After four days off of boring chores I returned to a few more work days and then prepared to move the 5th-wheel to it’s winter home in Skull Valley, Arizona.
Although temperatures at Bryce Canyon were ranging from 50-80° fall was in the air with possible nights coming below freezing.
Yet the Bluebirds hadn’t quite given up on insects and headed south like I would soon do.
Sunday, my Monday, two desk shifts with dinner in between and close the visitor center then my last evening program for the season. Volume up or down?
It really has been busy this month and yet I enjoyed a few moments at Sunset Point all alone. But not for long before presenting the 11am hoodoo geology talk to a large group followed by roving a while and ending the day at the information desk. The coyote sound in my evening program was heard at the North campground and reported to me by a visitor.
On Tuesday, my Friday of a short week, I spent the afternoon at Yovimpa Point. A visitor spotted a dark brown medium-size mammal moving across a nearby rocky ledge and thought it was a very big squirrel having just visited Zion where the Rock Squirrels are large and overly friendly. Being sure it wasn’t that I had to dig deep into my brain while taking some lousy and out of focus photos before realizing it’s a Badger. The first one I’d ever seen at Bryce.
Talked to a young man on a months long road trip from Florida and was reminded of my first road trip at 22-years old. Living in a Vega for three months was the best trip ever and started my gypsy life. The next morning I posted my retirement announcement on Facebook and as I answered the many congratulations it dawned on me I could travel next summer like I did way back then. I grew excited about the idea of documenting the journey like I couldn’t do then. I want to revisit some places and discover many new. That was an epiphany! Now I am more than excited, like that young woman who took off in a Vega with a dog 45 years ago. Now solo with a cat is where it’s at, and I’m glamping with the camper. I could see visiting people and caravanning with others sometimes along the way. I haven’t felt this excited about something in a long time. I’m going to love this retirement thing with no more work days.
One more trip to town before moving so I don’t have to shop along the road. But with mornings hoovering just below freezing I didn’t get a particularly early start. Drove to Cedar City via SR20, the slightly quicker route, then after too many shop-stops returned on the even more scenic route SR14.
Even saw a touch of fall color towards the top of the almost 10,000 foot pass. Treated myself to dinner at the highly recommended Outlaw Saloon in Hatch, Utah and all I can say is, WOW, what took me so long.
Friday I finally put the new sewer gate on and packed away some of the dust-collecting decorative chachkas that would not survive a rolling move. There’s only a little more to do before the RV would be unlivable.
Back for another four work days. The count down is on! After a light overnight rain, Saturday afternoon brought downpour with thunder and lightning that cancelled my 2pm hoodoo geology talk. Then it cleared so I went to rove at the rim for a while in raincoat with no camera in case it started to rain again.
Sunday morning I opened the visitor center in cold fog before heading out to Yovimpa Point. Then while eating lunch in the Rainbow Point parking lot I was interrupted by a couple who locked the keys in the trunk of the their rental so I called LE (law enforcement) to deal with that. Even with a brutal wind at Yovimpa I stayed two hours and did several talks hiding behind a huge Limber Pine in between.
A group of young folks danced and took video, nothing professional, and when I photobombed them was invited to join in. Keep your eyes open for their video that they hope will go viral.
Ponderosa Point view into the hoodoos
Stopped at several overlooks on the return drive.
At Agua Canyon overlook the weirdest thing happened. A little boy about 10-12 walked up to the fence with a throwaway mask in his hand, held it up to catch the wind, and then intentionally let it go. I was horrified and said I couldn’t believe he’d just done that. His reply, “I have another one in the car.” And I said don’t throw it over the edge anywhere. I told him it was a good thing I wasn’t a cop as I’d written him (his parents actually) a $100 ticket for littering. He just walked away and no adult present said a thing. WTF?
At that point I went home for dinner then back to Sunset Point and down five switchbacks carrying the tripod for the night before full moon rise. A nice couple was there, he set up with tripod very low. I shared the compass coordinates and we got lucky with the moon rising over Thor’s Hammer and through the hoodoo windows, again.
One more day at Yovimpa and thank goodness not windy. Briefly saw a pair of Peregrine Falcons flying together. Talked with a lot of awesome visitors about geology and fire ecology. My last day there presenting official programs. I will miss this happy place.
Posted on Bryce Canyon’s Facebook page for National Park Fashion Week (It’s a joke many parks did)
Possibly* my last work day and I wake up literally freezing at below 32°. That in itself makes me want to move from Bryce’s 8000 foot elevation. By the 11am hoodoo geology talk it had warmed into the 60s. Had a large attendance and presented several more mini talks about the hoodoos. (I say possibly* as the government could shutdown before I return for the last work days in October.)
Wednesday morning in the low 30s makes it hard to motivate but I have much to do getting ready to roll the next day. By noon I am mostly packed and if I was physically stronger could have rolled at least as far as Kanab 1 1/2 hours away for a warmer night. But my helper will arrive in the morning so I pretty much puttered the afternoon away. Rather frustrating that I used to do everything by myself and now am unable.
Tim arrives the next morning around 9:30 and I set him onto the roof to sweep the slides and take the booster down then I can crank down the antenna. After hitching the truck to the 5th-wheel the hoses and power cord were disconnected and I’m ready to roll. Not sure why that took three hours but I rolled out at 1 pm. Thirty minutes later I left the nearby Sinclair with both propane tanks full and all eight tires aired. Finally on the road again and at first feeling a little nervous as it’s been years since I towed the 5th-wheel. But once on the highway it follows so nicely I barely know it’s there.
The four hour drive moves me through familiar country and after passing through Kanab I am looking back up towards the not quite visible Bryce’s Pink Cliffs and see Molly’s Nipple, on the right, that I’ve looked at from the opposite direction all summer from Yovimpa Point.
