Back from Utah...

"Yearning"
Hi all - I'm back from Utah, it was an amazing trip. The photo to the left is from Kodachrome Basin State Park between Bryce Canyon and Escalante. The entire gallery can be found here. Nine days was certainly not enough time to see everything these places have to offer, but I did manage to take 2200 photos or so (50GB!).

Here are my suggestions for what to see, and some places to eat.

"Surviving"
Zion:
Make plans to hike the Narrows (which is real fun); you'll want to bring a pair of water shoes and one (preferably two) stout walking sticks with you. Also, bring a minimum of gear with you, and get a waterproof bag to put it in - there are parts of the Narrows that are at least waist high. We went about a quarter mile up the river (literally hiking in the river), and hit a spot that went too deep, so we had to turn back.

The Emerald Pools trail, on the other hand, is relatively easy, and gives good views of the trails around the Zion Lodge.

For eats: we stayed out in Hurricane (about 30 miles away), and only ate at two noteworthy places: The Burger Shack in Springdale (right outside the park, attached to the Quality Inn) - very good burgers (but they put mayo on by default, so be warned). We also had a good breakfast at Zion Lodge (better than average breakfast buffet; of note were the biscuits w/ gravy and grits).


"Jericho Ridge"
Cedar Breaks National Monument:
This is a must-see stop between Zion and Bryce (will take only an hour or so, so hit it between them). Leave Zion by the Tunnel, then turn right on UT14, then left to get to Cedar Breaks. Along the way: Aspens, lava flows that are still uncovered, a mountain lake or two, a cinder cone, and the monument itself.

You must stop to eat at the Cowboy's Smokehouse in Panguitch, UT.

"White Pinnacles"
Bryce:
Very highly recommend the hike from Sunset Point, down the right-hand (south/west branch) of the Navajo Loop Trail, crossing over to the Queen's Garden Trail, back up to Sunrise Point, then along the Rim Trail back to start. About 3 miles, 500' elevation change, and spectacular scenery. Also worth a visit are all of the overlooks in the park, especially the less visited ones south of Bryce Point.

Places to eat: Ruby's Inn is a bit overwhelming (most of the tour buses appear to stop there), so be warned. They do have a good general store for camping supplies or basic groceries.

The Bryce Pines Restaurant was above average quality, but basic American food (they have homemade soup and pie, which unfortunately we didn't sample).

"Sedimentary"
Escalante:
We only did the east side of the Monument - mostly from the town of Escalante and to the southeast. Must see: Grosvenor Arch (closer to Bryce), Devil's Garden, Egypt (off Hole-In-The-Rock Rd.). You need a 4WD vehicle to do these safely. Also, if you drive down Hole-In-The-Rock road to Chimney Rock, there's a lot of interesting desolation to look at (it's where we camped).

We also did a hike in the Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch, to Peekaboo Canyon and Spooky Gulch in particular. If you do this, you'll need to bring plenty of water and *limit* the amount of gear you bring with you (e.g., maybe a pocket camera and a pair of water shoes at most). We both brought too much gear with us (lenses, tripods) and this actually hindered us.

Some so-so places to go are to Kodachrome Basin (interesting, but not as interesting as either Bryce or the Devil's Garden), or up to Boulder to Anasazi State Park (which is kind disappointing if you're expecting another Mesa Verde - there are only a few pueblos there, and they are mostly buried.) The road itself, however, between Escalante and Boulder is quite exciting (and paved so any vehicle is fine).

We stayed at the Circle D motel and restaurant. The motel is old-style, but is actually quite comfortable. The restaurant, however, is out of this world good. The chef runs his smoker all afternoon, and did a great smoked brisket and a great smoked BBQ chicken. The breakfast was also quite good (e.g. Huevos con Chorizo, Breakfast burritos, etc.)

The other place to go in Escalante is Escalante Outfitters - they do a good coffee/espresso drinks/pastries/eggs breakfast, and also are the only pizza joint in town. In addition, they do a good dessert (pies), and also have a neat equipment and clothing section.

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