Bryce & Zion - backcountry hiking in Utah

BLOGGER IS NOT LETTING ME UPLOAD PICS - WILL DO LATER.

Well, here's a short little write-up about where I went this last week:

we flew into Vegas; sure enough, my backpack was the last one to come out, and when I hoisted it on my shoulders, there was an unmistakable smell of hot sauce (fucking TSA had opened my pack and the bottle apparently, and hadn't shut it. So all my stuff was saturated with HOT hot sauce. Awesome. So much for the thin air of Utah - all I coul breathe was habaneros all week. I did the entire trip with my eyes watering.)

Anyways, we drove out to Bryce (its about 3 hours from Vegas). Here's a tip - instead of interstate US-15 followed by 9 (in which case you will have to pass throught Zion), take US-15 and go on ahead till you hit 14, then take 89N. you'll drive through Dixie and Red Canyon, which are great drives. (9 is pretty average.)

Hiking is great in Bryce. The temps are lower than you'd think (40s ay night at 70s/80s during in the day - in July!), and of all the things we got pelted by hail at 2pm on the first day, so whatever you think of desert hiking, this is not it. So an extra layer (and a poncho) is well worth it.

But it is high-ish altitude; probably not enough to make you sick, but certainly something to keep in mind if you're prone to that kind of thing. Vegas is 2500 or so ft, Bryce is between 7500 and 9000 ft. The views of Bryce Canton are indeed breathtaking; I was expecting something close to Canyonlands (I've been there before), but this was totally different.

The hiking itself is pretty tough. Bryce only has one back-country trail which is unfortunate because you'd think the place has so much to offer. But the one trail that does exist is really awesome. Do it from South to North (its not a loop), so you'll be going downhill, and the camping sites are somewhat more convenient. Guess which way we went. Yep. N to S. Which is why at the end of day 1 we looked like this:

You'll be surprised at how varied the terrain is - there are almost pre-historic looking bogs that can really, well, bog you down. Rough going, but truly worth it. Water is a bit of a problem, but there are two streams that rarely run out. As always, do check with the rangers, but we didn't have a problem.

There are also camping areas near the North end of Bryce, and we crashed there for a night. It seemed adequate, nothing special, but you know how it is, once you camp in the backcountry, anything else seems really lame... But Bryce seems to have a bunch of walking tours (ranger programs, a midnight tour which I am told it not to be missed etc.) , and so if that's your thing, you should be happy.

1. See the hoodoos (ideally on the "under the rim" trail), worth it.
2. I won't bore you with the geological details, but learn about the stuff - its cool.
3. Peekaboo trail is somewhat overrated - horses use it, and I don't like horses. Or horse poo, which is abundant on the trail (alongwith the accompanying flies).
4. Navajo is super-steep but very good.
5. Obey speed limits. The cops are like hawks in the damn place. I'm now $125 poorer but wiser. Why not just be wise and resist the temptation to do 57 in a 35 zone?

We hit Zion on the way back - we could only stay there for a day, but here are a few things about Zion.

1. LOT more crowded than Bryce - reserve spaces!
2. much more infrastructure (shuttle to take you around, huge visitor center etc)
3. Absolutely ANAL camping rules. Bryce is a lot more laid back. Prepare to be pissed off about some inconvenience in the name of "following rules" at some point.
4. Do not miss Angel's landing. Its worth it. And for your own sanity/well being/health, please do that hike early in the morning. After 10:30 or so you'll lose the shade and the uphill hike WILL. KILL. YOU. We came downhill at 1 or so, and I wanted to die.

I fell sick on the way back (cold) which sucked, but overall, this is a trip well worth doing if you like backpacking.