Journey back to Bryce

Despite all the crap going on in the world I’ve had a good winter playing in Arizona’s deserts but now it’s time to go back to Bryce Canyon National Park to work for the summer season.

Spending my last two weeks at Mary’s was a perfect transition to some socializing.  Even got to visit with Joann, from a distance of course.

Globe Mallow & 4 O’clocks

Enjoyed a few more days of laziness, spring flowers and even shot the almost full moon above the Bradshaw Mountains.  I like the Juniper/Pinyon woodlands landscape, at least for a while.  I like all the landscapes, yet not forever and thus why I am a traveler.

Pulled out Friday morning and headed to Prescott for some last minute shopping.  I can’t believe stores are still out of toilet paper.  Really, what’s up with this hording?  Why can’t the stores order more?

Humphrey Peak from I40

Enjoyed the familiar drive along SR89 North through Chino Valley to I40 East at Ashfork.  Not much traffic and mostly semi-trucks on the freeway.

Quick stop for fuel in Flagstaff then north again to camp for the night on the Coconino National Forest.  Back under the Ponderosa Pines with their delightfully sweet scent and a sound like waves from wind in the tree tops.

Woke up Saturday morning to the sound of gunshots. What the fuck? There’s a burn ban on the Coconino National Forest but guess it’s OK to hunt.  Except this sound was distinctive to six shots and a pause to reload for target practice.  I have nothing against either but there’s a time and place.  Later at Jacob Lake I heard it’s bow season for turkey.

Image by Chip Thomas

I was on the road again about 9:30. Somehow felt strange driving across the reservation. Crisp, vivid, clean, clear, freshly washed, not much traffic. A combination of weird and wonderful.

Even less traffic after the turn onto SR89A, freshly oiled black ribbon of highway rippling across the red rock.

Stopped on the reservation side of the Navajo Bridge as the other side for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was gated and closed.

Barely anyone there and at one point I had the bridge entirely to myself. Again, strangely silent and special. Didn’t see any condors. Walked back to the truck and darn if I didn’t see a big bird soar over the bridge upstream.

So I hurried back onto the bridge, and sure enough, one condor, and then another soaring together.

One landed on the bridge with a dark immature head.

Then an adult with red colored head. Soon joined by three more.  I hung out for over an hour and took plenty of pictures but sadly most are out of focus.  I get excited when seeing wildlife and tend to shake a little which means fuzzy photos.

Although only a handful of people came out on the bridge and saw them I went into Ranger mode and shared all kinds of information.  Later I looked up the tag numbers and according to the current Southwest California Condor stud book I saw V3 a 3-year old male, T3 a 4-year old female, 53 an 8-year old female, F1 a 13-year old male, H9 a 12-year old female, and X8 a 2-year old male.

Then I headed west across the Marble Plateau and stopped for a delicious lunch at Cliff Dwellers with only a few other customers.

Finally drove up onto the Kaibab Plateau with a stop along the way to look back down across House Rock Valley.  Lovely shadows from the puffy clouds.

After stopping at Jacob Lake Inn for half a dozen chocolate chip cookies I found a sweet spot to camp for the night on the Kaibab National Forest once again under the Ponderosa Pines and was later joined by friends who will also be working at Bryce.

Grand Staircase in distance

Sunday I didn’t get the earliest of starts.  A mistake considering I stopped in Kanab to do laundry and Utah is an hour later.  Mountain time like Arizona except they honor daylight savings time.

All the clouds brought an ass-whipping wind but only a few drops of rain.

Skies looked rather serious over the Paunsauguant Plateau but as I made the climb through Red Canyon never saw a drop of rain.

Finally checked in at 4:30pm and felt good to get back to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Monday morning I worked at home for a few hours mostly reading notes to jog my memory about the place.  After lunch I went to the rim and walked between Sunset and Sunrise Points.

The Sunset overlook parking lot wasn’t even full and there were only a few people out walking.  Again, weirdly wonderful.

And I’m back to Spring with lantern-shaped flowers covering the Manzanita instead of the green berries to follow like I saw at Mary’s.

In the afternoon I had paperwork to deal with so wearing a mask I entered the administration building.  Nice to see friendly faces who mostly weren’t wearing masks as they’ve been working together for several weeks.

Ranger duties will be a bit different, at least to start.  We’ll be out there wearing the green and gray available to answer questions but please keep your distance.

I am still in the truck-camper until the 5th-wheel is hauled in from storage.  No rush.  I’ve lived in this 8×12 foot tiny home on wheels for seven months.  I might get lost in the 36 footer or have a hard time deciding which of many choices to sit on.  But without the booster that’s in the 5th-wheel, I don’t have enough signal to do much more than text.  And because I’m suppose to be under self-quarantine I may be hanging out in parking lots for a while.

Yet all in all, it feels good to be back to Bryce Canyon National Park for the summer season.