walked more than 13 miles so
far and I was glad that I had covered the Delicate Arch the day before. After a
brief stop at the visitor center for a browse and souvenir purchase, I was out
of the park by about 5 pm.
Back to my campsite, after a good shower
I felt refreshed and since it was too early in the evening I decided to hang
out and have dinner in Moab. It’s a small travel town with a main arterial highway
road, with many hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and outdoor activity/ excursion
places. It was buzzing with activity with many people strolling on the roads or
shopping in the souvenir shops. I walked around a bit then had pizza and a beer
at the Zax Restaurant.
Back to the campsite the weather
forecast had some wind and rain at night, so I decided to just sleep in the car
instead of taking my chances in the small tent. With the back seats laid flat
there is enough room for a person to lay a sleeping bag and comfortably sleep
in the car. Laying down I looked forward to exploring Canyonlands National Park
next day.
Day 5 - 3/29 – Canyonlands NP
Arches and Canyonlands National Park are just about
25 miles from each other. Canyonlands is the largest park in Utah, and it is
divided into 4 different areas by the Green and Colorado rivers - Island in the
sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. Needles and mainly Maze
is all rough terrain and require high clearance 4-wheel drives. Also, though
they all appear close on map there are no roads that directly link these areas.
Traveling between them requires 2 to 6 hrs. by car as there are few places to
cross the rivers.
My plan was to visit Island in the Sky
area which is what most visitors visit. It had rained quite a bit at night but
when I woke up it had stopped, and the sky was just a little cloudy. I got
ready, made instant tea and upma (from a ready mix my mom had prepared) on a
small camping stove, ate and was on my way to Canyonlands. There wasn’t much
traffic on the roads. Driving through this red rock country in different
weather and light conditions has its unique charm and beauty. On the way I got
a view of the Monitor and Merrimac buttes which are named after two ships
during the American Civil War.
After a brief stop at the visitor
center in Canyonlands I headed to my first stop at Mesa Arch, which requires a
very short, under a mile, hike. It’s a spectacular arch with great Canyon and
the Le Sal mountains view right behind it and particularly at sunrise you can
get dramatic pictures of the underside of the arch lit up in bright orange,
golden color. When I went there it was still little cloudy so I could not see the
glow effect fully, but still the sunrise through the clouds was worth a watch
and I got one of the best personal photos of me of the trip with the arch in
the background.
From there I headed to my next point,
Aztec Butte. The 1.7-mile roundtrip trail to Aztec Butte, a slickrock dome is
steep and includes rock scrambling. There are ancient Pueblo granaries near the
rim and the 360-degree surrounding view from the top is spectacular. There was
hardly anyone there when I went, and the peacefulness was almost meditative.
From thereon I headed to Whale Rock,
which is a sandstone formation resembling a beached whale (to whoever must have
named it first). It’s a moderate hike to the top and again providing great surrounding
views. Further ahead on the drive is Upheaval dome. A short but strenuous climb
brings you to the first viewpoint of Upheaval dome. It’s a bowl-shaped crater
with multiple theories about its formation, such as a meteorite or salt dome. I
didn’t hike to the second viewpoint.
Driving back on the scenic drive I
stopped at couple of overlook points from which you can view the vast canyons
below. From the Buck Canyon point the dark canyons resemble map of India seen
from the southern end. Interestingly when I mentioned it to some people there,
an old man mentioned Sri Lanka. We had a chat and he said that he had worked
closely with Sri Lankan prime minister Premadasa in the early 80s. We chatted a
bit about that and his visit to different places in India and then I headed
back to the park entrance.
The Schaefer Canyon overlook is right
opposite the visitor center. From here you can see serpentine dirt roads
winding down the canyon and far onto the White Rim Road. The 100 miles White
Rim Road loops around and below the Island in the sky mesa top. It requires
permits and high clearance four-wheel vehicles to go on it and do backcountry
camping (four-wheel-drive trips usually take three to four days). Peeking out
and looking at those steep roads going down with sharp switchbacks can make
your heart miss a few beats. Even if I had a 4-wheeler, I doubt I would have
dared take the chance of driving down on those switchbacks.
I headed back to Moab to have some
food at a food park and back to the campsite. Looking back, I could have done a
quick stop to Dead Horse State Park which was a little off but on the way. I
read that it has great views of the canyon and rivers. But I was exhausted as
this 5th day into my trip with lot of driving and hiking and I had 3 more days
of itinerary plus drive back home so maybe next time.
Day 6 - 3/30 – Capital Reef NP
I left Sun Outdoors campground for
good around 7.30 am to head to Capital Reef National Park. It’s just over 2 hrs.
drive (appr 135 mi) mostly on UT-24. Leaving behind the red rock area I passed
through some long straight drives with vast plain land on both sides. The
clouds had a reddish tinge to them making the whole landscape feel ethereal.
