Jun 15 – 17: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (Part 1)
Driving Route:
June 15th
“Aunt Gus, why does everything look familiar?”
“Good eye, Little Bear. Because we came this way from Capital Reef. But instead of that we are going to Bryce Canyon. And before you ask why we didn’t do Bryce Canyon first, it is because this is how the reservations worked out Squirt.”
“Ooohh. You goofed.”
“Er … yeah. That explanation works too.”
He giggled and I laughed. Isn’t dyslexia wonderful? Not. It is why I was glad that Charles did all of our navigation. I passed all my exams and practicals, but geez I’m glad when I could turn it over to someone better suited to those particular skills.
Two and a half hours to go a hundred and fifty miles. Not too awful. And we left early as per our usual habit after a pit stop at the dump station. Our campsite for the next three nights isn’t primitive – there is a bathroom in the campground – but it doesn’t have hook ups of any kind and the only dump station in the park is located in another area and costs $5 to use.
The other things the campground lacked was cell signal, wifi, and an amphitheater so on the way I stopped for fuel, water, and a computer break to let everyone know we weren’t falling off the face of the planet. The cell signal booster is great if you have a signal, but unlike how some other bloggers make it sound, I can’t always find a signal to boost.
Getting into the park was … they measured the van. It was two feet too long. Two feet. I showed them my camping reservation and then one snarky woman asked why I hadn’t shown them that in the first place.
“Because I assumed when I told you that I have a reservation for camping at Sunset Campground you heard me.”
I don’t usually get cranky so fast but I don’t take to being intentionally embarrassed very well either. Yes, intentional. They made a big production out of reading me the signs and measuring the van and holding up traffic. Grrrr. I’ve never had such a poor experience at the national parks. I was not a happy camper.
Finally – reluctantly – they allowed me to enter the park and I headed straight for the visitor center to check in. Then I was pulled over by another ranger, lights and all, and was told that someone at the front gate said the van was too long and that I wasn’t going straight to the campground as instructed.
“Let me guess. Ranger Rita, the goddess. Well I can’t go to the campground until I check in according to the written instructions I received from both the park and concessionaire. She’s already given me attitude about the van being two feet too long despite the other confirmation in writing that I have and that I showed her.”
“Aunt Gus?” a little worried voice called out.
“Sit tight Little Bear. There’s just a misunderstanding. We’re taking care of it.”
The guy had a blank-ish “oh crap” look on his face. Reading it correctly I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. People are playing ‘Where’s Aunt Gus and Little Bear’ again. And don’t worry about my snark. I know you have a job to do. That woman at the entrance gate just hit me the wrong way by blaming me because the papers I have say something other than the way she thinks things should run. So can I check in or not? And if so where? Because if not I have plans to rearrange.”
“Sorry, I have to ask, do you plan on driving the van through the park?”
“Only to get checked in. The rules online are pretty explicit; shuttle only as of the last several seasons. And there is a shuttle pick up point in the camp according to my registration form. I’m just too early to get a campsite but I was going to see if I could park either at the visitor center or campground until then.”
He looked at his watch. “Let me see if you can go straight to the campground.”
He stepped back to his vehicle and after a moment I could see him wince and pull the sat phone away from his ear a bit. A couple of moments later he walked back to my driver’s side door and said, “Sorry for the confusion. Yes, you have to go to the visitor center to check in to the campground.”
As I carefully pulled out heading that direction I saw him turn his vehicle around and head toward the entrance gate. I let it go. Had to set a good example for Benny after all but I was just hoping Ranger Rita and I didn’t have anything to do with one another for the rest of my time in the park. I gotta admit though that I was very tempted to get on the free wifi at the visitor center and make a blog post right then and there. I forced myself to stop, not be a cranky auntie, and just wait to see if the woman was a one off. We’ll see, the remainder of the day went pretty well.
I got in and out of the visitor center check in window as quickly as possible. I also grabbed Benny’s Junior Ranger book. I didn’t want to hog any parking space even if the van was only two feet longer than the limit. We were about an hour too early to get a space but right as I was about to get in a serious confrontation with my brain hamster, a site came open. Whew. And for bonus points it wasn’t covered in shade which meant even if leaving the van to sit for three days I would still be able to charge the lithium batters with the solar panels.
It is also cooler in the park than I expected. It was a high of only 78F today and the low was a freaking 31F. Wowzer. Tomorrow the high/low is expected to be 77F/42F and the day after that 73F/44F. Apparently it never gets “hot” in the park, or at least not the “hot” that I’m familiar with and have been experiencing the last few weeks.
