We left Zion with blue skies, and continued onto Bryce Canyon, which is at 8,000 feet. And had quite a change in the weather!
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| snowman hello! |
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| red and white |
But a little snow, or a lot, was not enough to change our plans. A trail ride through the canyon had sounded great in sunny weather. I literally put on all my warm clothes: 2 pairs of pants, 4 shirts and jackets, scarf, 2 pairs of gloves…and was just barely warm enough! But the ride went on, with only a few hardy souls. I was mounted on surefooted Shine, and never worried about the cliffs or snow (those gasps from behind me meant not everyone was comfortable in the situation!)
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| Shine the horse, and all my clothes! |
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| the wrong ears, but epic scenery |
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| the next day: sthe now melted and the sun came out! |
We came back another day to see the sun out and snow melted, rocks glowing orange and red, the changeable weather makes it even more interesting. But we had still more destinations: Grand Staircase Escalante National monument.
(There has been plenty of controversy surrounding this park, and I'm just happy to have seen it before this national treasure is damaged)
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| the "staircase" canyons as they cross the landscape |
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| "just" another epic view |
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| prickly |
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| lightning-struck tree |
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| yes, a 130-foot waterfall in the desert (a bit cold for a swim) |
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| trail, trees and cliffs |
Again, epic scenery and photos that can't do it justice. But there was one more stop left. Once of the least-visited National parks: Great Basin. Again, wow. Hiking at 10,000 feet, views to forever…
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| You are now free to move about the cabin… |
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| bristlecone |
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| frozen Stella lake |
I feel so lucky to have these treasures in (long) driving distance, to have this land accessible, to be able to explore. So where should I go next?
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| So, this is where he hangs out! |
Gorgeous! Bryce with snow is really something.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to see it, even if it changed our plans a bit!
DeleteLovely! Thanks for sharing! Maybe one of these days I’ll get to visit there!
ReplyDeleteAwww Mono Lake. I think that place is incredible, especially when it is glass like in a kayak early am.
Words of encouragement...water levels are up since I first visited 10 years ago. Then you could walk out further past the Tufa. I was amazed last year how much water levels are up.
Maybe our great grand children will only get to see the tips of the Tufa!
I hope so. It looks cool and surreal, I just couldn’t get past the we-screwed-this-place-up aspect!
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