Pretty as a Postcard - Stop 2: Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon. Some people absolutely love it; others, eh, not so much. Me, personally? It was breathtaking in ways so different from Zion or any other park/red rock I had ever seen...

When we got there, it was mid-morning, so we claimed our campsite (which we later figured out was supposed to be the RV-only/no tents loop - oops...) and set out to see what we could see. In Bryce you start out above the rock formations (so in that sense, it's more similar to the Grand Canyon than to Zion, where you start off in the valley and have to climb up) as you walk the rim. It's known locally as the amphitheater, and the rock formations are called Hoodoos. These are unique to Bryce due to the high elevation (7,000+ feet), which leads to 200+ days of freezing & thawing temps, which leads to water getting down within the rock crevices, which leads to...well, you get the picture. (If you're interested in how they form, you can read about them on the National Park website HERE.)

As it was nearing mid-day, we decided to get our hike on, and we did the Navajo Loop Trail, which led us down "Wall Street" and into the hoodoos.

Magical.

Thor's Hammer

Me back on the rim looking down on the "amphitheater"

As is one of our favorite NP pastimes, we headed to the park's Lodge, where we found air conditioning, outlets, and a gift shop. (Could you ask for anything more when it's hot enough to make you melt outside?) There was a ranger talk at 2pm on the rim about the geology of rocks, which we ended up going to - that's where we learned about the hoodoo formations. Sweaty and somewhat tired, our next move was a strategic one - off to the 22 minute video in the visitor center. (I told you they had those at every park...)

By this time, it was getting on to 4pm. Time for our "senior citizen dinner." (Quite frankly, we were starving, as we had only had snacks since breakfast.) We asked for some recs at the visitor center, and one woman pointed us to Bryce Canyon Pines, where we had both a good meal and an incredibly delicious brambleberry pie a la mode. (I am baffled that they lack pictures of their pies on their website...but don't worry, I took one - see below.)

Confession: We ended up going back the next night for dinner, but we skipped the pie.


Rain was imminent by the time we finished dinner and headed back into the park, so we waited it out in our car by our campsite. There was a ranger talk at the lodge at 8pm, so when the time came we headed there. This one was about the life, death, and rebirth of stars...so, yes, a lot went over my head, but I still found it fascinating. The ranger did bring it down to a more basic level, and the pictures were incredibly stunning. Plus, to think about the galaxies beyond us made me realize what a small place we occupy in this universe. It really puts things in perspective.

As the ranger was wrapping up his presentation, I noticed the sky turning a beautiful pink hue, so we headed outside to catch sunset. There was even a rainbow! (You have to look really closely at the picture.) Does it get any better than that?

The next day we were up before the sun, and we were rewarded with some additional spectacular views:

It was just about 7am, so we headed out at that point for the Fairyland Loop Trail. Looking back, it probably wasn't the smartest decision (as with the rim part of the trail added in it made for an 8 mile trek), but I thoroughly enjoyed it, as we hiked down into the hoodoos once again. Most of the people we came across were coming the other way, so we thought we maybe did it backwards...but I still don't know...

At one point I had to rush ahead from my friend because (surprise, surprise) I had to find a bathroom, so by the time we finished she wasn't the happiest with me, but luckily she is a readily forgiving person, so the rest of our trip was still pleasant...

First stop after the hike, though, was lunch at the lodge. And we followed that up with the Rainbow Point bus tour (another recommendation by a friend) - good old George was informative and corny, the perfect combination for a hot summer day. Plus, the bus had air conditioning. Winning!

George and fellow bus tour goers

at one of our bus stops

Through the tour we got to see and hear about some of the park we hadn't yet traveled to...and it was over the course of 3.5 hours! I'll admit, I wasn't expecting it to be that long, but it was fun nonetheless. When we were done, we drove over to the General Store, where they sold showers ($3.50 for 8 minutes - what a deal!). Clean again! (Heads up: Bryce leaves you covered in red rock soil.)

As I mentioned above, we ate dinner at Bryce Canyon Pines, and then instead of the pie we got ice cream - huckleberry! For a kiddie size, it was almost more than I could handle...but don't worry; I finished it.

never come between this girl and her ice cream ;)

And that was that - we were off the next morning for the Grand Canyon. (I'm sure our RV friends were glad to see us go - we're pretty sure we got some glares. Good times.) We did stop in Kanab (at least, I think that was the name of the town) for coffee and breakfast, and that turned out to be a solid decision because we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us...

Time to turn up that road trip playlist!



Missed Stop 1: Zion? Check out my post HERE.

