Page to Bryce Canyon NP - STR-2021-18

Tuesday, 13 July

After doing the Wahweap Overlook yesterday, we considered going to Horseshoe Bend next. After a morning of paddling and it being 110 degrees (or 111 depending on the thermometer) we wisely called it a day. So this morning, our first stop was Horseshoe Bend. The lady at the fee booth said we were really wise to do Horseshoe Bend first thing in the morning . She said the parking area has been packed at mid-day the last few days in the 110 degree heat requiring EMS to deal with some visitors.

Another reason for not doing it yesterday afternoon is the haze from the wildfire smoke and hot temperatures. We expected that the afternoon lighting would be very poor for gazing at Horseshoe Bend.

NOAA Model simulation of smoke Tuesday morning

Horseshoe Bend is an iconic bend in the Colorado River just south of Page, AZ. The viewing area about 0.75 mile down a paved trail. The morning lighting was okay, certainly better than a hazy afternoon.

After gazing on Horseshoe Bend and taking many, many photos, we continued on to Navajo Bridge. Navajo Bridge was built in 1929 to replace Lee's Ferry which had been operating since 1871.

In 1986, we drove across country in a 1966 Porsche 912. On that trip, we visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is likely we drove over the Navajo Bridge as construction of the current bridge did not begin until May of 1993.

We walked almost across the bridge, and enjoyed views of the Colorado River below.

Next stop was the Lee's Ferry area. While the Lee's Ferry Area had some historical buildings, the river and the rafting preps were a lot more interesting today.

As we went down to the river by the rapids, we saw a sign saying we had entered Grand Canyon National Park. I guess we can say we hiked all the way down to the Colorado River.

We did walk to a couple of the historic structures near the boat ramp.

As we made our way back to the highway, we stopped at the two pull offs. There we learned the significance of the Vermilion Cliffs - Moenave and Kayenta Formations from the Jurassic Period - 165 to 200 million years ago.

We continued on to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

Our original plan had been to drive US 89A to the southwest corner of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and drive House Rock Road north to US 89, then hike the Toadstool Hoodoos Trail. House Rock Road is unpaved and is the only maintained in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. All the other roads require four-wheel drive/high clearance vehicles.

However, when we stopped at the Glen Canyon Conservancy, the helpful gentleman said that House Rock Road was very washboarded this time of year. In addition, a review of another hike along House Rock Road said it took them over an hour to drive 8.5 miles.

Expecting the road to be unpleasant, we decided to give it a try at least to the Condor Viewing Site, which required driving 2.9 miles on House Rock Road.

We stopped at the Condor Viewing Site. The side had a telescope to try and see the condors. Darrell was able to see six or seven large soaring birds above the cliffs using the telescope. With the haze, they could not be seen without the aid of a telescope. And could not be seen clearly enough to confirm they were actually condors.

The 2.9 mile drive to the viewing site was rough - most of it at 7 to 8mph. We decided that driving the other 27 miles to US 89 (it would take 3+ hours at that speed) as originally planned was not going to be worth the wear and tear on us and on Sprinty. We returned to US 89A and turned west.

We continued west and north to The Belly of the Dragon trail just outside of Mt Carmel, UT. The tunnel through the rock was pretty cool.

When the trail turned off from the wash, there was a cairn to mark the change in direction

I guess when you come to a cairn on the trail, take it.

Our destination for the night was the Thunderbird RV Park in Mt Carmel, UT at the junction of US 89 and Utah 9 which leads to the east entrance of Zion National Park. The junction consists of the Best Western East Zion Thunderbird Lodge, Thunderbird restaurant, two gas stations, the Thunderbird golf course, and the RV park. Check in for the RV park is at the front desk of the Thunderbird Lodge.

Staying at Thunderbird RV Park included access to the Thunderbird pool and laundry. As the temperatures were in the high 90s, we took advantage of the pool. And afterwards, the laundry facility.

Wednesday, 14 July

Our motive for staying at the Thunderbird RV Park was to play golf at the Thunderbird Golf Course. We passed up on about a dozen boondocking opportunities in BLM and the National Forest enroute yesterday, as well as a half-dozen RV parks in Kanob, UT. Totally worth it as we just had to cross the highway for the golf.

