Well, a quick trip to Las Vegas for an afternoon of poker, pick up at the airport of some close friends from Tampa, quick stop at In-N-Out and we’ve got traveling companions for the week! Our friends are National Park enthusiasts as we are, so the itinerary of Zion NP , Bryce Canyon NP, Utah Route 12 and Capitol Reef NP was eagerly anticipated.
After spending Saturday night at our house and an expert breakfast prepared by Amy Jo Lake, we hit the road for Zion. Our friends would be staying at the lodges of the various national parks while we tagged along with the van. After getting checked into our respective abodes, we headed out for some hiking. True confession time; we actually paid for a campsite inside Zion NP. Given the logistics of dispersed camping around Zion and the amount of time it takes to get in and out, it just made more sense.
We chose a short hike perfect for the limited amount of daylight left, the Zion Canyon Overlook Trail. Just a short 1 miler to some awesome views and some really cool rock formations to climb on.
No trip to Zion NP is complete without dining at Zion Pizza & Noodle Co. Craft beer, pizza and calzones really hit the spot. As an added bonus, there is an outfitter in the same building that you can browse while waiting for your table. I was able to score a Patagonia jacket there in February at 40% off.
For Monday, Kevin was able to score Angel’s Landing hiking permits for us.
This would be Amy Jo and my 3rd trip up and it never gets old. If you have a fear of heights, this one will either cure you or make it worse.
We also visited the Weeping Rock Trail, short hike and great view.
We left for Bryce Canyon NP on Tuesday morning. When traveling to Bryce, do yourself a favor and don’t sleep on the Red Canyon area on Utah 12. Amy Jo and I have hiked here several times and we were anxious to show our friends. My personal favorite is the Golden Wall Trail to Castle Bridge Trail Loop. A nice 2 mile trip without any vicious elevation changes, plus a little snowball fighting along the way!
Fortunately for us, this early in the season campsites at Bryce Canyon NP were still on a first come, first served basis. Yes, we paid again! :( The news at the visitors center wasn’t good as many trails were closed due to snow and rockfall damage, so we set out on the Queen’s Garden Trail . Very nice hike but unable to connect with some of the other nice hikes due to the closures.
Unfortunately, the picnic table at our site was under 3 feet of snow. No worries, the four of us enjoyed another expertly prepared dinner of chicken chili in the van.
On the way out of Bryce, we made a quick stop to hike up to Mossy Cave. The trail follows Tropic Ditch, a miles long irrigation ditch dug by Mormon pioneers in the 1800’s.
Heading up Utah 12 the next day, we made a stop at Kodachrome Basin State Park. The park is said to have rock formations rivaling the nearby national parks.
A few miles up the road, we visited a personal favorite of Amy Jo’s and mine, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. A short 2 mile hike will show you an amazing amount of colorful petrified wood.
Continuing to our final destination for the day, Torrey, UT, we were treated to as much as 3 feet of snow on the ground at 10,000’ elevation before descending into town.
I have to say that Capitol Reef NP is a real sleeper among national parks. Petroglyphs, stunning geology and great hiking trails really make this a fun one. Plus it’s not too crowded!!
I would highly recommend the Capitol Gorge, Grand Wash, Cohab Canyon, Hickman Bridge and Fremont Gorge Overlook Trails. You won’t go wrong.
So as you may have guessed, I’m doing a poor job of keeping up with this blog. This particular trip took place the last week of April. I’ve spent a couple of hours the last two days in One Good Woman coffee in Camp Hill, PA and Hope and Coffee in Tamaqua, PA banging this out as we’ve been on the road for 16 days. Met wonderful people in both places, I might add. We’ll be arriving in Rangeley, Maine on June 1, where we’ll be spending a month. I promise I’ll catch up then.