Road Trip 2019 - Part 1: The Plan and the Gear

What would summer vacation be without a road trip?

Lucky for me, I didn't have to find out. This year, I packed my bags and headed to three National Parks: Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon with two very dear friends. Spoiler alert: We had a blast. We cheated just a tad, as we decided to fly in and out of Las Vegas instead of driving out there. This was a good call, as it gave us more time in the parks, and it allowed me to get another state checked off my ever-shortening list of states to visit. (I think I'm down to 10!)

We did a lot of hikes and camping...and I took a LOT of photos. So...Disclaimer: This road trip recap is going to be in installments...

Ok, now that we're clear about that, it seems logical to start with the plan and the gear.

A plan - ah yes, it is usually good to have one of those...yet, at the same time, it's important to be flexible and go with the flow should the situation require. So, for what it's worth, here are my notes & proposed itinerary (which we stuck pretty close to) for our Utah/Grand Canyon road trip. I also now have a manila file folder with park brochures, newspapers, and other random trip-related stuff should anyone ever need to borrow it. (Seriously.) I also have the Lonely Planet "Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks" guide book, and this came in handy as well, especially for tips about what to do and eat, when to beat the crowds, etc.

And the gear - well, that all depends on what you are planning to do, but I'll give you a run-down of what was good for me/us to have based on our activities -->

1. A good tent...with a rain flap...and a footprint

Confession - I don't actually own a tent. But my friend does. And it's a good one - Marmot brand, two-person I believe. (You might be saying, I thought you had three people on your trip, and you would be absolutely right...we did fit three people in the tent - it was a little rough and required some adjusting and flexibility, but we managed for 4 nights. And we lived to tell (and laugh) about it.) The rain flap (goes over the tent netting) and footprint are important to protect against the elements so that you and your gear stay dry. While we were in the desert, we did get some rain in the Grand Canyon and Bryce, so we were thankful for those tent accessories!

2. The sleep essentials

Obviously a sleeping bag is necessary when camping. That pretty much goes without saying. But a couple of clutch additions for me this year were an inflatable sleeping pad and an inflatable pillow. Coming off last year when I did not have either of those things, I was MUCH more comfortable this time around...and my body thanked me for it. And they were extremely easy to pack, as each folded up into its own small bag. I don't know the exact brand for either of these items that I have, as I just stored all of my gear, but if you look on Amazon, they have a bunch of mats and pillows from which to choose. Trust me, if you are camping, these are worth considering.

3. A compass

We actually didn't use one this year. I would truly benefit from the development of a compass-like device that directs me to the nearest bathroom on a trail, but I don't see that happening in the near future.

4. Hiking poles & boots

Yes, you can do the hikes without them, but do not underestimate the benefits of hiking poles. With the steep hikes in all three parks, the poles were beneficial going up as well as going down, where they help take some of the pressure off your knees. The poles were also extremely helpful when hiking the Narrows at Zion - the current was strong, so the poles helped with balance and power. My poles worked great overall - they are of the Black Diamond brand - but I do wish they collapsed just a tad more, as they almost didn't fit in my largest suitcase. Hiking boots are worth having too, as they give extra support to your ankles and have good soles.

5. Waterproof stuff

Speaking of the Narrows, I made a couple of last minute purchases that made me a happy camper that day:

• wetsuit socks - I got this idea from a blog I stumbled across about a month or so ago. The socks weren't necessary, but I think they helped me avoid blisters better than regular socks, especially since we didn't rent the water shoes at the park; we just wore our hiking boots. My friends did just fine with regular socks, so it's your call.
• waterproof dry bag - My roommate recommended this one, and it turned out to be very helpful, especially since I ended up being submerged up to my shoulders two or three times...not on purpose...and yes, I still have some "battle scars" to prove it. The bag would have been great on its own, but there was a bonus! It came with a waterproof phone case that hung around my neck. Guess who became the official group photographer for that hike... :)

6. Water storage/use

There were lots of places to fill up on drinking water in all three parks, but we needed things to hold the water... Last year I invested in a Camelbak (the 1.5 L size), and it was definitely necessary for this trip. If you are hiking (no matter what temperature/climate), you should have one. Seriously, don't leave home without it!

Another way to store water of which I was recently made aware of (and loaned one) by a friend is a Platypus. These fit in our Camelbaks (or, when we didn't need them, in the car), so we always had plenty to drink. There was only one time when I really ended up needing it (as I am not prone to drinking much on the trails, as that leads to needing the bathroom, which you never know if you might find), but overall it brought a lot of comfort in knowing water was there.

