Bryce Canyon/Scenic Byway 12/Escalante/Red Canyon
Great weather, colorful canyons, an impressive drive -- what more could you ask for. It would take days, at least a week, to fully appreciate what this region of Utah offers.
First step from Cedar City was a drive through Dixie National Forest, which reaches an elevation of about 8,000 feet. Then a descent through Red Canyon and oonto the next national park, Bryce Canyon.
Bryce, with its unusual rock formations, reminded me of the Badlands of South Dakota except this area had spectacular shades of red and orange. It was worth traveling along the rim of the canyon and on the hiking trails. I had ventured about half a mile into a hike toward some of the stone formations, but the hike back up was tiring. It was hot and I was breathing heavily. The workout showed how unfit I had become the past couple of weeks because of the many hours of driving and relative inactivity. I miss my bike, which I will hop back onto as soon as I return to NYC.
Anyway, there are many more trails to cover, and it'd be worth traveling back to Bryce, even for a long weekend.
After Bryce, with the clock at 5:30 p.m. and winding down toward sunset, the plan was to travel back along the Route 12 Scenic Byway and get as far as possible with enough time to head back at a decent hour to Cedar City. It was worth the trip because one stretch of the oil-slick road opened into a valley, and that photo in this blog shows how amazing the view was. Driving eastward as the sun set was ideal, and if you do this trip, you'll appreciate how the light plays a factor on this travel.
Escalante has the petrified forest and I only made it as far as the cove near the parking lot of a camping area, before heading back. It would have taken a couple of hours further to complete the route. I'll have to save that for another time.
No comments:
Post a Comment