What’s the noise on the wooden roof? Raindrops???? No, no, no: don’t want it to rain here! I got up and walked over in my pajama to the lodge to see if the 5 of us could go horseback riding into Bryce. The man behind the desk answered: “ There is a waiting list, but it’s raining outside… this afternoon you can go!”. With that message I walked back over to our cabin, where I got the word that we weren’t going to go riding. Instead a hike around the rim was planned. So after breakfast, where it was cold, we parked the car at the North Rim campground parking lot and took the free shuttle all the way to Bryce Point – the highest point of the Rim Trail. We were getting lucky: the sun was pushing the rain away! This trail gives some spectacular views of the big amphitheater filled with pink, orange, white hoodoos.
Here the Wyoming Indian Paintbrush can also be found – one of the flowers I like very much!
The Pinyon Pine tree stands everywhere – sometimes its roots crawl over the sandstone as if it is desperate to hold on, but other times the tree is laying down and its roots form a web of arms extending in all directions. We passed Inspiration Point and got to Sunset Point, where the trailhead of the Navajo Loop is. We walked the zigzag trail down to the bottom of the amphitheater. Amazing big Douglas fir pines stand in between the hoodoos.
Liisa and Gert hiked the whole Queens Garden Trail, while Jana, Sonia and me returned the way we came (the other side of the Navajo Loop trail was closed). As we got back on the rim, the sky looked gray and thick dark clouds were approaching. We took the shuttle back (Liisa and Gert got on the same shuttle at Sunrise Point) and got back to the car. Now it was time for a drive along route 12 scenic byway.
We passed the small villages of Tropic, Cannonville and Henrieville on our way to Escalante. There we got us some food to eat at one of the viewpoint in Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument.
In our back and to our sides thunderstorms were happening, but somehow we stayed clear of rain.
We also had a chance to see a Turkey vulturein the distance. I can say this: driving this part of the scenic byway is great, but cycling it…there are no words for it! Boulder is a very small town but the lodge where we stay at is excellent! We took our dinner in the restaurant next doors and it had some weird looks.
But, a short walk after dinner might help to burn some of those extra calories! I even got a chance to hear coyotes howl in the distance! What a great end of the day.
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