Today, my first day here, I'm going to head into Bryce Canyon for a hike and some picture taking. While there are clouds in the sky, it's mostly sunny, and bright, and warm (around 50°). As I enter the park I can see that the road is being widened, and that the Visitor Center has undergone an extensive remodeling. Nice! I flash my Golden Eagle Pass at the ranger attending the Entrance Station (saving $20), collect my brochures, and head on in towards Sunrise Point - my initial destination for today.

I park and load up for today's hike. I debate which film to load first: ISO 100 or 400 (fast or slow)? After a moment's calculus I decide it's bright enough for 100 so into the camera goes that roll. For spares I bring another 100 and a couple of 400's. Backpack on, camera at ready, I stride out towards Sunrise Point. Almost immediately the trail brings me right to the edge where spreading out below the rim is an extensive collection of the hoodoos that people come from all over the world to see here in Bryce Canyon. The pink, white, and pinkish orange rocks are bright even in the somewhat cloud-muted sunlight - the brightness of the rocks here (and other places in southern Utah) always amazes me, no matter how many times I come to see them. Looking straight out, towards the east, the landscape spreads out and down, then rises in the far distance where Powell Point, the Kaiparowitz Plateau, and Navajo Mtn. can be seen before the land surrenders to an almost unnaturally bright blue sky, punctuated, barely, with a few wispy clouds. I love the sky here, clean and clear and blue beyond description sometimes, especially when viewed from within the brightly colored formations below my feet.

Feeling a need for some exercise, after that long, 10 hour drive yesterday, I decide to do a little hike, but not too big a hike (after all I don't want to overdue it), so today I'm going to take the Queen's Garden Trail, the park's shortest and easiest. Since I hate to return the same way though I will make it a looping hike by getting on and coming back via the Navajo Trail, which will return me to the top at Sunset Point; from there I can follow the Rim Trail back to the truck. All in all about 3 miles total. Not bad for the 1st day?

I start down the Queen's Garden Trail, initially steep as it follows a small ridgeline downhill. Around the first switchback I pass a family coming up where I "admonish" the 2 boys, "You shouldn't cut trail like that.", something mom and dad should be doing. "Humph!" After doing my grumpy Ranger Rick for the day I return to enjoying the scenery as the trail brings me within the formations. Here the rocks are mostly whitish, though the pinks and oranges are represented too. As the trail descends more though the prevalent Bryce colors - pinkish orange and pink - show up. The trail marches me through a couple of arches cut through the rocks, and at each one I stop to get a picture looking through, using the arch as a natural picture frame.

I spot a very nice looking dead tree. It's on the side of the hill, and by looking through the branches some especially neat looking hoodoos in the distance are very nicely framed. We all know what happens. Moving on I pass by some very tall spires and then a little canyon marching uphill. Some of the formations remind me of that old toy where you dripped colored, wet sand out of the provided bottles, making pretty little sand formations and figures (I think I've made this analogy before, but I'll make it again). Of course these are much bigger and a bit more lasting.

After maybe 20 minutes of hiking I come to the end of the trail where the queen herself sits at the top of a short spire, overlooking her minions scattered around her "garden", in a quite regal manner. It does indeed look like "the queen", in a long, bustled skirt. Looking around I can see a fist here, an outstretched palm there, 2 heads there, and a dog's head over there. One's imagination is amply sparked in her majesty's garden.

Moving on I retrace my steps for a short distance to where the Queen's Garden intersects with the Navajo Trail. The Navajo keeps working down the hill, though at a very gradual pace. After squeezing by a bright, orangey wall I leave the formations behind as the trail wanders through a nice little Ponderosa Pine forest. Here the way is flat and easy, and quiet and peaceful. I pass an older couple taking a lunch break as the trail skirts a ridge jutting out from above.

