Bryce Canyon: Riggs Spring Loop Backpack

 The Riggs Spring Loop departs from Rainbow Point, on the southern end of Bryce Canyon National Park.  The trail makes an 8.8 mile loop into the wilderness below the pink cliffs, dropping over 1,700 feet as it winds through the dense forest, only to climb the same elevation on the other side.  We were in the mood to enjoy the solitude and the cool, breezy weather for a while longer before heading to the warmer climate of Moab, so we reserved campsites for two nights on the loop.  This would leave us with three short hikes and plenty of time for reading and relaxing in the hammock.  

Knowing we had a short first day's hike of 1.6 miles, we slept in  before packing up camp and stopping into Ruby's Inn for a big breakfast.  We were finally stepping onto the trail at Rainbow Point around 11 am.  Rainbow Point sits at over 9,100 feet of elevation, resulting in tremendous views and cool, breezy conditions.  

The trail to Yovimpa Pass, our first night's destination, was steeper than we expected.  The path switch-backed sharply down the face of an open slope.  The loose rocks and gravel beneath our feet made for slow, precarious travel.  We gradually descended into an open forest of large trees, many of which still bore the signs of having suffered through a forest fire at some point in the past.  Occasional views to the south provided glimpses of the pink cliffs directly beneath the ridge we were traversing, and more distant panoramas of the tortured landscape of the Grand Escalante Staircase.

Shortly after departing this fire-impacted section of the forest, we arrived at Yovimpa Pass.  A gravel road not open to cars intersected the trail at the pass.  Only a small wooden sign for the campsite gave away that this was where we were to camp.  We examined the area and decided to pitch our tent beneath a gigantic ponderosa pine tree.  The surrounding area was an opening within the forest.  Scattered downed trees littered the hillside above us.  The Riggs Spring Trail appeared to drop suddenly off of the ridge past here, giving our campsite ideal views to the  south.  

We lazed away the afternoon reading.  It was one of the coolest days since we had been in the park.  The air couldn't have been warmer than 75 degrees. 

 A little after five, three more hikers arrived at the campsite, making the steep climb up from below.  We had expected to have the campsite to ourselves for the night, but one of the men from Arizona said that the park grants permits for 6 people at this site each night.  This theory was shot down when a young couple from Boston hiked in a couple hours later, saying they had a permit too.  Fortunately, both parties bushwacked off-trail to find campsites, and although we could occasionally hear them, we had a reasonable amount of privacy for the night.

The air quickly grew cold after dark and we struggled to keep warm in our sleeping bag.  The forest was wonderfully silent as the brightest full moon of the year rose overhead.  I awoke on more than one occasion thinking that I had overslept and missed sunrise, only to realize that the blinding light overhead was just the moon.  

We slept in until it was warm enough to justify leaving our cozy sleeping bag.  After a breakfast of grits and  coffee we packed up and headed down the trail.  Our destination for the night was the Coral Hollow Campsite, less than four miles away.  This should have provided for another easy day, or at least we thought.  

The trail dropped sharply down the ridge for the first mile or so.  The loose rocks and gravel continued to make for slow going.  Eventually we were off of the ridge, and for the next mile or so we had an easy stroll through a beautiful forest of ponderosa, fir and aspen  trees.  The steady breeze blew through the aspen trees, shaking the little green leaves.  We thought that they looked to be waving at us as we hiked by.  Aspen certainly seem to be some of the friendliest trees to hike under!

When we reached the Riggs Spring Campsite we took off our packs for a break.  Riggs Spring would be our last source of water on the backpack, so I planned to filter enough to last us the rest of the trip here.  Mary sat with the packs while I wandered off to find the spring.  Riggs Spring was a small pool of clear water surrounded by mud at the edge of the forest clearing.  The park had built a small fence around it, I assumed to help hikers locate the tiny watering hole.  

I found a well-placed log to rest on while I filtered the water.  I had only been sitting there for a couple of minutes when I heard an alarming crashing sound behind me.  I spun around, ready to confront a bear, or other woodland creature.  Whatever caused the sound was not visible, but the trees and leaves were still shaking next to me.  The man from Arizona the last night had said that his wife had seen a mountain lion at Riggs Spring during a previous visit.  The park service had warning signs everywhere that a mountain lion had entered Sunset Campground last fall.  The park ranger in Zion National Park had told us that, although Utah hasn't had problems, "mountain lions in the Sierra Nevadas occasionally stalk and kill hikers."  