I pass through the Cockscomb and over the ever shrinking Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon Dam, whiz through Page and drop down onto the Painted Desert.
By 5pm Arizona time I pulled into the night’s destination at the Navajo Reservation RV Park and Trading Post in Cameron, Arizona and enjoyed a carry-out dinner of Green Chili Stew before calling it an early night to bed for the next day’s final leg of this journey.
My first car was a Vega. Can’t imagine living in it!
It was tight but worked for almost three months of travel.
Very fitting title for the post. Love the 2 bird pictures. Thor’s Hammer. And a badger!! Good picture of our Ranger Gaelyn as she prepares to leave Bryce and roll down 89. Then the photos of the drive on 89 brought some little happy tears to my eyes for you. Congratulations Gaelyn! Your enthusiasm for your new direction is building. I can’t wait to see what all you show us!!
Thanks. I feel free to do as I choose once again. Very important for a gypsy gal like me.
You have many marvellous adventures. I sure enjoy them.
You are going to be so free once you are retired! No more litter bugs to chastize. sigh.
And I love sharing the adventures with more to come. Don’t be so sure I won’t continue to chastise litter bugs.
Wonderful last post from Bryce. Great photos, and a fun story to follow. Congrats on your retirement, let the fun begin!
Thanks. Just wait til you get the rest of this story.
Swell pictures as usual..I’ve been there and sure wanted to visit again, and maybe say Howdy to you..Too many fires up here in the Chelan area and the plague made it tough to travel..
Re: The little shithead with the mask, imagine where it got that attitude..The boonies seem to be the only way to get away from these dopes…
It’s getting cold up here and it seems the leaves changed to swell colors in just a week..
Ride safe and enjoy our world..eh?
David
Thank you. Cold means time for me to head south but I do enjoy those fall colors. Stay safe.
Well, the time has finely come. Good luck on your new journey.
Thanks. I am making plans.
Ranger Gaelyn named on the cover of the magazine. We’re not the only ones who appreciate your full moon shots. I would not have wanted to squeeze your home under that train crossing!
Enjoy your well deserved retirement.
Not a real magazine mind you. I held my breath for that squeeze.
Hi Gaelyn, well you have gone a long way and done many things in preparing for your next season Or is it preparing for retirement I wonder.?. I think you are like me Gaelyn you will never completely retire it’s not our nature. You will still want to know all the news about your work of the future. I still keep in touch with all updated news from where I worked in 1980 in Archaeology in Worcester England. besides the studies I am doing now which you already know of. Keep the brain alive I say.!!! Enjoy the rest of the week,stay healthy and safe.
So far, I am still preparing for retirement, but who knows. I will miss the work.
Love those moon photos, Gaelyn. Glad I came to visit to wish you all the best in your retirement travels. Sounds like you’ll soon hit the road and start moving to warmer climes. It’s a bit past peak of fall here and has been raining for 2 days – we sure need the moisture. We have a wildfire burning now in Summit County.
Thanks. Glad to hear you’re getting more percip. I’m in no hurry to go anywhere for a while, but when the temps dip… Be safe and enjoy winter.
May retirement go very well for you! We may be at the Skull Valley polo games this Saturday at Van Dickson Ranch. Free to the public!
Thanks. I was thinking of the Car Show in SV Sat.
Ah, didn’t know about the car show, thank you!
We finally looked it up, car show is a fund raiser for the Skull Valley Volunteer Fire Dept., nice! Will go there, first, then to the polo fields. Skull Valley is such a gorgeous area! You are so blessed!
This is a great post dealing with so much detail about your days before retirement. That last shot is amazing. Did you get out to take that? But of course the Beauties are those moonshots through the hoodo windows. Fantastic! Your summer sounds great and I can tell you are really excited about it. You seriously are going to love retirement. Now you can do anything you want anytime you want. Enjoy!
Thanks. I had help with that last shot. Not sure I could have opened the truck door. I am already in love with the new location.
Lovely set of photos and interesting write up. Love those moon shots, but then moon shots are always a favourite along with slot canyons! Your new location looks great, enjoy. Take care, hugs, Diane and Nigel
Thanks. Did get lucky with the moon again. Love the new home base.
I’m all excited about your retirement. Roaming and posting. I can’t wait. Looking at the map it looks like Skull Valley is near Prescott
Southwest of Prescott, with its own brewery.
My the summer has gone fast and you’re off to Arizona. Beautiful photography as always. Maybe we’ll cross paths again this year.
Summer did go by fast this year but might have been my own count down. 😉 I sure hope to travel into the desert this winter so our paths might cross.
Quite the blog post this one, Gaelyn! I read it while we were traveling, but didn’t manage to comment. First of all, love that photo of an empty sunset point. And I so wished we could have visited Yovimpa since you talk about it being your happy place. Retirement excitement is wonderful to hear. I am so happy that you have suddenly slipped into the wonders that are ahead of you without being tied to a work schedule. It helps that you have a really good place to park the fifth wheel too. Those driving photos through the bridge cracked me up. Talk about a pro! And lastly, I am looking at the moon rise in the distance behind Thor’s Hammer on my calendar for October as I write. Just turned that page today after we got home and settled in. So many great moon shots. I still haven’t taken the time to figure out how to do it well. Why should I when I can just look at your photos. I would like to figure out how to do stars though. Our last night in Sheldon NWR was breathtaking, with the Milky Way brilliant. Would have liked to take at least one photo of that. Maybe I will have to get over being lazy and learn.
I am bummed not to have shared Yovimpa with you, but… I love that I wasn’t working. 😉 I’ve only taken two semi-successful shots of night sky with Milky Way. That’s a whole different game of practice, after dark when it’s colder, and using a tripod. Sheldon NWR looks divine for a several day stay.