Bryce Canyon, Kodachrome Basin, Petrified Forest State Park, Escalante Drive

We haven't been to Bryce Canyon since 1976. I was working for Terminix at the time, and I had a job in Cedar City or somewhere nearby, so Chieko went with me. She was eight-months pregnant with Jamie, and I had to push her back to the top when we hiked down the Navajo Loop Trail. 

Driving up Red Canyon to Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon view from Sunrise and Sunset Points, and hiking Wall Street and Navajo Loop Trail. 

Elk burger dinner at Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant. 

Driving to Kodachrome Basin from Bryce Canyon. 

Hiking Kodachrome Basin.

Driving Grand Staircase to Escalante. 

Hiking to the petrified wood at Petrified Forest State Park near Escalante. 

Escalante canyon.

Dinner in Bryce Canyon from the Pines and drive to Bryce Point lookout. 

Mirror Lake Highway: Butterfly Lake, Lily Lake, Christmas Meadows

The city sprayed some sealant on the road in front of our house today, and we weren't allowed to drive on it all day, so we headed up to the Uintas. 

We don't usually stop at the Provo River Falls, because there are too many people, but today the people were pretty sparse. 

Butterfly Lake is just past Mirror Lake if you come from the Kamas direction. This lake is not nearly as crowded as Mirror Lake and it has an easy trail around it, about 3/4 of a mile. 

I had to get pictures of some of the wild flowers. 

Butterfly Lake has quite a few lily pads. There were a people camped along the south side, a couple of families fishing, a family in a canoe, and three or four guys launching float tubes. 

And the lilies were in bloom. 

Here's Chieko at Butterfly Lake. 

This mama led her ducklings across the Mirror Lake Hidway, though some underbrush, and across this clearing toward a creek at the Highline trailhead, which is very close to Butterfly Lake. 

Our next stop was Christmas Meadows. Notice the large beaver lodge. This stream is fairly popular with fishermen. The fish are quite small, though. 

This is looking south down Christmas Meadows. 

This is also looking south. I am not a cabin person--I'll never own a cabin, because I don't want to be tied down to recreating in the same place. But if I did own a cabin, it would be here at Christmas Meadows. This is one of my favorite places. At the other end of the meadows is a small campground and a hiking trail that follows the meadows, then the river. It then turns east up a six-mile climb to a couple of lakes in a high-mountain bowl. 

Lily Lake does have a lot of lily pads. The last time I was here was when Bryan Biehler brought Michael Gregory and me here on his ATVs. I've also been here a few times in our Chevy Astro Van years ago, but the road is pretty rough for a two-wheeled-drive vehicle. 

Notice the duck with her two ducklings. When I walked by, another duckling went charging out of the lily pads near the shore as the mama duck squawked. Then another duckling charged out with the mother's squawking. 

She then led the four ducklings down the middle of the lake.