Monsoon storms over Grand Staircase from Yovimpa Point Bryce Canyon NP
Mornings are the time to get outside for activities as afternoons bring monsoon storms at Bryce Canyon. And these monsoon storms are often more wind, thunder, and lightning, than rain.
The first several summers I worked in the Southwest at Grand Canyon I despised the rain. But then I learned to embrace monsoon season, just not in a literal sense, and instead learned to respect and love the much needed rain in this arid land. Yet lightning needs to be heeded and kept at a safe distance, car or building is safest when lightning is within ten miles. Now days, we have battery operated lightning detectors and apps on our phones. But I’m a bit old fashion and still practice what I learned as a kid; see the lightning and count, one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand equal to three seconds, etc. until hearing the thunder. Sound travels approximately one mile in five seconds, and lightning can travel ten miles. You do the math.
I love the dramatic skies seen during monsoon storms at Bryce Canyon. Sometimes I can take photos and others I cannot.
A buck grazes in the forest outside my RV windows
I stayed home two out of three days off last week. Rained hard and hailed as well. The noon was so dim outside it felt like dusk. I think storms mess with my internet signal at home.
SR12 west into the Sevier River Valley
Also went to Kanab for some groceries and lunch at my favorite Utah Mexican restaurant.
It’s a nice drive along SR89.
Was posting on my Geogypsy Facebook page and noticed the “Page Support Team” was open for questions. So I asked why only 10% of the 800+ followers are shown my posts. Amazingly, I got an almost immediate answer in their chat box. The Facebook algorithm is currently based on how many people interact with my posts. So, I put out a post asking for interaction and had 281 people reached, 33 Likes, and 36 comments that I responded to. Cool. My ego likes this. And I like conversation, as you know if you comment on this blog. Sadly, the numbers went back to less than 10% after that. Guess I’ll have to let go of that one again. After all, life really is about pick and choose your battles.
Last Saturday I greeted the 5:45 morning at a chilly 46°. My schedule started with opening our information area outside by 8am. After answering questions and offering park orientation for two hours I drove 18 miles to the end of the road through rain and hail. On the way I stopped for a hot dog at the concession operated “Dawg House” trailer set up at Farview overlook. I’m originally from the Chicago area and was raised on hot dogs. Yes, I know what’s in them but eat them anyway. Don’t we all have a regional hometown food favorite?
A big thunderstorm hung over the length of the park for over an hour. After advising people along the rim about the danger of lightning under 10 miles away I returned to my truck and sat out the storm at Rainbow Point. Monsoon storms don’t typically last more than 30 minutes to an hour moving from basically southwest to northeast. Yet another storm can follow behind.
Once it passed I roved a couple hours at Yovimpa Point, just south from Rainbow, with the almost 100 mile view to the North Kaibab Plateau. Instead of the scheduled Grand Staircase geology program times with few if any people, most of us are doing “mini programs” whenever people arrive and show interest. Yovimpa is never overcrowded. I wouldn’t mind hanging out there all day.
Clouds danced all around leaving us alone with the light and shadow game below. Sure glad I brought the big camera that day.
Sunday after several hours at our information area and closing at 8pm, I presented my slide show evening program about wildlife at Bryce. Finally got the audio working for the most commonly seen animals: rodents, birds, and large mammals. I’m still working out the right volume and some of the sounds were quite loud. Made me wonder if visitors in the nearby North campground were looking for wildlife in camp.
Monsoon storms hit hard the next day so I didn’t go to the rim for either the 2pm hoodoo geology talk or 4pm history walk. We had to move our information station into the visitor center and limit the number of visitors inside while keeping the rest safely under the wooden porch cover. When thunder roars, go indoors. We all talk about lightning safety. I thought people would already know but sadly not the case way too often. I had forgotten what it’s like to work the inside desk but now with heavy plexiglass hanging between us and visitors. Felt like I was shouting through the mask and glass, barely able to hear their questions.
Hoodoos at Red Canyon Dixie National Forest SR12 west
I felt more than ready for the end of my work week on Tuesday. With only some billowy clouds and no rain the precursor of many days of blue skies.
I don’t mean to bitch and complain about the visitors. Really, 98% are good and kind people. Sadly, it’s the one a-hole that’s remembered at the end of the day.
Pioneer building along SR89 Glendale Utah
Maybe I should get out of this business. I’m snippy with some folks. Am I just getting old? After door counting this morning and plaza after lunch I ended my short day roving by Sunset Point. I am truly amazed we don’t have to carry more people off the Navajo Loop trail. Flip-flops and no water. Carrying dogs. What part of “NO DOGS” do people not understand?
Sevier River
I met a lovely couple from the Phoenix area who are friends of an online friend’s friend. The bonus of blogging is connecting to awesome people.
The first of my two-days off, I went to Cedar City with a park friend. Nice to have someone else drive and spent a wonderful day chatting away making shopping so much more bearable. Plus, it’s a pretty drive, now under blue skies instead of monsoon storms.
