July 8, 2025, was a great day for us on our America is Beautiful summer vacation. We visited a bird zoo, had lunch in the first place to put the “K” in KFC, visited a Hindu temple, and stopped at a Walmart to replenish our supplies. Our goal was to continue to head south to Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Cedar Breaks was a place we were going to camp for the night. It was significant for us because this would be the highest destination we had ever travelled to and slept at. At over 10,000 feet, I had found in my research that we might not be accustomed to this elevation and that we might find the simplest tasks a little harder due to the thinner air. We started at the bottom of the mountain and began to ascend to the top.
The problem with being a tourist and seeing new things is the need to stop and see the things that are new. As we rose up the mountain on the well-paved and well-travelled road, we stopped to admire the views. Stop, get out, snap a few pictures, and then proceed to the next stop, get out, snap more pictures, and continue. All this must have helped us acclimatize to the higher elevation.
But one thing did not acclimate to the higher elevation.
As we continued up the mountain, we heard an odd “POP!”
There is nothing more concerning than hearing a sound when you are thousands of miles away from home, in a foreign land, on top of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere, and have no clue what it was that we heard.
We continued. Uncertain what the noise was. We speculated, but did not know for sure what the sound could be.
We continued to tour. Stopping, looking, admiring the views. These were spectacular! There is nothing that these pictures can do. Standing on the edge, seeing what we saw, has to be done in person to have the full effect.
It was time to set up camp and make something to eat. It was then that we laughed a laugh of relief. As we were taking out the supplies that we had bought at a lower elevation, we discovered that a bag of popcorn had popped open. The difference in air pressure was too much for the bag to handle, and it burst open. Charlene’s supper consisted mainly of that broken bag. We began to wonder how many times someone has had this happen to them while getting groceries.
Finished with our meal, we decided to see the main attraction at Cedar Breaks as the sun was setting. The changing light brought out elements that would be hidden in daylight. We hiked the ridge, stopping many times to see the new view, but being mindful of the sun and not wanting to get too far when it got dark.
Returning to the camp, I would be disappointed with the night sky. Here, at the highest we have ever been, the starry sky was much like the area we live in, with all the light pollution. But the lack of stars was due to pollution from distant forest fires. Another year of intense blazes had impacted our summer, and many others’ summer for three years in a row.
The morning saw us break camp and return to Cedar Breaks, noticing how different it looked under different lighting conditions. We would then hike the Alpine Pond Loop Trail. This was an unexpected treat. I was expecting more views of the canyon and rock formations, but instead I was treated to even more views of the canyon, rock formations, and flowers! Although we were clearly in the heat of summer, being so high up on a mountain, I speculated that this was their spring, and the flowers were impressive.
We would hike and notice that in every view, around every corner, up every hill, there was a patch of flowers. Seeing new vegetation and even new animals is a delight. Here we got our fill of bright flowers in a mountain meadow. Seeing the pond was, well, disappointing. It was just a pond, but a large patch of yellow flowers was nearby. As we walked back to the car, we encountered a mule deer grazing.
Cedar Breaks was an important stop on our journey. It finished the second part and had us begin our drive home. I wish I had understood the geological significance of this area when I was planning. The Grand Canyon is not far from Cedar Breaks National Monument, and these two areas, as well as Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and others, are all part of the same geological feature. As we drove homeward, we kept seeing these amazing views. We would head eastward, and the elevation would slowly decrease. Had I known better, I would have started at the top of this Grand Staircase and travelled all of it, seeing every important location.
This upcoming summer, I plan to return to this area to see Las Vegas, New Mexico. My goal is to see as many American National Parks as possible before it becomes impractical for a foreign tourist like me to visit. There is a real probability that we will see the other parts of the Grand Staircase that I had overlooked.
- Check out All The Places We Have Been to see where we have traveled.
- Admission is included with the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass.
- View my Provincial and State Campgrounds map for places to stay when travelling.
