Temperatures on the rise at Bryce Canyon last week with highs ranging from low 70s to low 90s and intense UV rays, easily a 40° spread during the day. Summer has arrived a little early in the Southwest. Still chilly-for me-in the mornings then getting hot in the afternoons.
Nice having two days off in my airconditioned home and no place to go. Managed to get the last Foto Friday Fun post loaded in the morning when I sometimes have a signal. Then continued musing about my future. What do I want to be when I retire? I started a document, because that’s what I do, I write. Went to save the file and discovered a long forgotten folder called “Self” that included my “Personal Timeline” from 1954-84. It’s brief, not book length like I write now. I brought it almost up to date. And I turned purple.
Thinking out loud here:
With January being the busy snowbird month near Quartzsite, I wonder if USFWS (Fish & Wildlife Service) would let me volunteer leading Palm Canyon hikes maybe once or twice a week in exchange for a month, or more, of Kofa National Wildlife Refuge camping instead of their regulated 14 days.
September 2022 marks my 50th high school reunion in Illinois. That might round out a summer road trip eastward for something different.
Back to work on a busy Saturday starting with a morning hour at the information tables before the most crowded time from 11am-3pm with temperatures on the rise. I presented the 11am Hoodoo geology talk to a small crowd and after lunch roved at Sunrise Point overlook along the rim for two hours under the mid-day sun at 84°F with no shade. Mistake even drinking lots of water. Then ended the day with two more hours of information tables.
Crashed early and slept in with a late starting work day. After two hours at the information tables, I rode the shuttle to Inspiration Point and took an hour to walk the .7 miles along the rim with some shade to Sunset Point then a little beyond to the Lodge where I picked up the shuttle back to the visitor center and went to dinner. After closing the information tables down at 8pm I presented the 9pm outside evening program with PowerPoint about wildlife at Bryce Canyon.
The next day while roving Yovimpa Point two young women from the night before thanked me as they had identified, avoided, and pointed out to others, a Great Basin rattlesnake on the Peekaboo trail because of my presentation. Nice to be of service. And glad it wasn’t me.
I spent three windy hours with temperatures on the rise at Yovimpa Point that day presenting mini-talks about Grand Staircase geology and fire ecology plus answering other questions.
Finally the wind chased me to Rainbow Point for a couple hours followed by another 1 1/2 hours at Natural Bridge overlook finishing up at 7pm.
Had almost the same schedule the following day with an earlier start and finish. After opening the visitor center I attended a two-hour session of “all employee training” filled with updates of projects and news from all divisions. I’m sure visitors will be happy the new bathroom is open on Peekaboo trail. When I asked why we don’t have any internet at the RV living area admin acted like they didn’t know. Hahahaha! Heard a new phrase about the age diversity of employees referred to as “boomers to zoomers” and didn’t get it until later when a young visitor said it referred to the school age kids zooming classes from home.
I enjoyed another amazing four-hour afternoon at Yovimpa Point with more mini-programs and visitor contacts. It’s my happy place. Yet the view was diminished because of smoke from surrounding fires.
Best of the day was watching a Peregrine Falcon for about 40 minutes as it soared, swooped, stooped, and almost gave one visitor a new hair part. First time this season seeing the Falcon and was surprised during the middle of a 90° day. Not a great shot but enough to document the sighting.
Sadly all that time under the intense UV rays and temperatures on the rise, even with a large-brimmed hat and liberal amounts of lip balm, caused sunburned lips to the point of blisters and swelling, and a sick leave day home to recover. Thank goodness I had the next three days off even if I did have to go to town for supplies. And in Kanab, 1 1/2 hours away where the temperatures on the rise over 100°.
“One day you’ll tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through now, and it will become part of someone else’s survival guide.”
Attributed to Kim Garst, seen on Facebook
As always an interesting post and we love hearing your thoughts, Love the photo of you with your new hair colour. I never mind snakes, though I have great respect for them, I have yet to meet a rattler and guess now I never will. Lucky you seeing the Peregrine, I have always said if I come back to this world I want to come back as a peregrine 🦅. Keep safe and hope the lips have mended. Take care, Diane and Nigel with hugs of course.