With these thoughts racing through my mind as I eyed the dark forest, I decided strength in numbers was a good idea.  I walked back to where Mary was and asked her to get our the bear spray, just in case.  We moved our packs to where I was filtering and made a point to talk loudly while I finished filtering.  The culprit behind the commotion never gave himself away, and we finished filtering, ate a quick snack and got back on the trail  As we hiked south, we both had the feeling of being watched.  The occasional noise to our right would cause us both to stop and peer into the forest, expecting to see something moving.  Heavy, gray clouds moved into the area, and a cold wind blew through the forest.  Mary remarked that if we in Michigan, we would assume it was going to rain, with air like that.

We passed the Riggs Spring Campsite, not bothering to to look at our trail map.  After all, this was a loop hike, we figured. One of the campfire rings in the group campground was filled with giant pinecones, piled high in a perfect geometric formation.  Mary joked that it was "bear art" - the work of bored forest bears with limited mediums with which to express themselves.  

As we hiked south the trail began to grow fainter and fainter.  It suddenly vanished at the edge of a giant wash, the forest tore up by the terrible violence of flash floods in the past.  We climbed down into the wash and began to search for where the trail resumed.  Some strange equipment was sitting on the opposite bank.  I recognized one device as an anemometer, a machine that measures wind speed and direction.  I wasn't sure what the other equipment was for.  

We followed the wash for a while, until a path appeared again.  Confident that we had found the trail, we bounded off down the path, eager to reach our campsite for the night.  After about ten minutes of hiking, we suddenly arrived at a fence.  Evidence of ranching was all around, and a sign indicated that we had reached the park boundary.  Beyond this point was National Forest Land.  A ladder had been installed over the fence, much like on sections of the AT in Vermont.  We wondered if we were supposed to climb it.  The guide book I had used hadn't  mentioned ranch land, fences, or leaving the park.  

Frustrated, I pulled out our topo map, and suddenly felt like a complete idiot.  The trail to Corral Hollow had turned off by the spring.  We had followed another trail that ran out of the park and into National Forest Land.  We angrily turned and resumed hiking in the opposite direction, hoping we could follow the faint path all the way back to the spring.  I couldn't help but wonder what the purpose of this trail was.  The dried-up remains of cow patties littered the forest floor- evidence that the ranch livestock must get into this area some times.

We successfully found our way back to the spring, but didn't see any signs of the trail turning northeast from here.  We decided the turn-off must be north of here.  We hiked for about ten minutes past the spring, annoyed to be covering the same section of trail again.  The trail never appeared.  We finally took our packs off and sat down for a break.  We were both cursing the park service for a such a poorly labeled trail junction.

Mary thought she had seen a sign on the opposite side of the wash, and maybe this would show where the trail picked up.  I stayed with the packs while she climbed the steep banks to have a look.  She was gone for about ten minutes, before she came walking back on the same side of the wash as I was sitting.  She had found the trail!

Mary had followed the wash for a while, looking for a sign.  She never did find the sign, but she found a clear trail with many boot prints.  She followed it back towards the other side of the wash until it intersected with trail we had been on, sitting one of her trekking poles down to mark the spot.  It turned out the trail junction was exactly where it was shown on the map.  If we stood facing in the direction of travel of the trail we were on, it was completely concealed by the tall grasses at the junction.  Once we turned our bodies and looked down it, the path was clear.  We had wasted more than an hour wandering around the forest looking for it.  

The path now clear, we resumed hiking.  The trail climbed steadily away from the junction, passing through a dense forest with no views.  We struggled to find the trail again where a giant tree had fallen and wiped out the trail.  This time, it only took us a couple minutes of wandering around to pick up the trail on the other side of the tangled mess.  No wonder the ranger had warned us that Bryce wasn't a good backcountry park!

A couple of hikers passed us headed in the opposite direction as we climbed.  Where were they when we couldn't find the trail, we wondered!?!  