You’re not bitchin’. I view it as expressing frustration and rightly so. I get a similar mindset when I’m enjoying nature and come across graffiti. For some reason, graffiti in our beautiful natural spaces just sends me over the edge!!#! Moving from West Virginia 10 years ago to the high desert, I too have come to embrace monsoon season in the West and also raised with the knowledge of one-one thousand… Photos can be spectacular with cloud movement and the play of light across the landscapes. Enjoy the Dawg House!! A good hotdog is hard to find!! West Virginia dogs include mustard, onion, chili and slaw…yum!! Enjoy your evening!!
Thanks for your understanding. I might be bitchin’ a little bit. 😉 Graffiti was discovered in Wall Street last week. WTF? I get set off badly by all the litter. Have to keep working on education.
We’ve been having monsoon weather too. In fact, it’s pelting rain now, and the sun is shining. I looked for a rainbow but don’t see one. I’m glad you met Mary’s neighbors. Nice people – they offset the ones that make you want to roll your eyes. I love the cloud photos, Gaelyn. You have the perfect spots to watch the sky. Take Care!
Looks like we’re done with storms until later next week. Then I’ll be looking towards the sky once again.
While travelling around the desert in the winter time I often think it’d be nice to be down in the desert during the monsoons just to experience it all. I know it’s hotter but I think there’d be more critters out and about at that time. Maybe I’ll be able to experience that sometime before I expire. :O)
As much as I enjoy the monsoon storms I wouldn’t want to be in the far southern desert during the triple digit heat of summer yet high elevation is nice.
Loved this post. You made me want to do a Southwest road trip again!
Thanks. Best to stay at high elevation this time of year to avoid the triple-digit heat. You are in a good place.
Hi Gaelyn, You are much braver than I would be , I hate thunderstorms and can remember as a kid hiding under the stairs because I was so afraid. As for bitchin well we all have to let off steam at some stage Gaelyn. The storm photo’s are brilliant and maybe that storm has cleared the air now and nicer weather on the way for you. I think I would like no 576 for next week please. Take care and enjoy your weekend.
Makes me wonder if a family member wasn’t terrified of storms to cause you that fear.
I’m putting you down for #576 for next week’s Foto Friday Fun.
I love reading these posts. I was planning to go to the Utah NPs this year, canceled due to a wreck that destroyed my camper and then Covid, so love seeing it thru your wonderful photographs and descriptions. When I do go, hopefully next year, I’ll have so much guidance from your posts as to where to go and what to see, including the nearby towns and restaurants. I’d love to meet you there.
Lynn
(btw – wordpress makes me comment from my blog which I haven’t kept up. I need to learn how to make it less cumbersome, being a non-techie.)
Glad I can take you around Utah virtually and sorry to hear about your camper wreck. Yet I am a little jealous about your beautiful coastal trip in the spring. I haven’t seen the ocean in way too long.
I remember the fast moving storms of the summer monsoon. It can really cause a lot of havoc in the desert with flash floods and such. And lightning of course. I’ll say again you have a lot more patience than I do with people.
I hear you, Gaelyn. You don’t speak of the 25 kids in you class who had a great day, it’s the one that messed up!
Yup, same situation. Except you had to look at the same faces for many days. I need to learn to let those a-holes go.
Stunning photos and I just love those storms wow they are incredible, would love to see them but from a safe area. Gaelyn there always has to be one, and sometimes two, who have to be difficult and yes I agree it is very frustrating. Love these virtual tours with you and they also bring back fabulous memories. Keep well, Diane
Thanks. You’re right, always one or two a-holes out of hundreds.
I’m sorry that the one day we did the park and visited the Yovimpa Point, you weren’t the ranger giviing the talk. I wanted to at least drive the scenic route while we were here. When we got to Rainbow Point, the crowd was small so we decided to do a little hike with our masks and ended up arriving just in time for the ranger talk at Yovimpa. We have, otherwise, been spending time outside the park on Jeep trips and hiking Red Canyon. We have been alone everywhere. Exactly why we came here. Stay safe!
Would have been nice to see you but I totally understand. The few places I’m visiting on days off, other than shopping, are out of the park. I love Yovimpa for being such a quiet overlook.
You go gal , my daughter was named after bryce canyon. We love the place…
Thank you. I’ve met a few people named “Bryce” after the canyon.
I love the monsoon photos, and can almost smell the rain on the dust. I know you know the word for that….some kind of chor? I could look it up, but that would be succumbing to the “look everything up immediately” thing that takes over my life. Sorry you have to deal with “people”…and no, you aren’t getting old, people are just hard to handle during a long hot summer, especially the ones that come to the National Parks and are oblivious. Still raging over the blue paint all over the rocks at Zion. Makes me crazy. And we are here at home because there is nowhere to go that isn’t filled with said “people”, and trailers, and new RVr’s which are clueless. Hang in there, Gaelyn…another year will bring another set of who knows what and you will roll with the punches as you always do. Thank you for carrying that camera and for the great monsoon photos.
I do love monsoon and petrichor. Some of these people are such a-holes and just clueless. I am tired. Hope to make it through the season. Sometimes I just want to run away and hide. But then some nice folks come along and it’s all better. I don’t even know where to go after this season.