Day 38,  Bryce Canyon, UT.


Destination Bryce Canyon, Utah.  As we left the Nathan's home we were detained by a family of quail marching across the driveway.  Father quail supervised from his vigil on the Pahvant Ct. road sign.  We took breakfast in a trendy coffee shop in St. George and withdrew some yuppie food stamps at an ATM.  I stopped at a Yahmaha dealer to inquire about a headlight I thought was out.  Only one light worked on low beam but both headlights worked for high beam.  The parts guy told me that Yahmaha designed the lights that way.  Doh!!

Dan Quail, Ivins, Utah.

The trip into Bryce was not unusual but once inside the canyon, the landscape became spectacular.  Jo Ann and I preferred Bryce to the Grand Canyon because of its intimacy,  its harmony, and accessibility.  Accessibility becomes really important when one is disabled or, umm, older.  The formation and geology of the Bryce is beyond my meager understanding, but I have a general idea of what happened.  The area was part of a huge sea basin that covered several states 200 million years ago. As the Rockies were being formed, the earth's crust crinkled.  Limestone sediments accumulated, were petrified, and thrust upward.  Erosion from raging rivers--the Colorado and other tributaries carved out some of the stone.  Water would be trapped in the stone and expanded as it froze, cleaving off rock to the canyon floor.  Wind also contributed to the erosion.  Arches were formed, which eventually broke down forming pillars or hoodoos.

At the park you can see spectacular formations rising thousands of feet from the basin floor.  Ravens approach you for treats, as do chipmunks and other rodents.  There are numerous vistas along the 18 mile canyon drive, all easily accessible.  At an altitude of 8000-9100 feet, the air is crisp and dry, and a tad cooler than at lower altitudes.

Bryce Canyon raven and host Arnie Nathan.  Arnie is on the right.

We had dinner in Cedar City and were back at the Nathan's home at 8 PM.  Jo Ann edited her photos and worked on her blog.  She is a much better writer than I am.  Her blog can be accessed on the right.