The ranger said it is a 20-to-30-minute walk to the General Store or we can use the Shuttle system. Haven’t decided yet. I mean we are using the shuttle system – not much choice – but I don’t know about the General Store.
First thing I did was find the potable water stations and fill up our freshwater tank before things got too busy. I also filled up all of our empty water containers. We were going to be parked for three days so I didn’t worry about the added weight as much as I would have otherwise.
Campsite location wasn’t the best as it was right at the entrance to our loop and everyone had to pass it to get into and out of the campground and we were near the host kiosk and across from the group campsite which was full of kids barely older than Benny all of which meant noise.
We were finally settled at around noon but neither one of us was really hungry so I stuffed my pack with snacks and asked, “You wanna go explore?”
“Yes!”
That meant using the mandatory shuttle system.
The Shuttle Stops were both inside the park and outside the park in Bryce Canyon City. My opinion is that they tried to create something good by having people park primarily outside the park but all they are doing is causing there to be more and more shuttles. But who listens to me. Supposedly that’s how the Grand Canyon’s current system started. We also have to use a shuttle system in Glacier. I guess I will see how well it works here and then compare it to the other parks. I know even when I was little they were talking about using a shuttle system for Great Smokey but because it is an actual road that people use commercially, they never have.
The stops on the Bryce Canyon shuttle system are:
1 – Bryce Canyon City Shuttle Station (outside the park)
2 – Old Bryce Town (outside the park)
3 – Best Western Grand Hotel (outside the park)
4 – Best Western Ruby’s Inn (outside the park)
5 – Ruby’s Campground (Southbound - outside the park)
6 – Visitor Center (Southbound)
7 – Sunset Campground (Southbound)
8 – Bryce Point
9 – Inspiration Point
10 – Sunset Campground (Northbound)
11 – Sunset Point
12 – Bryce Canyon Lodge
13 – Sunrise Point & General Store
14 – Visitor Center (Northbound)
15 – Ruby’s Campground (Northbound – outside the park)
After being in the van for so many hours I decided to skip the shuttle for a bit after I saw how crowded it was and simply walked across the road to Sunset Point. There we combined Queen’s Garden and the Navajo Trail for a moderate, 3-mile trail that is one of the most popular hikes in the park. But the trail is more horseshoe than loop so we started on the Rim Trail that took us to the Queen’s Garden trailhead. The Queen's Garden Trail comes first because it provides much wider views of what they call the Bryce Amphitheater, and by choosing to descend it you can enjoy these views out in front of you (rather than losing them over your shoulder as you trudge upwards). Add to that the Queen's Garden is less steep than the Navajo Loop, making descents safer and I’m all about safe when it comes to Benny. From the end of Queen’s Garden we ascended using the part of Navajo Loop that is closed in winter.
The change in elevation was no joke on this trail and coming back up was a test of my thighs and gluts. I stopped frequently so that Benny could keep up and the stinker didn’t even act winded.
“Boy we really did it didn’t we Aunt Gus?!”
“Yeah we did. I’m proud of you. Not a single complaint. But I want you to drink some more water. ‘K?”
“But it isn’t hot.”
“Nope. But just imagine this. If you don’t get enough water when your body is working it is like trying to flush an empty toilet bowl.”
“Ew!”
“It’s the truth though. Your sweat is what carries the toxins out of your system. You can’t sweat if your body doesn’t have enough water for your kidney’s and other parts soooooo …”
“Drink some water.”
“Yeppers matey.”
Got lucky and got in line for the shuttle and decided to ride it around the entire circuit which took about fifty minutes.
We headed back to the campsite after that and I will admit that I am tired and ready to hit the hay early. Tomorrow we have a lot of hiking planned and something for Benny called “Hiking the Hoodoos” which we did part of today. Also going to try and do some birdwatching. Hopefully tomorrow night we’ll do an amphitheater show but that requires going to the visitor center area since there isn’t one in this campground.
Ugh. I’m tired. I think I need to take an iron pill. Happens once or twice a year, especially if I’m training and today may have just sent me over the edge. But I hate the consequences of taking an iron pill and I don’t have any prunes right now. Bleck. I’ll try upping my B’s and C’s for a couple of days and see if that helps. Last thing I need is to get run down and then get one of those blasted summer colds that take forever to get rid of.
