Day 114, October 28th, Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park
It was minus 9 this morning and the inside windows of the van were iced over! Oddly enough it didn't feel as cold as we were expecting outside. Perhaps because the freezing wind from yesterday had disappeared. Anyways, we had a leisurely breakfast before heading off toward Zion National Park.
You have to hand it to them on their choice of locations for parks, this Park was yet another stunning and completely different again park from the previous parks we have visited. Soaring multipitch (for those of you who climb) cliffs, green grass and trees that have yet to realise it is autumn. The road itself is built into the canyon dropping hundreds of vertical meters to the canyon floor through tunnels and switchbacks. Just stunning. The photo above is one of the windows in the tunnel that leads down into the park.
We were planning to stay a night in the park but the campground was still reservation only so we found a parking spot and jumped on the shuttle bus. The shuttle buses are the only vehicles allowed up the canyon until the end of November. There are multiple buses that run constantly and you hop on and off at a choice of 6 stops. We rode it all the way to the end before jumping off and walking still further up the canyon to the Narrows. There were climbers doing multipitch routes, tourists in hired waders with sticks to continue up the river beyond the groomed path and loads of other people just doing their thing. You can see how hiking is so popular in these places, there are so many options to lace up your boots and look like a pro.
Because we couldn't stay in the park, we drove back up out of the canyon and have parked up in a freedom camping spot several miles outside the park. The clock is ticking on our time in the van and we still want to get to the Grand Canyon so that will be our goal over the next couple of days before we then make a beeline for Los Angeles.
Oh yes, the weather! As we got closer to Zion, the temperature slowly increased until it was nearly 20 degrees Celsius! We even took our sweatshirts off for the first time in weeks! The forecast for tonight is for above zero which will be lovely!
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Hi Jill and Gordon, I just found your blog and have read it from start to finish. I am so pleased you have continued it on your campervan segment. It is a wonderful story and very inspirational. Keep it up and keep adapting. Woody looks like great fun, a lovely change after months of continuous biking and tenting. It will be a different world on the bike once you get down into warmer temperatures.