Update

The weather has gotten much warmer during  the six days we've been here.  Although the days get hot, it cools down fast as the sun goes down and we appreciate the furnance at night.

Our workload has been quite light so far.  Part of the reason is that tourist season hasn't begun (many of the early-season guests are Europeans); the other aspect is that we've only been trained on cleaning rooms in the inn.  We need to learn how to do the cabins and guest house; how to prepare and serve breakfast; and how to check-in guests and take reservations.

Yesterday we went up on the mountain, at least 1000' higher, where the national park is located, for lunch at "Soup and Pie."  We didn't have soup but their sour cream and raisin pie is heavenly!  Afterwards we went into the park's visitor center and found out about the summer star parties.  Bryce has the darkest skies in the lower 48 providing exceptional opportunities for astronomy..

Late in the day we went for a very difficult run.  We found it exceptionally hard because:  #1.  injuries, weather and travel have kept us from the trails since before Christmas, #2.  the elevation here is 4000' higher than we're used to and #3.  the route out was uphill.  We're going to keep at it and maybe even do the Bryce 5K in August.

This afternoon we went to Kodakchrome Basin State Park, just 14 miles from here.  It's as indescribable as the rest of this area but in a different way.  It's often called a microcosm of the color country southern Utah is known for.  An unusual feature is the spires, which resemble concrete columns.  They are actually vents from defunct geysers that filled with fine, whitish sand which compacted into stone over the millenia.  When the softer surrounding layers eroded, the spires were exposed.   I'll attach some pictures of Kodakchrome's sights so you can see for yourself.





 

These hand impressions looked as if they were pressed into wet clay rather than incised into rock.   Wish we knew how/when they were create and by whom and why.

The Ballerina Spire

Obligatory picture of dessicated tree

Second Day Off

Our regular days off will be Wed. and Thurs.  However, we were off on Sunday and Dixie wants us to have check-in training this afternoon so we decided to take Wed as day off #2 for this first week.

After the propane man attached a line between the RV and the suppy tank (YAY!), we headed 50 miles east on Route 12 to Lower Calf Creek Falls.  What a wonderful hike--little elevation change, varied terrain and scenery, some wildflowers, a few archeological tidbits, a lovely little creek with brook trout and a waterfall at the end.  Lower Calf Creek Falls cascading 126' into the pool at its base was spectacular enough to awe North Carolinians from 'the land of waterfalls.'

We encountered a couple hiking with their pet cockatiels.  Each carried a cage containing two birds all six miles out and back.  They told us their pets "just love to hike."

On the way home we stopped at the Kiva Koffeehouse.  Perched on a cliff, it looks down and
into Calf Creek Canyon and out to the high desert beyond.  The building recreates a circular native American kiva using immense juniper logs. 

At 8 we strolled up the gravel road to watch Mike's 'Freedom Fire,' a bonfire of the debris he's cleared in the process of building his golf training center.  From the fireside conversation, we gleaned that Mike really likes bonfires and Bin Laden's removal provided a rationale for accompanying this one with John Phillip Sousa marches played over loud-speakers. 

Attached are some photos from the Lower Calf Creek Falls hike.

Pictographes

 Lower Calf Creek Falls

prickly pear cactus blossoms



Lower Calf Creek Canyon
from Kiva Koffeehouse

Freedom Fire

The weather is gradually warming; nights are still cold, just not as cold.  The propane
company will come this morning to hook us to a large tank so we won't have to ration usage for heat, hot water and cooking
.
We had more training yesterday.  Fred cleaned two bathrooms and I learned how to 'do' the bedroom portion.  It's not rocket science but there's a lot to remember until it becomes more automatic.  The rooms are beautifully decorated and each is unique--Ivy, Cedar, Juniper, Wildflower and two others.  All have stunning views into Bryce Canyon--a work environment few jobs can rival.

Since it was a 'light' day, we finished about 11:15 and decided to hike the Tropic Trail into the floor of Bryce Canyon. 

 Although it's officially named Bryce 'Canyon,' Bryce is more of an amphitheater.  Imagine looking down on an upper-case letter C flat on the ground.  Its lower end is flush with the ground.   Elevation increases as one moves from this end toward the center of the curve and decreases back to ground level at the upper end.  The Stone Canyon Inn is positioned back from the C's opening, facing up into the amphitheater.  Most visitors to the national park encounter Bryce from the high center part of the C, looking down into the 'bowl' filled with hoodoos.

Attached are some pictures from yesterday's 5-miler:






Snow at base of the cliffs




There's a story here somewhere



Navajo Trail along the floor of Bryce's amphitheater



Incredibly vivid blue sky




Huge teetering boulder





Intrepid Explorer!



Breath-taking!

