WFRV

We have two days left in the Zion area and we decide to drive to Bryce the
first day. It's a long drive and we'd rather not do two long drives in a
row. The map claims that Bryce is 86 miles away; farther than we'd like but
how long can it take? We head out and realize after about 15 minutes that
we've forgotten the National Parks Pass; that sets us back about half an
hour. By the time we're really on our way it's 11am, but that's still
early, right? The route we're taking is a "scenic byway" (translation:
curving mountainous road with many sharp turns and low speed limits) that
cuts through Zion National Park, and we have to wait a while at the
entrance. Once we're in we see sky-high red cliffs and deep canyons; we
stop several times to take pictures. It turns out this is the Zion-Mt.
Carmel byway, a recommended must-see if you're visiting. Unfortunately the
road is slow going, and there's a wait at the 1-mile-long tunnel along the
route. The tunnel was made decades ago and can only accommodate RVs if they
straddle the two lanes, so whenever an RV has to go through traffic is
stopped one way. We're in a rental but there are many RVs on the road.

Finally we get through Zion National Park and onto a state highway, but we've
already been driving for an hour and we've barely gone a third of the way.
The natives are getting restless and hungry and apparently the granola bars
we brought are hated by all. After about a half hour we drive through a
town with lots of restaurants each of which has a Closed sign on it. We
wonder if it's Sunday but no, perhaps this town just doesn't get the traffic
to warrant opening. Odd. Another half hour goes by and finally we see a
place that's open so we pull in. It's clean and the food is basic; the
service is a little slow but it gets the job done. Hunger satisfied, we're
off to Bryce. In the end it's taken us 3 hours to get there and we say we
wouldn't have gone if we'd known how long it would take, but oh, are we glad
we came.

Bryce National Park is comprised of a canyon that has been eroded by a cycle
of freezing and thawing over time. This has resulted in hoodoos, great
spires of rock jutting out of the canyon floor and the trails there lead in
and around these spires. We choose a relatively short trail, not even a
mile but down 310 feet. The trail involves a lot of switchbacks and at some
points it's a pretty sheer drop off the side; not great for someone with a
fear of heights like me. I can tell who shares my fear; they're the ones
taking tiny steps and attempting to become one with the sides of the cliffs.
It's a very hot day ( but once again a dry heat) and the wind here is very
strong; the climate takes every bit of moisture out of you. We are very
thirsty by the time we get to the bottom but we didn't think to bring water;
after all, it was only a mile and a half round trip. Once we get to the end
of the trail we realize that Sam's not going to make it to the next trail so
Mike and Ben carry on and Denise and Sam return the way they came.

On the way back Sam is very thirsty and desperately wants water. She's also
tired and hot and her legs hurt. "I can feel the muscles in my legs!" she
complains at one point. "Yes," I say, "that's called exercise." Later she
says, almost crying, "I need water or I'm going to faint!" Then, "Just
leave me here to die." This is said as she's half bent over, taking one
Frankenstein step at a time up the steep incline. I grab her hand and
literally pull her up the path, then stop and say, "We're going to the top,
damn it! You're made of peasant stock! You're made of sterner stuff than
this! We're not quitters!" The bit about 'peasant stock' earns me a
strange look but she straightens up and starts moving. It's amazing the
ridiculous things that come out of your mouth once you're a parent.

Once we get to the top we get four 32-oz. bottles of ice cold water for
$4.25, which I assume is the price of one because why not gouge when you
can, but no, it's for all four. We hop in the car and drive a short
distance to the place where Mike and Ben will be emerging; it's taken us so
long to get back that they've beaten us and are already walking down the
road when we arrive. They're relieved to see the water as they've just
ascended a half mile straight up and we continue on to a few more viewpoints
before we leave. This is the Indian legend about Bryce: there were a
people who lived in the canyon, the Legend People. They were bad and Coyote
decided to change them into rocks. They were changed instantly, some
standing, some sitting, some in groups, some alone, and all in face paint,
which is why the rocks are orange and red and white. The rocks are called
hoodoos from voodoo, meaning a bad thing. Once you're at the very top and
looking down you can see why that legend originated; it does look like a
canyon crowd of sturdy rock people.

We decide to take a different route home and stop in Panguitch for dinner at
the Cowboy Smokehouse. A miracle occurs and the kids sit down without
complaint, read a menu that is largely foreign to them, order food they've
never tried before, and eat it without comment. The food is delicious
(according to the meat eaters) and we buy a bottle of their barbecue sauce.
Their walls are papered with business cards and Mike leaves one which they
put right up. There are cards from everywhere; we see one from a London
taxi service. From the restaurant it's two hours back through the Dixie
National Forest. At one point we're in a birch forest, elevation 8,896
feet. It's beautiful and we're glad the sun doesn't set until we're back on
the highway. The different route saves us an hour but we're all tired when
we get back. Tomorrow it's on to Zion which is thankfully only twenty
minutes from the park.

# posted by LDW @ 10:27 PM