Dan & Annie's
Summer Adventure 2006

August 5^th, 2006:

We left Zion National Park and headed for Bryce Canyon. On the way we stumbled upon Red Canyon State Park. Looked like a good place for a mountain biking trip.

We parked in the mouth of a canyon, climbed up the wall and took a few pictures:

It was raining when we started out,

But the trail was good.

With great scenery:

Joe’s bike in Red Canyon:

Five miles into the trip we stopped at a crossroads. It was 3:30, and

by studying the map we decided that we could cut out about three

miles of riding if we left the trail and cut out across country.

We took a compass bearing and set out, following a stream bed that

would eventually intersect our return trail in the next canyon over.

In the next hour we questioned our decision many times.

When travel through the dry, winding streambed became progressively more

difficult, we decided to climb out. Here we have just emerged from the canyon below:

Still hoping to intersect our return trail, we followed the compass bearing though country like this:

Have I mentioned yet that we were at over 8,000 feet above sea level?

And that exercise in this thin air makes it really hard to breathe?

And that today is Annie’s birthday, and she is really not having a good time?

Can you tell?

But eventually we do connect with our return trail, and Dan and Chris celebrate:

From here we have another eight miles back to the camper,

But there’s light at the end of the tunnel:

Tomorrow we’ll try something a little easier on our backsides, like horseback riding.

That’s all for now,

August 5^th, 2006

Dan & Annie & Chris