Eventually the sing for Corral Hollow appeared.  We were delighted to be done hiking for the day.  What was supposed to be a short, easy hiking day had turned into a frustrating and long hike.  Corral Hollow was a small campsite, with room only for a couple of tents.  A "hollow' is like a ravine, or gully.  Corral Hollow was a fairly small level area, with steep walls rising on all sides.  Pink Cliffs were visible directly above us, and giant trees lined the trail through the hollow.  

We set up camp quickly, eager to relax.  We did not see another soul while we were camped at Corral Hollow.  The woods were eerily silent during the night.  Dark clouds drifted in during the evening, and we wondered if we had erred in not brining our rain fly.  One plus to the cloud cover was that it trapped the day's heat at least.  The air remained balmy throughout the night.  The moon passed overhead during the night, its intense white light shrouded by drifting clouds.  

We were relieved when morning came and the skies were clear.  We ate quickly, packed up camp, and were on the trail before 8 am.  The hike up from Corral Hollow to Rainbow Point, 3.6 miles, was by far the most spectacular section of the hike.  The trail quickly ascended to a ridge with stunning views of the Grand Escalante Staircase in the distance, and the dark green forest in the foreground.  The rest of the hike stayed on this ridge, allowing for steady views and consistent breezy, cool air.

By 10 o'clock we were making our way past tourist in flip flops wandering the woodchip-covered trail near Rainbow Point.  Our two night backpack on the Riggs Spring Trail had turned out to be much harder than we expected.  Our reward for the slow travel on the poorly marked and lightly used trail, though, was two nights of solitude in a beautiful, dark forest.  We never saw any large mammals during our backpack, but we had the distinct impression they were around.  We even found some mountain lion scat on the trail in one section of the trail.  The wilderness below the rim was the perfect answer to the hordes of tourists packing the viewpoints above.

Note:  The little green guy in the bottom picture is a short-horned lizard, which was saw tons of on the trail.    

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.

Bryce Canyon Day 3: Fairyland Loop Trail

Last night was the coldest night we've had during our trip so far.  I found myself burrowing into my sleeping bag in the middle of the night in an attempt to escape the cold air invading the tent.  A ranger later said that it went down into the thirties during the night.  The crisp, night air made for welcome sleeping conditions and allowed us to sleep in for the first time on our trip.  

When it was finally warm enough to coax us out of the tent we fixed some hot coffee and eggs for breakfast while packing our day-packs for our hike.  Today's destination was the Fairyland Loop Trail, near the park entrance in the north.  

This 8 mile loop trail starts from Fairyland Point, located a couple miles down a side road near the park entrance.  Many visitors miss this trail, as it is kind of "tucked away" between the park entrance and the visitor center.  The rest of the hikes are located further south of the campground, in the opposite direction.

We arrived at the parking area to find only a scattering of other cars parked and a few folks taking in the view from the overlook.  The vista from the point looked down into the Fairyland Amphitheater, packed with a dizzying variety of Hoodoos.  We elected to tackle the trail in a clockwise direction, and headed off down the trail.

The route followed a high ridge for a while, affording views to both the North and the South.  For most of the day, the trail carved through a hard red rock surface.  It provided for more stable footing than the Peekaboo Loop Trail did.  

Scatterings of Ponderosa and Limber Pines provided occasional shade without obstructing the views much.  The trail dropped gradually down to the floor of the amphitheater.  Pink cliffs and towering spires of rock surrounded us in all directions.  Much like in other sections of the park, the hoodoos were often arranged to resemble castles and other structures.  

As we wound our way around the loop, the path would climb 50-100 feet at a time, arriving at a sort of low pass.  The wind would often howell across these narrow spits of land while we paused for pictures.  The views gradually opened up more to the East as we went.  The view was of distant mesas, cliffs and mountains stretching to the horizon.  

As we hiked we traversed around Boat Mesa, acquiring views of this prominent rock from many angles.  Boat Mesa is a large rock structure that resembles a sinking ship.  A few years ago, a portion of it collapsed in a major rockslide.  Some hikers managed to snap a photo of it as the dust cloud cleared - a photo the park service has included in some of its evening programs.  it is more striking evidence of the power of the natural forces that shape this strange terrain.