Training Day (#1)

We met our trainers Marci and Chad, daughter and son-in-law of the owners, at 9:30 and began learning their system for cleaning the bathrooms.  (A far different and more efficient approach than the "hose down everything" system at Killens Pond!)  Chad is an excellent teacher and provided instruction as well as the rationale.

Tomorrow we'll be with Marci to learn how to clean the bedrooms.  Later in the week, Dixie will teach us how to prepare breakfast and  to handle reservations and check-ins.

We went into tiny Tropic, bought a few hardware items, picked up our mail at the post office and took care of some ; chores we didn't have time for yesterday.

Beautiful, clear day; temps are still chilly.

First Day Off

We were scheduled to begin working today but the couple who will train us had another obligation so we'll start tomorrow.

This morning we moved the RV about 10' forward in order to get a more direct internet signal.  It was as much work as moving to another site but the improved reception is worth the effort.

After lunch we took three short hikes, Arches and Pink Ledges trails in Red Canyon (part of Dixie National Forest) and Mossy Cave trail in Bryce Canyon National Park.  Saw some arches, windows, hoodoos, vistas, a waterfall, a slimy cave and a few very early wildflowers.

The stress of traveling and the labor of settling in has caught up with us; we're pretty tired and considering an early bed-time.

Scenes along the Arches Trail--Red Canyon



Scenes along Pink Ledges Trail--Red Canyon

Scenes along Mossy Cave Trail--Bryce Canyon National Park

Day 6: Green River to Tropic, Utah

Details:  4.75 hours travel time; 237 miles                                Total miles:  2,227


It was cold in Green River last night with temps well below freezing.  Thankfully, the gusty winds subsided and the RV stood still and steady from sunset onward.  This morning, the sun warmed the campground quickly.  (Actually, it thawed the tenters too quickly--we had to wait for showers in the bath-house.)

Before starting a third day on I-70,  we had complimentary coffee and pastry in the campground office and then strolled a block to the Green River, where John Wesley Powell began his exploration of the Colorado River.

The most stunning scenery and the most magnificent vistas in the seven states we traveled were contained in today's final 237 miles.  Don't assume they were easy miles, though.   There were  warnings about deer, elk, ice, slippery when wet road surfaces, no gas for 106 miles, gusty winds, falling rocks, steep grades.  And then there was the snow--on the mountains, along the roadside then falling from the sky.

This would be a terribly depressing saga if the destination weren't worthy of the effort to reach it.  I'm thrilled to report that this is a beautiful place, both the Stone Canyon Inn itself and its location, looking upward into Bryce Canyon.

We met the owners, Dixie and Mike, briefly before they joined four of their children and thirteen grandchildren for a belated Easter egg hunt.  We spent about an hour with Keith and Sandy, the other work-kamper couple, who arrived three weeks ago.  Everyone seems energetic, enthusiastic and very happy to be here.  It looks like this will be a great summer!







Home, for the next 4 months

Views from our campsite





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Day 5:  Strasburg, Colorado to Green River, Utah

Details:  9.75 hours travel time; 386 miles                                          Total miles:  1990

Thanks to all of you who have sent your good wishes.  We love hearing from you!

Although the Strasburg campground was nice, it was also extremely noisy, with I-70 just to the south of our site and the freight tracks to our north.  Fred was able to sleep but  I woke often worrying about the next leg of this undertaking.

Even though we set out during rush hour, I-70 traffic through Denver wasn't heavy and moved along without delays or bottlenecks.  Immediately beyond the city limits, the highway begins the ascent of the western flank of the Rockies.  Signs warning "Ice on Roadway," Watch for Wildlife on Road" and "Runaway Truck Ramp Ahead" were as unsettling as the deep snow covering the hillsides.  We crossed three passes (10,000' to 11,000' elevation) each followed by a long, steep descent.  The poor RV struggled in both directions--the engine labored uphill and the brakes strained on the downhill.  Fred did an impressive job of getting us up and over.  We decided that the Rocky Mountains are best appreciated from a distance--the narrow route is claustrophobic and the rocks and vegetation on the slopes aren't particularly attractive when seen up-close.

The AAA book warned that 'limited services' are available between Green River and Salina, Utah so we decided to buy groceries and gas in Grand Junction, Colorado.  Thank heavens we did because we saw no stores and only one gas station (regular for $4.10/gallon) after crossing the state line.  What we did find was wind.  The gusts made the RV swerve from one lane to the other and Fred had to struggle continually to keep it on course.

Tonight we're encamped at the Green River KOA and still being battered by the wind--the RV is rocking back and forth like a ship!  Hopefully the wind will subside after the sun sets.  But when it does, the temperature will plummet toward the predicted low of 26*, setting the stage for tomorrow's snow showers.  Weatherwise, late April has been a stressful time to travel this route.









Green River KOA

Saturday morning

Fred near the John Wesley Powell Museum
Saturday morning