The Ride to SLC, Day One

So we decided to make a break, and head up to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, then on to Bryce Canyon for the night. The wind was brutal until we got to Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridge. After that it was spectacular along the Vermillion Cliffs and then up on top to the Rim. The scenery changed from desert to rock lands to pine forests to meadows (with snow left in pockets of steep North facing slopes) and grasslands in the woods. Many deer and a few antelope. And I mean herds of deer.

The Lodge at the North Rim was booked solid and all the campgrounds were full due to the eclipse. The place was jammed. I got a few pictures though.

The ride on towards Bryce Canyon was gorgeous too. You ride through pine forests for quite awhile, then you break out on a rim and ride down, down, down into a wide basin that took more than an hour to cross. Or so it seemed. Finally the road turns north and you ride through Fredonia and Kanab. The road runs through a series of passes and green valleys. It is understandable why these valleys were settled so early, as there appeared to be abundant water.

We didn't make it all the way to Bryce before dark, so we finally stopped at a little motel with cabins. This was like the olden days, except no cooking allowed. But a hot shower was really appreciated after camping in the windy stockyards at Mormon Lake for three days.