About two hours into our hike we reached the junction with a side trail to views of Tower Bridge - a carved out rock that looks a bridge with towers on either side of it.  After checking out the 200 yard side trail we stopped for lunch in the shade of a towering Ponderosa Pine Tree.  

After lunch, the trail climbed steadily for close to an hour.  It wasn't exceedingly steep, but the trail was relentless in ascending up from the floor of the amphitheater.  More strange rock formations passed by on the left while we climbed.  Eventually, we arrived at Sunset Point, another jumping off spot for this loop hike.

From there the trail turned north and climbed a few forested dunes.  The views to our right gradually became more and more dramatic as we hiked.  For the first time during our trip to the park we had views to the North of the park.  Distant, forested rock formations could be seen on the horizon.  Before the trail made its return approach to Fairyland Point we passed through beautiful open meadows high above the Fairyland Amphitheater.  During this last section of our hike we were treated to a fly-over from a beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk.  I also spotted a Mountain Chickadee, a Western relative of one of my favorite backyard birds.  Much like the little black and white birds back home, he hopped from branch to branch on a bush near the trail and made no effort to move out of our path.  Chickadees are well-known as some of the bravest little birds.

The trail made another brief climb as we returned to the trailhead parking area.  It was a long 8 mile day, and it felt like we were going up hill more than we were descending, but the views were outstanding throughout our hike.  This is a vast and remarkable landscape, and one that defies easy description!

Bryce Canyon Day 2: Under the Rim Trail - Ponderosa Canyon to Rainbow Point

The Under the Rim trail in Bryce Canyon National Park is considered the park's premier backpacking route.  Many of the sources I had consulted for planning purposes said that our trip would not be complete without backpacking the 22.9 miles from the park's Southern end at Rainbow Point up to Bryce Point. 

 Shortly after arriving at Bryce we stopped into the visitor center to ask some preliminary questions about this backpacking route we were planning on tackling later in the week.  Ranger Geoff filled us in on some important details.  Several of the backcountry campsites near Bryce Point had been closed due to troubles with black bears in the area.  The result being that an 11 mile day was needed to finish the trail from the last available campsite up to Bryce Point.  He also let us know that a section of the trail had been wiped out by rockslides, and that finding the route could prove tricky in this area.  Water was only sporadically available on the trail, as well.  

I asked him if I should plan to get in line early to get a permit the day before our hike, as I did in Zion, and he replied "oh, no, you shouldn't have any trouble getting a permit.  Zion is a WAY better backcountry park than Bryce."  Geoff went on to tell us about a story written in Backpacker Magazine a few years ago that hailed Bryce Canyon's Under the Rim Trail as one of the best backpacking trips in America.  The park was suddenly filled with eager adventure seeking backpackers.  Geoff said that many would return to the visitor center angry with their experience afterwards.  It would seem that the Under the Rim Trail is not something we cannot live without doing.  We decided to shoot for the Riggs Spring Loop for our backpacking trip later this week instead.  The Riggs Spring Loop also leaves from Rainbow Point, but stays in the forested southern section of the park, avoiding the rock slides, and the bears.

This decision made, I wanted to see as much of the Under the Rim Trail as possible, rock-slide section aside, of course.  It turned out it would be possible to day-hike a number of sections by using the park's Rainbow Point Tour Bus, free to visitors by reservation.  We ended up arranging for a shuttle from Rainbow Point, at the Southern end of the park back to Ponderosa Canyon.  This would allow us to hike one way along the trail and end up back at our Jeep at the end of the day.  All told, this would leave us with a manageable 8 mile day.

We met the Rainbow Point Tour Bus in the parking lot at Bryce Point a little after ten in the morning.  The rest of the tourists on board were making the full round-trip guided tour of the park.  We looked a little out of place, with our hiking poles and day-packs.  The bus driver, who doubled as tour guide, included us on the tour for the rest of the passengers  "and these people, folks, are actually going to go hiking in the park today.  Make sure you watch out for those bears."  He seemed to think that Bryce's black bear population was bloodthirsty and on the loose.  We were amused by this, as we've hiked in quite a few places known for difficult ursine populations, and Bryce was not thought to be one of them!

