Bryce and Zion National Parks

Saturday May 11, 2013

Bryce Canyon National Park

This is our third day in Bryce Canyon National Park and despite some bad weather (thunderstorms and cold weather) we have had a very rich experience here. We have done the most strenuous day hike that the park offers (13 km and over 1700 feet of ascension – at the end, even Marie-Andrée was tired!) and a nice 7 km hike yesterday between Sunrise Point and Sunset Point – or, as I prefer to say: “we walked from sunrise to sunset”.

The scenery here is otherworldly – something one might see in a fantasy film, like Lord of the Rings (wink, wink, nudge, nudge Sheena). Once you hike down into the canyon, it is more ‘real’ and accessible but seen from above. The canyon seems to go on forever; one orange-pink-golden-red-hoodoo-sculptures after the other. 

 I feel very privileged to be able to hike here. I thought about all the people who built and who continue to maintain these trails. They set them up in a way, intentional or not, that you slowly acclimatize to the steep cliff drops and walking along narrow rims, with no barrier between you and the depths below. I am afraid of heights but some how I was able to do these hikes without experiencing too much vertigo. During the 4 hours of hiking the Fairyland trail I think we saw a total of about 25 people on the trail. It is so wonderful to be ‘alone’ in these landscapes. On shorter, more accessible trails, one has to wait on the trail while people constantly snap photographs of themselves (we don't do that ??? ) without seeing what is really in front of them. After being around them for a while I can’t take any more photos for a while.

Speaking of taking photos, Marie-Andrée is enjoying using my camera and is delighted with the process as well as the results. It is nice to see this passion growing in her. It is also wonderful to see her moving freely up and down the trails, having recovered from her knee surgery enough to be able to do this. I know she would like her knee to be as good as new, but the fact that she can hike and do sports now is a real achievement. On the days we can hike, she is happy and carefree. On the days that we are shut up in the vehicle due to driving long distances or extreme weather, she is like a lion in a very, very small cage! There seems to be two types of people in the world – those that must move often to be happy and those who can stay happily sedentary for long periods of time – she is the former and I am the latter.

Monday May 13, 2013 Zion National Park

Oh the extremes of weather! In Bryce Canyon the weather hit highs around 10 degrees Celsius during the day and around freezing during the evenings and night. We wore all of clothes we brought. For example I wore 2 Merino wool shirts, a down jacket and a windbreaker, not to mention 2 wool toques (one on top of the other !) and Merino long underwear and sweat pants, plus wool socks in the evenings. 

In Zion, we striped off most our clothes and wore only the  lightest t-shirts and shorts by the fire in the evenings and were warm. It is HOT here! The days go up to near 40 degrees Celsius during the day and the nights are warm at around 18-22 Celsius.What is interesting is that these 2 National Parks are less than 200 km apart. The reason for the extremes in temperature is the elevation – around 8000 feet in Bryce and around 4000 feet here in the Zion campground.One would ideally like an average of the two to be comfortable.

Because we are late risers and slowpokes in the mornings, by the time we get on the trail here in Zion it is the worst possible time to hike (and to take photos which are washed out by the midday fiery sun). For example, we 'did' the Angel's Landing hike today -- OMG -- I glanced at my watch and it was 13:00 when we took our first steps up the mountain. It was SO hot that my water quickly became more like weak tea than a cooling hydrating fluid.The hike was 7 1/2 kilometers straight up (and up and up and up) and then you turn around and hike the same 7 1/2 kilometers down (the photo above shows some of the tight zigzag path that is a bit like skiing slalom, but only UP! UGH!)

 

My description is unfair, as I am sure it was beautiful and spectacular and all of those superlatives, but for me, it was 3 hours (the up part took about 3 hours and the return around 1 hour) of agony and self-inflicted torture! Marie-Andrée does not mind extreme heat whereas I hate it. She was quite cheerful and was snapping photos of me (no, we don't do that) while I glared at her and the camera and everyone else I could glare at to articulate my agony (other people were all coming down the mountain -- we were amongst the only crazy people to climb up at mid day!!!).

I have been reflecting on fear – fear of not having enough water; fear of extreme heat; fear of not being in shape enough to be able to do a specific hike; fear of heights; fear of impending bad weather and getting caught in a terrible storm in the wilds of the back trail; fear of a mountain lion grabbing one of us for lunch; fear of rattlesnakes … All these fears are real in the context of our outdoor life right no, but they are also a waste of vital energy. I am trying to learn to let go of fear and just live in the present moment. I say this, but I swear that I look like a total boy-scout on my hikes – equipped with my outdoor GPS, my multiple bottles of drinking water, my emergency blanket, my first-aid kit, my animal pepper spray (does it work on rattlesnakes?), my knife, my Steripen (we are in a desert for goodness sake – there is NO water to sterilize!!). Oh well, one day I will evolve into a calmer, more enlightened human being!

Next stop ... Lake Powell. Hopefully some kayaking into slot canyons ...