From Kanab to Bryce Canyon

Having crossed a time zone, when entering Utah, the clock had to be turned one hour forward, meaning that when the alarm clock woke us up at 6 am, it felt like 5. Well, it was worth it to get an early start. Again, it was a glorious morning: temperature 65 F (18 C) and a clear blue sky. The drive from Kanab to Bryce Canyon was very interesting. We saw rocks in all kinds of shapes and colors, vast high plains covered by shrub or miniature trees. But nestled in between the rocky mountains, in fertile belts, we also saw some attractive looking small farms and villages. Shortly before reaching Bryce Canyon, we stopped at a place called Red Canyon.

We climbed a boulder in Red Canyon (M, P, and I). M is a little mountain goat.

P on the top of our first "bouldering problem". Getting up was pretty easy - getting down a bit more tricky.

We arrived at Bryce Canyon at around 9 am. It was already quite busy but there were still a few parking spots available at the first major stop. The canyon was a fantastic sight - much smaller than the Grand Canyon, but with brightly colored rocks in strange formations. We walked along the rim and then went down a steep trail called the Navajo Loop. I love the names here, full of adventure and wilderness. Well, the "Navajo Loop" was partly covered with concrete and had handrails... In any case, it was good fun to walk around the gigantic columns and walls. M and I went into a side-canyon and felt a bit like Indiana Jones exploring an ancient ruin of vast proportions.

On the rim of the canyon

A vast landscape of red rocks

On the trail, the "Navajo Loop"

Exploring the side canyon, Indiana Jones style

It was difficult to get back down from the side canyon. H and P wisely stayed behind...

At our last stop, the highest point, we met this geoscientist with a poster about the layers of rock. M: "My favorite periods are the Permian and Cretaceous periods because of the extinction events." Geo-guy: "Here is somebody who knows his stuff." And then he told us about the different layers represented in the area.