I finally got to see Bryce Canyon today.

After a slow-moving morning around our campsite, I took a bus up to one of the main "hiking" trails inside the famed canyon (is it really "hiking" when half the trail is paved and the steep parts have handrails?). Even the simplest of trails dive deep into the hoodoos and other weird stone formations, including natural bridges and narrow aisles between the enormous fins of rock that appears to melt right before your eyes. As I finished my stroll (a couple of miles walking), it began to rain, adding to that melting idea, but encouraging me to hop the next bus back to camp rather than slip on to another path.

It turned out I made the right choice not to keep walking around. The rain I encountered evolved into a thunderstorm and some of the other folks on the tour had gone riding into the park, only to be caught in a heavy hailstorm that covered the road in ice. They told me that there were quite a few motorcyclists in the park--and it turns out that motorcycles can't ride on hail, so they saw multiple spills. I, however, was snug in my tent napping and reading--except for one call from work!


(click to see a larger image)