7. Sunscreen & some good hats

By the time our trip was done, I felt like I was caked in sunscreen and was quite certain it would never come off. I took every opportunity to reapply, especially during some of our longer hikes that went into mid-morning. In terms of hats, I brought 4...maybe that was a bit excessive. Two were regular baseball caps, one was a lightweight hat that I typically use for running in the summer, and one was a new purchase from REI with a big brim (the one pictured under "waterproof stuff"). As much as I love the sun, the sun is less than forgiving towards me, so I'm hoping that between the hats and sunscreen I'll pass at my next dermatology appointment.
7.5* I ended up purchasing Kool Ties for myself and my friends. I found it to be an added way to stay cool during some of our hotter hikes. And even back at my apartment, mine has retained some of its moisture...

8. Snacks

We're usually exclusively Trader Joe's (minus the Twizzlers) on this front, but I am sure most grocery stores will do just fine. Some of our go-to's are cheddar rockets, peanut butter pretzels, nut mixes, PBJ bars, and wine. (It was really important on this trip that we didn't get anything with chocolate or other ingredients that would melt, as most days got near 90-100 degrees!) One of the signs we passed on a hike told us that we needed to eat double the carbs that we are used to when hiking...so we took that pretty seriously. :)

I'm sure I missed a few things, but you get the idea. I think the main take-away here is you definitely need some stuff...but don't go overboard or think you need everything. Once you're in the parks, some companies will try to convince you that you need certain things (e.g. the water shoes at Zion), but you may not. You know you best, so plan and act accordingly.

That's all for now...but don't worry; there is plenty more to come! I'm actually quite surprised I'm still awake at this hour; though, I think my body is still on Pacific Time, so that means it's more like 8:30pm for me. ;)

Funny how paths cross (A.K.A. Glacier Post 1.5)

(Note: There's no requirement or necessity to read my original Glacier post before reading this one, but in case you missed it, you can find it HERE.)

Good thing we double checked the park newspaper. It was then that we discovered the three falls ranger-led hike would only be offered on the Friday (not Saturday) of our stay. The original plan was to do the horseback riding on Friday and to do some other hikes, but we reversed the plans because the ranger-led hike was something we didn't want to miss.

And I'm glad we didn't miss it. Not only was the hike incredibly scenic and breathtakingly beautiful, but it was on that hike that we met Glenda and John. It wasn't friendship at first glance...but it was close. (Actually, I was convinced John was going to impale me with his hiking pole within the first 15 minutes, as he was carrying it instead of using it as it was meant to be used.) By the end of the hike (on which we had several long conversations with both of them - such delightful people!), they had invited us to dinner at their campsite, and we accepted. We were thrilled - we had plans for the evening, these new friends seemed great, and we did not need to eat at the restaurant for the Xth meal in a row.

The rain did not dull our spirits...and it helped that they had a canopy under which we ate. They also invited another camping neighbor who had helped them put up the canopy, so we were a party of five. We got there a little early, so Glenda and John were still preparing the meal when we arrived. But we helped as we were able - cutting up the salad, opening and closing the "door" so the mosquitoes would stay out, etc. As we were getting ready to pray before the meal (love!), John accidentally hit the skillet with the fajita meat in it and sent it tumbling to the dirt. With his hands to his head, he was visibly upset. We assured him we could rescue some of it (and we did) - a little dirt wouldn't hurt anyone. (And there was plenty of other food too - fettucine alfredo, yam and marshmallow skillet/casserole, salad...) All was not lost. So, after the food rescue operation, we prayed, sat, and ate.

We got to talking about a lot of things, but eventually we got around to talking about bears. John's wife asked him if he showed us his scar, to which he responded he had hoped not to go into that story...but then he did anyways...

When I was in my twenties, I went to camp with some friends. We were staying at this set of cabins along with 10 & 11 year old boys. There was a mess hall and distinct places to clean food, store toiletries, etc. Well, no one told me that your toiletries weren't supposed to have any kind of odor because it might attract animals...and I had aftershave that definitely had a distinct smell.

Well, that night, we heard a lot of rustling. A bear had torn into the space where the toiletries were and had run off with a bag...it turned out to be mine. We decided to split up and go looking for the bear. I took my flashlight and went in one direction while my friends went in others. Soon, I found the bear, and it was holding my toiletry bag. He saw me and started coming after me. I ran, and just as the bear reached out to get me, my friends heard the noise and came to my rescue, pulling me away and out of the bear's reach...except for this one part where he got me (he said, pointing to the scar).

At this point of the story, the other camper neighbor asked him how many stitches he got, to which he replied "too many." But then, he paused and said, "You don't believe me, do you?" to which we assured him that we did.

