The aspens were again spectacular:
As I crossed back over the road, a doe and two fawns came into view and I managed to get close enough for one shot (didn't plan on wildlife photography this trip so only had 10-20 and 28-200mm zooms with me)
before further precipitation discouraged any further wildlife stalking. An hour and a half of variable (drizzle to deluge) but continuous rainfall and I found myself at the Bryce Canyon NP entrance
Similar to Zion, Bryce Canyon scenic drive is an out and back trip with a shuttle running from outside the park. Unlike Zion, you can drive your own car in Bryce Canyon. Given the inclement weather and the likelihood of it continuing and the fact that the shuttle does not go all the way to the end of the drive, I decided to drive myself this time. This turned out to be a smart move as the rain persisted throughout the day with a few sunny breaks so I could backtrack easily and sit out some of the storms in the car.
This time, I decided to start at the closest stop for my first view of the canyon at Sunrise Point
Next stop: Sunset Point, and the sun came out for a few minutes
but not for long
Close-ups of some of the rock formations reveal some interesting shapes. This one reminds me of an ancient Buddhist temple perched on a mountain top.
I must say that I am always impressed with the infrastructure in American National Parks. The built environment including buildings, barriers and pathways blends into the natural environment and is well maintained and Bryce Canyon is no exception.
On to Inspiration Point for a stunning view back towards Sunrise and Sunset Points.
"Upper Inspiration Point" requires a steep climb and by the time I got there I was "plumb tuckered out" (I actually heard someone say this! I suppose cliches are such because they are true). At over 8000ft in elevation, some people apparently do suffer from lack of breath (being old, overweight and out of shape might also contribute but I'm sticking with the altitude) but the view is worth it.
More close-ups:
The sun just started to poke through the clouds as I was setting up a wide-angle shot
but then the rain started, so back to the car. Fortunately, the downhill "run" was a little quicker and easier than getting up there.
Next stop was Bryce Point for the quintessential view of the Canyon but the rain got heavier and quickly developed into a serious thunderstorm. There are signs everywhere advising of the dangers of lightning - apparently one person every two years gets killed or seriously injured by lightning. So discretion being the better part of valour, I remained in the car for 10 minutes then gave up and and drove off to the next view point, Paria View, where the threat of thunder was still evident
So, quickly on to Agua Canyon
and Natural Bridge
The next few stops were all fogged out, so I made my way to the end: Rainbow Point - elevation 9115 ft, where the views on a good day extend for over 50 miles...
on a good day...
I waited in the car for 30 minutes, reading the park brochures and watching the passers by. One curiosity I did notice was the number of people with hiking poles - not just the serious hikers but your everyday Mums and Dads (well, often Grandmums and Grandads), many of whom I observed get their two poles out of the car, strap them onto their wrists and walk the 50 metres to the view point, take a photograph - somewhat impeded by the pole hanging from each wrist - then walk back to the car, pack up the poles and drive off. People are strange!
The fog did not look like lifting, so I headed back down the road to see if any of the viewpoints missed on the way up had cleared. The fog lifted as I progressed down the mountain to Black Birch Canyon
Ponderosa Point
which also provided some very tame (= begging) wildlife
Farview Point
after which the rain came in again so my sojourn in Bryce Canyon was over. I missed Bryce Point which was a bit disappointing but you can't change the weather.
On to Page, Arizona for the night.
..State #28.
Page was built in 1957 to support the construction of the dam on the Colorado River flooding the Glen Canyon and forming Lake Powell. The following images were taken from the Lake Powell Overview just west of Page.
306 miles, a lot of rain and fog and red rocks :-)
Can't wait for Monument Valley tomorrow.
Post script on the rental car - I should have taken the upgrade! The Ford Escape is a heap of %$#@! In particular, I should have checked the auto transmission to make sure you can lock it into lower gears. The Escape has only L and D (and L = very L) so OK for steep inclines but useless for engine braking down long hills at 25-60 mph and I've done lots of them in the last two days :-(
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