Although it wasn’t easy to leave my happy place on the Kaibab, I left with a better attitude, refreshed after four days of nature’s healing rain, plus positive insight from friends. With that I returned to Bryce Canyon and felt rewarded by working for special people who visit this beautiful place.
Even after days of rain, I left the Kaibab under a smoky haze.
A stop at the LeFevre overlook reminded me how scorched an arid landscape can look after extreme fire. It will grow back, this is still pretty fresh from the 71,000 acre 2020 Mangum fire.
Two Bridges side of Navajo Loop Trail
Trail crew working on Wall Street
Back to work on Sunday with a better attitude and moderate morning start at 10:15 then done after two couple-hour information desk shifts including closing at 8pm. Still feels like less visitors than early summer however they all want to hike the “most popular trail”, 2.9 mile Queens Garden and Navajo Loop combination. Sadly, the Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop trail was closed due to a rockfall during the heavy rains on Friday. Trail crew worked several days to clear and repair the damage. Thankfully, the Two Bridges side of the loop was still open. So just some unhappy hikers for a few days.
Plus now that the monsoon rains have arrived the general question is, “when will it stop raining?” Our concerns aren’t about sweet visitors melting in the rain but remind them to pay attention to lightning. Don’t be the tallest thing standing at the rim, or hover under the biggest trees nearby that often get struck by lightning. Ponderosa Pines are fire resistant and will blow off burning bark. However, lightning can travel through trees and ground at least ten feet.
Monday morning started with light rain that stopped in time for the 11am Hoodoo geology talk. After an hour of answering questions I hid for lunch in the camper then returned to the rim and roved a couple hours at Sunrise Point with a comfortable temperature under 80° and a light breeze. Then back to the desk for a couple more hours.
I was lucky enough to be scheduled for two days in a row to Yovimpa Point, my happy place. The only bad part is getting up way early to first open the visitor center. Good thing I packed lunch as the hotdog wagon wasn’t parked at Farview Point. A gorgeous day that didn’t quite break 80°. Visitation is light at Yovimpa Point, partly people don’t see the sign for the short walk. Yet almost anybody who arrives is blown away by the massive 100° and 100 mile distant view from southeast to southwest. At 9100 feet in elevation it’s like the view from on top of a mountain the car climbed for you. I spent four hours answering questions, talking about the geologic view and fire ecology while keeping an eye on the weather radar and storm clouds that stayed north of the point. One young girl and I talked for at least half an hour about the possibility of learning the languages and conversing with other animal species. How cool is that! Oh yea, that feeds into a better attitude.
Then lightning became visible to the east and it was time to go with a warning to visitors not to linger. The rain came down harder as I drove further north and I was soaked running into the building to drop off my radio at the end of the day.
Wednesday, my Friday, started as a repeat of the previous day with opening the visitor center. This time I had a hotdog on the drive to the end of the road and asked about a punch card which they gave me. Darn, I’ve been buying almost weekly for months.
My first visitor, Raven, posed long enough to get a couple photos then I was busy almost constantly for at least three hours with people in and out to share mostly short stories.
Rain once again stayed north of Yovimpa Point all afternoon and I enjoyed another marvelous day with visitors. Got home just before the next bout of thunder and rain.
Stellar Jays from RV window
With only two days off I decided not to go anywhere, and even though I like to travel, that’s like a treat sometimes. I had hopes to shoot the full moon but the skies were filled with gray clouds, raining, and even hailed briefly, to the point of puddles. Thursday 1.4 inches fell in an hour. Seems monsoon has arrived. I love the energy in storms while also respecting their massive power. Safest to watch and experience from some distance and preferably indoors. Plus I don’t want to get my camera wet.
Marble View storm
The most amazing power I feel is the love from friends with sincere suggestions that sometimes have to slap me hard to listen. Dear Lynda reminded me to stop with the “if I make it through the season” line, and she’s right. October 9th is my last day of work this summer at Bryce Canyon, and I’m going to make it to the end of the season. Sweet Robert, after many years as a barista at the North Rim made a job move to the North Rim Country Store this summer and said he was excited about working at new places and looks forward to going anywhere he wants. I can hear life mentor Berta telling me to move on to a new adventure in retirement when I can do what I want, when I want, and go anywhere I want. Thank you all for helping me create a better attitude.
Wow, all fab photos but the second, eighth and twelfth are incredible. Glad you came back refreshed, you obviously really needed that break. Take care and enjoy the rest of the season. Hugs Diane and Nigel.
Thanks. I do feel better after that mini vaca.
Sometimes it take a forest visit to get us back on track. And good familiar friends to help (slap) us along…lol Happy to hear you are feeling refreshed. Have a great week!
I miss the Kaibab and the big ditch and that helped.
Glad you are feeling better. Each day offers us a new adventure when we are paying attention. Lovely photos.
Thanks for the reminder. Life really is about attitude.
Healing rain is truly amazing in the desert. So glad you are feeling better about everything and have had a bit of regenerative rest and beauty. The photos of the monsoon rains are wonderful. Believe it or not, we are getting some tail end monsoon rains right here in Grants Pass today. I woke last night to soft rain. It isn’t a lot, but it is soft and gentle, sometimes just a mist. I keep walking around outside just to feel it and look at the things growing on our little acre that are raising their faces to the mist just as I am. So healing after such relentless heat. More heat coming, with 103 forecasted for two days from now, so I am soaking it up as best I can to be ready for the next few weeks before fall sets in. Besides…we are going to the coast again next week, so will have a chance to cool down there as well. Family stuff this time….should be fun.
Thanks. So true about the rain, but it’s been coming down really hard and often lately. Might be on the verge of too much here. Enjoy it while you can. I’m kind of jealous about your coastal trips so will live vicariously for a while longer.
Your photographs are just wonderful! They are so crisp and clear. I wish I could do that. So glad to hear that your days are going well and you are feeling better about everything. I’m glad to hear the monsoons have come. With everything as crazy as it is, I feared they might not. I wish the West Coast could get some monsoons and Canada as well. Our skies here in Vermont have been hazy for several days as a result of the Canadian fires and we have air quality warnings for the Young and the elderly. I guess at this point I officially qualify. It’s hard to wrap my mind around.
Thanks. I take hundreds of photos to get just a few worthy of sharing. Your photos are wonderful too. Monsoon is definitely here, and maybe just a bit much this year. Sorry to hear about the smoke young lady.
I came over here after reading Jo’s (Memorable Meanders) post about you. You have an interesting job in a beautiful place. Glad you are feeling revived and have an improved attitude. Good for you. Bryce Canyon is one of the places we visited when we retired. Keep travelling and enjoying nature.
I love my job and Bryce is beautiful. Thank you for stopping by.
And you don’t have to figure out your next move after retirement just yet. Best to retire first then figure out what you want to enjoy.
Thanks for the reminder, you are right.
That *was* a good work week!!! You do so well walking us through your attitude adjustment (and your need for it previously) — your writing is so natural and easy to relate to , Glad you are back on track. I almost never “talk” about problems because nothing I say ever sounds right in writing. (the people I spout off to in real life probably don’t think it sounds very good that way either!) …. Yovimpa Point looks like our kind of mountain view (hiking up a mountain is no longer a possibility). Fabulous pictures as always.
I still wonder why anybody cares to read my daily life with it’s ups and downs. But I do appreciate all of you staying with me. Writing has always help me work through things, especially with few face to face friends to talk to. So, thank you for listening.
That is the beauty of retirement. You can do and be as you wish. All the best.
I’m learning, slowly.