Trip to Southern Utah

Our trip through southern Utah began during OpenAI's mid-year break last week. We flew from SFO to Las Vegas, picked up an SUV, and drove toward Zion.

We packed light for the trip. That helped because we were moving around most days: a stay near Zion, a few days at Ofland near Escalante, and a lot of driving between hikes.

Zion and Red Canyon

The first full day was very full: Watchman Trail in Zion, Pink Ledges Trail in Red Canyon, Mossy Cave, and then the drive to Escalante.

Watchman Trail was a good first hike because Zion immediately feels tall. The photo is basically what I remember: the top of the cliff in sun, the lower canyon still in shadow.

Pink Ledges Trail was smaller and more concentrated. The formations were closer to the trail, with pine trees breaking up the orange rock.

Mossy Cave was more of a visit than a full hike. We stopped by on the way.

Ofland

After that we headed toward Escalante. Scenic Byway 12 was beautiful, and because we had an SUV, the drive itself was pretty easy.

At Ofland, we stayed in an Airstream for a few days. It was super cute and more memorable than a normal hotel room.

From Ofland, we hiked Lower Calf Creek.

Lower Calf Creek felt like a break from the first day. There was more green, more water, and more time walking along the canyon floor between pale and red walls.

Bryce Canyon

The next day we did the Figure 8 loop in Bryce Canyon. Bryce was easily my favorite part of the trip.

Before we even dropped into the loop, the overlook had rows of hoodoos, the rim behind them, and more layers fading out in the distance.

Once we were down in it, the scale was easier to feel. The columns were big enough that I felt small next to them, but close enough that I could see the lines, crumbling edges, and openings in the rock.

What I liked most about Bryce was how obvious the geologic history was. You could see the layers and erosion everywhere. The trip had a lot of good stops, but Bryce was the one I kept thinking about afterward.