98% of what I told you was true. The bear did get into our camp and took my toiletry bag...but he dropped it and we never found the bear. 

Boy, had he gotten us good! Apparently the scar was from some cortisone treatment for something with his kidneys, not from being scratched by a bear. As John was finishing up the truthful ending, the ranger came by to let us know that the campfire ranger talk would start in about 15 minutes barring lightning. The topic? Grizzly bears. (Great.)

When it was time to go, we realized we'd been sitting around eating, laughing, and talking for about 2.5 hours. And that was probably one of my favorite parts of the whole road trip. Getting to know people like that in a place where everyone is strangers was a special thing. (We even exchanged contact info so we could stay in touch in the future.)

I always marvel at how I cross paths with some pretty amazing people, whether they become lifelong friends, classmates, or people I meet for a day or even an hour. Everybody has a story...we just need to stop our overly busy lives from time to time to listen and engage in fellowship.

Good Ol' Glacier (Road Trip Part 2)

As I was going through my photos from the trip, I started feeling sad - no matter how good the pictures are, they just don't capture the actual experience. It's a whole other thing to be there breathing in the fresh air, hearing the animals and rush of waterfalls, and having such beauty right in front of you.

But pictures are the next best thing, so those will serve the purpose of beginning to try to share my experience...

Without further ado, I bring you the Glacier portion of the trip. I'll try to do more of a narrative this time around instead of just picture captions. (In case you missed the first post from this vacation/camping series, you can read/see about the Grand Teton portion of the trip HERE.)

To get from the Grand Teton National Park to Glacier National Park, the most direct route is traveling north through Yellowstone National Park. Seeing as we had purchased a National Parks pass, that was no problem, except there was a bit of traffic. It was to the wire to see if we'd catch a glimpse of Old Faithful, but we ended up missing it by about 5 or so minutes. Considering there were SO many people there (it was a tourism nightmare - imagine Disney World in terms of crowds, cars, etc.), we decided to head out instead of waiting another hour and a half for the next time it would go off.

<3 Park Rangers

After a drive through and stop in Yellowstone, we took a quick (if you can call an hour or so drive "quick") detour into Idaho, where we stopped for lunch. NEW STATE! (Sadly, it was the only new state of the trip; though, we did visit two Canadian provinces new to both of us...but that's for another post at another time...) There wasn't much to take a picture of, but I did find a giant stuffed potato, so I figured that would suffice in terms of evidence.

We spent that night in Helena, Montana - a hotel bed to myself and a real shower never felt so good! In hindsight, I'm really glad we broke up the camping in between the Tetons and Glacier, as I can only take sleeping directly on the hard ground so many days in a row...

After our time in Helena, we hit the road in order to get to Glacier in time to claim a coveted camp site. We entered on the eastern side (after a scenic but bumpy drive), where we found the St. Mary's campground was full. We tried the next site about five miles up the road, and we met with success. Rising Sun it would be! It turned out to be a great spot - there was a restaurant, a visitor store/center, and a shower facility (where you could buy tokens to use them).

Here's a view from the restaurant:

(I think we ended up eating there about 4 or 5 times...we didn't cook our own food.)

As soon as we put up the tent (which we got more efficient at doing throughout the trip!), we were off to see what we could see... It turns out you could see a lot; however, the "Going to the Sun" Road was closed at Logan Pass, so we could only drive so far west before being turned around by a traffic cop.

After rain (and lightning) threatened and then ended our afternoon hike, we ate dinner and then found some places to view sunset. And at night, the moon came out, the clouds finally cleared, and we could see stars! It was absolutely breathtaking.

(Here's a picture of our two-(wo)man tent) -->

When you're camping in a national park, it seems essential (at least to us) to see sunrise, so we found a spot we could pull off the road a mile or so away from our campsite. You just can't beat these views...

Breakfast came next - we decided it was important to fuel up before our 6 mile round-trip ranger-led hike to three waterfalls, which we would be joining at 8:30. We got to the trail head a little early, so we waited in the car - it was cold! When other hikers started arriving, we got out so we could get acquainted and prepare for the hike. A man and his wife came up to me when I was tying my shoes. He said, "I know you. You're the Glacier expert. I heard you speak last night." I must have given them an extremely quizzical look because his wife assured him that I was someone different. "You're not a ranger out of uniform?" he asked. Nope. Apparently I look just like the ranger. (I get mistaken for other people a lot - must be the long brown hair and...?)

Our first stop on the hike (led by Ranger Dori) was a spot where a chalet originally stood. The view was beautiful.

