Wrapping it up for the last days at Bryce Canyon COVID19 summer season, eight days that felt like months. The count down was on as I worked the last of each different schedule, some more preferred than others. Plus packing up the 5th-wheel and moving into the truck-camper filled the last days at Bryce Canyon, before the snow fell, and I left.
The last opening schedule that gets me out of bed at the ridiculous time of 5:30am, to work by 7:30, and preparing to open the visitor center by 8am. The staffed information area has been outside most of the season but with the temperature that morning hovering barely above freezing I opted to stay inside. Not easy to talk to people through a mask and plexiglass.
View south from Yovimpa Point
Started off a busy Saturday morning with constant questions and after a couple hours I was more than ready to move on to Rainbow Point, 18 forested miles away. I was right to think there would be no parking by the time I got there around 11am so after one loop squeezing through an overcrowded small parking lot I drove back down the road about 1/4 mile to a wide spot, parked, then walked back up. From Yovimpa Point I could see cars backed up and parking illegally along the road through both the 12:30 and 1:30 geology talks. When I returned to my truck at 3pm cars were parked down to and all around me off the road and on vegetation. WTF?
The last of Autumn at the edge of the parking lot
Stopped at Farview overlook and was disappointed the Dawg House was out of hotdogs and fries. Talked to a mom and daughter who were cool and the daughter asked about internships and how to become a Park Ranger. We were interrupted by an old curmudgeon who asked when the Park Service planned to clean up the fire mess. What mess? A lightning strike fire from 2009 sterilized much of the soil so regrowth is extremely slow, but that’s natural. Some folks don’t understand national parks.
Because of my late start time on Sunday I worked on some more camper cleaning. Funny, even though I didn’t use it all summer it required a scrub and vacuum. Might have been last winter’s dirt. The fridge was disgusting with mold so received a thorough bleach wash. The new memory foam finally relaxed and I made up the bed with clean sheets. Still wasn’t ready to move in yet.
Pre-program walk along the rim for the last reverse sunset
That night I presented my last evening program for the season. Definitely felt like time to wrap things up with the nights feeling more than chilly after dark.
Sunday also ended the shuttle service in an exceedingly busy Bryce Canyon National Park. People still poured in and would find no free ride after parking oversized vehicles in the overflow lot by the visitor center. Overlook parking lots only accommodate a handful of large rigs.
I was happy not to open on Monday at 30° with no shuttle when both campgrounds became first-come-first-serve with no hosts on site. Parking lots overflowing and yet more people kept rolling in. This is usually a mellow time of year including retired and young people with no children. Actually my favorite season. But not so much this year. Kids didn’t return to school and many families are traveling while homeschooling, some as newbie RVers.
Unusual to see lenticular clouds
Tuesday is my first of three Fridays during the last days at Bryce Canyon. After a long morning counting people in and out of the visitor center with never ending questions after lunch at the information booth I am more than ready to be done for the season. Instead I lead a Rim Walk with some awesome visitors, and it does turn out to be the last of the season. Count down is on, two work days left. I’m getting grouchier.
All I can think about is moving, from one RV to the other and down in elevation where it’s warmer. I’d hoped to leave Bryce eastward to Capital Reef and maybe beyond. But long range weather forecast indicates cold nights and possible snow. Even Lee’s Ferry, further south is showing nights below 40°.
That rubber lizard doesn’t seem to scare off spiders
I spent my last two days off work cleaning, packing and semi-moving. Because the 5th-wheel wouldn’t be moved until Sunday afternoon at the earliest I didn’t have to move completely out until I was ready to leave on Sunday morning. I set Saturday night as my goal.
There are limitations to moving food before self. Plus sweep the slides off before pulling them in and disconnecting utilities. I didn’t particularly want to move Sierra until the last minute so she didn’t have to go to work with me for those last two days.
