Tuesday, August 14th: Bryce Pines Campground on Hwy 12, UT or … a preview of Bryce Canyon

Well, last night it rained a lot, since we woke up a few times and heard the drops falling! The humidity is high – even this morning. We say goodbye to the nice patron of the campground and cycle uphill. This time I get to see Red Canyon also while my woman is puffing her way to the top of the higher plateau. I believe my boss does something against the law: she stays on the main road instead of going on the bike path, but she never saw a sign telling cyclists not to use the highway. 

The bike path – we’ll use it going down! Traffic is not too busy, and we do get a wide shoulder for the uphill ride. Once on top of the plateau the red is gone and everything is green again. Now we do use the bike path – it is more convenient and there is hardly a shoulder now. Time to shoot some flowers. 

A group of cyclists of all ages – but mainly very young – is also using the bike path (going down). My boss loves to see people with kids cycling! Almost at the end of the bike path we reach the motel. “You’re too early” the woman behind the counter tells us, while she scratches my head! But we were allowed to leave our panniers. East we go … to Bryce. But first stop is the bakery, where my woman buys a roll. She had hoped to find some fresh baked bread to take along – but no. Maybe tomorrow. Next stop is Ruby’s Inn – time for some French Vanilla/coffee mix and some browsing in the shop. Time is now around noon and my boss makes a wise decision: take the shuttle into Bryce National Park. They are free and take you to all the vista points. Here another woman scratches my head: what a great day for me! We get off at the Sunset point. But what a timing: I get to see over the rim, watch in awe the hoodoo’s way below 

– and suddenly  Mr. Rain decides to throw small white rocks at us! That hurts! Signs at the rim remind people to stay in their cars when storms roll in, but where is our car? My woman runs for the lodge – but has to surrender and wait under an awning of the cabins just 50 meters away from the lodge. When the white rocks do not fall anymore we make a dash for the lodge – Mr. Bolt would be proud of us! There are lots of people here in soaking t-shirts and wet pants (I guess we were still lucky). Here we wait for the shuttle to pick us up – we had to wait a while since many humans were now returning, using the free transportation. Back at Ruby’s Inn, we find Sweet Machine still standing locked up to the bench in dry conditions. We notice a few Japanese doing some exercises like a sun greeting routine on the parking lot. They have probably been in the car for a long time!  My boss is trying to make up her mind: “Shall we cycle or not”, would Shakespeare have said in these conditions! We can go to the corner where the Subway is (Hwy 12), I told her. So we did. And then it took my boss three times to start out: too much headwinds, go back, go … but oops that lightning bolt was very close, go back, go … and we did, thinking it was safe now. But just 50 meters before reaching the motel the rain poured down again… where does it all come from… It’s so difficult to calculate how fast the storms roll in – the sun is still shining and there are the raindrops already coming… It’s so confusing for my woman. The Bryce Canyon Pines is known for its soups and pies: this is the place to have dinner. My woman brought back a boysenberry pie to share in the room. Yummie! We make a short walk outside at sunset.

 My boss almost jumps in the air when something big just appears from between the grass - is it a baby mountain lion? 

No ... just a cat - screaming for attention. That creature almost comes into our room! Go away and stay away. I already have to share my human at home with the fluffy animal she calls Puck!

When the cat is gone I chuckle and cannot help thinking:'I had a very good day with my boss in this wonderful place they call Bryce Canyon.'