To my left I see a large boulder colored white, and orange, and gray, and pink, and green! Very cool looking! I walk over to snap a few shots. High above are the hoodoos clinging to the hillside just below the rim that were formerly at my feet. Back on the trail I come to a decision point: Two Bridges or Wall Street? Since I know that I've been on Wall Street (though I don't know how long ago), but can't remember if I've gone up Two Bridges, I decide to head back up along the Two Bridges branch of the Navajo Trail.

After only a hundred feet or so the side canyon to the 2 natural bridges branches off to the right. (Do we remember the difference between an arch and a bridge? That's right. A bridge is formed by running water and an arch is not. Very good!) Scrambling up the steep incline here I stoop to pass under the first bridge, and then the second one, both completely spanning the width of the 2 canyon walls (maybe 25'). They're both only a few feet thick and though tempted to climb on one of them I refrain 'cause the sign here says not to ("...unstable..."). Instead, I climb up behind them so that I have a good view looking back down to the trail. Though in the shade here, the walls of the canyon still shine with a bright orange color. While steadying my camera on a rock, in order to take a self portrait on the upper bridge, I hear voices. Then a guys head pops into view, "Honey, it looks like the trail doesn't go any farther". "No", I tell him, "This is just a spur to get to the 2 bridges". He goes back down and I complete my portrait (proof that I was here).

Back on the trail I switch into determined hiker mode as the trail steepens considerably and becomes a series of short switchbacks. I pass the dude I had seen earlier, and his companion. They're resting from the steep climb and the guy makes a comment like, "I used to be in shape too."  I respond something like, "Yeah. I wish!", and we get to chatting as all three of us work our way up. Looking back down the trail we have a nice view through the narrow portal created by the tall canyon walls we're switching between. After some more huffing and puffing we all emerge into the open again overlooking the Queen's Garden and beyond. Very nice.

The three of us continue up to the rim and Sunset Point. I discover that the couple (and a very nice one at that) are on vacation from Colorado, working their way through all of my favorite spots in southern Utah - I feel an immediate "kinship". I tell them about some good places to check out nearby and ask where they're headed next. Upon hearing that it's Zion NP, I give them a few tips on what to see and where to go down there. "You must be a local." "No, I just come here a lot." "Sounds like it."

We walk along the rim before parting way as they head for their truck in the parking lot at Sunset. I continue on the Rim Trail back to Sunrise Point and my truck. As I'm walking along the now paved trail, enjoying what really is a lovely view, I see a tree trunk conveniently split in half and set on blocks right at rim's edge - the perfect resting/viewing bench. I amble over and set my butt right down. The view is anchored by the scalloped and sculpted face of Powell Point on the left, and by the soft and rounded prominence of Navajo Mtn. on the right. The Bryce amphitheatre spreads out from my feet down into the Bryce Valley below. I'm alone here and I just sit and relax for a while, catching my breath, cooling off, and enjoying the natural IMAX picture in front of me.

The sun by now has gathered a veil of translucent clouds in front of it that almost fill the sky. They block enough of the sun's heat so that as I do cool down I start to feel chilled. Reluctantly, I rise from my perch and trundle on towards the truck and its sheltered, warm interior. As I get to the path to the parking lot I see the nice Colorado couple again - they've driven here from Sunset Point, and have already taken a gander at Sunrise Point. I of course accuse them of "cheating".  We walk together to the parking lot and bid each other a final farewell and a safe journey before heading to our separate homes away from home.

Back to Bryce Canyon Pines where I find a fresh supply of firewood stacked beside the front door. I haul some of it in and get the first fire of the evening going in the fireplace. The wind has started to pick up a bit and it seems that the storm I heard about at the Visitor Center is getting ready to pass through. I don't think this one will have much behind it, but I guess I'll just have to see. In the meantime I'm just going to get all snuggled in for the evening as the weather does whatever it's going to do. Tomorrow's another day; hopefully one as good for photo ops as today's was. Dinner will be ready soon and I look forward to a quiet, restful evening in front of the fire (and maybe a little TV).

Good night!