Thanks for hanging in there with all my crazy thoughts lately. I’ve only seen a few rattlers, none at Bryce. The Falcon was awesome. Lips healed and using SPF30 lip balm now.
Interesting the 1937 quote. Playing out now isn’t it? I don’t think the Park Service has fallen down on the job though. I do think we (the public & the NPS) are at a place in time for review and update of how a visitor enters and obtains a valuable Park experience. Sad as it may be, if it comes down to lottery, advance registration, etc to enter a Park then that’s what it has to be. “Valuable” Park experience should not be equated to a trip to Disney.
I’ve been engaging visitors about crowding in parks and get a 100% no answer about more parking lots. Most would get used to reservations for a better experience.
I always forget how intense the southwest sun can be. It gets hot here but the sun doesn’t burn me like it does in the desert at high altitude.
Don’t believe I’ve ever seen a great basin rattlesnake before, beautiful markings. Amazing how similar the gopher snake is.
But it’s a dry heat. 😉 SPF30 lip balm has saved me.
I’ve seen some good size rattlers in the Borrego Valley, must be lots of mice there for them to enjoy. But have never been threatened by one … Whew!
I have worked on different shifts, day, evening, nights … but could never adjust to the rotating schedule that you have. Ugh How do you do it?
It’s looking like a warm summer everywhere, fire restrictions are in place thru much of CA and the desert southwest.
The 40 hours a week are getting to be too much and because I have lots of sick leave I take days off when possible. That helps a little.
So glad more fire restrictions and forest closures are in effect but that won’t stop lightning.
Can’t believe you got spammed by a stephen hawking spammer 😀
Beautiful pics of your summer home. The temps are getting brutal in the southwest, hope they don’t get much hotter there. At least you still have cooler nights and mornings. Nice to have your talks validated by tourists who paid attention 🙂
Spam happens.
Thanks. We are cooling a bit and might even get some much needed rain, I hope.
Enjoyed reading your post tonight. Your thoughts, the appreciative thanks from the two visitors, good Peregrine shot & purple is a great happy color! Sorry to hear about the sun sickness but sounds like you’re back on track with some added protection with the lip balm. High altitude UV is tough. Stay sun safe out there!!
Thanks. I don’t usually use sunblock but do now at least on my lips. Do I worry about skin cancer from the sun or the chemicals.
Such beautiful thoughts and pictures. I love hearing about your days, your musings, you’re thinking out loud. They all are so interesting to me. I’m so sorry to hear about sunburned lips and it’s only June. The terrible heat in the West and Pacific Northwest is so deeply concerning and still we seem not to be taking climate change seriously and making it a/the number one issue for the country politically and for us as individuals.
Thanks. Lips are better now with lots of SPF30 coverage and thank goodness the temps are dropping a bit. Hard to believe anyone could deny climate change.
Really enjoy your blog and photos! The SW regions are by far my favorite, the dry climate and the landscapes – the colors, formations, it’s like looking back in time. I also full-time RV’d for about 2.5 years til moving in with my Mom in the midwest due to her health. But will probably eventually go back to it. I also can related to your musings of future plans, I’m wondering if you might consider offering paid “mini tours” in your favorite areas. You could be flexible with your time and the areas you want to be in the best times of year. 🙂
Thank you. The geology is so obvious in the SW, though I sure could use a water fix like rivers or ocean. Yes, tours are on my list of considerations. Though I’m not so keen on marketing myself. Will see. Maybe around the Kofa and/or Ajo.
Your musing yielded some great ideas to consider for your next adventure. I admire how you can use your writing skills to work things out. Ouch on the sunburn. It is so hot here, just terrible, we aren’t used to that here in mossback country. Take care of yourself.
Without my best friend to talk to writing is the next best thing for me to think out loud. Hope you’re not cooking too bad in Oregon.