Tuesday, August 9, 2022

 Grand Parade Trail at Kodachrome Basin State Park

hikers: Lecia, Mark, Seth

distance: 2.1 mile flat loop, with box canyons you can explore

This was a flat trail in a desert environment with some beautiful rock areas here and there.  We enjoyed it but I wouldn't recommend the entire distance for young kids, although it is not a difficult hike. I think it would be long and uninteresting for kids.  That is unless you had bikes! This would be a great place to use them!  There was not a lot of shade so don't do it in the middle of a hot sunny day.

There was one other car in the parking lot when we arrived, none when we left and we didn't see a soul on our hike!  Very solitary on a Tuesday afternoon.

The trailhead.

Interesting things along the trail.

By the way, box canyons are not to be confused with slot canyons.  Box Canyons are way more open and not tight like a slot canyon.

We did come across an area that was like a slot canyon.

When the trail was in the shade of the rocks it was a lot cooler and really pleasant.

There were some desert wildflowers.

The trail markers are useful. 

 There are a lot of washes in this area and they look a lot like the trail.

This was one of the unique formations.  

It looked like a concrete pillar standing alone in the desert.

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Mossy Cave

Happy Birthday Seth!

It just so happened that we took a little trip on Seth's birthday and the  first hike we did was at Bryce Canyon to Mossy Cave.

hikers: Mark, Lecia, Seth

1 mile

really worthwhile hike

This hike is not in the main area of Bryce Canyon.  We were on the highway driving past Bryce on our way Kodachrome Basin State Park and the Mossy cave trailhead was just off the highway.  

This is where you start the hike and there are bathrooms there.

This is a very short and enjoyable hike.  It is out and back, .4 miles to the cave and a little longer if you go to the overlook to the falls, or to the falls themselves.  It is an easy hike with a little elevation gain at the end as you go up to the cave.  It's not a shady hike but there is a stream to the side that you can walk along or in and cool off!

The scenery is beautiful.

You cross a bridge and you can go down to the stream here or many other places as well.

I don't know these people but you can see hiking in the water can be a lot of fun!

This is the overlook and you can see the falls and the water are a popular spot.  This wasn't even a busy day, at least the parking lot wasn't entirely full.  There was also one person on the top of the fall.

A little information on the Tropic Ditch and why there is water there.

And here is Mossy Cave!  

It doesn't look like much from here but it is really cool, literally, under the overhang.  

It was a beautiful blue sky the day we were there.  No hint of the rain the came later that night while we were sleeping in our tent!