Today was one of the big days of this trip. Bryce Canyon is one of the crown jewels of the US National Parks System with good reason. And today was the day we were able to see it.
Views from the balcony of our motel this morning
The day did not get off to a great start. I programmed Bryce Canyon into my GPS and it provided me with a route. Our plan was to take Highway 12 to Escalante, then to Bryce Canyon National Park. As it happened we were 34 kilometres into the day's ride when I checked to see if we were riding in the right direction. We got off the highway at a rough pullout to check the map and discovered that we were indeed on a different route than we were planning.
The pullout had a drop at the edge of the pavement necessitating a careful approach to get off the gravel and back onto the pavement. As I was doing this I checked in both directions then focused on getting back onto the pavement. In the several seconds it took me to move my bike onto the pavement, a white truck appeared out of nowhere just as I made my move. I didn't see it until the last second, but fortunately he swerved and avoided me by several feet. Had the driver not been more alert than I was, I could be lying in a morgue tonight. That's as closed to buying the farm as I ever want to get. It certainly put a scare into me and was my second 'Code Brown' moment of the trip.
this could have been me.
We backtracked to Highway 12 and found that had we simply crossed the highway at the end o the motel driveway, we would have been on the right road. Highway 12 is an amazing ride. From Torrey, it climbs into the mountains with a series of curves that finally top the pass at 9600 feet above seal level. That is the highest altitude we have attained on this trip. The previous high elevation was 8900 feet, so this was probably our 'peak' experience. Walking any distance at this altitude is much more taxing than doing it at sea level yet we have routinely seen bicycle riders climbing roads that are more than 7000 feet above seal level.
Views from above 9000 feet above sea level
The highway twisted and turned its way toward Escalante, UT. We found ourselves riding on a road whose margins became smaller and smaller as the scenery became more impressive. For at least four miles we rode on top of a ridge with drop offs on each side. The road then moved to one side of the ridge as it clung to the wall and dropped down to the Escalante River. The speed limit was 35 mph with good reason.
Riding the ridge near Escalante, UT
From the highway along the ridge near Escalante, UT
In Escalante we stopped for lunch and while there I met a couple of women who were travelling through this part of Utah in their motor home. They have been following essentially the same route that we have over the past several days. I later met them at a restaurant in Bryce Canyon City after Tom and I met Jim and Garry. They seemed like a happy couple and it was good to meet them.
We stopped at a lookout on the climb out of the valley and were lucky to see lizards running across the rocks. I was able to get a photo. We continued on through the rocky landscape and skirted the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park. At the end of 100 miles of some of the best riding we have had on this trip we arrived at Bryce Canyon City and the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park.
The little lizard
Near Escalante, UT
This park has some of the most astounding rock formations I have ever seen. We stopped at Sunrise Point for photos then continued on to stop at other outlooks. Jim and Garry dropped out and returned to the small shopping area while Tom and I continued to the top of the park at an elevation of 9115 feet. At one of the stop I met a group of four German tourists who are travelling for a month. They are from Berlin and having a great experience. One of the women said the word 'scheisse' and was really surprised and embarrassed that I knew what it meant.
German tourists from Berlin
We had inadvertently missed the Ampitheatre because we didn't go to Inspiration Point but we remedied that on the way back to the entrance. I am amazed and awed by the talent that some people have to create art that appeals to a wide variety of people because of its beauty. Many classical painters and modern ones too, have that ability. Many musicians have the gift as well. All of this takes talent and effort. Yet when I am in this country I am amazed by the beauty that nature has provided. The shapes and colours are equal to or better than any person could ever create. The numbers of people who are visiting these beautiful places is evidence that there is a hunger for beauty in everyone. Being in a place like this satisfies that hunger for a short time at least.
Me at Sunrise Point
Tom & me at Sunrise Point
Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge
The Ampitheatre
We have finished the day at a motel seven miles outside of the small town of Panguitch, UT. We went to dinner and as I was putting my jacket in the tourpak a little blond boy ran up and told me he had a motorcycle too. I asked his mother if he wanted to sit on the bike and she said it was OK, so I put him on it. His older brother wanted to sit on it too so his dad lifted him onto it. The mother said that he loves motorcycles so I asked him if he would like to have a Harley when he got older. He gave an emphatic yes. It was a great way to end a great day. Tomorrow we will be seeing Zion National Park and staying somewhere nearby. after that we will need to start thinking of making the long ride back home.
No comments:
Post a Comment