In the
middle of the night I wake up: what’s that noise outside? I believe all the
coyotes in the valley are talking to each other. I want to join the howling,
but suddenly I hear a strange noise: as if a mountain lion attacks something. I
do not give a sound and crawl a bit closer to my woman. Let the animals go
away!
It’s a pancake breakfast, this morning.
Believe it or not: the first pancakes of this trip! This is also a time to
greet other people on the campground. My woman tells me she notices the French
are all around. But we do not linger too long – Bryce is calling! We start out
in the valley, looking over our shoulder and saying goodbye to the man on top
of the mountain, overlooking the valley.
Just before we reach the next small
town of Tropic, I notice a tree full with ravens, and the howls and the scream
of last night just flash into my mind. Is there a corpse laying there?
My woman
wants to buy some Gatorade at the store in Tropic before going up the big hill,
but we forgot – it’s Sunday today and some of the shops close. We just have to
keep on cycling then. Soon we leave the valley and head into a part of the
National Park – already some hoodoos are greeting us.
The uphill ride to the
plateau is going well: my woman thinks it’s not as bad as last year –
especially that last steep part seems to go rather good.
I love the way the
scenery changes from the hoodoos to the meadows on top of the plateau. It’s as
if somebody snaps their fingers and suddenly something changes. My woman looks
to the North and searches for a view of the Fish Lake plateau in the far
distance.
To reach the park we have to leave the scenic byway UT 12 and go onto
this road which is made just for one reason: bring tourists into the park. It
doesn’t go anywhere else! My woman stops at the busy Ruby’s Inn. We are not
alone anymore – lots of tourists here! The entrance of the park is still
another 3 miles further – yup, still going uphill. But soon my woman buys her
entrance ticket to the park. WE ARE IN BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK!
The prairie
dogs are hiding in their holes in the ground! Boy, the fluffy monster at home
would love to see those creatures once, instead of having to walk around with
the stuffed ones the boss brings to home.
My woman cycles to the lodge to park
the Sweet Machine. Then we head out to the rim and enjoy the view. Yes, we are
back in paradise! We look for our special trees – just nearly hanging on to the
edge of the rim.
Though this is a National Park which has a lot of visitors,
the quietness and peace this place radiates, is so strong. One can just sit on
the edge of the rim with not one person around him… The dark clouds of a
thunderstorm throw shadows over some hoodoos, leaving others lit up by the sun,
as if those are in the spotlight of a theatre show.
 |
| Powell Point in the distance. On the foreground is Sunken Ship |
During the evening walk the
trees seem to come alive, giving the area sometimes a spooky feeling.
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