Kanab to Bryce

Breakfast in the Comfort Inn was an exciting affair. For a start, the tables were all occupied by people in sombre dress so we had to share a table with strangers. And for a finish, there was a waffle maker. No place thus far had had a waffle maker so this was exciting. And having had no experience of waffle making, I needed instruction in how to use it. A friendly man (in sombre dress) helped me out but I still managed to britta it by flipping the maker over before er... closing the lid. So some of the batter came out. Yes, clever. Also, I don't actually like waffles but the novelty value here won out.

We shared our table with a friendly couple and their grandchild. I asked them "what's with the sombre dress?" and learnt that they were there for a funeral (skit could have given me fair warning that perhaps my tone could have been softer but no...). The man was incidentally a commercial airline pilot which impressed me somewhat.

After breakfast, we skipped to the building next door which was the visitor information centre for Kanab (it was a good thing that we were at t he Comfort Inn and not the Best Western). We asked for advice on what to do and received directions to a slot canyon called "Lick Wash". Taking the name as a good and amusing omen, we took our new maps and directions and left Kanab.

The route to Lick Wash took us passed an old movie set which appeared like a post-apocalyptic Wild West town (next year's big blockbuster) and onto an unsealed road for about 15 miles. The soft patter of stones on the car reminded us to be glad that the car hire company didn't seem bothered by small scuffs and scratches.

We parked the car at the head of the Lick Wash trail into the slot canyon. We were the only ones there. I signed the day-hike permit book there to record the fact that we were going in and noted that there had been fewer than one group of people per day that month. It wasn't really a popular trail in November.

Lick Wash is in the Staircase. This region of the Staircase was in the white cliffs so the rocks weren't a vibrant colour but they made delightfully interesting formations. Apparently the changing direction of prevailing winds caused the layers of sandstone to change direction but I am not sure what it was that caused the honeycomb effects or the hollows that looked like Darth Vader's helmet.

Skit and I spent most of our time photographing the rock walls and little time progressing through the slot canyon. Again, it was cold, but not too cold and of course we were sheltered from the wind. There were patches of snow on the canyon floor and most of the leaves from the trees had turned and fallen. We sat and ate snacks before turning around and returning to the car.

The road back to Kanab was at a standstill. And then the queue started moving... until we were at a standstill again. It was frustrating and we had no idea why. At some point, heavy vehicles passed us but that in itself was no rational explanation. After our half hour or so delay, we stopped in Kanab for a burger and (sweet potato) fries in a small independent diner and planned our next leg, to Bryce. The route was pleasant and simple, north on a road that wound around hillocks and through villages with the slowing changing rock colour on either side as it passed through the different exposed regions of the staircase. On the drive, a big black SUV was hassling me by sticking on my bumper in a no-passing zone. It finally did pass me of course and about ten minutes later, we passed it on the side of the road with a police car. That kept me grinning for the rest of the drive.

Until Red Canyon. Because at that point, the only thoughts in my head were variations on wow. Suddenly we were in a place with rocks a bright orange-red, much more vivid and awe-inspiring than the vermilion cliffs. The rocks stood up, towers by the roadside. We naturally pulled over and took a short hike amongst the red towers. The sun was low and when the sunlight struck the red rock, it was all the brighter.

A tree in the Red Canyon had been decorated with small stones on its branches and twigs and notches and niches. We added a stone each, close together but not invading each other's personal space.

We drove on through red rock arches, heading towards Bryce with an eye towards hitting the park at sunset. Since we are naturally talented, we were dead on time. No one was at the park entrance so we went on by without paying the fee and headed straight for "sunset point" on the basis that there may be a clue in the name. We parked and got out of the car and then I may have sworn.

The sight of Bryce Canyon was awe-inspiring. Delicate pillars of rock, from needles to towers, some top-heavy, others tapering to a point, had erupted from the canyon floor. For miles the impossible features stretched, in this giant amphitheatre from another world. It was simply unbelievable that such a thing could exist. So different from the disbelief that surrounded the Grand Canyon, this wasn't about size but about bearing witness to art, rock sculptured by nature in exquisite forms.

I kind of liked it.

Skit and I viewed Bryce Canyon in awe (but weren't so stupefied that we couldn't take photos) as the sun set behind us. As the sun disappeared, we left.

We took a drive east to what looked like a promising town on the map but when we got there, the one motel looked dubious (and empty) so we went back to Bryce. At the park entrance, there were a couple of Best Westerns. Just because we saw it first, we went for the Best Western Plus. The foyer was grand with a large fireplace at its centre and furniture made from antlers. We got a room, the cheapest room in the entire trip, and settled down in the fancy digs (we knew it was fancy because there was a superfluous sink).

Skit availed herself of the laundry as I messed with the tv and managed to break it. No matter, I was kept rather busy looking over my photos of Bryce and the "hoodoos" (stone pillars). Late in the evening, we went to the only place open for dinner: Ruby's Restaurant. After eating, we tried to get some star-gazing in but the world was against us as it was cloudy that night. We noted that the temperature had plummeted to below zero but thought no more as we went to bed.