The 9-hole, par 31 Thunderbird Golf Course is the only course for 60+ miles. Their website describes the course:

"The course is a creative and well manicured nine-hole executive course nestled in the gorgeous mountains of Mount Carmel Junction. The course offers a variety of obstacles including sand traps, water hazards and a Texas sand trap. The weather is spectacular here in the summer and a few golfers brave the course mid-winter. "

And boasts low green fees - $15 for 9 holes with a cart, $10 for 9 holes walking. We chose to walk. When we checked in, they warned us that their greens were not in good condition. The first hole was a 215 yard par 3 along US 89 highway with a tree in the middle of the fairway. I guess that is what they mean by "creative". Still, it was a fun track and we enjoyed being able to play golf as we knew that there were not golf courses along our planned route for several days. We both found the "Texas Sand Trap", a large pond that obstructs two holes and collects golf balls by the dozens. When it was all done, Darrell had honors, in part because of his eagle on hole 7.

The first nine was a little slower than if we had been by ourself - the second nine we did not have to wait on anyone. Our hypothesis is that as the morning warmed up, golf became less interesting, even though it was still in the 70s when we finished at 11am.

With golf taking less time than we originally estimated we had some extra time and our destination for the day was only 60 miles away. Checking the weather forecasts, our destination was to get thunderstorms at 1:30pm. Our plans included visiting Cedar Breaks National Monument, near Cedar City, UT, sometime. At least the thunderstorms there were forecast for late afternoon.

Cedar Breaks National Monument got added to our list of places to visit based on a social media post that described it as "Surprisingly uncrowded, it has many of the geological wonders of Bryce Canyon national Park, but in a compact 1/2 mile deep amphitheater".

Enroute, we enjoyed a scenic drive on UT 14, saw lava fields near Navajo Lake, and climbed to over 10,000 feet elevation. As we climbed, the temperature dropped. When we arrived at Cedar Breaks National Monument at 10,272 feet elevation, the temperature at noon was 67 degrees - about 40 degrees cooler than on Monday.

Cedar Breaks National Monument is like a mini-Bryce Canyon with red rocks, hoodoos, and picturesque vistas. Unlike Bryce Canyon NP, there are no hikes down into the amphitheater.

After getting some park information at the visitor center, we picked the Spectra Point Trail (part of the Ramparts Trail) to hike. Described as "Hike the plateau rim along Ramparts Trail. Steep climbs lead to spectacular views and groves of ancient bristlecone pines at Spectra Point and Ramparts Overlook".

As expected, the views of the amphitheater were stunning. However, the trail followed fairly close to the edge of the slope, making it uncomfortable for folks, like Kris, who dislike heights. Kris turned back after a short while, and Darrell continued to Spectra Point by himself.

We continued north to the North View Overlook near the north entrance to the park.

As we were checking out the North View Overlook, the map indicated that Brian Head Peak was north of the Monument. A check of Google Maps found it was only 3.7 miles from the overlook, and one of the review comments said:

"This Peak is the highest point in Utah you can drive up to at 11,312 feet. The view from the top is amazing and they have a rock building structure that you can sit in and look out over the city of Brian Head. This is a fantastic site and one everyone should stop off to see. If you are in Brian Head or near you need to head up the hill and check out the view. It's amazing!!!"

Sprinty's first thought was how could we pass up this opportunity. What Google Maps did not say was that only the first 0.7 miles of the 3.7 miles was paved. Off we went. Initially, the gravel road was better than House Rock Road we drove yesterday as Sprinty could go about 15mph without shaking, rolling, swaying too much. Then it got steeper - after all, the peak was 900 feet above the highway.

The last 0.7 miles was the knarliest, and Sprinty was reduced to almost rock crawling at 4mph. Much of the contents in Sprinty that could shift in the back, did.

An unplanned epic memory made as Sprinty tried to deliver a repeat epic adventure like Monday's Antelope Canyon.

The drive down was actually easier, and we were able to pick better lines that reduced some of the rocking and rolling.

Once back on pavement, we headed for our destination for the night, Sunset Campground, Bryce Canton National Park. Less than a week ago, Sprinty was able to get reservations for two nights, albeit in two separate campsites.

We chose to drive UT 143, a very scenic drive. Near Panguitch Lake, we encountered an animal jam as a herd of free range sheep decided to cross the highway.

After reaching Panguitch, we turned towards UT 12, a scenic byway.

An immediate stop was the Red Canyon Visitor Center in Panguitch, UT to get some information on hikes. Just as we were ready for the video, the staff finished repairing the video - perfect timing. Red Canyon is as scenic as Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, and has many red rock hoodoos like Bryce.

With the sky threatening thunderstorms, we drove the remaining miles to Bryce Canyon National Park to check into Sunset Campground. Just as we got set up, it started raining. Perfect timing.

After the rain let up, we walked the Sunset Campground loops and were surprised to see so many vacant campsites, despite them all being reserved. Probably 15-20% no-shows or early departures. We expected for a "full campground" at one of the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah, every site would have been occupied.