May 19 - Bryce Canyon

Last day of trip. Sunny and clear. (Big storms over SLC -- and storms in the forecast).

Park the car at Inspiration Point and checkout the overlook. Bryce Canyon is sooo beautiful!

We decide to walk down along the rim to Sunset and then Sunrise Points. The plan is to walk the Queen's Garden and Navaho Loops -- down into and then back out of the canyon. There were lots of people on the Navaho Loop (looked like a human antfarm) but the Queen's Garden trail was pretty.

This is a great trail as it slowly angles down into the canyon past the rocky spires.

Towards the bottom, there's the Queen's Garden. I somehow missed it last time I was here so I made I saw -- nothing to exciting.

The bottom part of the canyon trail was empty (no people). Last time I was down (its was in Sept), all the trees had rocks on all their branches (placed by people of course). But it was just bare branches now -- maybe later in the season....

When we got close to the Navaho Loop, there was definitely more people. I wanted to go up the Wall Street side (between 2 narrow rocks/building) but it was closed due to unsafe condition (rock slides). So we went up the other side (by Thor's Hammer). The trail goes up past 2 rock bridges

and up a series of switchbacks to the top and Thor's Hammer.

By the time we got up to the top, the nice clear skies were cloudy and looking like rain. :(

Took the tram to the visitor's center for a quick look and then rode back into the park to get my car. The tram driver said that SLC above 8000ft was getting snow. And it is now very dark here.

Got my car and starting driving to the end of the road in Bryce Canyon - Rainbow Point (its over 9000ft). Spotted a Pronghorn. And then it started to drizzle, and the temperature starting to drop and it started to snow!!!! It got as low at 39 degrees so it wasn't sticking but it was still snowing. (This day is a groundhog day for me because it is an exact repeat of when I was here in Sept a couple of years ago - sunny, then cloudy, then snow/hail -- I'm never coming here again)

Because of the clouds, Rainbow Point wasn't too scenic. Pretty much the same as we stopped at some of the viewpoints on the way back down. But we had great day!

Just a long drive home --- but a lovely week-end with my nephew!!