Driving Route:
June 15th
“Aunt Gus, why does everything look familiar?”
“Good eye, Little Bear. Because we came this way from Capital Reef. But instead of that we are going to Bryce Canyon. And before you ask why we didn’t do Bryce Canyon first, it is because this is how the reservations worked out Squirt.”
“Ooohh. You goofed.”
“Er … yeah. That explanation works too.”
He giggled and I laughed. Isn’t dyslexia wonderful? Not. It is why I was glad that Charles did all of our navigation. I passed all my exams and practicals, but geez I’m glad when I could turn it over to someone better suited to those particular skills.
Two and a half hours to go a hundred and fifty miles. Not too awful. And we left early as per our usual habit after a pit stop at the dump station. Our campsite for the next three nights isn’t primitive – there is a bathroom in the campground – but it doesn’t have hook ups of any kind and the only dump station in the park is located in another area and costs $5 to use.
The other things the campground lacked was cell signal, wifi, and an amphitheater so on the way I stopped for fuel, water, and a computer break to let everyone know we weren’t falling off the face of the planet. The cell signal booster is great if you have a signal, but unlike how some other bloggers make it sound, I can’t always find a signal to boost.
Getting into the park was … they measured the van. It was two feet too long. Two feet. I showed them my camping reservation and then one snarky woman asked why I hadn’t shown them that in the first place.
“Because I assumed when I told you that I have a reservation for camping at Sunset Campground you heard me.”
I don’t usually get cranky so fast but I don’t take to being intentionally embarrassed very well either. Yes, intentional. They made a big production out of reading me the signs and measuring the van and holding up traffic. Grrrr. I’ve never had such a poor experience at the national parks. I was not a happy camper.
Finally – reluctantly – they allowed me to enter the park and I headed straight for the visitor center to check in. Then I was pulled over by another ranger, lights and all, and was told that someone at the front gate said the van was too long and that I wasn’t going straight to the campground as instructed.
“Let me guess. Ranger Rita, the goddess. Well I can’t go to the campground until I check in according to the written instructions I received from both the park and concessionaire. She’s already given me attitude about the van being two feet too long despite the other confirmation in writing that I have and that I showed her.”
“Aunt Gus?” a little worried voice called out.
“Sit tight Little Bear. There’s just a misunderstanding. We’re taking care of it.”
The guy had a blank-ish “oh crap” look on his face. Reading it correctly I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. People are playing ‘Where’s Aunt Gus and Little Bear’ again. And don’t worry about my snark. I know you have a job to do. That woman at the entrance gate just hit me the wrong way by blaming me because the papers I have say something other than the way she thinks things should run. So can I check in or not? And if so where? Because if not I have plans to rearrange.”
“Sorry, I have to ask, do you plan on driving the van through the park?”
“Only to get checked in. The rules online are pretty explicit; shuttle only as of the last several seasons. And there is a shuttle pick up point in the camp according to my registration form. I’m just too early to get a campsite but I was going to see if I could park either at the visitor center or campground until then.”
He looked at his watch. “Let me see if you can go straight to the campground.”
He stepped back to his vehicle and after a moment I could see him wince and pull the sat phone away from his ear a bit. A couple of moments later he walked back to my driver’s side door and said, “Sorry for the confusion. Yes, you have to go to the visitor center to check in to the campground.”
As I carefully pulled out heading that direction I saw him turn his vehicle around and head toward the entrance gate. I let it go. Had to set a good example for Benny after all but I was just hoping Ranger Rita and I didn’t have anything to do with one another for the rest of my time in the park. I gotta admit though that I was very tempted to get on the free wifi at the visitor center and make a blog post right then and there. I forced myself to stop, not be a cranky auntie, and just wait to see if the woman was a one off. We’ll see, the remainder of the day went pretty well.
I got in and out of the visitor center check in window as quickly as possible. I also grabbed Benny’s Junior Ranger book. I didn’t want to hog any parking space even if the van was only two feet longer than the limit. We were about an hour too early to get a space but right as I was about to get in a serious confrontation with my brain hamster, a site came open. Whew. And for bonus points it wasn’t covered in shade which meant even if leaving the van to sit for three days I would still be able to charge the lithium batters with the solar panels.
It is also cooler in the park than I expected. It was a high of only 78F today and the low was a freaking 31F. Wowzer. Tomorrow the high/low is expected to be 77F/42F and the day after that 73F/44F. Apparently it never gets “hot” in the park, or at least not the “hot” that I’m familiar with and have been experiencing the last few weeks.
