Zion and Bryce

With the desert behind us we continued into Utah. I have to be honest, my knowledge of this state prior to arrival in the US was limited almost entirely to two basic facts;

1 - This is the state where lots of Mormons live.

2 - Johnny Utah was the name of Keanu Reeves character in Point Break.

Pitiful. The reality is that this state offers some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet. So, equipped with a little research and the ringing endorsement of a few people in San Francisco, we ventured on into the 45th state with open minds and a will to see something beautiful.

Utah gets its name from Ute tribe (Native Americans) and it basically means "people of the mountains". This name seems immediately appropriate when you arrive from the south west, and see a long line of sharp rocky peaks emerging out of a colourful yet quickly passed plateau.

Our first aim was to get to Springdale, a small purpose built town that has been constructed as a gateway into America's second most popular national park.

Upon arrival, via Highway's 56, 15 and 9, we quickly found a campsite on the banks of the Virgin River and slept with an ache of anticipation for the hike that we would take the following day. The next morning we awoke to something truly spectacular; a towering ring of red rock, impossible to see in the dead of night, now cast us in a deep dark shadow. This is just what we had been looking for...

After breakfast, and equipped with some superbly inadequate footwear, we headed into the official state park via a shuttle bus. We then began our hot and sweaty ascent up one of the many trails, keen not to allow our city induced physical frailty to prevent the enjoyment of intense colours and wide expansive views.

Looking at a map of Zion, you can realise how easy it was for the the first few generations of American settlers to leave a permanent mark on their environment. You see, when they arrived here, no geological feature had a (European) name. So within the space of a couple of generations, and for the sake of providing points of reference, it appears that any Tom Dick or Harry has had a go at filling in the blanks. The result to modern ears, at least with regard to this park, is an arbitrary collection of names for rocks and cliffs that provide no historical insight to their significance or events that occurred within their vicinity. It's a pity really, because this is an ancient natural theatre that deserves a little more imagination.

Zion State Park

After a couple of nights in Zion, we took the Beast cross country to the huge amphitheater that is Bryce Canyon. This infinitely calmer state park is genuinely unique. The erosion molded hole that is its focus doesn't look like it belongs on this planet. Instead it looks like a giant sun trap that has captured and softened the glow of what it receives. Strange hoodoos (actual name) stand straight within its basin like the spires of a thousand melted churches. In between the red, orange and white rocks that make these spires, stand lush green trees, flourishing in defiance of their habitat. Quite simply, stunning.

Almost as impressively, I just saw my first chipmonk.

Bryce Canyon

© All Images By Paul