Fun photos from our Utah vacation

I have been home for more than a week but with great spring weather and catching up at work I have stayed busy and didn't take time to look through our photos until tonight.  Rather than write about any particular experience I decided to share some photos.  These aren't necessarily the best photos and I haven't taken time to edit them.  These are photos that remind me of the great experiences and fun we had in southern Utah.

Bryce Canyon was our last stop but offered a landscape unlike anything we had seen previously

In Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument we discovered the fun of slot canyons.

On this birthday hike in Brimstone Canyon I attempt to squeeze through a narrow section of canyon

Like kids in a playground Molly and Katelyn work there way through the canyon

Group photo at Fisher Towers.  This photo makes me laugh because it is the reverse order of heights.

Following a trail along a ledge at Fisher Towers

Landscape Arch at sunrise in Arches National Park

Playing in an arch in Arches National Park

Double O Arch

Island in the sky in Canyonlands National Park 

Camping near Natural Bridges National Monument

Bryce

Tower Bridge

Fairyland Trail

Sunset view from our campsite

We spent the last couple of days of our trip in Bryce. At over 8000' we knew we could run into some snow, but our first day hiking there was sunny and warm. There were a few places where we saw snow which was funny because it was 60 degrees out. On our last night we woke up to a little wet snow on our tent though.

We got up before sunrise one morning and hiked the Fairyland Trail. It might have been my favorite hike of the trip. We did a couple of very early morning hikes. For the busy parks it was very worthwhile to beat the crowds (and see the sunrise).

Valley of Fire State Park and Zion National Park

A bighorn sheep petroglyph in Valley of Fire

 

We made it to Utah! Our first stop was in Valley of Fire State Park just after leaving Vegas – our first red rocks of the trip. We camped in Zion last night and hiked Angel’s Landing first thing this morning. It was frosty and cold when we started, but we’re glad we did it early; it was very busy on our way down.

We rode the park shuttle to the end of the road and back, stopping to hike to Hidden Canyon on our way back. What a cool hike!

John and Ryan in Valley of Fire

Ryan hiking past a little snow on the way to Angel's Landing

Ryan, Katelyn and John reading the summit of Angel's Landing (I decided that was a little too much rock scrambling for early in the morning and stayed lower on the trail)

Ryan and I were the Narrows start

Ryan and I at an arch in Hidden Canyon

Nevada Visit

 

The first part of our vacation just ended - our visit with my aunts and uncles and cousin in Nevada. Next up - southern Utah!

 

While in Nevada we had a great time hiking, soaking in hot springs, visiting museums, and sightseeing. I've been here tons of times but there is always more to see. We also had tons of fun with my nine year old cousin, Kendall. I haven't seen her since she was six and Ryan hasn't seen her since she was only four! She taught us several new card games, introduced us to new smartphone games, showed us her trampoline/jump rope routine, and let us watch her ballet class/performance rehearsal.