We kept hiking, stopping at three waterfalls along the way (the last one being where we turned around to head back). Our ranger guide filled us in on the wildlife and vegetation, trees, etc. we saw along the way. And, she also told us why the lake appeared teal/aqua - apparently it's from the minerals that get rubbed off when the glaciers slide against one another. The photos don't really do the water color justice...

Here's a picture of me and my friend by one of the falls -->

And here's me by the top fall -->

During the hike, we got to know the man and woman who originally mistook me for the ranger. He's a retired pharmacist and she's a professor/dean in Texas at a college that trains teachers. They were absolutely delightful, and they invited us to dinner later that evening. They were at our same campsite (just up closer to the entrance in their camper), so that worked out well. (I think that encounter/evening deserves its own post, though, so I won't go into detail about that here.)

For our last full day in Glacier, we decided to treat ourselves to a horseback ride. The only problem was that the first place we tried wouldn't have an open ride till 10. Seeing as we wanted to get to the other side of the park (which was no easy task) for the day, we declined, hoping we could get a horse ride over there. We headed back toward our campsite (8+ miles driving south around the outside the park) to see if the Going to the Sun Road was open (rumors were flying among rangers, park staff, and fellow campers the previous night that it was set to open on Saturday) - if it was, it would make our trip much easier, seeing as we could drive west across the park instead of going south outside the park and around the outside (1-1.5 hours versus 2.5-3 hours)...and, to our elation and surprise, it was!

The drive while shorter was INCREDIBLY foggy. I could see about 10-15 feet in front of me. So, it wasn't the most scenic drive (and it probably wasn't the safest drive), but we did it! Sadly, the next place we tried for horses (at Lake McDonald) was full up till Monday, but they called over to Apgar to see if they were open. They were! We just had to get there by 10.

(On a side note, when we told the wrangler at Lake McDonald that we had gotten there by way of the Going to the Sun Road, she was surprised it had opened so early, and she yelled out to the other wranglers fixing up the horses that she had been way off. I asked if they made bets about when the road would open each year, and she said that they all put money into a pool and picked dates. How fun! I wonder who won because no one expected the road to open before July, let alone as early as June 22!)

My horse's name was Winchester...and he liked to ride in the back...and eat the grass...

I hadn't been horseback riding since I was a kid, so it was pretty great. We didn't go faster than a walk, but it was a neat way to see some other parts of the park.

After the horseback ride, we headed back to Lake McDonald for lunch at the lodge, which we were told was a must. The wait was long, but it was worth it. While we waited, I bought more postcards, and we went out back for a glimpse at the lake. (Too bad it was overcast.)

inside the lodge looking up from our chairs

Originally we had planned to stay on the west side of the park through sunset, but seeing as it was starting to rain harder and it was extremely cloudy, we decided to head back the other way on the Going to the Sun Road. While not as foggy as the ride westward that morning, some fog still remained. Though, we were able to pull over at a lookout spot to see some bighorn sheep -->

Our trip to Glacier, though it was plagued with rain and fog from time to time, was probably my favorite part of the whole road trip. I could have easily spent a week there and not seen/hiked it all!

Now, to finally wrap up this post, here are just a few other random photos highlighting the trip:

the restaurant next to our campsite where we ate most of our meals

me and my ice cream - such a happy time! :)

I have a very real (and somewhat irrational) fear of bears, so this photo was just for fun. But through this road trip I was able to face my fear head on. I'm convinced I'll be better off because of it - meetings with angry parents or coworkers can't possibly be as scary as this...

Next stop...Banff!

Time to hit the road again

It's that time of year again - time to pack up the car, fill up the gas tank, put the phone on airplane mode, and literally take a hike (or two or ten).

To say I'm excited would be an understatement. This annual trip is just what I always seem to need - there's nothing like a dose of sunshine (hopefully!) and incredibly beautiful sights to remind you of God's goodness and just how important it is to clear your head from time to time.

This year my friend and I are actually going to camp in the parks - I finally invested in a sleeping bag, hiking poles, a Camelbak, and hiking boots. (How I made it this far in life without these things considering how much I love the great outdoors is beyond me...) I still don't own a tent - that belongs to my friend.

I must admit that I'm mildly afraid of running into bears; though, a good friend did lend me her bear spray. But I'm going to try to not let that fear interfere with the overall experience or preoccupy my thoughts. (In all honesty, the more I've read about bears in the parks the more comfortable I feel.)

This summer is going to go by so fast - changing jobs/schools, grad school classes and graduation, my sister's wedding. I feel that it will be over in the blink of an eye. I want to drink it all in and enjoy it to the fullest, so bring it on. Let's get this road trip started!