As we continue our nine-week road trip, today we move on from Springdale, Utah, to Bryce Canyon where we’ll catch our next visions of grandeur. Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn was pretty cheap when we reserved it way in advance (and for March), but it doesn’t look to be cheap now. I guess “being just one mile from the awe-inspiring Bryce Canyon National Park” will cost you a pretty penny.

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
< Visit the first post of this series – Escape the Tundra 2019

Yesterday we spent a soggy, foggy and fantastic day at Zion in the Mist, with some of the greatest waterfalls I’ve ever seen. The clouds and mist added an ambiance I’ll never forget, but flash flood warnings and soggy conditions were not conducive to hiking the trails, which left a lot of the park unseen. I guess that’s what we get for visiting in the winter, and a little rain (or a lot, in this case) is still better than what they have going on back home.

Bryce Canyon National Park is the second of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks that we’ll see on this trip. The other three, along with re-dos at Zion and Bryce will definitely be scheduled soon, but in the spring or fall – avoiding tourist season and also the rain and snow we encountered in the winter.

A typical two-hour drive from Springdale increased to three because of a rockslide and the detour that ensued. The forecast for Bryce looked snowier as the day progressed, so it was a good thing we got an early start. The clouds remained ominous and our fingers were crossed that the snow would hold off so we could visit the park and arrive at Ruby’s safely.

The rain stopped as we distanced ourselves from Springdale just as forecasted and we arrived at the entrance to Bryce Canyon to at least a hint of blue sky peaking out between the white and not-so-white clouds. A thick blanket of snow had fallen days before, but the roads were good.

Our first stop was another great Visitor Center, where we read that several overlooks, as well as entire sections of the park were closed today because of the snow – some of which are typically closed all winter. As you might guess, this gorgeous park gets over 2.5 million visitors per year, and their shuttle runs April-October to keep congestion to a minimum. Click for a map and some shuttle info.

We continued on to Sunrise Point. The trails were wet, but not slick so we were good to go! That’s where we caught some stunning views of the canyon.

The views from Sunrise Point were so breathtaking that we both agreed – if this was the only overlook that was open, we would call ourselves lucky for seeing it. But I’m glad we didn’t have to settle for just one – additional viewpoints gave us different perspectives and were simply amazing.

Jim’s not big on traipsing through the snow to viewpoints out on the edge, even though this one had a nice railing to keep everyone up top. Although this trail was not shoveled, it wasn’t marked as closed, so I followed a large group of teenagers from Arkansas and their chaperones to catch another glimpse of the canyon. Turns out this group had saved for several years to get the money for this field trip. Some had never seen snow, or at least not this much. I don’t think any had the appropriate attire or shoes for such a trek in the snow, but they had a blast – laughing, shooting selfies and oohing and ahhing.

The view was fantastic, but following the group out turned out to be a poor decision. So many feet on the snow left it pretty slick on the decline. Preferring to walk on snow rather than ice, I hugged the outside edge of their “trail” and my right foot went down into snow up to my knee, while my left foot stayed on top. With my cross body purse and my camera around my neck, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get out of that predicament. Thankfully one gentleman from the group had lagged behind and hoisted me out. That was both embarrassing and enlightening and from that point on, I stayed on the shoveled trails.

p.s.: The second photo in this group is NOT the unshoveled trail that we took, since it was clearly marked “closed” and you’d have to be crazy to attempt that one in this snow!

I lost track of which viewpoint we’re at in the photos below, but the awesome views continue. The first photo explains what hoodoos are, just in case you are wondering and the photos that follow are some great examples. Throughout the park there are hoodoos in different stages of their lifetimes, so this poster really helped to explain the process and how erosion changes them over time.

The first couple of photos look a little bit like suicide hill from back home! Does anyone have a sled? The two ravens were very friendly and let me come right up to them for their photo shoot. I suppose they were hoping to get a treat for sitting so pretty, but the sign says “Keep Wildlife Wild”. Farther down in this grouping is a great example of the “window” stage of those hoodoos. Isn’t it just amazing?

Inspiration Point is one example of where the overlook was closed, yet folks hopped the safety barrier for a selfie on the edge. To me that’s a very slippery slope – literally. Safety barriers are put up for a reason, and although we didn’t hear any sirens today, it’s only a matter of time.

With the combination of lots of trails and several overlooks snowed in and closed, and our earlier than expected arrival this morning, it was 2pm and we had seen everything there was to see. We were cold, wet and the flurries had begun. Another executive decision was made, and we gave our hotel in Page a call to see if we could come a day early, and we cancelled our res at Ruby’s. It seemed silly to hang out for two hours till we could check in and then hang out in a hotel room all night when we could head on down the road and spend two nights in a row in Page. And it was sure to be warmer back in Arizona.

In doing some research from my living room several months before our trip, folks said not to miss Fairyland Point Road, which was an immediate left after the entrance. On our way out of the park we saw that it was also closed and there was no way to bypass that closed sign without snow shoes! There was a good two feet of snow blocking the entrance, with a long walk to the overlook.

As we left the park. we sighed. Although not an ideal visit, we feel blessed to have seen the Icing on the Hoodoos. Goodbye Bryce Canyon. So long Utah. We will return!

Next up: Snowshoes to Sunshine

Happy trails,
Barb