This summer, we visited Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah as part of our America the Beautiful summer vacation. There are two reasons why I chose this name for our trip. First, the annual pass to all the National Parks in America is called the America the Beautiful Pass. Secondly, America does have some truly beautiful places.
Bryce Canyon was a major destination for us. One that we would be there for part of one day and part of the next. This is rare for us because there are few places where we have spent more than a day. Considering the numerous activities available at Bryce Canyon, I could have easily planned two full days for hiking. It is just beautiful!
I am getting old. I seriously injured my back while making lasagna a month before we departed for our summer trip. The pain and my inability to move did threaten our plans, and there was genuine concern that we would have to cancel our vacation because of this inconvenient injury. A week before we left, I had planned a smaller weekend trip. I usually do this to ensure I have everything we need and to verify that all of our equipment is in working order. That small trip to Algonquin with Mom proved to me that I have everything we need, and that, despite the pain, I would be able to hike, set up camp, tear it down, cook, clean, bathe, and do everything else we would be doing. This small trip also informed me that Bryce Canyon would indeed challenge me, but I was determined and even a bit stubborn.
We arrived at the National Park. We happened to arrive here earlier than expected, which was good because there were several sights I wanted to see. We decided to hike the most popular trail, the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop. We found parking, and I made sure we had enough water for this, the most epic hike I had planned on our trip. It was hot. It was also high. There were warnings about the altitude, noting that being at this high elevation requires more effort and takes longer to recover. There was one reminder: every step you take down is a step you need to climb back up.
I led my wife to the trailhead. A teenage boy was looking me up and down. I had a cane and was walking with a noticeable limp. He was probably wondering how this old man would manage the challenging trail. To be honest, I was wondering the same thing. I am too stubborn to ask for help, but would I get down there, slip on a stone, or even make a bad step, and find myself needing rescue? I ignored the cautioning thoughts in my head and marched down the slope.
Immediately, I set aside all hesitation and took in the beauty of this unique landscape. All that I saw was caused by erosion, and each of those tall stone pillars made this a unique place. Bryce Canyon is home to the largest collection of these hoodoos in the world.
I was also immediately impressed with the pathway. Clearly, a lot of planning went into creating the trail that would gradually descend to the bottom, while also taking in as much as possible along the way. The path was consistent in its width, and even though there was often a sheer drop on one side, its width made it easy and comfortable to pass someone. Many people were passing by as I took lots of pictures and needed to turn around a few times. The grade of the path was also consistent. There was never an overly steep section, nor a spot that was too challenging. I was grateful for the engineering of this pathway.
When I was researching this location, I knew the trail I wanted to take had a switchback—a section where we would start to climb back up, and it would be accomplished by zigzagging our way to the top. I began to wonder just how hard this switchback was going to be because when we got to the bottom, I would look up at the pillars and know we would have to climb up that high, and probably even more. I ignored this concern for the time because what we saw was well worth the effort, strain and pain, not to mention the sweat!
It was hot!
We eventually reached the part of the trail where we had to go up. I was tempted to continue down another path, but I knew I had already taxed my body too much at this point. Even though logic told me how much we had gone down, I still had this thought that somehow, magically, the way up was less challenging than I feared.
Pictures that I saw showed the switchback being about six times back and forth. I was good with that. The truth was that it was many more times than that. It took up a little over an hour to walk the trail to the point where we had to start going up. It took almost an entire hour for me to work our way to the top. This length of time was not shared by other hikers. Families sped past me as I slowly hobbled my way to the finish point.
Charlene, with her bad knee, and I, with my back, and the exhaustion of dealing with these injuries, the easy question to ask is: Was it worth it?
YES!
Would we do it again?
YES!
Despite our physical setbacks, this was one of the best experiences we had in our entire lives. Everywhere we looked, there was something to see. Even the other side of the hoodoos looked different.
Bryce Canyon National Park will be a place we will explore again. Literally, every time it rains or snows, the scenery changes, transforming the views with each passing season.
After our hike, we drove to various scenic lookouts. The area is vast and awe-inspiring at every turn. Even if I had decided that my back would not tolerate the hiking, these lookout places would have allowed me to see the grandeur of this location.
- Paid showers are located near the campground store.
- Plenty of camping spots are available.
- There are horse trails.
- It is good to see the viewpoints during sunset and sunrise to see the shifting shadows and colours.
- View Bryce Canyon National Park on my ‘Places We Have Been’ map to see what else we have visited that is near this location.