Then I passed through an area with grey, barren hills which looked like cement
mounds. Whenever I pass through these varying geologically diverse
topographical areas over not too long of a distance, it always makes me wonder
what past geological events or weather conditions must have contributed to it.
I arrived at Capital Reef around 9.20
am and headed ahead driving into the park. It was a pleasant, clear day and I
drove by with the tall sandstone cliffs and a river flowing alongside the road.
My first stop was the lower Grand Wash Trailhead. The description reads "Follow
a dry streambed along a rocky, sculpted heart of Capital Reef. As the canyon
wall narrows, footsteps echo between the sandstone cliffs looming hundreds of
feet overhead....". I parked my
car and headed onto the dry Narrows, though these are much different than the
Narrows trail I did in Zion NP where we are wading through running water.
I started walking along on the
streambed with the towering cliffs on either side, which had deep fissures and
cave like structures all along. As I headed deeper, with hardly anyone on the
trail, I was a somewhat afraid of running into a mountain lion. It seemed like
a perfect terrain with lot of hideouts and very much like a recent video I had
seen of a jogger's encounter with one in Utah. Just to get some sense of
security I walked with a rock in hand and playing some music on my phone. Then
I came across a few people and was glad that I wasn’t the only one on the
trail. The trail is about 2.2 miles to the Upper Grand Wash Trailhead and a
little before that is the Cassidy Arch trail.
Cassidy Arch is a natural stone arch
high above the cliffs from the Grand Wash. It’s named after Butch Cassidy, who
had a hideout in Grand Wash. Cassidy Arch is rated as strenuous trail of 1.7
miles one way, with an elevation change of appr. 700 ft. The first half of the
trail is quite hard with rapid elevation change and not much shade on the way.
Then you reach the rim above and it gets easier. The arch is huge and more like
a natural bridge. You can stand on the arch bridge, and someone can take a
photo, from a distance. The surrounding view is awesome with UT-24 winding down
below through the park.
I headed back down and again through
the Narrows to my car. Driving ahead I arrived at the visitor center and as
usual made a stop for a souvenir and information displays. From there I went to
the Gifford House, near Frita, which is a historical farmhouse from early
Mormon settlers who lived, farmed, and grew fruit orchards. The orchards, which
still grow fruits, are part of the park now. At Gifford house they sell fresh
fruit pies but had run out when I went there. I was disappointed but was able
to get one on my way back on another day.
From there you can jump onto a short
scenic byway. There are not many stops or pull outs on the byway but towards
the end I arrived at the Capital Gorge Road. This is a dirt, hard terrain road
which goes through a narrow gorge. I was hesitant of driving on it but after
seeing cars smaller than mine coming out from there I decided to check it out. It’s
a slow, crunchy drive but an interesting experience driving on a narrow road
with huge cliffs in either side. I drove about couple of miles then turned
around and after stopping for some pictures thanks to some walkers, I headed
back on the scenic drive to my last stop which was Hickman Bridge Trail. Hickman
Bridge Trail is a moderate 0.9 mi hike to a natural bridge. After the Cassidy
Arch trail this one felt less adventurous but still worth it. By the time I was
back to my car it was close to 6.30 pm and I had about 2.5 hrs.(120mi) drive to
my next stop at Bryce Canyon Resort.
One lesson I have learned from these
trips is to avoid driving at night on unfamiliar smaller country roads. As I
drove on UT-62 and UT-22 and it got darker, I was nervous because of the
remoteness of the area. There were hardly any signs of habitation, I had no
cell signal (luckily downloaded maps help with navigation if you have them
loaded before), many signs of open ranch and if not cattle then plenty of
chances of deer encounter given the forest around. I drove at barely 35-40 mi
speed hoping to see some lights or signs of activity in vain for miles. Finally,
after what seemed like long time I arrived at the resort. It was a nice place
with a very helpful, talkative person at the reception who seemed to be the
do-it-all person. After a quick shower and dinner, I settled in looking forward
to another popular Utah park tomorrow.
Day 7 - 3/31 – Bryce Canyon NP
"You enter
the park, drive to the Sunset point (as suggested by the Ranger), park your
car, go to overlook and are just awestruck with the 'kesariya' (saffron) world
stretched below you. Then you hike, winding down these amazing 'hoodoos',
taking in nature's wonder through your eyes and your camera. The weather
changes multiple times from cloudy to snow flurries to bright sun with clear
skies, each of them casting the view in different light like some stage show.
All in all, 7 miles of hiking down and up in about 5-6 hrs. as if strolling
through an enchanted world. That was Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah for me today."
