A-Spiring Greatness

Travel days typically do not leave much time for exploring, but this day was a little different. Our route had us driving right past the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park and we felt it would be wrong if we did not stop and see it again. Tom and the girls had arrived there before me, and after seeing all the people and traffic, decided he would go onto the next camping site. He thought it would have cleared out more after the annular eclipse, but suggested that I take my time in the park and meet them later.

Hoodoos are the main attraction here. Their lofty spires and eroded faces evoke a fairyland appearance. I imagined many things in their shapes, such as the prow of a great ship in one, and buttresses of a grand cathedral in another. Still others looked like castles of storybook memories, or chess pieces waiting to be moved across the board. My favorite was the natural bridge, which almost appeared to be glowing in the afternoon sun. A close second would be the panoramic view of spires and walls displaying the most wonderful tones of golds, whites, and reds.

This was my second time at Bryce Canyon: the first was with Tom during a snowfall in December 2019, (as shown in the pictures below). The crisp white snow resting atop the hoodoos added a special detail, with far fewer people to manuever around, making it more enjoyable back then. The slopes were easier this time without the ice and snow. Of the two visits, the first time here in winter is my favorite, however I am glad I came here again, seeing everything in a different lighting, and being able to hike some of the trails. It is a place of both awe-inspiring views and peaceful contemplation. This park is truly spectacular and hopefully we will be back a third or fourth time!

I sauntered through the Navajo Loop Trail. This path of switchbacks tested my lungs and stamina. Thankfully they were able to make it back to the top in fine shape, albeit with a few stops to rest along the way. Near the bottom is a feature called Two Bridges, where two harder veins of rock span across a side canyon. One is higher up on the wall than the other, but both have survived against the forces of water. While you can not walk over these bridges, seeing the pair of them so close together is fascinating. The lower part of the trail has several large trees that have found cracks and crevices from which to anchor themselves. Their strength and endurance in these dry, rocky conditions, and in the shadow of the immense canyon walls, gives me pause to remember what can be accompished.

Today we pulled the refrigerator out and took the plate off rear grille. We are hoping it will keep the compressor cooler, not run so constantly, and use less energy. We only put it on a month ago, but since then we’ve found something is consuming excessive power. We also went through some pictures to get them ready to post. Mason stopped over after work tonight. He and I went out for some mouthwatering burgers and fries. Tom wasn’t feeling up for going out, so he stayed back with the girls.

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