On the real Friday, my Monday and second to last day of work for the season, I arrived to hear about the missing hiker at Bryce Canyon. A 62 year-old solo man missing for two cold nights. Family reports possible dementia. Available staff from inside the park and out along with helicopters search the backcountry. He is finally found alive late in the afternoon. I hike alone frequently. Could that be me?
Smoke haze eastward from the rim
I presented my last two hoodoo geology talks and in between met friends of a Flagstaff friend coincidentally at Sunset Point. They were told to keep an eye out for Ranger Gaelyn and surprised when we crossed paths.
I returned to work the visitor center information tables and was informed that a Bryce Canyon National Park employee had been confirmed with COVID19 and their entire division put on 14-day quarantine. Great! WTF! Why wasn’t the entire park closed down? Why were interpretive Rangers still out and about like nothing happened? I felt like someone had shot my brains, they were ready to explode. I had a bit of a melt-down and was rather useless the rest of the day.
My last day, call it a Friday, yet another busy Saturday. Last of the stinky horse corral. Last door counting which I certainly won’t miss. Last plaza info and hours of repetitive answers. Last scheduled Rim Walk that didn’t go and I was good with that. I turned in stuff—keys, badges, and paperwork—and went home to move the last of food etc. and Sierra to sleep in the camper. Still not certain about where we’d go from Bryce.
Sunday morning I watched the weather report deteriorate to snow by afternoon at Bryce. It would be pretty, but no thanks. Swept and pulled in the slide-outs, disconnected the utilities, and with strong winds at 57° and dropping left the park at 10am saying goodbye to the last days at Bryce Canyon with a storm chasing me south to somewhere.
The weather has turned unseasonably cold in many areas west of the Rockies. The Rogue Valley in SW Oregon has experienced freezing weather and frost in an area that rarely has frost at any time of the year. Turned the ‘Sunshine’ crops purple. It snowed at Moab several weeks ago and then hit 85*.
The Valley of the Sun is still setting new high temp records every day. My brother is complaining about the A.C. costs. I told him years ago that the valley would just get hotter and hotter and it has.
Like last year, last Spring, South and west of Tucson and Phoenix is where I expect you will spend some time trying to keep warm. Might spend a night around there myself on my several low elevation trips back to the NW this Fall, winter and Spring, as my old truck doesn’t like high elevations pulling a heavy load. Utah with its 7-8,000-ft. sections of I-70 were almost to much for the old beast.
Keep it out of the ditch and stay warm.
Beautiful reverse sunset. What a year for you and the Parks… Covid & the “new” crowds of visitors. As much as you put in to being such a dedicated Ranger, I bet it felt good to hit the road. Happy “Off Season” to you!!
Thanks. Yet another weird year. Frankly, I’m done with it. At least until spring anyway.
Almost cooked yesterday, going from 80/60 to 60/30 Saturday. Time to move. But not into the valley where it’s still too hot.
Ah Gaelyn, what a year it has been for you! whew. The result of all that for the rest of us are all those great photos of Bryce. It was never my favorite of the Utah big ones, but I see it a bit differently now thanks to all your posts and photos. Glad to see you made it out of there with a bit less kerfuffle than last year for sure! Travel safe and see you somewhere in the desert.
These tougher years are getting old, but life goes on and at least I’m not broken this winter. Bryce is uniquely beautiful just not all that diverse. Hope to see you this winter.
Wow. What a time with COVID. Our peeps aren’t real smart at shutting things when they need to be shut.
Your photos are amazing. Happy trails.
Thanks. Some people are stupider than others.
Sounds like you got out just in time. Glad the hiker was found. I agree why wasn’t the park closed down if an employee was positive. Hope you were well clear of who ever it was. Enjoy your own company and keep clear of everyone. Numbers are rising here all the time, we are pretty much house bound other than buying essentials! Take care, hugs Diane and Nigel
Social distancing and lockdowns feel like a test the park ultimately failed at. I am happy to be alone though I’ve done some careful visiting in the last week. Numbers are rising everywhere. Stay safe and be well.