Hell of a Place to Lose a Cow

Friday, June17:

We left hot, semi-arid Moab and headed west on I-70 to the canyons of southwest Utah.  Passed over a lot of high, desolate, but beautiful country including Black Dragon Canyon and Ghost Rock into pine covered hills and farmlands.  The terrain varied from cliffs, towers, and mountains, to wide plateaus and valleys.  All striking and beautiful. 

The streams along the way are all running full from snow melt but the ground is dry enough to require irrigation.



Exiting I-70 south of Richlands, Utah.
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We made our usual twice a week stop at Walmart in Richlands to restock, fuel up, and head south on US 89.  We travelled south nearly 80 miles in the same wide agricultural valley (Central Valley?) along the Sevier River.  Passed through Circleville, the birthplace of Butch Cassidy.





Looking west across farmland near Circleville, UT, about 40 miles north of Bryce Canyon on US 89.







Our campground near Red Canyon area of Dixie National Forest

 We picked the Red Canyon RV Park from the Woodall's book because it was the closest we could get into on the west side of Bryce Canyon NP.  Four or five small commercial campgrounds and a couple federal in the vicinity.  Campground has good facilities, good location, and nice people.  Very laid back.  It's at about 7700 ft elevation so its cool -- highs in the 60's and 70's instead of the 90's of Moab.  Got down to 41 degrees the first night; had to get the little electric heater back out.



Looking at Rainbow Point, south end of park


Saturday, June 18:

Bryce Canyon NP is not really a canyon; it's a cliff face running north-south for 20+ miles. There's only one entrance, at the north end, and the rim road that runs the length of the park dead ends at the south end at 9100 feet elevation. The views are spectacular.  Park rangers say you can see 200 miles to the east on a clear day.
 


Near Black Birch Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park

 

Arch and spires at Natural Bridge overlook 



Hoodoos at Ponderosa Canyon

 Due to the geology and climate, the soft rock gets frost wedged or eroded into all kinds of strange shapes and figures of varying colors.Many of the "hoodoos" look like they escaped from Easter Island.  The Indians refer to them as "Legend People".




Ponderosa Canyon



Small group of hoodoos on ledge at Paria View



Virtually all of the visitors are driving (or bussing) from one overlook to another along the rim road.  Most of the visitors are European -- primarily Germans along with a few Italians and French.

Only a few hearty souls descend the steep trails into the valleys and muster the energy for the return climb. 


Cathedrals at Bryce Point Overlook



The cathedrals and windows are formed by springs in the cliff face eroding out holes or caverns.  Later, as that face separates from the bank, these holes become windows or arches.



Wildlife



Ranks of hoodoos in Bryce Canyon ampitheatre



Purportedly, Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon, who owned Bryce's Canyon in the 1870's, was asked by a reporter what he thought of the canyon.  Bryce said, matter of factly, "Hell of a place to lose a cow".  I agree. Don't know how true that report is, but I'm sure the sentiment is about right.  Not much of value to a struggling homesteader, but it is a very unique and beautiful place.  I give Yellowstone higher marks, due to its many and varied points of interest, but for shear natural beauty, we've not seen anything that tops Bryce Canyon.



Inspiration Point



Kyle near Inspiration Point

 Bryce Canyon NP is in the middle of nowhere.  There are no towns within 50 miles that anyone has heard of.  Most of the campgrounds, motels, and restaurants are all locally owned.  We stopped at the Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant (with attached motel, RV park, and store) I think because they advertised homemade soup and pie.  Great boysenberry pie.  It is a family venture started in 1956 and doing a land office business.  (We had tried to camp there -- very pretty -- but they were full).

Staying in this area a few more days to see the sights, tend to the RV, catch up the blog, and kick back.