The bus ride only took a few minutes, and then we were headed off down the Agua Canyon Connector Trail by ourselves.  "By ourselves" was a key trait of this hike.  In five hours and eight miles of hiking we saw exactly one other person.  A little before Iron Spring a man passed us jogging in the opposite direction.  I thought that one heck of a morning run!  

The solitude was charming, especially in contrast with how crowded the rest of the park had been.  The connector trail followed a high ridge with striking views to the East.  A seemingly endless collection of Hoodoos adorned the near cliffs.  Close to a mile into the hike, the connector trail began a rapid, but manageable switchback down to meet the Under the Rim Trail.  

Once on the main trail, we strolled through a lush forest of pine for hours.  The trail descended to meet the North Fork, where only a trickle of water ran.  

Shortly after this, an impressive rock formation appeared on the left side of the trail.  A collection of white rocks were clustered together on the hillside.  The structure was alone, near the top of the hill.  I thought it bore a resemblance to "weathertop" in the Fellowship of the Ring Movie.  

I couldn't resist the temptation to explore this peculiar fortress of rocks.  It was possible to walk through it in several places, and by walking around the back of it and climbing some sculpted rock, I was able to reach an overlook.  Mary took my picture here.  It felt like I was in the turret of a castle.  What a strange and unusual landscape!

We resumed our descent through the evergreen forest.  Other than the one lone jogger, we had the forest to ourselves for the day.  We stopped for lunch at the Iron Spring Campsite.  The air had warmed in the heat of the day, but a pleasant breeze blew through the canyons.

After lunch, the trail began climbing, gradually at first, and then more steeply later.  It crossed several "washes," or dried up stream beds.  Some of the washes looked almost as if a construction crew had ran a bulldozer down through the forest below the ridge. This was striking evidence of the power water during a flash flood could have on this terrain.  Thankfully, for us, there was no chance of rain in the foreseeable future. 

Crossing some of the washes required scrambling up the rocky riverbanks, and in places the trail took a moment to locate on the other side of the stream course.  As we hiked north, we also encountered more and more downed trees.  Climbing over and under these obstacles was taxing.

The last two miles of the hike were, by far, the most spectacular.  The trail climbed steadily above the various branches of the Black Birch Canyon.  As we hiked, the views to the East began to open up.  It seemed as if we could see hundreds of miles.  Mesas and ridges ran endlessly towards the horizon, and distant, larger mountains hung in the sky liked shadowy ghosts.  Many people have said that hiking in canyon country makes one feel small.  This section of the trail certainly had the feeling of being lost in a vast landscape too grand to comprehend.  

As the trail worked its way around Ponderosa Ridge it slowly turned back to the West.  We suddenly could see the observation platform built on Rainbow Point.  This provided the illusion of making us think we were close to the end of the hike, but the trail still had a few tricks up its sleeve.  As it turned North, the Under the Rim Trail skirted a ridge with stunning views to the West.  It climbed higher and higher, breaking out into a treeless world of red rock.  We had views in 360 degrees, with distant mesas and ridges to the East, a labyrinth of Hoodoos directly to the West and North, and the green ridge of Rainbow Point to the South.  If we looked more carefully to the Southwest, we could make out patches of snowfields on distant mountains.

We stopped for a few photos while crossing the exposed red rock.  The winds howled across the open terrain with enough force that we found ourselves crouching down while taking pictures.

On the other side, the trail climbed rapidly up the green ridge, ascending past the 9,100 feet mark.  The winds died down to more normal breezes in the forest.  We began to pass folks wandering down from Rainbow Point with cameras and flip flops - a sure sign that we were near the end.

This stretch of the Under the Rim Trail far exceeded my expectations.  We had solitude, dark forest, and stunning views for hours while exploring the more remote corners of Bryce Canyon National Park.  Tomorrow we are thinking we will visit one of the more heavily trafficked trails in the north part of the park in order to take in some more of the hoodoo formations up close.  After exploring the South end of Bryce today, though, we are more excited to go backpacking in this quiet, green area later in the week.