Friday, June 21, 2013

Bryce Canyon Day 4: Red Canyon Loop

Today was our last day in Bryce Canyon before we start our two night backpack.  For our last day-hike in the park, we actually chose a hike that wasn't in the park.  About fifteen miles north and west of the park entrance is a small recreation area in the Dixie National Forest, the Red Canyon.  This relatively small area tucked away to the West of Bryce Canyon receives limited use.  The terrain is defined, as the name gives away, by bright red rock on almost every surface.  

Most visitors to the Red Rock Canyon only drive through, or maybe stop to snap a few photos as they pass through on Highway 89.  The road, accompanied by a paved bike path, winds through the lowest part of the canyon for a few miles.  In places, the road passes through some sandstone arches, making for neat photo opportunities.  

Driving west through the canyon, the trailhead was directly off the highway on the north side.  We arrived in the late morning and found only a truck with a horse trailer parked in the lot.  We would pass the party on horseback a few minutes into our hike, and then have the trail to ourselves most of the day.  

Heading north from the parking lot, the trail climbed ever so gradually through an open rocky terrain.  The path followed a large wash, crossing the dried-up river several times as it ascended towards a mesa.  Large ponderosa pine trees dotted the landscape as we picked our way through the rocky terrain and frequent horse droppings.  The area had a surprising feel of wilderness and solitude to it, considering we were only a few minutes from a busy highway.  

One mile north of the trailhead we encountered our first trail junction with the Rich Trail, but following the advice of the hiking guide I was using, we continued north on the Cassidy Trail.  Past the junction we began to climb more steeply, and gradually views began to open up around us.  Red Rocks dotted with ponderosa and limber pines starkly contrasted with brilliant blue skies overhead.  It was a remarkable landscape to be hiking through.

At the second junction with the Rich Trail, we turned south, dropping into a saddle between two red rock ridges.  Leaving the saddle, the trail climbed steeply to the top of a mesa.  From here we had an easy stroll on flat terrain towards the edge of the mesa.  As we approached the edge we were rewarded with spectacular views in every direction.  To the West we saw open grassland with a few patches of forest.  In the three other directions was a picturesque landscape of red rock mesas and ridges, crossed by rocky washes of dried out stream beds and dotted with lonely pine trees.  It was easy to picture a scene from a western movie being filmed in this setting.

We at our lunch high on the ridge, enjoying the pleasant breezes and tremendous scenery.  On the return hike, we followed the Rich Trail all the way back to the first junction of the day.  The trail descended rapidly, following a steep wash for a portion.  The footing was tricky in places and slowed our progress.  

Once we reached the junction with the Cassidy Trail we had an easy one mile downhill stroll back to the trailhead.  Three mountain bikers passed us on our way out, huffing and puffing loudly as they made the uphill climb.   These were the first people we had seen since the horse party at the start of our hike.  The solitude was a welcome relief from the crowds at Bryce Canyon this week.  

Today's hike was a pleasant one and worth the short drive out of the park.  Eric Molvar and Tamara Martin did an excellent job recommending this hike in their guide to the region "Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks."  This book was an indispensable resource for me in planning  our time in these two southwestern Utah parks.

An aside not related to today's hike:  we were fortunate enough to attend last night's astronomy program provided by the park service and its many tremendous volunteers.  The presentation was fascinating and informative, and the night-sky watch held at the visitor center afterwards was astounding.  We had the opportunity to see a distant nebula formed by a dying star through a high-powered telescope, something I had only previously seen in pictures publicized from the Hubbell Telescope.  Another scope was fixed on Saturn.  We were able to clearly make out the rings of Saturn, and, more impressively to me, a bright red dot that was one of Saturn's moons, Titan.  Titan was something I remember reading about as a kid, when the Cassini spacecraft was being prepared for a mission to explore the distant satellite.  Bryce Canon's astronomy programs are fantastic.  I am great-full to the park and its many volunteers for this awesome opportunity.