This was my
Facebook post the day I visited the park which sums it up well. I woke up early
that day and was at the park entrance by 8 am. I stopped at the visitor center
for souvenir shopping and info then went to the Sunset point parking lot. From
there it’s a short walk to the overlook and as mentioned above it was just an
amazing sight spread in front and below me. The tall orange hoodos stretching
out in a semicircle below, with winding trails in the hazy morning light was
worth a sight.
I started on the
Navajo trail which starts right near the Sunset point. The trail winds down
into and through the hoodos and other rock formations with awesome zigzag
switchbacks at some points. As I was going down, the skies got darker and there
were rapid snowflakes but not much. It cleared up soon, but it was one of the
multiple weather conditions that I was to encounter that day. Once down I had
the choice to continue onto the Queens Garden trail or the Peekaboo trail on
either side. I decided to explore the Peekaboo trail for some distance then
come back and complete the Queen's trail.
The trail takes its
name from the many surprises that await around its turns and elevation changes.
While rated as moderate, due to rapid elevation changes and total length it is
also considered hard. After some flat walking areas on the Peekaboo trail,
it started going up and becoming strenuous. I was walking at a leisurely pace
stopping often to take photos or videos and taking in/ admiring the surrounding
beauty. Sometimes the sun was completely out, sometimes it was covered with
clouds, and the differing lighting with blue skies and white clouds in the
background offered beautiful views of the vistas. There was even a passing
quick, rain shower when I had to take shelter under some trees. Multiple times
I had to switch between a full sleeve and light half sleeve jacket depending on
temps.
The whole trail
is a 5-mile loop, but I went about halfway to the Wall of Windows and started
back the way I came. Coming back on the earlier fork, I now headed onto the
Queens Garden trail. This is a popular hike as it is shorter but offers amazing
views of the hoodoos and rock formations. By the time I had completed the
Queen's trail and was back up at the Sunset point, I had completed about 7
miles of hiking on what is termed as the Loop 8 trail (Navajo, Queens, and
Peekaboo) and about 5 hrs. of hiking. It is hard to explain everything you see
in words here; you really must walk and experience it.
I had a quick
lunch in the car and drove further onto the scenic drive stopping at one of the
lookout points. However, once you have walked through below and seen the
formations up close, the views from the lookout points don’t hold as much
charm. It was late afternoon, and I was tired, so I decided to head back to the
resort for a nap and then come back up later to watch the sunset.
Back at the
resort and after a nap when I looked out it was raining and very cloudy. It
wasn’t an ideal condition to watch sunset, so I decided to just stay in and
instead catch the sunrise in the morning. Tomorrow was my last day of the itinerary
of the trip after which it was a long drive home, for whatever time it would
take.
Day 8 – 4/1 – Scenic Byway 12 + Journey Home
I got up early and was at the Bryce
Canyon Sunrise point just before sunrise. There was a decent amount of people
already there. The weather was chilly and bit windy. The valley below was
spread out in hazy light fog in some places and clear but darker in other
places. As the sun rose over the dark mountains far away the whole scenery was bathed
up in golden, orange light. It was a beautiful sight. I hung there for some
time taking pictures then drove up to Bryce Point lookout which I had missed
the previous day. Ice crystals covered the wood railings and fallen logs which
provided a great foreground to the scenery beyond.
I headed back to the resort for
breakfast and checkout. My plan was to get onto to US Scenic Byway 12, a 120
plus mile paved scenic road which runs from Bryce Canyon NP Park in the west
and ends up near Torrey and Capital Reef NP Park in the east. Thereafter I would be on my way home.
The scenic byway has the designation
of 'All American Road' and passes through many places worth exploring in
between the national parks at its end. This includes State parks (Anasazi State
Park, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park),
small towns (Tropic, Escalante, Cannonville, Boulder), off-road trails such as
Burr's trail, Hell's Backbone trail with slot canyons plus waterfalls. It may
take a full day or even multiple days to explore everything, however some
places are not easily accessible or require 4x4 or off-road vehicles due to
unpaved roads.
As for me I just took a lazy drive on
the byway offering panoramic views and through Dixie National Forest. On the way
I did the Mossy Cave trail up to a small waterfall, drove a few miles on the
Burr's trail and stopped at a few lookout points. With lot of remoteness and
things spread out it’s not an easy place to explore. Once I reached Capital
Reef Park, I stopped by again at the Gifford House and was lucky enough to get a
pie this time.
I wouldn’t list out too many details
of my appr. 1700 mi drive back home through UT, CO, NB, IO, IL, IN back to MI.
The drive through Colorado was the most exciting with mountain driving most of
the way up to Denver. Most of the other drive was through the plains, tiresome
and with multiple rest stops. I had left UT on Friday afternoon and by the time
I reached home it was Sunday just past midnight. Even though tired and weary I
was glad the whole trip happened mostly as per plan, without any mishaps or
weather issues. Looking forward to many such trips in future.
