Wednesday October 9

It was a little cool this morning (43 F) but we got underway around 9:30 to find the "secret" trail into Bryce Canyon. Apparently it was not so secret and the Parks had it barricaded and posted.

We didn't want to risk getting the car towed from the trail head so we headed to Kodachrome Basin State Park.

The Park was quite busy with many foreign travellers looking for an alternative to the National Parks.

There was a forecast of a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon so we decided to do a few of the short to medium length trails in case the weather changed quickly. The first trail we hiked was the Angel's Place Trail which had a bit of a climb above the basin floor and provided magnificent views of Kodachrome Basin, Bryce Canyon and the surrounding area.

After this, we stopped in a picnic area for lunch. We were harassed by an aggressive Mountain Bluebird that kept trying to get our sandwiches by flying in our face.

Our next trail was the Panorama Trail that provided up close views of several interesting geological features.

It was becoming more overcast but the rain was holding off so we drove to the Shakespeare Arch Trail and did a quick hike to see the only large natural arch in the park.

You could see the rain falling in the distance so it was time to leave for the day.

We had a few more interesting sights as we drove back to the hotel.

It is currently raining with a forecast of some possible snow overnight. We are hoping that the roads will be good enough tomorrow for us to get to Moab Utah for a couple of days.

Chris has just reviewed the hiking log and has concluded that we have surpassed the 100 mile mark on this vacation. The rental car has travelled 4000 miles.