May 7 -- Bryce Canyon National Park

The thermometer in my car read 32 degrees when I left the Kodachrome Basin campground at 6:30 this morning. I stayed toasty last night, however, in my down sleeping bag. It must have been the apple and peanut butter I had for dinner just before I crashed for the night.

As I drove out of the park and into a valley, the temp dropped to 24 degrees. I'm glad I wasn't staying there, instead. A few miles up the road, I ran through this tiny town named Tropic (it was anything but) and stopped for breakfast at this quaint little restaurant that obviously catered to the tourist headed to or out of Bryce Canyon. Hot coffee was delicious after a frosty night.

I arrived at Bryce around 8:00 am and headed to the campground, hoping I could land a spot before it filled up. One thing I've learned about the national park campgrounds is that they are very popular and often fill up before 10 am. This early in the morning, the campground was deserted, so I had my pick. Since the park is at 8000 feet, there is still snow on the ground, though not an extraordinary amount, so I got to stomp around in some after I set up camp. To this Florida girl, that's fun.

When I arrived, it was 29 degrees and stayed that way for several hours. Rather than hit the trails and freeze to death, I drove 18 miles to the end of the park road and then stopped at all the scenic outlooks on the way back up the road. They were gorgeous.

By 1:00 pm, it had warmed to a balmy 48 degrees, so I ate lunch and hit the trails. The park started its shuttle service today, so I took advantage of it and left my car at the campground. My first hike was on the Queen's Garden trail, which took me down 320 feet in less than a mile. I could hardly walk for all the photos I was taking. This park is known for its hoodoos, which are spires that rise from the canyon floor that have been eroded by water or the weather. They are multi-colored and of all different sizes and shapes. They are truly magnificent. The Paiute (spelling?) Indians believed that the rocks are men who were turned to stone by the trickster coyote. I wonder what they were smoking when they decided that?

At the bottom of the canyon, people had built cairns (stacks of rocks) and made a cairn garden. There were hundreds of them in all shapes and configurations. It was an interesting site.

The climb back to the rim was not nearly as fun as the hike down into the canyon. It was a seemingly endless serious of switchbacks that went up and up and up. At 8000 feet, it was difficult to breathe, at least for a Florida girl used to living at sea level. But I made it and was happy that I had chosen that trail. From there, I walked along the rim for several more miles, sometimes in snow, until I arrived at the last bus stop on route. It would take me back to the campground.

By the time I got back, it was early evening and already starting to get cold. It's supposed to be 26 degrees tonight. Incredibly I have cell service and have made a few calls to friends (you know who you are) and am now typing this blog post. My phone battery is about to die, however (bluetooth to the keyboard is a power hog), so I need to wrap this up.

Tomorrow, I will head to Zion National Park, which is only an hour and a half away. I will try to get there early to score a campsite in the park. They fill up quickly, so I will have to make tracks. Talk to you later!