The ranger said it is a 20-to-30-minute walk to the General Store or we can use the Shuttle system. Haven’t decided yet. I mean we are using the shuttle system – not much choice – but I don’t know about the General Store.
First thing I did was find the potable water stations and fill up our freshwater tank before things got too busy. I also filled up all of our empty water containers. We were going to be parked for three days so I didn’t worry about the added weight as much as I would have otherwise.
Campsite location wasn’t the best as it was right at the entrance to our loop and everyone had to pass it to get into and out of the campground and we were near the host kiosk and across from the group campsite which was full of kids barely older than Benny all of which meant noise.
We were finally settled at around noon but neither one of us was really hungry so I stuffed my pack with snacks and asked, “You wanna go explore?”
“Yes!”
That meant using the mandatory shuttle system.
The Shuttle Stops were both inside the park and outside the park in Bryce Canyon City. My opinion is that they tried to create something good by having people park primarily outside the park but all they are doing is causing there to be more and more shuttles. But who listens to me. Supposedly that’s how the Grand Canyon’s current system started. We also have to use a shuttle system in Glacier. I guess I will see how well it works here and then compare it to the other parks. I know even when I was little they were talking about using a shuttle system for Great Smokey but because it is an actual road that people use commercially, they never have.
The stops on the Bryce Canyon shuttle system are:
1 – Bryce Canyon City Shuttle Station (outside the park)
2 – Old Bryce Town (outside the park)
3 – Best Western Grand Hotel (outside the park)
4 – Best Western Ruby’s Inn (outside the park)
5 – Ruby’s Campground (Southbound - outside the park)
6 – Visitor Center (Southbound)
7 – Sunset Campground (Southbound)
8 – Bryce Point
9 – Inspiration Point
10 – Sunset Campground (Northbound)
11 – Sunset Point
12 – Bryce Canyon Lodge
13 – Sunrise Point & General Store
14 – Visitor Center (Northbound)
15 – Ruby’s Campground (Northbound – outside the park)
After being in the van for so many hours I decided to skip the shuttle for a bit after I saw how crowded it was and simply walked across the road to Sunset Point. There we combined Queen’s Garden and the Navajo Trail for a moderate, 3-mile trail that is one of the most popular hikes in the park. But the trail is more horseshoe than loop so we started on the Rim Trail that took us to the Queen’s Garden trailhead. The Queen's Garden Trail comes first because it provides much wider views of what they call the Bryce Amphitheater, and by choosing to descend it you can enjoy these views out in front of you (rather than losing them over your shoulder as you trudge upwards). Add to that the Queen's Garden is less steep than the Navajo Loop, making descents safer and I’m all about safe when it comes to Benny. From the end of Queen’s Garden we ascended using the part of Navajo Loop that is closed in winter.
The change in elevation was no joke on this trail and coming back up was a test of my thighs and gluts. I stopped frequently so that Benny could keep up and the stinker didn’t even act winded.
“Boy we really did it didn’t we Aunt Gus?!”
“Yeah we did. I’m proud of you. Not a single complaint. But I want you to drink some more water. ‘K?”
“But it isn’t hot.”
“Nope. But just imagine this. If you don’t get enough water when your body is working it is like trying to flush an empty toilet bowl.”
“Ew!”
“It’s the truth though. Your sweat is what carries the toxins out of your system. You can’t sweat if your body doesn’t have enough water for your kidney’s and other parts soooooo …”
“Drink some water.”
“Yeppers matey.”
Got lucky and got in line for the shuttle and decided to ride it around the entire circuit which took about fifty minutes.
We headed back to the campsite after that and I will admit that I am tired and ready to hit the hay early. Tomorrow we have a lot of hiking planned and something for Benny called “Hiking the Hoodoos” which we did part of today. Also going to try and do some birdwatching. Hopefully tomorrow night we’ll do an amphitheater show but that requires going to the visitor center area since there isn’t one in this campground.
Ugh. I’m tired. I think I need to take an iron pill. Happens once or twice a year, especially if I’m training and today may have just sent me over the edge. But I hate the consequences of taking an iron pill and I don’t have any prunes right now. Bleck. I’ll try upping my B’s and C’s for a couple of days and see if that helps. Last thing I need is to get run down and then get one of those blasted summer colds that take forever to get rid of.
