We’ve been by the Coral Pink Sand Dunes before when the bright sun of the middle of the day helps them live up to their name. Here in the early morning dawn, they may seem a bit lackluster, but don’t let that keep you away.
Just as the sun is about to creep over the mountains, we hit a patch of fog, making for some fairly nice god rays.
Today’s first major destination is Bryce Canyon National Park for a hike into a canyon.
The Queen’s Garden / Navajo Loop trail is a 2.9-mile round trip and offers some of the best views of Bryce Canyon, which looks totally different from below than from above.
Like all places we’ve been to the view changes dramatically when you change the location from which you are doing your gazing.
I cannot describe the depth, smell, and feel of the air and its temperature on my skin. I’ll never be able to adequately explain how the colors and contrast between blue and red challenged my eyes to find as much detail as I could. This photo is a weak reminder, albeit an important one, as it brings me back to the day, but I had to be here in person to create a sense of firsthand knowledge. While I would like to encourage everyone to get out and see the land where they live, I also have to be thankful that the majority are satisfied with the television view of our reality from the comfort of their own homes.
Our second national park of the day requires us to change states and make our way to Nevada. It’s only a few hours away, so it’s well worth the minor effort.
We are at Great Basin National Park, driving up into the mountains.
This is the reason we are here today: the bristlecone pine tree. These trees can live up to 5,000 years and survive the worst conditions in the worst soils. When a tree dies, it is often that only a part of it will fall dead while the other half continues growing for centuries. The part that has died can dry into a wood that is often harder than steel. To get to these incredible trees, you’ll have to head to the trailhead at 10,000 feet and then climb another 800 feet to the trees.
Just the idea that these trees were standing vigil high in the mountains watching countless generations of humans come and go while we entered the Bronze Age, built the pyramids, learned to sail across oceans, ushered in the Renaissance, learned to fly, and built weapons that could destroy most life on Earth. Prior to today, I don’t believe I ever thought that I’d reach out and touch a living thing that was thousands of years old.
We’re gonna hang out in Baker, Nevada tonight as we didn’t have time to visit the caves up in the Great Basin and have decided to pay them their due in the morning.