Karen and Tom Wanderings

Our next stop was Page, AZ, about an hour east of Kanab, and the site of the Glenn Canyon Dam.  We took the more southerly, scenic route there from Kanab (Highway 89A), and saw some of the extensive burns caused by the wildfire on the north rim of the Grand Canyon from earlier in the year (which, incidentally, burned down the Grand Canyon Lodge on the north rim, and kept that part of the park closed until early October). Along the way, we also visited the Lees Ferry area, which marks the NE end of the Grand Canyon and is about 15 miles downstream of the Glenn Canyon Dam.  It also serves as a launching point for rafting trips through the Grand Canyon.  We tackled the several mile hike down Cathedral Wash to the Colorado River, and it turned out to be a bit spicier than we anticipated.  There were several spots where we almost turned around due to the lack of an obvious, safe route, but eventually gathered our courage (and/or suppressed our fear), and pushed onward....

Our #1 priority in the Kanab area (and later, in Page) was to apply to the lottery for a much-sought-after permit for The Wave.  This amazing-looking rock formation got onto the world's bucket list from being on the Windows opening screen.  Permits are required, and strictly enforced.  Some are released 6 months in advance (or something like that), but a few are released one day before the trip.  We had tried to score one on our previous trip to the area, but weren't selected.  The current lottery process requires you to be in the Kanab/Page area to even apply.  So we applied the first day, and (unsurprisingly) didn't win. So, after a night in Kanab (complete with shower and good food), we awoke early to hit #2 on our list ... Buckskin Gulch.  It's one of the premier slot canyons in the world, and our visit a few years ago was amazing (of course).  The weather was cooperating (i.e., no rain anywhere in sight), so we didn't want to miss our chanc...

Still beaming from our wonderful day at Bryce, we headed down towards the Utah/Arizona border, and the town of Kanab, UT.  We took the more adventurous route, down Cottonwood Canyon Rd, after getting beta that the dirt road through the vast sagebrush steppe was passable in our Outback.  The road, in fact, was pretty tame, but Tom tends to be a bit nervous heading into remote environs when it's not in our wheelhouse (i.e., which the desert certainly is not).  Along the way, we stopped by Grosvenor Arch for a few minutes ... pretty massive. We also hiked in Cottonwood Narrows for a couple hours.  After about 10 minutes or so, we realized we were headed up the canyon instead of down, but quickly corrected course and had an enjoyable time.  Some nice rock colors, and the surrounding walls provided welcome shade.  Cottonwood Valley Gosvenor Arch Cottonwood Valley Rd near Cottonwood Narrows Cottonwood Narrows Rock Detail, Cottonwood Narrows Rubber Rabbitbrush in ...

Our first major objective of the trip was Bryce Canyon National Park, which we had visited a couple of times before, but were in need of a refresh.  We arose before first light, quietly got out of camp, and drove the 1/2 hour or so to the park, trying to beat the crowds and catch the great morning light that hits the canyon.  Parking was not a problem, and we reached Sunrise Point on the rim a few minutes after sunrise.  Perfect timing, though we weren't even close to being the only ones with that idea!  Imagine that! It was definitely a people scene at the beginning of our hike down into the "amphitheater", but that eased once we started hiking down the horse trail (whoops!  not optimal, but not the end of the world, either).  The light and the formations were mind-blowing, and our extended hike just kept providing ever-changing views.  It was pretty magical moving up, around, and through these crazy rocks.  The  3-dimensionality that y...