Got a ride to the trailhead then started heading toward Bryce. The local told me I was crazy for wearing shorts because the cold weather was coming in. He was right, it started snowing early in the morning as I was going up in elevation. I didn’t mind, though. I really wanted to see snow on the red rocks at least once in my life. Plus, the weather kept me moving without stopping, other than to add more layers.
There was one small section prior to the climb where I had to go through someone’s private property to get back into the forest. It felt awkward being aware of that and still choosing to hop over a couple of their gates. I stayed on the dirt road until I ran into some old wooden signs that directed me back onto a single foot track.
The different elements invigorated my senses. I walked on sand while the leaves of the trees were bright yellow and the rocks were salmon pink. I ran into a guy at the top, both of us reaching the high point at the same time but from opposite directions. I continued through the pine forest, immersed with cedar green hues that slowly faded out and turned bare once I walked through a burn area. Then, the snow clouds became more dense and I nearly got caught in a white out. I was hungry for something to eat but too cold to retrieve it from out of my pack.
Once I got to the main road, I hitched a ride and got picked up by a guy who was traveling around Bryce Canyon with his dad! His friend had hiked the AT and has been trying since to convince him for years to hike it.
“He keeps telling me it would be a great reset,” he said, “especially after I faced some hard trials in life, such as going through a difficult breakup.”
I agreed with his friend. “Definitely do it.”
He laughed. “I don’t need to hike across the country in order to experience a reset.”
“I think you do,” I said. When you know, you know.
I figured I would go all the way into Kanab to stay at Geniel’s. It was just about to get dark when at the very last second a Mercedes van had driven by then turned around to pick me up. It was a couple from Oregon who were on a road trip. They drove me over a mountain pass which had a gnarly snowstorm on it. My eyes were wide. All I could think about was how grateful I was not to be walking through it. They dropped me right off at Geniel’s motel doorstep. For the next few days I would be resting and figuring out a plan.
