Bryce Canyon, UT backpacking 5/26-27

I went to Bryce Canyon the first time two years ago on my way to Jeanice to help her drive to California.  My father had told me that if I was ever in Utah to make sure I went to Bryce Canyon.  It was as amazing as he promised.  I've gone back annually and this was my third trip.  Both previous trips, I didn't make it past the main section where the tour buses go.  This year I got a back country permit to camp down below the rim.  I parked the car at Yovimpa Point.  I hiked a little over a mile to overnight at Yovimpa Pass where I had designated I would camp.  I had to set up camp within 250 feet of the Yovimpa Campsite sign.  Saturday, May 26th was pretty windy on the hike down but somewhere in the middle of the night, everything went quiet.  Not a sound.  I still got up about 5:30am because I wasn't sleeping too well.  The views from below are different than the rim, for sure.

In order to bring more water (which I didn't end up drinking all of it), I brought a bigger backpack and my Mountain Smith Daylight lumbar pack.  I could have fit everything in the backpack but I needed most of the weight on my hips.  My backpack isn't long enough since it is so lightweight, even though it weighs a LOT more than the RikSak.

I hiked 8.8 miles total to get back up to Rainbow Point, around the corner from Yovimpa Point.  Here are some pictures I took from the viewpoints on the drive back.

Desert backpacking

Foggy Bryce Canyon in 2010

While my housemate holds down the fort this weekend, I'll be heading off to Utah to backpack at Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.  The lack of water there will push me back to a bigger backpack from GoLite and my Mountain Smith Daylight lumbar pack.  Not much bigger, just enough to fit a 3 liter Camelbak and the larger 1 liter bottles that my Mountain Smith can carry.  This will add at least 5 lbs to my total loaded back weight.  I'll hike less miles because my muscles will get tired and start depending on my titanium repaired backbone sooner.  Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite places.  Zion National Park is amazing too.   I'll let you know how it goes.

Zion in 2011

Bryce Canyon Hike June 23, 2011

One section of Bryce Canyon

Hoodoos from above near Sunset Point

Navajo Loop Trail going down into Wall Street

Wall Street

I went to Bryce Canyon National Park in late June.  I rode the tour buses and went all through the northern end of the park.

I did take one hike, starting with the Navajo Loop Trail and finished with Queens Garden Trail.  My favorite part was a segment in the Navajo Loop Trail called Wall Street.  From up on top of the main ridge of Bryce Canyon, the hoodoos don't look that big, but walking amongst them in Wall Street, you realize they are huge.